And they need your trade to make it. At left is a photo of the new Mid Town Chandlery. People who have been associated with the marina for years have been voluteering to help in the clean up and repair. This from Jan Douglas; We were able to save 90% of our stock, which we have re-located up the road on the corner of Quay & Targo Street. We now have a few moorings that have popped up as the river have gone done and are working on the only part of the marina that wasn't destroyed. Will keep you posted but please let everyone know we are still here and needthe chandlery sale and their goodwill.

"Australians swindled by 'fraudulent' marine park science"The so-called science that the government uses to justify marine parks has been shown to be a fraud and in fact could be doing more harm than good. Government is accused of pandering to city dwelling Green party voters whilst avoiding real threats to environment that would be hard to implement, like getting agriculture to stop using poisonous chemicals that run off into the sea. TCP first made this charge in issue # 4 over 6 years ago. "It claimed that authors said things in their papers which they did not say. That is worse than plagiarism - it's as bad as it gets in the scientific community." More on the story.

Government to increase Spying on Internet, AGAIN! Internet freedom organisations are outraged at this latest invasion of basic privacy and presumption of guilt. The government wants to have everyone's web browsing history at their fingertips at all times for any reason. The potential for political abuse of this is profound. More here and here for another report.

Australian Customs throws innocent man in jail.... A Darwin man who spent three nights in jail over two bottles of shampoo and conditioner wants an apology from Customs. ABC report here.

Australian Customs is at it again! Customs is now requiring people entering Australia to declare any porn. The problem is defining porn and it is not illegal anyway. Those trafficking in child porn are not expected to declare it (well dah!!) and many are concerned at having customs searching their private computer files to make THEIR judgment on it's legality. More. Customs claims no one cares and no "formal" complaints made. more. But this person claims their "life ruined" by the governments action. Sounds like a "formal" complaint... read more and see what you think.

Finally Revealed! "some Government departments have been paying Google millions of dollars". Our government is using tax money to manipulate google searches. more. TCP was the victim of government influence of Google in 2007 when TCP articles critical of Australian Customs Service were bumped off the search engine when they had been on the first page of search for "australian customs".

American Sailor rescued from her dismasted vessel.

"Within a few minutes of being on board the fishing boat, I was already getting calls from the press," she wrote. "I don't know how they got the number but it seems everybody is eager to pounce on my story now that something bad has happened. "There are plenty of things people can think of to blame for my situation; my age, the time of year and many more. The truth is, I was in a storm and you don't sail through the Indian Ocean without getting in at least one storm. "It wasn't the time of year it was just a Southern Ocean storm. Storms are part of the deal when you set out to sail around the world. "As for age, since when does age create gigantic waves and storms?" More from Team Abby Website

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Jessica Watson at Sydney Harbour with Mum looking on and sailing into Mooloolaba today, June 6th.

In an incredible act of hypocrisy, Queensland Premier to make political points welcoming Jessica home from a voyage the state of Queensland tried to stop! September 26th 09 .. "The Queensland Government has told the parents of 16-year-old Jessica Watson that she should abandon an attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world." See original ABC report And NOW they say.. "What better day than Queensland Day to be out there in force, out there in pink saying welcome home Jess," she (Premier Anna Bligh) said. See the ABC report.

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A Message for the Catholic Church...

On this Easter Sunday I would like to address a thing that has been on my mind for some time and the recent antics of the catholic hierarchy have made it impossible to be silent anymore.

To those priest, bishops, popes and paedophiles that make up the catholic church: I have had it with you. I’ve always believed in tolerance(look it up). In spite of the churches attempts over the years to shove their weird dogma into my life, I have still let them go on while they aim to control what I read, what I view on the internet and even when they attempt to control the wombs of my wife and daughter.. But no more.

A message to the catholic church... The number two sin in the world... Forget the ten commandments, though you play fast and loose with those too, the number two sin in the world is the intentional destruction of a child’s innocence, particularly by rape.

