Friday, October 29, 2010
O'Reilly: Obama reaching out to select groups of voters - 10/27/10
A vote for Obama is a vote for racism.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Headlines Thursday 28th October 2010
=== Todays Toon ===
The insane left strike again with shoe throwing on Iraq. - ed.=== Bible Quote ===
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”- Hebrews 4:12=== Headlines ===
Virginia Man Arrested for Allegedly Plotting Attacks in Capitol
A 34-year-old man has been taken into custody for allegedly trying to help Al Qaeda plan multiple bombings around the Washington, D.C., area — including the Arlington Cemetery Metrorail station.Dems Taking Big Piece of Campaign Cash Pie
New analysis shows that Democrats and party-allied groups have raised and spent nearly $200M more than their GOP counterparts, despite complaints that Republicans have the advantage
Judge Rumbles With Conn. Over WWE Garb
A federal judge orders Connecticut's top election official to allow voters to wear World Wrestling Entertainment clothing to the polls, saying wearing company's garb doesn't apply to state election laws
Race to the Red Planet Heats Up
As U.S. prepares plan for manned space mission to Mars, the challenge will include beating Russia, China and India to be the first to reach the Red Planet
Apple delays white iPhone again
APPLE fans are going to have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on a white iPhone 4.
Cummings in hospital, may miss Cup
LEGENDARY horse trainer Bart Cummings has reportedly been readmitted to hospital just five days out from the running of the 150th Melbourne Cup.
Indonesia quake toll over 300
HELICOPTERS with emergency supplies finally landed on the remote Indonesian islands slammed by a tsunami that killed more than 300 people, while elsewhere in the archipelago the toll from a volcanic eruption rose to 30, including the mountain's spiritual caretaker.
Plane evacuated after clipping jet's wings
TWO jets were damaged and one was evacuated today after they hit each other on the tarmac at Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport.
Obama meets with gay rights groups
US President Barack Obama stopped by meeting yesterday between gay rights groups and administration officials at the White House to express his support for repealing the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.
Premier's volt from the blue
PREMIER Kristina Keneally has caved in to The Daily Telegraph's campaign on power prices.
Home swallowed in fierce blaze
FIREFIGHTERS battled an "enormous wall of flames" when a home was swallowed up in a fierce seven-metre high blaze.
Zoe's death was not in vain
NSW Labor gave in-principle support to recommendations in the report into laws surrounding criminal deaths of unborn children.
Police fire shots after 'ramming'
A POLICE officer fired two shots at a car which had allegedly rammed his police vehicle and was about to run him down.
Councillors too busy at the pub
THE lure of state ministers flying in to a conference wasn't enough to entice more than half of the 500 councillors to attend a meeting.
We're on an express to nowhere
THE Western Express project will remain nothing more than a pipe dream if Labor loses the election.
Medich 'organised McGurk murder'
WHAT Ron Medich now knows was long-time associate Lucky Gattellari had turned informant.
A battle cry for basic services
TWO dozen NSW councils have declared they are "nuclear free". But how many are pothole-free?
Kids too fat for class chairs
CHILDREN have grown too big for their school chairs, a survey of 750 schools reveals, with desk and chair sizes "inappropriate".
Artworks will melt your heart
THE annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition features work by artists from 11 countries.
Little Cody battles through
CODY Flatley is part of an elite club - babies born at 23 weeks gestation who have survived against all the odds and expectations of the doctors.
Brisbane house prices drop again
BRISBANE'S median house price has dropped again, with its decline over the September quarter second only to Darwin.
Footy star hijacked garbo truck
A FORMER footy star who led police on a wild chase after hijacking a garbage truck, has failed in a bid to get his driving licence back.
What's happening to our sea food?
THE Government has confirmed Australia is a net importer of sea food for the first time as the Federal Opposition warns of a looming "Battle for the Coral Sea".
Ablett's $3m Gold Coast mansion
GOLD Coast Suns superstar Gary Ablett has bought the ultimate bachelor pad to start his life on the Glitter Strip.
Fraudster cashed in on pay farce
A BRISBANE hospital worker has pleaded guilty to fraudulently claiming $23,000 in emergency cash payments from Queensland Health during the pay crisis.
Surfer squeezed through porthole
LAWYER Rob Marino was left with two choices - die or make an effort to survive the tsunami terror that struck he and his eight mates from the Gold Coast.
Nuttall faces 35 years in jail
FORMER Queensland Labor minister Gordon Nuttall faces the longest jail term for official corruption in Australian history.
Coast boasts a rebranding
THE battle of the beaches is over as the Sunshine Coast prepares to ditch its long time rivalry with the Gold Coast with its own unique tourism brand.
Woman charged over ambo fire
A 23-YEAR-old woman has been charged over two allegedly related fires, which destroyed the Cleveland ambulance station and three ambulances.
Bart back in hospital
LEGENDARY horse trainer Bart Cummings has been readmitted to hospital just six days out from the running of the Melbourne Cup.
Victoria has too many fat kids
THE Gillard Government is being urged to step up the fight against childhood obesity, after it rejected calls for a junk food tax.
Suspect firms for barrel murder
POLICE have a strong suspect in the murder of Lucia Amenta as they continue to search overseas for a key piece of evidence.
Melbourne getting safer, says Brumby
THE war on crime has a long way to go, Premier John Brumby admits, but he says the State Government is turning the problem around.
Your time starts now
FORGET muck-up pranks, it's back to business for VCE students today as more than 40,00 they sit their first written exam.
Wombats ready for the close-up
A COUPLE of cheeky wombats, orphaned when their mums were killed by cars, made a beeline for this camera.
Angry locals bury river plan
ANGRY Mildura locals have staged a Mafia-style mock execution of the Murray- Darling Basin Plan, burying it in a concrete-filled boot.
Man flashes terrified woman
A FLASHER waited at Ripponlea railway station for 15 minutes before exposing himself to a woman who was walking nearby.
Dupas demonstrated murder - inmate
THE man accused of killing Mersina Halvagis told a fellow inmate he left no evidence at the scene, court hears.
School bans kids hanging out in groups
A PRIMARY school principal has banned groups of more than three students in a radical attempt to stop bullying.
Nothing new
Floodwaters cause Murray havoc
DROUGHT-BREAKING floodwaters from Victoria are wreaking havoc along the River Murray.
Desal funding watered down
THE Federal Government is clawing back $212 million of a federal "grant" for the desalination plant.
Crossbow robbery in busy night
A CROSSBOW-wielding man robbed a service station in Elizabeth Park on Wednesday night.
Old Adelaide Gaol's new look
A $400,000 upgrade of old Adelaide Gaol has been unveiled.
Passenger warning as crim cruises in taxi
A STOLEN taxi is cruising the streets of Adelaide and police have warned people not to get into the vehicle.
Man dragged from water at Largs Bay
A MAN has been pulled unconcious from the water after jumping off the end of Largs Bay jetty.
Mystery letters cloud conman's sentencing
TWO mysterious letters have forced a magistrate to consider disqualifying himself from sentencing a confessed conman.
Driver in court over thoroughbred death
A MAN has faced court accused of running down and killing a thoroughbred race horse while heavily intoxicated.
Houseboat goes up in flames
A HOUSEBOAT was destroyed when it caught fire and drifted for one kilometre from Hindmarsh Island early this morning.
Youths rob woman aboard bus
A GROUP of youths assaulted and robbed a young woman of her handbag as she travelled on a bus at Ferryden Park early this morning.
Show me the injuries, Taser man told
TASER abuse victim ordered to get medical records and a lawyer if he wants access to damning footage of him being Tasered 11 times by public officers.
Union slams hospital plans
PATIENTS at the new Fiona Stanley Hospital won't be affected by plans to privatise certain services, West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has vowed.
Afghani admits murdering flatmate
A MAN who murdered his former flatmate in a Victoria Park townhouse today pleaded guilty to the gruesome crime.
Lacrosse star tells of hit-run horror
A TEENAGE WA lacrosse star has told how her car rolled twice after another driver ploughed into it during a terrifying hit and run.
Barnett attacks 'strange' Gillard
WA PREMIER defends his government's record on energy investment after what he described as "strange'' and "wild'' comments by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
Limited booze at two Skyworks spots
SKYWORKS revellers will be able to consume alcohol at two designated "drinking zones'' during the Australia Day celebration - at Kings Park and Perth Esplanade.
Spratt demands second Taser footage
TASER victim gives the Police Commissioner and Attorney General a deadline to produce footage of a second Taser attack and a copy of his criminal record.
Headbutter gets seven months jail
A MADORA Bay man who viciously headbutted another man at the Ravenswood Hotel near Pinjarra, 87km south of Perth, has been jailed for seven months.
Grandmother gets 26-year murder sentence
HOBART grandmother Susan Blyth Neill-Fraser has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for murdering her de facto Bob Chappell.
Detention centre where teen died may close
THE Tasmanian government will consider closing a youth detention centre where a teenage inmate died this week.
Man pleads guilty to shooting at cop
A MAN has pleaded guilty to shooting at a police officer in Hobart's north.
Teen inmate's death linked to car crash
DEAD teen's illness after accident ignored before his death at detention centre, says mum.
=== Journalists Corner ===
New Video Shows Lead-Up to Protester Being TackledNew video has emerged of the moments leading up to a MoveOn.org protester being stomped on before a Kentucky Senate debate. So, could there be another side to the story of the tackle seen around the country?
===
New England Turning From Blue to Red?
With New England dominated by Democrats, can the GOP come ahead at the polls and take back the region? Bret breaks it down.
===
Violence at the KY Senate Debate!
A political stomping across Kentucky, literally! We take a look at the rally that nearly turned riot!
===
Ballot Battle: We're Broke, Who's Booted?
Spiraling debt, no jobs, taxes and health care woes. America wants solutions ... NOW! So, what will it take to get us back on track? Neil gets answers.
On Fox News Insider
Is Harry Reid Trying to Steal the Nevada Election?Obama's Segregation Politics?
