The negotiating skill of the police have been found wanting again on Christmas day when a man was shot and killed in a home at close range.
It's a sad time for many people, Christmas, those who have recently lost loved ones, those who have no one at all and those who due to separation won't be enjoying a nice quiet family day like many of us will and it's sad to think that it could escalate to the point of the police having to intervene and result in them ending a persons life needlessly.
I don't know the intimate circumstances and I'm not blaming anyone, I mean imagine being the person, a police officer, who has just shot and killed another human being, how are they going to enjoy their Christmas while their mind considers all the variables and the questions and doubt go through their minds along with the guilt in some cases, all normal feelings.
A good Friend of mine was crying on Christmas eve, one of the nicest blokes you'd ever meet, a real tough bloke too and a seriously hard worker who gave everything to his kids, yet he cried like a girl because he found out that the money he'd sent the soon to be ex wife for the special gifts for his kids had been used to take them away for the holidays, and perhaps forever since he was supposed to pick them up for his days last weekend and have them home for Christmas day and found a for sale sign outside the house and it empty and deserted.
He's had no word, can't make contact and even her relatives are denying any knowledge of the move except that she has recently moved a new bloke into the home.
Now my mate has a great supporting family and good friends but he's as wounded as if he'd been stabbed by this, and as he was taken by surprise, very distressed. He has contacted the police who say they can't do anything because it was a mutually agreed separation and there has been no government or court settlement she can effectively do as she pleases, also she has taken out an AVO citing that she is scared of him so if he physically tries to find her and his kids he can and will be arrested for stalking and breaching an order.
Back on topic, Christmas is like a magnifying glass when things are good and equally when they are bad, and it's so sad to see what should be some of the best memories of any child's life be the most tragic memories, when a father gets shot in a home by police.
I just don't think our police are well enough trained in negotiating and counselling agitated people and calming them in a tense situation, I'm sure if they were both they and those they are attending to may have a better result.
,
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Logan overlords reign down rules to make us pay
It seems the Logan councillors have bowed to the (what I call a hate campaign against growers ) market garden fear campaign and are set to create policy that will make growing some surplus vege and putting them out front with an honour box, an illegal activity if your block of land is too small.
in seasons past, and any gardener will tell you this, conditions vary in some small way so that one particular pest may become so prevalent compared to other years and one particular crop may out perform your expectations based on usual growth and yield for that crop, and I have had it happen once with tomatoes which grew so well the leaves were almost twice the usual size and the fruit so abundant that it was at least 4 times the usual amount to harvest and off a dozed or so plants i had so many beautiful tomatoes that my family and friends were sick of my constant gifting and I just couldn't find anyone else to give them to so i approached the local fruiterer who on seeing mine was happy to give me a store credit in return for a box or two a week while they were producing. That will now be illegal if my land is too small.
Now I know people got pretty upset when one particular lot were buying up local blocks, usually 5 acres or more and wholesale clearing them and covering them with plastic igloos, but that's not the issue of this discourse, rather we are simply talking about any vege patch on any block which will be smaller (it's yet to become law) than about 2 acres where the grower may sell off some surplus and therefore come under the term "market garden"
It seems well known that the driver of this issue is the preselected candidate for Wright for the LNP and current councillor , who has in my opinion tried any and every way of creating policy or law against local growers in a constant campaign that can only be described as a "Hate campaign" in my opinion.
It is odd that someone who seems to have an obvious dislike for growers would seek to represent people in an area that is even more rural than the one in which she is now, and one which which is predominantly growers.
I have heard that there has been an astonishing back flip done recently where the candidate now claims that there are only some grower problems in Greenbank and that all other growers are now, amazingly , lovely; what a coincidence!
The real problem lies with the rest of the "Bogan Overlords" or councillors who have agreed with this idea and are likely to shove it through on the strength of a fear campaign about sprays and pesticides.