The number one sin in the world? Facilitating and covering up for the number two crowd. Being an accessory after the fact. Allowing a child rapist to attack again.. and again... Any person high in the catholic church that says they didn’t know there were these kinds of problems in the priesthood is a liar on top of their other sins because no one could be that stupid.

The church and it’s minions have tried to portray criticism of the pope and the church as “atheists” that are out to get them. Wrong dickhead, stop trying to portray the perpetrator as the victim, it’s people with children that hate paedophiles and rapist and their facilitators. It’s about hating the crime. A particularly vicious and harmful kind. Like the rape of over 200 deaf children in the US. The perpetrators were protected and shifted around. Who was at the helm for this one atrocity... Ratzinger. How many other times was the welfare of innocent children superseded by the needs of the church?

I have read the bible and understand it’s plain message, I don’t need to have it interpreted for me, the actions of the catholic church are not Christian, they are the actions of a criminal organisation. They are about money, control, POWER.

Paedophiles must be identified and removed from the presence of potential victims immediately. If a repeat offender then they must be incarcerated and or castrated for the protection of the innocents. Their rights end the moment they rape a child. Their crimes can not be undone. Every persons duty is to protect the children. It’s that simple.

To protect the church at the expense of children puts one in the number one category of crime. So go ahead and spout off how unfair it is to criticise the poor old man in the gold robes... I reckon it’s good to know who you are and where you stand.

These are the people who claim to have the ear of God???? OH Please!!

Please note that this text in no way refers to Catholic laity. From the friendships I have made over the years, I would suggest that if the priesthood had half the moral integrity of the laity, the children would be safe.

Among the countries “under surveillance” are several democracies: Australia, because of the upcoming implementation of a highly developed Internet filtering system, and South Korea, where draconian laws are creating too many specific restrictions on Web users by challenging their anonymity and promoting selfcensorship. more here

Google says it will not "voluntarily" comply with the government's request that it censor YouTube videos in accordance with broad "refused classification" (RC) content rules.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy referred to Google's censorship on behalf of the Chinese and Thai governments in making his case for the company to impose censorship locally.
Google warns this would lead to the removal of many politically controversial, but harmless, YouTube clips. more here

Proposed new law even to repressive for Joe Hockey to swallow.

"A senior Federal Liberal MP has criticised a push by state and territory governments to increase police powers, saying it threatens individual liberty.
Joe Hockey used a speech to the Grattan Institute in Melbourne last night to take aim at state governments trying to crack down on crime by granting police the power to conduct random searches.
"Surely Australian interpretation of liberty extends to the right of an individual to go about their daily business without being subject to a random body search by police," he said." More here

"With just one speech, the ABC’s chairman has returned the national broadcaster to the days of having a politically interventionist board running a culture wars agenda and he has done it by trashing the editorial independence of some of this country’s finest journalists.

Newman a former stockbroker and businessman with no professional experience as a journalist or broadcaster  has not only insulted the editorial judgement of his senior staff, he has used warped logic to do it." more here

TCP urges Australians to learn what our government is planning to do with your access to information. Conservative, right wing religious forces in our government are attempting to control what you can read or view. Using pornography as a cover, just like China does, our government will implement a protocol that may be used to block anything it's secret panel wishes blocked and the list of sites blocked will also be secret. This will happen if you don't take responsibility for our future. click here for more...

Last weeks call by the reserve bank NOT to raise interest rates threw egg on the face of virtually every economist that bothered to predict what they would do. Reason being it was the only responsible thing to do in the opinion of many, including us. The financial community had their say by trashing the aussie $$ which gave away about 10% to the greenback. Kay made the call, they are going to call an early election. she might be right but if she is it screams political interference in the reserve bank wanting to allowing the government to campaign on financial management to offset their liabilities on Conroy's internet censorship and the carbon trading/global warming issues, regardless of the financial interests of the country. We'll soon see.