Look Who's Dressed Like Gretchen...
VIDEO: Denise Richards Returns to Acting
=== Comments ===
One Week Before a Very Important ElectionBY BILL O'REILLY
All the polling indicates Republicans will do very well next Tuesday, as millions of Americans are angry about the economy and the general direction of the country.
A new Gallup poll says that 63 percent of Republicans say they are enthusiastic to vote. Just 37 percent of Democrats say they are jazzed to go to the polls. That's huge because a low turnout among Democrats will doom the party this time around.
On Tuesday, there was some new polling. According to Quinnipiac, John Kasich is now six points ahead of Ted Strickland in the Ohio governor's race. In the Ohio Senate race, Republican Rob Portman is leading Democrat Lee Fischer by 17 points. So Mr. Portman is a lock.
In West Virginia, it's close. According to a new Fox News poll, Republican John Raese leads Democrat Joe Manchin by just two points in the Senate race there.
In Connecticut, it's not so close. Democrat Dick Blumenthal is well ahead of Republican Linda McMahon.
In Illinois, the race for Barack Obama's old Senate seat has Republican Mark Kirk ahead of Alexi Giannoulias by two points according to the Fox poll.
In California, Sen. Barbara Boxer leads Carly Fiorina by four points, and Jerry Brown is running well ahead of his challenger, Republican Meg Whitman.
In Kentucky, Rand Paul seems to be pulling away from Democrat Jack Conway in that Senate contest.
Perhaps the most intense race in the country is in Nevada between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and challenger Sharron Angle, who leads Reid by four points according to Rasmussen.
That is driving the far left nuts. On Tuesday, Joy Behar said this about a criminal illegal alien ad Ms. Angle released:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": This is a moron on top of being evil. I would like to see her do this ad in the south Bronx. Come here (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Come to New York and do it.
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": And we're praying for you. We are praying for you.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Even Joy is praying for you.
BEHAR: I 'm not praying for her.
SHEPHERD: I 'm praying for everybody.
BEHAR: She is going to hell, this (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
That kind of rhetoric, of course, helps Sharron Angle.
"Talking Points" is an independent voter, but I do believe the country is on the wrong track. President Obama has made a calculated gamble with massive spending, and it has not translated into more jobs. Americans understand that simple equation.
They also understand that under the Democratic leadership, the nation has added an amazing $5 trillion in debt. Obviously that has to stop, and the folks know it.
===
A Stark Choice Between European Model Or the American Way
By Amb. John Bolton
Dramatic developments in Europe in the past few weeks have graphically demonstrated the importance of America’s upcoming November 2 elections. Coming midway through President Obama’s term, there is little doubt these elections constitute a referendum on his philosophy, policies and performance.
Any U.S. citizens who doubt the significance of their impending votes need only contemplate Europe to see the consequences of further pursuing the Obama agenda.
Riots in the streets recently greeted French President Sarkozy’s proposal to increase the retirement age from 60 to 62. Although starting with the trade unionists, university students soon joined, in “worker-student” demonstrations reminiscent of late 1960’s Europe.
Just four years ago, France’s students rioted because they dreaded “précarité,” or insecurity concerning their employment prospects. They wanted guaranteed lifetime jobs, preferably in the public sector, rather than the indignity and “précarité” of pursue their own careers.
This past May, violent demonstrations in Greece reflected virulent opposition to cutbacks in welfare and other national subsidies, required because Greece’s profligate government spending, in violation of European Union (“E.U.”) fiscal rules, threatened the viability of the common European currency. Although fears for the Euro’s future have receded, the E.U.’s fundamental structural problems remain unresolved, so the risks of future instability remain still provoke sporadic outbursts of rioting in Athens.
Now, although France’s Senate approved changing the retirement age, the stability of Sarkozy’s government remains very much in question. Ironically, he came to office pledging far more sweeping, market-oriented changes in France’s economy. If he retreats on even minimal reforms like the retirement-age question, however, his entire presidency may end in failure.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister David Cameron’s new government has just announced stringent budget cuts to reverse decades of massive deficit spending. These reductions are equivalent to or steeper than Margaret Thatcher’s when she took office in 1979, and will cause sweeping revisions in the excessive expectations many Britons have from their government. Nearly 500,000 public sector employees will be eliminated, and the pension-eligibility age will rise from 65 to 66. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said dramatically to the House of Commons, “Today is the day when Britain steps back from the brink, when we confront the bills of a decade of debt.”
British public opinion is still developing, but Cameron and his government openly campaigned for these policies in the last election. Disturbingly for Americans, his budget includes deep reductions in Britain’s defense budget, cuts so severe that many worry about London’s ability to sustain its leading role in NATO, and its long-standing place as Washington’s principal military ally.
In fact, the typical reaction of U.S. defense experts has been “it could have been worse,” which is cold comfort, especially with the conflict against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan reaching a potentially dispositive point.
These striking developments in Europe emphasize both how hard it is to withstand the endless expansion of the state’s role in civil society, and how hard it is to roll back even failed and financially debilitating statist policies. Public expectations become entrenched, citizens become dependent and attached to their benefits, which come to be seen as “entitlements,” and the steps necessary to redress the balance can be painful.
With considerable justification, therefore, American voters now see the impending November 2 elections as enormously consequential for their future. The individual races effectively embody a stark choice: whether to begin the daunting task of turning the United States back toward its founding principles, or whether to descend further into the status of European social democracies like France and Greece.
President Obama’s nationalization of two of America’s largest automobile manufacturers, his massive European-style health-care reform, and his extravagant Federal spending increases, had little or nothing to do with recovery from the 2008 financial crisis. Although justified on that basis, Obama’s agenda was in fact an ideologically-driven, highly opportunistic strategy to fundamentally change the structure and direction of American society. With substantial majorities in Congress, his objectives seemed easily within reach.
But unfortunately for Obama and the commentators who worship him, America never stopped being a center-right nation.
The public increasingly believes that Obama’s stimulus spending has not stimulated; his increased tax, government spending and regulation burdens are substantially impeding our hopes of recovery; and his unprecedented extension of the federal government’s economic role is utterly unjustifiable.
Obama’s response is visibly schizophrenic, promising more of the same if he avoids electoral disaster next week, while simultaneously implying he has “learned his lesson,” and will be less radical going forward.
How the United States votes on November 2 is thus an important test, but in themselves these midterm elections alone cannot be dispositive. The real test will come when Obama seeks re-election in 2012. Then too, events in Europe may well highlight the choices and widely divergent options Americans will face.
John R. Bolton, a former ambassador to the U.N., is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a Fox News contributor. He is the author of "Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad" (Simon & Schuster, 2007).
===
Wilkie trusted with our secret business
Andrew Bolt
Should Julia Gillard really trust Andrew Wilkie on the Joint Parliamentary Committee for Intelligence and Security, now reviewing the workings of Australia’s intelligence community:
The work of the committee was thrown suddenly into the spotlight yesterday, following reports Julia Gillard had nominated to its ranks former intelligence analyst and Iraq war whistleblower Andrew Wilkie, now one of three independent MPs backing the government.But wait a minute. Isn’t this the same man who once revealed intelligence he should not?
After leaving the army he worked for US defence giant Raytheon before moving to the secretive Office of National Assessment.(Thanks to reader John.)
He broke onto the national stage in 2003 when he resigned and spoke out against the Howard government on the Iraq war....
Former intelligence officers can’t stand him. They say that when he went public on the Iraq War it was on the basis of intelligence that was shared with 23 other intelligence officers on a “your eyes only” basis. They say the other 23 came to precisely the opposite conclusion to Wilkie.
===
It’s unItalian
Andrew Bolt
It seems such an attack on the Italian identity:Women who wear miniskirts or show too much cleavage will face fines of up to 500 euros (£440) under new rules to be introduced by an Italian town.(Thanks to reader 3point142.)
In a move sharply at odds with a country which produced the likes of Monica Bellucci and Sophia Loren, the town of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples, intends to prohibit women from wearing provocative clothing.
===
A test that would have a Williams sacked all over again
Andrew Bolt
Yet another alleged terrorist plot revealed, but please check that you haven’t jumped to conclusions.
Federal law enforcement authorities are investigating a nascent plot to carry out a series of terrorist bombings at stations in the Washington Metro system, according to intelligence and law enforcement sources.A: Sweden
The investigation is focused on a naturalized U.S. citizen, originally from…
B: New Zealand
C: Pakistan
.... who became the target of an undercover sting operation, the sources said. An administration official said the man drew the attention of law enforcement officials by seeking to obtain unspecified materials…A: Bob Smith
The man…
B: Anders Andersson
C: Farooque Ahmed
... is believed to have conceived of the plot and planned to carry it out on his own....A. The Lutherans
Federal officials stressed that the public was never in danger. They said that, as part of the sting, Ahmed was asked to conduct video surveillance; he later turned that material over to federal agents whom he believed to be connected to...
B: The Dalai Lama
C: al-Qaeda.
If you jumped to the stereotypical conclusion and answered C, C and C, you are just the kind of prejudiced person that America’s NPR finds utterly unacceptable:
National Public Radio dismissed newsman Juan Williams for an on-air discussion he conducted with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly in which Williams confessed discomfort when observing fellow airline passengers dressed in Muslim garb.===
She’s outta here
Andrew Bolt
Barack Obama is trying to step Democrat losses in next week’s mid-term elections that could cost him control of Congress. So in this moment of crisis for his presidency, Hillary Clinton announces what she’ll be doing in these last days to win Obama more support:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton departed Washington on Wednesday for a two-week Asia trip meant to shore up US ties with its Pacific neighbors.===
Gillard opens the gates with her bungling
Andrew Bolt
Greg Sheridan on Julia Gillard’s disastrous bungling of boat people policy - and of her dud promise of a detention centre in East Timor:
On the day before he was dumped as prime minister, Rudd told Julia Gillard the idea was a dud. It wouldn’t work… This also leads to the inescapable conclusion that Rudd (as Foreign Minister) has declined to lead the negotiations over the East Timor centre, instead leaving that task to the wholly inexperienced Chris Bowen…Coalition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison says the boat arrivals seem to have picked up since Labor’s election win:
Gillard is emerging as a strangely weak and ineffective Prime Minister in foreign policy…
With nearly 6000 illegal immigrants arriving by boat so far this year, and with the government having no strategy to stop the boats, Australia stands in a precarious position. We seem just about to embark on the disastrous European policy, which is now tearing Europe apart, of accepting a large, illegal Muslim immigration. This is not essentially a refugee question but rather, as in Europe’s case, a question of a determined illegal immigration..