Spyware being defined as a program launched into a computer that may send data on the computers use to the maker or user of the program without the explicite knowledge of the computer owner and especially if it is installed without the computer owners permission. A quote from an article, "Spotlight: Internet cookies bite back"

There's a more persistent kind of cookie called a Local Shared Object [LSO] or "flash" cookie – small files stored on your computer by Web sites with Adobe Flash media, such as video clips. Flash cookies can back up data stored in regular cookies. So, using the browser controls to delete cookies won't affect this "flash" variety. Adobe's Web site offers ways to control or delete Flash cookies. Firefox browser users can get an add-on to detect them.

Even "normal" computer cookies can be used to make you pay more... TCP looked at the adobe site to see if we could clean their LSO's out of one of our computers that had it installed without permission but was unable to locate that advise.

Some US media (think Fox) and virtually all Australian Media feed you daily doses of utter rot. Some you probably catch and you think you know which is which but the truth is you would have to be enormously diligent not to get taken in a lot of the time. Need a gross example? Well here is one... "A Current Affair"(ACA) is a highly rated Australian TV show. In cooperation with police recently televised a video clip purporting to show a "hoon" driver in criminal acts that they used to create fear and distrust and support for police to control these dangerous drivers(think justification for even more repressive enforcement). The problem was it was a lie. The video was an old "youtube" thing that was done as an application for a position on a popularTV show, "Top Gear". Here is the story on the site "Crikey". But they didn't stop there... they had to follow it up the next day to compound the lie. ACA and NSW Police digging a hole over fake hoon story Here for More. There was a story a couple of weeks ago, quoting a statement by one of Queenslands biggest bullshitters, minister for misinformation, Paul Lucas, slamming the youth/backpacker van hire company "wicked". The story and his statement said that all except 4 vans were pulled off duty in Queensland due to safety inspections which was absolute rubbish. The owner of the company disputed Lucas's claim and in fact I was at the town of 1770 that weekend and personally saw twice as many of the companies vans there than what Lucas claimed were still on the road. Lucas has slammed the sailing community in similar fashion in years past. At least Wicked Vans had their reply published later but not without Lucas getting the last twisted word. This was an example of very poor journalism on the part of the ABC. Wicked vans should have been contacted for reply before the original allegation was published.

The Coastal Passage will never print rubbish on behalf of government or advertisers or because getting it right is 'too hard'.. Every publishing cycle, we are contacted by vendors who want editorial space as a condition for their advertising buck. Soon after we refuse the material we see it published in things like multihulls 2 U or cleat to sheet or heads 2 holding tank or whatever... as editorial content, and that is what "journalism" has been reduced to in Australia. Editorial for sale, and if an advertiser can't be bothered with providing their own propaganda, a staff hack can always be hired for cheap. Even when they try they usually fail to get it right. Real journalism is hard work, it's not printing press releases without scrutiny.

The Coastal Passage can not be bought and the papers gets it's facts right. If you question why TCP coverage differs from other publications and that makes you wonder, consider this; TCP has never had to make a correction of fact. Others have. Multihull world had the emabarrasment of the "Multihaven" fiasco, and Cruising Helmsman was forced to pay TCP money and make correction last year. Shiny paper does not accuracy make.

So, you think you live in a secular country? Were that it were so. The latest incarnation of the religious right's inclination for control is the internet "filter". This is classic church intent, unchanged for a thousand years. We have names for the periods when the churches powers were at a zenith, "the dark ages" or "the inquisition" and lest we forget the "crusades", especially the legendary cruelty and exploitation of the "children's crusade". I will contend that any time a person or people can justify any lie or deceit to further their goal, their vision for perfection of society by their definition, you have evil and tyranny. But that was then and we live in a modern society with protections and rights so we don't have to worry.... bullshit. The mainstream media has no interest in bucking the churches quest for power but occaisonaly an article sneaks into a back page or in an obscure web page like this one.... You are paying taxes to support religious services and events. Your children are subject to indoctrination by virtue of the fact that public schools have been severely disadvantaged in funding with tax payer money pouring into church controlled schools and even in your public schools religion is taught and portrayed as virtuous. The churches already have much control over mainstream media. Newspapers self censor out of fear, TV is controlled literally by government which is controlled by right wing religious nutters like Stephen Conroy, minister for communications, who now brings us the so called "filter" when 95% of the people who use the web(according to a poll conducted by "The Age") hate the idea. The rational is to protect children from child pornography which is absurd on the surface of it and even more ridiculous to IT professionals. It's a sham. They try to portray anyone opposed to the filter as a supporter of child pornography, which I find personally offensive. I have children, I respect children and the families that make sacrifices for the benefit of children. I hate those that exploit or abuse children and would treat paedophiles simply; chemical castration... or other castration but surely and utterly prevented from ever harming more than once. And for those that protect and conceal those that abuse? The same. One could argue that the churches have good reason to campaigning against child abuse.... they hate competition.

This is not about protecting children but everything to do with acquiring power and blocking dissent.

Australians as a whole think we are invulnerable to the financial woes experienced by the USA. Think again. We are amassing incredible debt and sooner or later it has to be paid back... with interest. According to this report at the ABC quoting Debt Adviser (that's an occupation?), Dominique Grubisa, the average Australian now owes $74,000 between mortgage and consumer debt like credit cards. That amount of debt now exceeds the total GNP of the country. Taking a guess at the proportion lets say about $15,000 of that is credit card debt at 15% and the balance is all mortgage at 8%. Thats a generous outlook, but even so that means every adult in Australia owes $6,970 in interest only! So for a couple in a household, $13,940 a year. There is now an industry based on selling debt to pay other debt. Who is the winner here?? And how did it happen? And where is the money coming from??? And what happens when it stops flowing?? I suggest people are most vulnerable just when they think they are bullet proof.

Think it can't happen in Australia? Well, it is happening but not as fast as in the US. But a lot of people know that what's happening in the US today is Australia's eventual destiny.

"Can you imagine an America without a strong middle class? If you can, would it still be America as we know it?

Today, one in five Americans is unemployed, underemployed or just plain out of work. One in nine families can't make the minimum payment on their credit cards. One in eight mortgages is in default or foreclosure. One in eight Americans is on food stamps. More than 120,000 families are filing for bankruptcy every month. The economic crisis has wiped more than $5 trillion from pensions and savings, has left family balance sheets upside down, and threatens to put ten million homeowners out on the street."

And if it has been saved, was it because of environmental concerns or a political expediant?

This morning as I fired up the browsing computer to get the morning news fix with coffee in hand, Kay walked into the room and looking over my shoulder at the headline I was reading... "Water Found on the Moon", without the slightest hesitation she remarked, " Anna Bligh will be after that, she'll be putting a dam up there." I just about fell out of the chair laughing..

Whenever the government is in trouble there is always the News LTD papers to bail them out with another fanciful "report"(?). In Todays paper there is an article on how generously the people were treated that had to sell out to the state for the dam reserve that is now (hopefully) defunct. "Price Drops For Dam Land" The article gives 3 examples of homes in Kandanga, claiming their value at "only" $120,000 whilst the state had given them $157K to $265K. So before we flew out of the house with our cheque books to scoop up a couple of these bargains we had a look at www.realestate.com.au and got another lesson in how little that paper relies on facts. We could find no listing less than $250,000. Two of the three examples listed in the article were on Main street. We looked up the page on the web site that reports recent sales and according to them the last house sold on Main street was for $440,000! HMMmmm... The average price for recent sales (6) in Kandanga was $529,917.

Actual accounts from locals suggests that the opposite of the thrust of the article is true. People were bullied into selling cheap and now that it is over (hopefully) the state is in a position to profit by the sales of the land... unless it goes to mates of burearocrats.. but that would be corrupt of course.. so that won't happen... right?

October 21st... edited October 24 ... Can You Trust Australian Media?