Gillard… went to the election saying the East Timor centre would be a regional initiative that would help stop the boats. Yet no effective action has been taken on the Timor centre, while new centres are being commissioned on the Australian mainland, the boat arrivals have accelerated and the government can point to absolutely zero regional support for the East Timor centre and cannot or will not even outline which nations it will apply to.
In August, 324 people arrived on boats. So far this month 726 people have arrived on 14 boats.===
Greens may soon rule with Labor in Victoria
Andrew Bolt
Labor in Victoria is being eaten out by its One Nation - the Greens:
ONE in five Victorian voters is intending to back the Greens at next month’s state election, leaving Labor at risk of losing its majority.The poll suggests that one in five Victorians are voting for a party whose policy is to immediately close the source of a quarter of Victoria’s power - and the cheapest of it. They are voting for a party of the gesture, with no thought of the consequences. This represents the infantilising of politics. And after the election, the most infantile of the parties may well hold the balance of power, particularly if the Liberals preference them.
Just days before the formal start of the campaign for the November 27 election, the latest Newspoll figures suggest an extremely tight result in keeping with this year’s federal election and Tasmanian and South Australian polls. Primary support for the Brumby government has dropped to 35 per cent; the Coalition’s primary vote has jumped four points to 40 per cent; and, most significantly, the Greens vote has surged to a record 19 per cent.
The polling, conducted exclusively for The Australian last month and this, shows that if an election were held today, Labor would narrowly retain power, with a two-party-preferred split of 52-48 in its favour.
For Labor the threat is acute. It has the vote of just one in three Victorians, and needs the Greens to hold onto government. For every two votes for Labor, the Greens have one. It is critical for Labor to destroy the Greens, yet it does not dare. Much of the media is also unwilling to explain the consequences of Greens policies or expose the deceits, ignorance, prejudices and superstitions on which they are based. The result is that the Greens remain protected by an armor of moral righteousness, and Labor is quietly and meekly surrendering an army of its voters to its’ ranks.
Some Labor figures belatedly understand the challenge - to the party’s power, at least, if not to our future:
LABOR elder statesman John Faulkner has warned his parliamentary colleagues in the party’s Left they must confront the growth of the Greens and convince voters of why Labor deserves their support…But the Victorian Liberals? Becalmed under the Leftist leadership of Ted Baillieu,they flirt with what they should oppose:
He told a meeting of Labor’s Left-faction MPs this week that existing evidence indicated the Greens were growing as an electoral force. It was “silly” to overlook this and Labor needed to put its case “strongly to the electorate”.
TED Baillieu is facing an open revolt by senior Liberals for refusing to rule out a preference deal with the Greens at next month’s state election. Just 30 days from the poll, a growing chorus of Liberals has warned Mr Baillieu not to trust the Greens.Liberal Senator Helen Kroger makes a public appeal to Baillieu:
Former PM John Howard said the Greens’ radical agenda was “far worse” than the Labor Party..
Many Liberals are still seething at a preference deal that helped Greens candidate Adam Bandt win Melbourne at the August federal election. They fear similar deals at the state election could hand the Greens up to six seats in the Lower House.
The reality is that the Greens need Liberal preferences to win any seats.UPDATE
I hope that the state Liberal leadership, in its considerations, will ask what service to Victoria’s future would be done by delivering seats to the Greens with Liberal preferences…
Victorians, and particularly Liberals, don’t want a preference deal with the Greens that entrenches a radical agenda. The future of Victoria depends on the party leadership taking into account the views of many grassroots Liberals.
Paul Austin perfectly describes Labor’s rabbit-in-the-spotlight approach:
Brumby and state Labor are arguing that the Greens have some ‘’wacky’’ policies (to use Deputy Premier Rob Hulls’s description) and pose such a threat to good governance and policy in Victoria that the Liberals should in effect strike a preferences deal with Labor to lock the Greens out of the state’s lower house.===
Trouble is, Labor is not prepared to do what it is demanding the Liberals do, and rule out preferencing the Greens. Nor will Brumby rule out striking a Gillard-style alliance with the Greens after the election in the event of a hung state parliament.
Talidumb
Andrew Bolt
It’s a mistake to think terrorists are smart. After all, how dumb do you have to be to think slaughtering civilians brings about a better world?
To be sure, some terrorists are steely and skilled—people like Mohamed Atta, the careful and well-trained head of the 9/11 hijackers. Their leaders and recruiters can be lethally subtle and manipulative, but the quiet truth is that many of the deluded foot soldiers are foolish and untrained, perhaps even untrainable…(Via Instapundit.)
Nowhere is the gap between sinister stereotype and ridiculous reality more apparent than in Afghanistan, where it’s fair to say that the Taliban employ the world’s worst suicide bombers: one in two manages to kill only himself. And this success rate hasn’t improved at all in the five years they’ve been using suicide bombers, despite the experience of hundreds of attacks—or attempted attacks. In Afghanistan, as in many cultures, a manly embrace is a time-honored tradition for warriors before they go off to face death. Thus, many suicide bombers never even make it out of their training camp or safe house, as the pressure from these group hugs triggers the explosives in suicide vests. According to several sources at the United Nations, as many as six would-be suicide bombers died last July after one such embrace in Paktika.
===
Good speech
Andrew Bolt
A very good maiden speech this week from Josh Frydenberg, the new member for Kooyong. It’s inspiring that Australia has been a land in which his family could prosper, having fled countries where they were marked for death. I like the call for nuclear power, too. Read on.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Headlines Wednesday 27th October 2010
=== Todays Toon ===
Quentin Alice Louise Bryce, AC, (born 23 December 1942) is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia (the first woman to hold the position) and a former Governor of Queensland. Born in Brisbane, Queensland as Quentin Strachan, she spent her first years in Ilfracombe, with her family subsequently living in a number of country towns around Australia. She attended the University of Queensland, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws, becoming one of the first women accepted to the Queensland bar.
=== Bible Quote ===
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”- 2 Timothy 3:16-17=== Headlines ===
7 DAYS TO DECIDE: Big Tech Breaks Left — But Hedging Bets
Left-leaning tech giants brace for what's to come after Nov. 2 — when midterm elections could also change the price of your next laptop and whether Facebook faces government scrutiny for its security policiesVoters: Ballots Had Reid's Name Checked
Voters in one Nevada city say Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's name was already checked when they went to cast their ballots on electronic voting machines Monday
40 Years Later, Vet Gets 'Miracle' Meeting
After losing his battle buddy in the Vietnam War 40 years ago, Fred Niles set out on a mission to find his fallen comrade's family to tell them he died a hero — a mission he has accomplished thanks to a series of fortunate events
Vatican Tries to Save Former Hussein Aide
Vatican urges Iraq to not carry out the death sentence for former Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz and says it may intervene diplomatically to try to halt it
Missing Aussie surfers found safe
NINE Australians missing for almost 24 hours after a powerful earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia's west are safe and well.
Indonesian tsunami kills 113
A TSUNAMI that pounded several islands in western Indonesia killed at least 113 people and scores more are missing.
Baby dies in volcano eruption
INDONESIA'S Mount Merapi erupted three times last night, causing thousands to flee and claiming the life of a three-month-old baby girl as it emitted searing clouds and volcanic ash.
Pope urges immigrants to integrate
POPE Benedict XVI overnight urged immigrants to integrate and respect the national identity of their host countries and said they should be given a Christian welcome.
Afghan police chief dies in blast
AN Afghan police chief and three other policemen were killed when a roadside bomb ripped through their vehicle in western Afghanistan, officials said.
Good times flow like a river
HE'S a humble sheep farmer who battled through a dusty decade of despair as a long-running drought crippled country NSW.
Schools are failing at HSC time
BUSINESS experts have slammed the HSC curriculum for failing to provide skills where they're needed. Read more on the HSC here.
A Halloween holiday from reality
THE idea that adults will take a day to protest Halloween not being a public holiday might suggest they have too much spare time.
School backlash against thugs
BULLYING victims are using mobile phones to turn the tables on playground thugs who threaten them with violence. See how.
Sartor's wife tried to halt job
THE wife of Environment Minister Frank Sartor wrote to council over a developer's "existing use" rights to build behind her home.
Rescue choppers in poor health
PARAMEDICS are refusing to use two of the Ambulance Service's rescue helicopters after a patient was forced to be off-loaded.
CCTV footage catches arsonists
A FIRE that ripped through a used car yard, in Granville in Syudney's west, destroying eight vehicles, was deliberately lit, police say.
Stathi's one last ride to heaven
ALL his life, jockey Stathi Katsidis dreamed of riding in the big race on the first Tuesday in November. He was cremtaed yesterday.
Mangy mutt now a happy hound
WHEN Michael Holding first laid eyes on a picture of Rocksy the boxer, the dog was scrawny. But he thought she was "magnificent".
Cuffs, court for baby food protest
THESE women converged on Woolworths with only one goal - to strip the shelves of a baby food they say could harm Aussie kids.
Ambulance station on fire
FIREFIGHTERS were last night tackling a blaze at a Brisbane ambulance station after one of the emergency vehicles caught fire and flames spread to the building.
Car hits home
A CAR has slammed into a house at Loganlea and taken out the corner stump of the high-set residence, leaving the householders without a home for the night.