The rest of the media is starting to catch up with TCP's concerns. Here is a copy (word doc or PDF or original source) of the report made by an SBS reporter lamenting the lack of freedom of access for independent media in Afghanistan and Iraq. A quote from the report; Major actions have been and continue to take place without any information at all being released to the press and the Australian public until well after the event, if at all. The only information we get is filtered through second-hand accounts given to "friendly" journalists such as News Limited's Ian McPhedran. Nothing approaching real, factual and balanced reporting of these ongoing and significant operations is possible given the current constraints on press access to these units.

In the current issue of American Newsweek magazine (word doc, PDF or original source) the Murdoch/News LTD papers in the US are under serious attack for their performance over the years. The US has a lot of News LTD papers and broadcast media but nothing like the virtual monopoly that exists in Australia. If you have developed an opinion concerning any item you read in a News LTD source you have likely been manipulated. This may seem a strong statement but it is based on my own experience. I consider myself a sophisticated news reader with a sensitive bullshit-o-metre... but I have found myself buying into their rubbish on occasion. For just a short while, I bought into the children overboard fiasco. It is embarrassing to admit now, but they did it the old fashioned way, by appealing to my lowest instincts, my own bigotry that allowed me to believe these people were so foul they would throw their own children in the water to take advantage of our official's better character. As we now know (all but a few hard core red necks in far north Queensland) the exact opposite was true. When the government tried that again to get elected, the Haneef affair, the full force of the Murdoch media wasn't enough to pull off that lie again. So we elected the phoney little choirboy from Queensland and now he works closely with News LTD...

Not convinced yet? How about what the reporters themselves say? Here is an excerpt from a leaked internal memo (word doc, PDF or original source) from the reporters at the Adelaide Advertiser, the original News LTD paper, and management; Reporters feel there is a lack of reasonable direction and leadership from management... Management often dictates an editorial line it wants reporters to take that is in conflict with what our contacts say. Much of a day can be wasted trying to find one person to say what management wants them to say. This is not reporting, it is fabricating news.

Enough said?

I need to note that there are excellent people on the News LTD payroll, but these are generally columnists, not reporters.. Also, not every city is controlled by the News LTD monopoly, Fairfax media is conservative and has to compete in a market shaped by News but still manages some independence but some areas like Brisbane and the Gold Coast in Queensland are totally News LTD.

In short... if you believe the country is on the wrong track, look to our media and who runs the show because we have been sold out.

I have been getting emails asking why I haven't commented on this yet. The answer is because I haven't been able to trust the information that has been available from 'both' sides. That is the government sources quoted in News LTD media and statements issued by her publicists. Talk about a pile of bullshit! But one thing I am certain of; The Queensland Government/MSQ, has no legal and certainly no moral authority to publicly or privately criticise any aspect of the girls voyage! And another I strongly suspect; was the states intervention in this private matter a cheap attempt to dislodge the otherwise top story of their own police chief caught out with allegations of misconduct that if proved should see him imprisoned for years??? They wouldn't play cheap politics with this persons life now would they?? choke cough....

In any case, the word of super sailors like Don McIntyre and Joe Akacich means much more to me than a bunch of low life politicians with an ax to grind and scores to settle, and they reckon she is better than ready.

Advise to Jessica from TCP??

1, Stop speaking through the publicity machine! Make statements direct to the Australian people. Your honesty and abilities will shine through the bull.

2, Sail conservatively, reef most of the time, but then you already knew that.

3, Be very hesitant in taking anyones advise... this included. You are a sailor born, best of luck to you.

Quoted from the ABC; Queensland's Coordinator-General has signed off on the Traveston Crossing Dam proposal for the state's south-east, more than three years after project was announced.
In his final report, Colin Jensen has outlined extensive environmental conditions under which he believes the proposed $1.5 billion dam near Gympie could be built.
They include increasing vegetated areas around the Mary River and its tributaries and establishing islands and sand refuges for the Mary river turtle.
Premier Anna Bligh says federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett should decide whether to approve the dam by November.

This info was released to the Brisbane paper, The Sunday Mail much earlier than other media. Was this because they could count on the Murdock paper to be... supportive? NAH.. they wouldn't do something sleazy like that...

This is a familiar topic around casa de Norson. First of all... this is not about drought proofing the residents of Queensland, it is about coal mining and money! People from outside Australia may be very surprised to find out that Queensland is actually building desalination plants. The most costly and environmentally destructive means of supplying water possible. We don't need water because of the (former) drought or increased population though it is always good practise to conserve, we need water because a grid was put in place recently to take our water north to the coal mines.

This is a quote from a mining study done six years ago; "Access to a reliable source of water is an essential requirement for coal mines. Even those mines that do not wash their product through a preparation plant need significant quantities for dust management, drilling, human consumption and numerous other uses. Current corporate reports provide statistics showing that approximately 200L of fresh water can be consumed for every tonne of coal produced, although that can vary both upwards and downwards according to operating practice and circumstances. The transformation of this fresh water to dirty water which must then be managed through the mines systems and storages generates additional challenges. In Central Queensland the combination of extended drought conditions, continued new coal developments, a beleaguered agricultural sector and a new regulatory regime for managing water has placed the issue at the top of the public agenda. Water availability is now a limiting factor on development in the region." Click here for the 11 page report in PDF. Click here to view a report done by TCP 5 years ago on the waste water problem and related environmental issues.

Since that report, coal mining in Queensland may have better than doubled. Certainly it has increased substantialy. So.. where are they now getting this water that was the "limiting factor on development in the region" six years ago... answer? They took yours! And now you pay for desalinated water, and stand by and watch whilst they (state government, bought and paid for by the miners) dam the most sensitive estuary system in Australia after the Murry River (which has already been destroyed), and tell you it is for the poor old blokes in Brisbane who just want to water their garden. Oh yeah.. they will tell it's a matter of jobs... their answer to everything. And they tell the truth! With the miners making billions, you might get a low wage when it trickles down, and all you have to do is give away something that isn't yours, the next generation's future.

If this dam goes through, the Great Sandy Straits and Fraser Island will be irrevocably changed in a few years. The Mary River, which is the main fresh water source for this system, will be nothing but a tidal gully. This will be the final nail in the coffin of the Great Barrier Reef as the straits and Hervey Bay was the biggest and last breeding area for species requiring estuary systems for reproduction and spawning.

August 28, Australia is Racist!

Oh shocker... donno what they are talking about? According to the UN representative, the act of taking control of a peoples property and income among other issues is a clear violation of human rights. "In my opinion, as currently configured and carried out, the emergency response is incompatible with Australia's obligations under the convention of elimination of forms of racial discrimination and the international convention on political rights," But of course the government insists it is all about protecting children.. well the government has had a million opportunities to help black children and hasn't given a shit until it meant seizing land and cash... then it is a paramount issue! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/27/2668915.htm

Howard 'fear-mongering' on bill of rights

And no one has done more to extinguish rights around the place then that elitists little worm that did this in the first place and now comes out swinging against the whole country having guaranteed rights... the biggest bag of blowhard bullshit since Menzies. "Australia is the only liberal democracy left to not have formal human rights protection," says Amnesty International. Thanks to John Howard who thinks he and his mates should be the ones to decide what rights people have (and anyone who contradicts him is "elitist"!?) we have the travesty of Customs boarding Australian vessels in Australian waters, Independent news a memory and internet freedom under grave attack. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/27/2668611.htm

And if this is any example of the activities of our armed forces, we are in deep shit! If ever there were an example of loutish, immature and downright STUPID behaviour.. this is it... and these people they let have guns!? http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/26/2667409.htm?section=justin

So.. the government wants to know where the bloody hell all the tourist have gone? Seems more might be missing than can be accounted for by the economic situation... so they ask "Who the bloody hell are we". How about.. we are the paranoid punishment freaks that are reverting back to convict days and you better bloody well like it! Well. so much for that approach, it might not be working.... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/26/2667137.htm?section=justin