Huge TV screens for CBD
BRISBANE residents will be able to watch anything from news to big sports events in the CBD on massive TV screens in King George Square and Queen Street Mall.
River victim's parents speak out
PARENTS of whitewater rafting victim Natarsha Charlesworth, who was killed on the Tully River, don't want to shut down the adventure industry.
Let me see my kids grow up
SUNSHINE Coast dad Brad Gibson is desperate for government funding of a $500,000-a-year drug treatment that could allow him to see his three children grow up.
Fight back at bullies, says expert
THE pop psychologist charged with tackling bullying in Queensland schools will tell children to be ready to fight back.
Sodden southeast faces more rain
THE National Climate Centre says a sodden southeast Queensland faced a 75 per cent chance of exceeding average summer rainfall.
State tourism is 'out of ideas'
A QUEENSLAND tourism legend has called for an inquiry into the state's tourism industry, claiming it is plagued by poor marketing and a lack of ideas.
Bligh move to rig election: LNP
ANNA Bligh has sought advice on whether informal voting is on the rise in a clear sign she is mounting the case to dump the optional preferential system.
Killer 'knew Daniel's fate'
A KILLER who led police to a man's grave in 2004 became "emotional" and told officers that he also knew the fate of Daniel Morcombe, an inquest heard.
Cops top drug test fail rate
SHOCK new figures reveal police are failing drug tests more often than motorists or AFL footballers.
GP gears up for economy drive
SECURITY guard numbers will be slashed at the Albert Park Grand Prix in a bid to ease the burden on taxpayers.
Balloon buoys ailing heart
A LIFE-giving balloon inflated inside Vasil Malinovski's heart has breathed fresh hope into Victorian heart patients.
Look up and live - for $5m
MELBOURNE business identities have forked out up to $5 million each for a slice of a new luxury tower of flats in South Yarra.
Young Richo has Tiger's fighting spirit
KIAN Richardson has beaten all the odds just to make it to seven months old.
Bendigo workers face jobless Xmas
ABOUT 100 workers at a Victorian defence vehicle manufacturer will be out of a job before Christmas.
No blame in grisly end to love triangle
THE prime suspect in a vicious murder has escaped blame after a coroner found insufficient evidence that he stabbed his love rival.
Three bailed over strip club attack
THREE men with links to an outlaw bikie gang have been bailed over an assault at a city strip club that left five in hospital
Woman mauled by pit bull in backyard
A WOMAN has described being attacked by a friend's dog as the most terrifying event in her life.
Inverbrackie refugee planning begins
A HIGH-LEVEL group to co-ordinate the provision of services for refugees at Inverbrackie, near Woodside, has been established by the State Government.
New approach to heritage
ADELAIDE'S hundreds of heritage-listed buildings are preventing it from adapting to the state's changing economy, a peak industry body says.
10-storey housing gets nod
HOUSING up to 10 storeys high can now be built on the former Channel Seven studio site at Gilberton.
Threat of massive Port blast zone
AN explosion caused by fertiliser stockpiles at Port Adelaide would produce a blast zone kilometres wide and cause mass devastation, documents reveal.
Barons snap up more pokies
POKIE barons are increasing the number of machines in their venues by snapping up those put up for sale by not-for-profit clubs such as the local RSL branch.
Oval to pass test of limited time
PRIME Minister Julia Gillard will be among the first to enjoy high-class hospitality in Adelaide Oval's new western grandstand, during December's Ashes Test.
Cancer fear leads to dangerous remedy
WOMEN frightened by links between hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer are turning to an unproven, expensive and possibly fatal alternative.
Zero interest in kids
THE state's biggest bank is rolling its school-banking customers into accounts that pay zero interest.
No weir before 2014: Rann
PREMIER Mike Rann has pledged to stop the construction of the controversial Wellington Weir until at least 2014.
Secrecy order on Burnside
THE Supreme Court has gagged all debate about the Burnside Council report, declaring both the document and any account of it "forbidden".
Health boss admits to misconduct
A SENIOR WA health official tried to instruct his daughter and her fiance what to say to corruption investigators looking into his conduct, an inquiry has heard.
Man on teen car-wash sex charges
A FORMER manager of a northern suburbs car wash has been charged with a string of child sex offences against young girls he employed at the business.
RAC chopper rescues injured rider
A MAN is being flown to Royal Perth Hospital after being severely injured in a horse riding accident 5km south of Pingelly, about 160km south-east of Perth.
Gun missing but steroids found in bikie raid
A RAID on the Bunbury headquarters of the Coffin Cheaters bikie gang earlier today has proved fruitless for the Gang Crime Squad, despite one arrest.
Officer charged after shots fired
A DERBY police officer has been charged with unlawfully discharging his police revolver after firing several shots during a high-speed chase in February last year.
People smugglers, Afghans brawl
INDONESIAN people-smuggling crew on Christmas Island have brawled with Afghans inside a compound for families for the second time.
Mining tax risks 'years of litigation'
THE complexity of the Gillard government's proposed mining tax could lead to years of litigation.
Gun, knife used in robberies
POLICE are hunting three armed robbers after two holdups overnight.
Nothing new
=== Journalists Corner ===
Rand Paul Responds to Violence Outside KY DebateTensions ran high before a Senate debate in Kentucky when a protester from MoveOn.org was stomped on by a Rand Paul supporter, after she attempted to approach Paul. Now, Rand Paul reacts to the incident making headlines.
===
Democrats on the Defensive!
The pressure is on for the Democrats to keep control of Capitol Hill. So, what's next in the GOP's offensive playbook?
===
Fired For Speaking His Mind
Does Williams have a case against NPR? "Is it Legal" investigates! Plus, Krauthammer's political predictions for the midterm elections!
===
The Midterms are a Week Away!
With seven days until election day, Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and the most powerful political team gear up for fair and balanced coverage on November 2.
On Fox News Insider
Coach Mike Ditka Calls Tea Partiers "Real People"Courtney Friel's Top 5 Reasons to (Sorta) Love Being Pregnant
Democrat Tells President Obama to "Take Endorsement and Shove It"
Inside the Criminal Mind of Joshua Komisarjevsky
=== Comments ===
The Election and the Muslim ControversyBY BILL O'REILLY
There is no question that the economy will drive the vote this year, as it should. America remains a bad jobs place despite massive federal spending.
But there is another component that may influence the upcoming vote, and that is the divide between liberal and conservative Americans. The recent Muslim controversy highlights that divide, as conservatives generally believe there is a major Muslim problem in the world and liberals tend to downplay the situation.
LISTEN TO THESE STATS: Since the attack on Sept. 11, 2001, more than 40,000 people have been killed by Muslim extremists worldwide, the result of more than 17,000 attacks. And we're not even counting the American troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Forty thousand human beings dead because of Muslim terror activity.
In addition, since 9/11, the USA has spent more than $1 trillion combating Muslim terror threats, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. $1 trillion in less than 10 years. And you're telling me there isn't a Muslim problem in the world?
Many Americans also remember celebrations after the 9/11 attacks. To be fair, they were brief and mostly Palestinian-driven, but the images are indelible.
So there is no question that most Americans are a bit uneasy about the turbulence in the Muslim world. That may not be fair, but it's reality.
It is testimony to the nobility of America that there have been relatively few anti-Muslim incidents in this country. There are far more in Western Europe, where the Muslim intrusion is causing a political divide in some countries. We don't have that here. Americans believe Muslim-Americans are loyal citizens, and indeed the facts prove that.
When voters show up a week from Tuesday, the Muslim situation will not be first on their minds; economic well-being will be.
But as the NPR fiasco and "The View" fracas prove, Americans are in no mood for politically correct nonsense about the Muslim threat. It is real. The Taliban is real. Al Qaeda is real. And the Islamic theocracy of Iran is perhaps the most threatening nation on Earth.
I rest my case.
===
Boats, boats, boats
Andrew Bolt
That’s 111 for the year so far:
A BOAT carrying 44 suspected asylum seekers has been intercepted north-west of Christmas Island.Hope they can look after themselves there:
INDONESIAN people-smuggling crew on Christmas Island have brawled with Afghans inside a compound for families for the second time.===
Asylum-seekers were injured when the fight broke out at about 9pm on Sunday (1am AEST yesterday).
The dispute—which took place partly in a corridor—lasted for about 30 minutes, The Australian has been told.
NSW says the price for saving us from global warming is too high
Andrew Bolt
NSW says it can only afford a little of the green power it claims will save the world from destruction:
EW South Wales is slashing the gross feed-in tariff for its solar bonus scheme because it is costing too much.Beautiful. The closer we get to those renewable energy targets, the more politicians flinch from the pain.
Premier Kristina Keneally today announced the government will cut the tariff from 60c to 20c per kilowatt hour, and introduce a total capacity cap of 300 megawatts…
Ms Keneally says the sharp takeup of the scheme, and the fact that solar panels had halved in price since it was introduced 2009, means the government has to act to slow down demand..
“The changes we introduce today strike a better balance between keeping down electricity cost for consumers, while still supporting renewable energy generation,” Ms Keneally said.
(Thanks to reader John.)
===
Rudd warned Gillard her East Timor plan was a fizzer
Andrew Bolt
Even Kevin Rudd knew it was a turkey:
Former prime minister Kevin Rudd warned his successor Julia Gillard that attempting to set up an asylum seeker processing centre in East Timor would not work, according to a new book.It’s not just that it won’t work, but will never be built.
Veteran Nine News political reporter Laurie Oakes writes in his new book, On The Record, that Mr Rudd attended a meeting about asylum seeker policy in June in which the East Timor option was raised.
Speaking about his book, Mr Oakes told Nine News on Tuesday that Mr Rudd studied the policy and said: “It looks very much like the Pacific Solution under another name."…
Mr Oakes said Mr Rudd later told Ms Gillard: “It will go off like a firecracker in East Timorese domestic politics.”
===
Why are schools promoting this deceitful film?
Andrew Bolt
The film is error-riddled and alarmist, and the work of a prize hypocrite and deceiver who dodges any attempt to hold him to account. Even an otherwise sympathetic British judge says the film contains so many errors that it should not be used in classrooms without a health warning.
But in Australia....
CLIMATE change documentary ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ will be included in the national curriculum as part of a bid to educate students on environmental sustainability across all subjects.How stupid are we already? When deceits are now taught as truth, has much more stupid will we be?
It would be the first time the film, which follows former US vice-president Al Gore’s climate change campaign, has been included in the school English curriculum…
The curriculum, which is due to be finished in December, will contain lessons on climate change and sustainability across English, maths, science and history. Under a draft modern history curriculum, there would be lessons on environmental history so “students come to appreciate the demographic and environmental consequences of growth"…
An Inconvenient Truth was not a required text, but teachers could use it to get students to undertake their own research into its claims.
===
The uniform activist, down to his clown shoes
Andrew Bolt
Exactly how many stereotypes of the Leftist protester is shoe-thrower Peter Gray trying to confirm? We already have his hippy hair, his resort to violence, his failure to consider consequences, his intolerance, his bog-standard anti-war posturing, his Howard-hating and his gravitating to the ABC. Now more:A 30-year-old Novocastrian with a university degree in classics..... Mr Gray, who refused to nominate an occupation or employer, is well known in the Newcastle region for his activism.Are there training courses in how to be the model of a modern agitator general, or did Gray just fluke the full set?
A member of Rising Tide, a local climate change action group, he won a landmark court victory in 2006 after successfully arguing that the environmental assessment for an open-cut coalmine in the Hunter Valley should have considered the climate change impact of burning coal.
After Mr Gray climbed on the roof of a car carrying then NSW premier Morris Iemma in a 2007 protest over coal exports, he pleaded guilty to maliciously damaging the vehicle and was ordered to pay $9130 in compensation as well a $700 fine.
UPDATE
Oh, and a hypocrite, too. From the Rising Tide website:
About us.(Thanks to readers Simple Simon and Arnie.)
Rising Tide Australia is a grassroots Newcastle group taking action against the causes of anthropogenic climate change and for equitable, just, effective, and sustainable solutions to the crisis. We are committed to the principals of Non-violent Direct Action.
===
The ultimate danger sex
Andrew Bolt
The banker’s heart must have truly been pounding:Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president, is “ready to go to war” to silence allegations that his wife Grace cheated on him.The Daily Mail:
Sources close to the 86-year-old president say he is livid about the claims that Mrs Mugabe, who is 41 years his junior, had a five-year affair with Gideon Gono, one of his closest friends and the head of Zimbabwe’s Reserve Bank…
Mrs Mugabe is said to be “extremely upset” and has left Zimbabwe to stay at the family’s 4 million pound ($6.48 million Cdn) home in Hong Kong, where their daughter Bona attends university.
She and Dr Gono, who is married, were alleged to have met up to three times a month at her farm, friends’ houses or at hotels in South Africa and Malaysia, and to have intended to set up home together after Mr Mugabe died… Dr Gono could not be reached for comment yesterday
It is not the first time Mugabe’s wife, who is widely reviled inside Zimbabwe for her lavish tastes and expensive shopping sprees, has conducted affairs behind her husband’s back.===
One former lover, Peter Pamire, died in a mysterious car accident. Another, James Makamba, fled the country.
Fewer of us and more of them
Andrew Bolt
Let’s breed ourselves out and hand the country to someone more deserving:
FAMILIES should have no more than two children to limit their environmental impact, one in three Australians say…===
The Australian National University survey found most Australians want the population to stay at or below current levels, suggesting Julia Gillard hit the right note by rejecting Kevin Rudd’s “big Australia” push.
But there were also concerns that skills shortages could hold back the economy, with 83 per cent of respondents calling for more skilled migrants to be allowed into Australia.
Costello: Howard too selfish
Andrew Bolt
Peter Costello, sorely provoked, unleashes on John Howard:
(His new autobiography could) have been the book of an elder statesman. He could have shown a spirit of generosity… But it is not the nature of the man.===
Howard wants to claim all the achievements of the Coalition government and does not intend to share the glory. He will not take responsibility for the defeat of the government in November 2007 or losing the seat of Bennelong where he had been the incumbent for 34 years. He will not take responsibility for what the whole of Australia knows - that he stayed too long…
How Howard was going to lead his party to victory when he could not hold his own seat is a question of great mystery.
Now for the first time he “reveals” he intended to stand down as Liberal leader in December 2006 but was prevented from doing so - mainly by me, but also by his colleagues and then by Kevin Rudd and lastly by his own family.
So if you want to know who caused all this catastrophe it is Peter Costello… He couldn’t go, he says, in July 2006 because I pushed him too hard; he would look as if he was running from me…
George Bush described him as a man of steel. He sent troops into combat. But he couldn’t carry out his planned retirement because he might have received a few taunts from his enemies?..
There is not a skerrick of objective evidence to support his supposed retirement plan. He told no one…
John Howard was never going to stand aside for anyone.. This might have been the right thing, according to his family. But that was not the point. The point was whether he did the right thing by those MPs who would go on to lose their seats in the 2007 election. Some of them have never had a job since. And more, the point is whether he did the best thing for the Liberal Party and the best thing for the country?
Sartor’s amazing coincidence
Andrew Bolt
Hands up who believes Sartor:THE wife of Environment Minister Frank Sartor wrote to Kogarah Council over a developer’s “existing use” rights to build behind her Kogarah home, two weeks before Mr Sartor, then minister for planning, abolished the loophole.(Thanks to reader CA. Sartor’s house has the orange roof, and the development is to the right.)
Mr Sartor maintained yesterday his decision to abolish developers’ ability to use “existing use rights”, gazetted on March 29, 2006, had nothing to do with a development behind his home.
===
The shoes of a clown
Andrew Bolt
NO wonder John Howard guffawed as Peter Gray’s Dunlop Volley trainers sailed harmlessly past.
Seeing they were in fact a clown’s shoes would have only made the former prime minister laugh harder.
See, if there’s one thing we war-mongering, planet-raping poodles of Uncle Sam love, it’s to have a Leftist feral make such a fool of himself that we look reasonable by comparison.
And Gray did just that for Howard on Monday on the set of the ABC’s Q&A.
In just 30 seconds, the anti-war shoe-tosser from the Hunter Valley confirmed every negative stereotype of the Leftist ideologue, right down to his hippy hair.
What’s more, in doing so he also inflicted deserved collateral damage on the Leftist ABC, which must now explain why it incited exactly the assault on Howard it now deplores.
What a fine “teachable moment” this is, so gather around, my young conservatives, and let me explain the Four Lessons of Peter Gray.
First, though, the chronology.
Howard was the sole guest on Monday’s Q&A to promote his new autobiography, Lazarus Rising.
Naturally, this being the ABC - and especially Q&A - the producers took some pains to embarrass the conservative. For one, they arranged for him to be asked a pre-taped question by convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks, who gladly whinged about his alleged torture by wicked Americans.
Naturally, Hicks was introduced by host Tony Jones as “formerly of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba”, rather than as “formerly of an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan”, which would have put his question into much-needed context.
And then, 34 minutes and 34 seconds into the show, as Howard answered a question on the Iraq war, the producers superimposed on the TV screen some viewer’s tweet: “Will someone throw a shoe at this guy NOW.”
Just why the ABC felt this exhortation to violence against Howard was fit to broadcast under footage of his face is beyond me. Perhaps it’s just one more sign of the growing barbarity of the Left, and the failure of the ABC to stand against it, or even recognise it.
But the ABC must now answer. Why did it broadcast that tweet?
I understand that Gray, handily sitting in the front row with a clear shot at Howard, could not see a television monitor and read this appeal to throw his shoes at the former prime minister.
But one minute and nine seconds later, that’s precisely what he did, while shouting about the Iraq war. Yes, no sooner had the ABC broadcast a call to attack Howard than it was done.
But here we get to the Four Lessons of Peter Gray - the four ways he confirmed all the familiar weaknesses of the Leftist activist of which he is such a stereotypical example.
===
Gillard’s three big lies
Andrew Bolt
Terry McCrann on the lies that got Gillard into government:
JULIA Gillard made three big and very desperate promises in the election campaign. Every one of them has turned into a lie. Three big promises, three Big Lies.===
The most obvious and all too visible is the boats. I will stop them coming, Gillard thundered. I will wreck the people smuggling trade by “removing the incentive for boats to leave their ports of origin in the first place”.
Apart from the obvious - they’re still coming - what she has actually done since the election will do the exact opposite: provide a specific incentive for the boats to leave port…
The only thing that might deter the people smugglers, that might deliver on her promise - re-opening the Nauru detention centre - is ruled out, making the deceit intentionally deliberate.,,
The second Big Lie was “there will be no carbon tax under the government I lead”. In the timeless words of former US president Richard Nixon’s press secretary, that is “no longer operative"…
Third is the mining tax. The deal the miners signed off on with candidate Gillard to get them off her back in the campaign is not the one that Prime Minister Gillard has just delivered.
Bolt inflates another issue to attack conservatives over nothing
===
Why is your marriage your boss’s business?
Andrew Bolt
JUST when did your marriage become the business of your boss?
Answer: this year, in fact, when the ACTU decided to back a mad campaign for “domestic violence leave”.
One employer, the Torquay Surf Coast Shire Council, has already been signed up, agreeing to give its employees up to four weeks of leave a year to deal with “family violence”.
And don’t think family violence means just being bashed - which you’d think is covered by the usual sick leave provisions, plus a report to the police.
No, under this deal it also includes “sexual, financial, verbal or emotional abuse by a family member”, which presumably includes anything from being yelled at, driven to drink or left without the rent after your husband bet your wages on the horses.
And God forbid the boss signing your leave application dares ask many questions, especially of other staff who might well know if he’s being ripped off.
As the Surf Coast Shire deal with the Australian Services Union says: “All personal information concerning family violence will be kept confidential ... no information will be kept on an employee’s personnel file without their express written permission.”