Internet Security! Some cop with typical attitude went into a rave about how evil the web is it should be shut down... but the reader responses were interesting.. A few had a clue but the amount of ignorence on the part of computer users is surprising and concerning. See this TCP page for information on "the dark side".... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/17/2657529.htm?section=justin

But I have the answer to the whole problem... Make supplying, selling or distributing software in any fashion without detailed description of what the product actually does, a crime. Like it was a food product. Almost all computer “virus” occurs from users installing software that does many things other than what the user is being told, and that begins with Microsoft, the people that brought you “updates” and a need for “anit-virus protection”, and all the other popular means of invading your privacy.

Queensland Corruption! Watch the weekend news. Thats when stories the government doesn't want you to see come out. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/16/2657163.htm?section=justin A big resort development was rejected by the state governments new found concern for the environment? Bullshit, the media was unto the fact there was so much corruption involved that to continue would virtually guarantee that there would be another affair like the recently convicted minister, Nuttal.

Our courts are the tool of corruption. Australian Judiciary is a joke. If it's you against the government or a person with influence in government (regular briber.. er party contributer) you are toast. Even our old friend Paul Hogan is getting the shaft. The ATO (like the US IRS) has been in Paul's shit for years but has never made a case. However, they did manage to “convince” the court to release all his private financial records to the media in spite of never having charged him with an offence. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/16/2657244.htm?section=justin

From Time Magazine... (August 24) for the second issue running, this time in an article about Nobel winner Steven Chu on global warming, it was mentioned how important it is to have a light coloured roof on your house. We worked that out years ago from refitting our old steel boat and finding the difference between the grey primered and white finish coat temperature. Every building we have owned since has been painted white to great benefit. One sloppy coat of white acrylic paint will profoundly reduce heat on a tin roof, or tile for that matter.

What kind of a political thug would try this on in the 21st century? From the ABC:

"The Council for Civil Liberties says proposed by-laws for Alice Springs are unconstitutional.

A new rule would require a person who is "apparently intending to publicise a view about a particular issue" to apply for a permit from the Town Council. "

Any moron that has gone as far as 4th grade knows that is evil and wrong.

"Fitzgerald warning puts power brokers in a spin"

Some of Queensland's most powerful people have been rocked by corruption buster Tony Fitzgerald's scathing analysis that the state is slipping back to its dark past.

The man who headed the Queensland corruption inquiry that resulted in sweeping reforms 20 years ago, says cronyism and secret deals remain alive and well.

For a lot of people that's news, for me at TCP that's DUHH!! No Shit Sherlock! I didn't think I would ever see an election stolen right in front of my eyes... but I have in Queensland. AND IT WAS DONE LEGALLY! Well, more or less. Lets just say the laws were made in an obvious manner to facilitate. And who was the winner? A bunch of local crooks made out pretty good in a petty low rent fashion but the big winner was a mining company. The recent corruption conviction of former minister Nuttal was nothing. The dumbstruck look on his face when he got popped said it all. He thought he had the perfect right to extort cash for favours from mining executives...

Mr Fitzgerald said in part; "Neither side of politics is interested in these issues except for short-term political advantage as each enjoys or plots impatiently for its turn at the privileges and opportunities which accompany power." He's nicer than me, the way I've been saying it for years is, they are all pigs and their only goal in life is to feed at the best end of the trough.

See the courier mail

The Queensland government, starting with the Sheldon- Borbridge abortion back in 96 and really making headway under the Beattie regime, systematically dismantled all the safe guards put in place after Mr Fitzgerald exposed the corruption of the Jo government. For readers outside Australia or younger readers, virtually every minister in the mess was corrupted, blatantly and openly. The state was run like a crime syndicate. The Chief of police was running the prostitution and gambling and Russ Hinze was shaking down every government contract. Everything had a price. Development approvals? Roads contract? anything...

This is a good outline of the issue.. Tony Kock in the Australian

Volumes could be written of the current corruption from what I know... imagine what the total is...