At most, a boss might ask for a note from a doctor, lawyer or social worker. Other than that, he (or she) must not poke his nose in - even though he (or she) is paying the bills for a worker’s dysfunctional private life.
Having looked over this deal, so ripe for rorting and such a presumptuous imposition on a boss, I thought the only thing that could justify it was an epidemic of domestic violence so horrific as to make the average home resemble a war zone.
Sure enough, that’s just how the ACTU sells it, with president Ged Kearney claiming family violence costs the economy $500 million a year.
But in her excitement, she misrepresents already questionable research from VicHealth and adds: “Violence perpetrated by an intimate partner is the leading contributor to death, disability and illness in Victorian women aged 15 to 44.”
Define “contributor to”. Cars, for one, contribute to many more deaths.
In fact, just 79 Australian women died in 2008 from assault, whether by a partner or stranger, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
===
No way to put Aborigines in work
Andrew Bolt
IF only ending Aboriginal unemployment were as easy as we were sold this week.
The goodwill is sure there. Australia’s big media players donated $4.1 million of media time on Sunday to run a two-minute ad on every free-to-air TV channel to back an inspirational plan by Andrew Forrest.
The mining tycoon has created GenerationOne, to nag bosses into giving 50,000 Aborigines a job, and there’s no doubt we have a crisis to fix.
Aboriginal unemployment three times the national average, and getting even worse. But what did Sunday’s ads really achieve?
We saw Madeleine Madden, 13, an indigenous girl, speak of this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk to you, Australia, about my people ...
“With a job, a real job, you can look after yourself, your family, and help your community.”
True, but back up a bit. “My people”?
===
And is Bob Brown still really the leader?
Andrew Bolt
More secretive than a vote in the Politburo:
GREENS senator Sarah Hanson-Young has declared her support for the party’s leadership after it emerged she unsuccessfully challenged for the deputy’s position.(Thanks to reader Owen.)
It was revealed today the 29-year-old challenged Senator Christine Milne for the deputy leadership on September 8, after the August election, but lost by a “clear majority”.
Bill O'Reilly: Democratic response to election polls - 10/25/10
It seems like the Dems are positioning themselves to lose, but are hoping to characterize their loss so as to not appear they have dropped the ball. In fact, they have nothing going for them. They have failed to set an agenda. They have failed to stand for anything. They are angry and anxious because they have no leadership.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Headlines Tuesday 26th October 2010
=== Todays Toon ===
Major General Peter Maurice Arnison AC, CVO (born 21 October 1940 in Lismore, New South Wales), was Governor of Queensland from July 1997 until July 2003.
=== Bible Quote ===
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- Ephesians 5:19-20=== Headlines ===
Harry Reid Aide Lied to Feds Over Sham Marriage
An aide to the Senate majority leader repeatedly lied to federal agents and submitted false documents to Homeland Security to cover up her illegal seven-year marriage to Lebanese national, left, who was the subject of an Oklahoma terror investigation, FoxNews.com learns.Obama Panel Eyes Mortgage Tax Breaks
As the administration struggles to balance the budget by 2015, could the mortgage interest deduction and other seemingly untouchable tax breaks wind up on the chopping block?
Terror Leader Calls on Detroit Muslims to Act
American-born Al Qaeda leader releases video on terror websites urging Muslims living in the 'miserable suburbs of Paris, London and Detroit' to stage religiously motivated attacks on targets in Europe and the U.S.
Wiki Revolt Over Latest Document Dump?
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may be threatening the stability of the whistleblower website as former staffers and activists say his ego is driving the organization largely out of control after posting new classified documents about the Iraq war
Tiny Bee Brains Beat Computers at Complex Math Problems
While they seem to wander leisurely from flower to flower foraging for pollen, bees are actually solving complex mathematical problems that take computers days to computer, studies found. Researchers at Queen Mark, the University of London, and Royal Holloway have discovered that in their meandering, bees find the shortest possible route between the flowers they randomly discover. By doing so, the honey-lovin' insects are essentially solving the "Traveling Salesman Problem" -- despite having brains the size of a pinhead.Animal activists jailed for intimidation, terror
FIVE animal rights activists have been jailed for waging a campaign of intimidation and violence against companies linked to an animal testing lab.
Mum hit for cash after kid vomits in cab
A NEW York City mother was left shocked after a cab driver called police when she refused to pay a spontaneous $120 cleaning surcharge after her child vomited.
Democrat candidate tells Obama 'shove it'
A DEMOCRATS candidate has told President Barack Obama to "shove it" after learning he would not be receiving the president's endorsement when the commander-in-chief travels to the Ocean State today.
Rowing champ dies after sudden illness
BRITISH Olympic rowing champion Andy Holmes diedon Sunday after a rare, sudden illness.
US police arrest dad of missing Zahra
FATHER of a missing 10-year-old was arrested on charges unrelated to his daughter's disappearance.
Now it's NSW facing hung parliament
AN army of independents is set to blitzkrieg the NSW state election in a grass roots, alll-parties revolt.
Rocky Point of dispute for Frank
PLANS for a building overlooking Frank Sartor's Sydney home were dumped after Mr Sartor - then planning minister - changed laws.
Speeding fines loophole closes
SPEEDING fines will be increased for companies which fail to nominate speeding drivers, the so-called "Max Markson" loophole.
Rusting jewel in Sydney's crown
IT'S the gateway to Sydney's magnificent Harbour but parts of Circular Quay are completely riddled with concrete cancer.
Ultimatum over Murray-Darling River
THE Gillard Government demands the Murray-Darling Basin Authority take into consideration the impact of cuts to water.
Cop says let Neddy Smith die in jail
THE cop who hunted down Neddy Smith says there is only way he should get out of jail - in a coffin.
Rachael Taylor confronts her demon
IT was the flush on her face and the tremor of her hands that gave away Rachael Taylor's turmoil.
Internet sleuth finds stolen laptop
DARREN Franklin turned do-it-yourself detective after his partner's stolen laptop popped up on his MobileMe online services account.
Bikies not all baddies, says magistrate
A POLICE squad set up to target outlaw bikies is under fire, with a magistrate ordering police to pay more $100K in costs.
Health staff demand lost wages
HEALTH workers have demanded the State Government coughs up the wages it owes them before chasing after the millions overpaid by its faulty payroll system.
Snakes alive as big wet bites
THE La Nina-driven wet spring is tipped to produce a big snakebite season as Queensland vets issued a warning to walkers and pet owners.
Yacht siege ends in drama
A LONE yachtie leapt into the Brisbane River in a final bid to extend the 16-hour siege that had crippled parts of the city.
Cyber eye to watch schoolchildren
EVERY Queensland school could be audited to ensure they have taken anti-bullying measures, including teaching cyber safety in the classroom.
Facebook jeopardises murder case
A MAN charged with murdering his girlfriend could have his case permanently stayed because of prejudicial information published on the internet.
No police to search for Morcombe
IF Daniel Morcombe had been reported as a missing person the day he vanished, the file would have gone to "an empty office".
Minimum sentences to fill jails
PLANS to ensure the state's worst offenders serve a minimum jail term could put strain on already struggling prisons, civil libertarians fear
Bligh sits on property goldmine
BY a stroke of good fortune, the State Government is sitting on a property portfolio worth millions because of resumptions made up to 40 years ago.
Dramatic end to yacht siege
THE siege at Eagle Street pier is finally over after police stormed the vessel shortly after 9pm and arrested a New Zealand man.
13 arrested in prostitution bust
THE new-look Gold Coast 600 motor race was promoted as family-friendly, but it proved too racy for officers from the police prostitution task force.
Toddler's killer is 'not sorry'
THE man who killed toddler Daniel Valerio is not sorry for his crime and remains a threat, according to an inmate who served time with him.
Heartbreak for Cup hero Harry
MELBOURNE Cup legend Harry White is facing the challenge of his life, battling illness and the pain of selling his farm.
Lindsay Fox wants to spread load
TRUCKING king Lindsay Fox has hit out at the traffic congestion in Melbourne and called for containers to be shifted out of the city.
Children lost in the system
SIX children in state care are being sexually abused every week in Victoria. Authorities also lose track of 13 children in their protection every day.
Grief, anger dogged Tyler
Tyler Cassidy had been expelled, played "chicken" on roads and had previously armed himself with knives before his shooting death, a court hears.
Asha's leg-up on a new life
ASHA Mundie had waited 10 years and flown halfway around the world for a chance to walk.
Pets pay their last respects
Dogs are being increasingly included in last rites on the wishes of masters and mistresses who pass away.
Curriculum row over Gallipoli
THE history of Gallipoli has become mired in a row over the new national curriculum for year 11 and 12 students.
Jail terms cut for MCG bomb plotters
SIX members of an organisation that plotted to bomb the MCG have had a total of 8 1/2 years knocked off their minimum jail terms.
Nintendo DS saved our lives - mum
CHRISTOPHER Miszkowiec's mum used to nag her son to stop playing his Nintendo DS, but she wouldn't dream of taking it away now.
Nothing new
Papers on Port dangers withheld
TWENTY-SEVEN documents relating to environmental contamination or explosion risks at Port Adelaide are being withheld.
No jobs for 500 new nurses
HALF the state's graduating nurses will not get positions with SA Health next year, figures show.
Scrap our archaic exams
UNIVERSITY written exams are archaic and should be scrapped, a leading science expert says.
Murray plan back on drawing board
WATER Minister Tony Burke has refused to back Murray-Darling Basin Authority chairman Mike Taylor, inviting the authority to go back to the drawing board.
Residents dig deep to farewell Harbo
LORD MAYOR Michael Harbison will celebrate the end of his reign at ratepayers' expense, throwing a $40,000 party for 370 invited guests.
More than just puppy love
THEY may be prone to scratching themselves in public and lolling about with their tongues hanging out, but these aged-care workers are award-winners.
Irrigators want water to flow
SOUTH Australia's downstream irrigators say they support a Murray Darling Basin plan and stand to benefit from it, in stark contrast to their interstate counterparts.
Time for youth to speak out
YOUNG people aged 12-25 have the opportunity to influence government policy by taking part in The Advertiser and the Office for Youth's SpeakNow survey.
Annesley saved - for now
A BAILOUT from the Uniting Church will not save prestigious girls' school Annesley College from potential redundancies and lesson-sharing with other schools next year.
Defence industry under attack
LUCRATIVE defence contracts in South Australia are at risk from the hung Federal Parliament, a new economic report warns.
Police hunt Midland knife robber
POLICE have released an identikit image of a man suspected of being involved in a knife-point robbery in Midland.
New desal plant for the Pilbara
THE Barnett Government has pledged $370 million for a seawater desalination plant to help low water supplies in the West Pilbara region.
Antarctic snowfall linked to drought
THE significant drought in our South-West may be linked to increased snowfall in the Antarctic over the past 30 years.
$90k fine for cyclone injuries
A CONSTRUCTION company has been fined $90,000 for failing to provide a safe workplace for two employees injured when Cyclone George hit a rail camp.
Teen inmate dead from 'medical causes'
A YOUNG man found dead in a Tasmanian youth detention centre apparently died of "medical causes", authorities say.
=== Journalists Corner ===
NPR CEO Vivian Schiller Confronted!'The Factor' confronts NPR's president and CEO -- taking her to task over Juan Williams's termination! It's a must-see interview.
===
Crunch Time for Candidates!
As they gear up for the last week of campaigning, who's making big strides in the polls? Bret gets insight and analysis on all the big races.
===
CT Senate Candidate Linda McMahon Joins Greta
Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren take you inside the hottest races. And, don't miss insight from Senate candidate Linda McMahon.
On Fox News Insider
Muslim Congressman Calls Juan Williams "Un-American"Courtney Friel: I Literally Almost Threw up on Phil Collins ...
Democrat Tells President Obama to "Take Endorsement and Shove It"
Troops Being Kept From Voting?
Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday, October 26, 2010, for a screening of This is my Witness, a powerful documentary about the women of Burma.For decades, Burmese women and minorities have faced significant violations of human rights, including rape, torture, forced labor, arbitrary arrest, and even death, at the hands of Burma's military regime. Meanwhile, we have also witnessed the rise of leadership roles from courageous women from across the country, who brave harassment and persecution in order to bring peace, justice, and freedom to Burma.
We will kick-off the evening with a short screening of the documentary film put together by the Nobel Women's Initiative. It will be followed by a panel discussion led by Myra Dahgaypaw, Campaigns Coordinator from USCB and Phyu Phyu Sann from the Global Justice Center.
Event Details:Event: Peace Fair-Women Preventing War, Promoting Peace-10th Anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1325.
Venue: 777 UN Plaza (E 44th St & 1st Ave corner) New York, NY 10017 (click here for map)
Date/Time : October 26, 2010, 5pm - 6pm
This event is open to public. So please bring your friends and family for an evening on Burma.
Hope to see you there,
=== Comments ===
My Thoughts on the NPR SituationBY JUAN WILLIAMS
Political correctness, character assassination and intolerance at National Public Radio, that's the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."
As many of you know, after 10 years of being a loyal employee, NPR fired me for expressing the fear I now feel after 9/11 when I see people in Muslim garb getting on an airplane. This controversy is now front and center in the national discussion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIPS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Firing fallout: Juan Williams says he was just telling the truth about his fear of flying with Muslims, a confession that got him fired from NPR.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning. Making waves: National Public Radio under fire for canning news analyst Juan Williams. He says he was fired for telling the truth. Did NPR overreact? This morning, we'll hear from both sides.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Static on the airwaves: National Public Radio comes under heavy criticism after it fires news analyst Juan Williams for comments he made about Muslims on airplanes.
(END VIDEO CLIPS)
My comments about my feelings supposedly crossed the line. Some line, somewhere. That crossed the line?
But let me tell you what you can say on National Public Radio without losing your job:
Nina Totenberg wished that Sen. Jesse Helms and his grandchildren would get AIDS. I said would get AIDS. She's still working there. A so-called humorist on NPR said the world would be a better place if four million Christians evaporated. Hilarious. And calling millions of members of the Tea Party movement a sexual pejorative, tea baggers, won't get you in hot water either.
So it seems some opinions are more equal than others at NPR.
Laura Ingraham pointed out Thursday night on this show that any minority, but especially a black person, is not allowed to be anything but a liberal. If they stray off the farm, they are demonized, their skills are trashed.
I used to think the left wing was the home of tolerance, open-mindedness, respect for all viewpoints. But now I have learned the truth the hard way.
You see, NPR didn't just fire me. Its CEO, Vivian Schiller, also leveled a vicious smear against me on Thursday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIVIAN SCHILLER, NPR PRESIDENT AND CEO: Juan feels the way he feels, that is not for me to judge -- to pass judgment on. That is really his feelings that he expressed on Fox News are really between him and his, you know, psychiatrist or his publicist or take your pick. But it is not compatible with a news analyst on -- with the role of a news analyst on NPR's air.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Have you no shame, Madam? You and your far-left mob fired me. Wasn't that enough for you? Do you have to try to assassinate my character, too?
For the record, Ms. Schiller issued a so-called apology to the press. Not a word to me. And that probably tells you everything you need to know about her.
===
CAN’T THROW, CAN’T THINK
Tim Blair
A limp effort from the shoe-chucking left:
===
WikiLeaks leaks all over the anti-war cause
Andrew Bolt
Is WikiLeaks just a curnning front for the American military-industrial complex?
First its latest document dump showed that Lancet exaggerated by 600 per cent when it published its notorious paper claiming the liberation of iraq cost the lives of 655,000 Iraqis.
Now it’s confirmed that Saddam Hussein did indeed have weapons of mass destruction - and the experts to resume production once the US backed down:
By late 2003, even the Bush White House’s staunchest defenders were starting to give up on the idea that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.(Thanks to reader Martin and many others.)
But WikiLeaks’ newly-released Iraq war documents reveal that for years afterward, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins and uncover weapons of mass destruction.
===
The sooner we get there, the less chance we’ll nod off
Andrew Bolt
Makes sense to me, especially given the vastness of this country:
Dr Ulrich Mellinghoff, the head of safety at German luxury car maker Mercedes-Benz, ... said drivers here should be allowed to travel faster on long stretches of road, mainly to fight fatigue.(Thanks to reader John.)
===
Searching Ayers Rock for the “achievements”
Andrew Bolt
Progress is celebrated:
Anangu traditional owners are today celebrating the 25th anniversary of the hand-back of Uluru-Kata Tjuta in central Australia.So what precisely has been achieved since the handover? Wilson explains:
The hand-back of the iconic sites in 1985 is considered a key symbolic moment for Indigenous land rights in Australia, paving the way for joint management of the park…
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park chairman Harry Wilson says he is very proud of what has been achieved in the 25 years since the hand-back.
Meanwhile, Mr Wilson says the community of Mutitjulu, which falls within the park boundaries, desperately needs infrastructure improvements.Oh.
He says there have been significant failings over past decades and it is time to turn things around.
“It’s the health and education wise, everything has failed us in the last 30-odd years and we’re trying to look forward and work with people, and even with government so we can move forward as a community,” he said.
(Thanks to reader John. Note: the clip does not show Ray Martin but Mike Munro with former Aboriginal Affairs Minister Mal Brough.)
===
Just show us the $43 billion won’t be wasted
Andrew Bolt
Uh oh:
IT was described as “free” broadband by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy but only 18 customers in Tasmania have signed-up.Exactly how is this huge investment to be paid for?
The zero-dollar offer was part of service provider Exetel’s plan to woo customers on to the nascent Tasmanian NBN.
It was a radical departure from the norm, with Exetel deciding to charge Tasmanian NBN users only $2 for every gigabyte of data downloaded and nothing else on a 12-month contract for its entry-level 25Mbps…
It gets worse as speed increases. Exetel chief executive John Linton confirmed that only three customers have opted for the 100Mbps package. This costs $50 a month and 75 cents per gigabyte of data downloaded... In total, Exetel has only 30 customers on the Apple Isle using the super-fast fibre network.
“We had no idea (what to expect) but it seems very low,” Mr Linton told The Australian.
Canberra’s own implementation study for the NBN predicts that only about a quarter of households are likely to want, or be willing to pay for, the 100 megabits per second available via the NBN, at least in the short term.Only a government - and a particularly sloppy one - could bet $43 billion on a broadband network without troubling to check if it was worth that colossal amount of money:
The Business Council of Australia, which represents chief executives from top-100 companies, said a rigorous cost-benefit analysis of the (Gillard Government’s National Broadband Network) was needed and, subject to its outcomes, “alternative options for meeting the objectives of the government may need to be considered”.Kevin Morgan:
Reserve Bank of Australia board member Roger Corbett backed the comments, saying the Productivity Commission should be asked to review it.
“I believe the NBN is a vast sum of money and should be subject to appropriate review,” the Fairfax chairman told The Australian last night.
“Laying cables in and between the major cities is one thing, but the cost of laying cable to secondary areas is enormous. Is it justifiable? So I am all for an independent assessment...”
Former prime minister John Howard yesterday branded the NBN a ”colossal waste of money” and said Communications Minister Stephen Conroy had undermined the project’s rationale when he said not everybody needed the network’s top speed of 100 megabits a second.
Like any Ponzi scheme the day will come when it’s demonstrable that the returns aren’t there and that consumers are actually getting their cheaper and faster broadband because of subsidies they are funding as taxpayers. But unlike a true free market Ponzi scheme the NBN won’t fold immediately; the government will keep tipping in taxpayers’ money.UPDATE
Already the cost of the government’s high speed broadband plans have blown out nearly tenfold.
We may yet get that cost-benefit analysis that should have been done first:
MALCOLM Turnbull’s push for a cost-benefit analysis of the national broadband network is hanging in the balance, with the Greens indicating they may support him if terms of reference can be agreed upon.(Post rejigged with the latest update.)
The opposition communications spokesman yesterday tabled a private members bill calling for a Productivity Commission review into the network and requiring the government-owned NBN Co to release more financial information…
Greens communication spokesman Scott Ludlam said the party could support a Productivity Commission review if its terms of reference were broad enough to include the network’s social benefits, such as its potential impact on Aboriginal health in remote areas.
UPDATE 2
Reader James explains the failure in Tasmania to the Gillard Government:
When someone looks at a broadband plan today they look at how many download GB of data they get for their monthly payment. People don’t look at the speed so much because this varies depending on how many people are using the service at any given time. On my current plan I get 150GB per month for $50. Using the Exetel figures in today’s Australian that would be $300 for the 25Mbps plan and $162.50 for the 100 Mbps plan plus any other fees. The cost crossover point between the NBN plans is at the $80, 40GB mark or twice the current TPG plan cost for 60GB.===
So the lowest speed plan would cost me six times more for the same amount of data. It appears that people like Conroy don’t understand how people look at broadband plans, so they tout the wonders of being able to get fast, high data size content, and so higher monthly costs, with the NBN. Given that this is simple arithmetic, why is it that Conroy and Linton cannot “understand” about it?
Shoeless idiot demonstrates failures of the Left
Andrew Bolt
What is it with the Left and violence? But the Leftist who threw his shoes at John Howard also demonstrates the defning failure of his creed - to judge an action by the intentions and not the consequences. In this case, the audience’s cry of “get out!” and its applause of Howard’s grace suggest the shoeless wonder managed to discredit only himself.
UPDATE
Those aren’t the only stereotypes confirmed by the protester:
Oh, and then there’s the typical failure to foresee the unintended consequences:The ABC said the shoe-thrower later asked at reception for his shoes to be returned. “We said no,” an ABC spokesman said.UPDATE 2
If a man is best judged by his enemies, Howard on Q&A had nothing to worry about:
Earlier, David Hicks, who was held for more than five years in Guantanamo Bay before being convicted by US military tribunal for providing material support to terrorism in Afghanistan, appeared on video to ask Mr Howard whether he believed he had been treated humanely…UPDATE 2
‘’Isn’t this a great country that allows an exchange like this to occur,’’ (Howard) asked. It wouldn’t happen in some other countries, he said, adding that Hicks had pleaded guilty to several offences.
Furthermore, Mr Howard said, offering no quarter, Mr Hicks had returned to Afghanistan knowing what had occurred in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US, and had trained with the Taliban. ‘’The idea that we should see him (Mr Hicks) as a hero is very misplaced,’’ he said...
And at 7:39 Howard neatly catches out Tony Jones deliberately trying to misrepresent his use of the word “elitist” in a passage in which he referred to Peter Costello.
UPDATE 3
And yet again I ask, what is it with the Left and violence?
FIVE British animal rights activists have been jailed for waging a campaign of intimidation, violence and terror against companies linked to an animal testing lab.UPDATE 4
A judge at Winchester Crown Court in southern England sentenced the activists today to between 15 months and six years for targeting about 40 suppliers of Huntingdon Life Sciences, which conducts animal testing for the pharmaceutical industry.
Prosecutors said the campaign included abusive phone calls, threats, vandalism and hoax bombs sent to the homes of staff.
Some company directors had leaflets distributed near their home falsely accusing them of paedophilia, while others had “puppy killer”, “murderer” and “scum” daubed on their houses and cars.
Reader Nonna suspects there was more than one idiot in this particular village:Can the audience on Q & A see the ‘tweets’ that come up on the screen?I’d also ask why a Q&A producer put that tweet on the screen, when it was clearly an exhortation to violence. The ABC needs to explain itself.
On this from the Q&A;website, this message floats across the screen at 34:34 mins: “Will someone throw a shoe at this guy NOW.”
The ‘refugee from a fruit fly attack’ tosses his Doc Martins at Howard at 35:43 mins.Was this a contrived move between a ‘tweeter’ and a ‘twit’?
UPDATE 5
Reader Dave:
BTW the Hicks question was pre recorded by the ABC on either beta or TV production quality tape.So much for supposedly calling in with your “video” questions ...the whole show last night was nothing more than a beat up and a set up. The Libs should distance themselves from Jones and the ABC - they are beneath contempt.Reader Gravelly:
The ABC’s Tony Eastley claims this morning that “Howard dodged the shoes”! Howard never moved, he didn’t have to!And then, just to confirm that the Left is the home of the modern barbarian, you see a Howard hater simulate masturbation at 54:43.
Why does the ABC continue to lie, every chance it gets?! Come back John Howard, you leave the rabble on both sides for dead!
===
Bush turns on Labor
Andrew Bolt
Just one in three people vote Labor now - and the latest Newspoll shows the brand is becoming poison in the bush under Gillard:
The weekend survey, conducted exclusively for The Australian, found the opposition ahead of Labor for the first time since before the August 21 election, by a margin of 52 per cent to 48 per cent in two-party-preferred terms…===
Newspoll chief executive Martin O’Shannessy said last night that Labor had suffered a six-point plunge in primary support outside cities. He linked the decline to the release of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s draft recommendation of large cuts in water usage, which have sparked angry protests in rural areas in the past fortnight…
Labor’s primary vote was on 33 per cent - down two percentage points from the October 8-10 survey and five points down from election day. The Coalition was on 43 per cent in primary terms - down from 43.6 per cent on election day - with the Greens on 14 per cent.
Howes: Can green jobs make up for the loss of real ones?
Andrew Bolt
Australian Workers Union boss Paul Howes calls out the great lie of “green jobs” as he questions the proposed cuts to water entitlements to Murray-Darling farmers:
PAUL HOWES: The Murray-Darling Basin itself is the heartland of AWU. It is where we are from. It is where we still have a bulk of our members who work in the horticultural and agricultural industries and we will work with those other organisations in those areas who have concerns.We are not going to jump the gun. We understand that this is a proposal from an independent commission. We are not going to be alarmist and we are certainly not going to play into the hands of the Opposition on this.But equally we are going to make sure that we live up to our responsibility which is to make sure that AWU members’ job security is protected and we are not going to be supporting or backing any proposal from the commission that would see even a single job of an AWU member lost.Perhaps the CFMEU, representing coal miners among others, could learn from Howes and start protecting its members from the great green scare.
BRONWYN HERBERT: What if jobs on the other hand are created perhaps looking after environmental assets?
PAUL HOWES: Yes, but Australia’s food bowl isn’t necessarily a gross negative and this reminds me of the debate over climate change as well. I mean some are arguing that the loss of jobs say in the coal or the aluminium or the steel industries would be offsetted by the creation of new jobs or through just transitions to new jobs in a greener industry. We are always very sceptical about these just transitions.
(Thanks to reader Mark.)
===
Do amateur terrorists deserve a softer sentence?
Andrew Bolt
The Victorian Court of Appeal reduces sentences of members of a terrorist cell, in part on the grounds that they were starting their own terror cell from scratch rather than joining a more professional outfit:
554. In our view, the history of an organisation is relevant to both the objective seriousness of an offence of being a member of the organisation and the moral culpability of the offender.I can sympathise with the reasoning, but even a Keystone terrorist who gets lucky kills his victims just as dead. And the DIY terrorist does seem to have more initiative than the footsoldier who enlists in a going concern, and may turn out to be harder for law enforcement officials to see coming.
555. So far as objective seriousness is concerned, the history of the organisation is relevant because it informs the nature of the organisation. The definitions of ‘terrorist organisation’ and ‘terrorist act’ are extraordinarily broad. Therefore, on the one hand, a ‘terrorist organisation’ may include anything from a rag-tag collection of malcontents whose commitment to terror never advances further than a conception that one day, some time, they will undertake a ‘terrorist act’ of as yet undetermined nature and scope. On the other hand, it may include a ‘terrorist organisation’, like Al Qaeda or Jema’ah Islamiah, with a proven record of committing the worst terrorist acts imaginable and, presumably, with more of the same in constant planning and preparation. Axiomatically, the activities of the former class of organisation are less likely to result in the commission of a terrorist act than the latter. Thus, other things being equal, the objective seriousness of an offence of joining the former kind of organisation is likely to be eclipsed by the objective gravity of subscribing to the latter.
556. So far as moral culpability is concerned, the history of the organisation is relevant because it may say something about the way in which prospective members are attracted to the organisation and, therefore, about their state of mind. For example, with an organisation of the former kind, it is possible that an offender may join the organisation in a state of uncertainty or confusion. They may thereafter have been seduced by a process of indoctrination to embrace the terrorist philosophy and objectives of the organisation. With an organisation of the latter variety, however, logic and common sense imply the probability that the offender will be committed to the terrorist philosophy and objectives of the organisation before being admitted to its membership, and so they go into it with their eyes wide open. Without wishing
to be prescriptive about it, we think the difference provides a basis to say that an offender of the former kind is less morally culpable than the latter.
557.
So I’m torn. Your own views?
===
China’s work on emissions indeed makes ours seem puny
Andrew Bolt
Victoria’s Greens demand the closure of one of Victoria’s biggest power stations:
Hazelwood Power Station operates on brown coal; the dirtiest coal source on the planet… The best time to close Hazelwood was yesterday but the next best time is today.Labor goes a quarter of the way:
The Brumby government is committed to closing one-quarter of the coal power plant by 2014.Global warming guru Ross Garnaut demands yet more be done. to match China’s efforts:
He said there was also a ‘’striking ignorance’’ in Australia about how much China had accelerated its climate policies over the past year. ‘’We have to do a lot more than we are doing now to just be an average performer compared to other developed countries and China,’’ he said.Meanwhile reader Ray, reading the China Daily in a visit to Shanghai last week, catches up with China’s latest efforts - which do indeed make us look silly:
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