Ehough on that because the Overlords have barely begun with their attack on our land use rights they also intend to shove through a policy on heavy vehicle parking that would make any feudal rules proud, it seems that once again two acres and under, you are going to pay Logan for the privilege, Yes, pay them money for something you have always been able to do.
Once again i don't understand why our representatives want to extinguish our rights to continue the use of our land that we've always had. actually yes I do understand it, and it's about money and land values and demand.
You see we're something a little special, we have rights the rest of them don't and our lots are in demand for anyone who wants to park up their truck between jobs or overnight, and those with small minds want to see us brought down to the same level as those in the old more suburban logan.
Those small minded councillors with their small minded committee ( and I'll add that even the truck drivers on that committee seemed to agree with the council position because they personally will not be affected by the new regulations and since it's not in their backyard, are happy to see others charged a fee and an ongoing annual charge to continue doing what they have always done, and for the main reason they probably chose NOT to live in logan in the first place.
It really galls me to still hear this stupid inane retort from logan that they didn't ask for this and that it was forced upon them because it's utter rubbish , yes they have continually asked to have their boundary moved south into Beaudesert several times, and because of the previous rules, before the unscrupulous Beattie changed a few words at a time at midnight meetings to remove our right to decide our own destiny by referendum which allowed us to veto it at the ballot box, we were able to thwart their attempts to take over our area, on our terms unlike now.
Logan has put it's nose into our business and thinks we do not see that these two issues, with some reservations to lots under 2 acres is just the thin end of the wedge and a precursor of things to come where as the urban footprint grows so will the regulations until we are either forced out by necessity , rated out or harassed by council so that remaining becomes untenable.
It's a sham we do not have one councillor who is prepared to actually represent the general public, instead of ruling like primmadonna's or in my opinion "overlords"
I say do not pay, do not bow to their idiocy, do not scrape to those would be masters, and do not vote for this crop of bludgers again.
.
in seasons past, and any gardener will tell you this, conditions vary in some small way so that one particular pest may become so prevalent compared to other years and one particular crop may out perform your expectations based on usual growth and yield for that crop, and I have had it happen once with tomatoes which grew so well the leaves were almost twice the usual size and the fruit so abundant that it was at least 4 times the usual amount to harvest and off a dozed or so plants i had so many beautiful tomatoes that my family and friends were sick of my constant gifting and I just couldn't find anyone else to give them to so i approached the local fruiterer who on seeing mine was happy to give me a store credit in return for a box or two a week while they were producing. That will now be illegal if my land is too small.
Now I know people got pretty upset when one particular lot were buying up local blocks, usually 5 acres or more and wholesale clearing them and covering them with plastic igloos, but that's not the issue of this discourse, rather we are simply talking about any vege patch on any block which will be smaller (it's yet to become law) than about 2 acres where the grower may sell off some surplus and therefore come under the term "market garden"
It seems well known that the driver of this issue is the preselected candidate for Wright for the LNP and current councillor , who has in my opinion tried any and every way of creating policy or law against local growers in a constant campaign that can only be described as a "Hate campaign" in my opinion.
It is odd that someone who seems to have an obvious dislike for growers would seek to represent people in an area that is even more rural than the one in which she is now, and one which which is predominantly growers.
I have heard that there has been an astonishing back flip done recently where the candidate now claims that there are only some grower problems in Greenbank and that all other growers are now, amazingly , lovely; what a coincidence!
The real problem lies with the rest of the "Bogan Overlords" or councillors who have agreed with this idea and are likely to shove it through on the strength of a fear campaign about sprays and pesticides.
Ehough on that because the Overlords have barely begun with their attack on our land use rights they also intend to shove through a policy on heavy vehicle parking that would make any feudal rules proud, it seems that once again two acres and under, you are going to pay Logan for the privilege, Yes, pay them money for something you have always been able to do.
Once again i don't understand why our representatives want to extinguish our rights to continue the use of our land that we've always had. actually yes I do understand it, and it's about money and land values and demand.
You see we're something a little special, we have rights the rest of them don't and our lots are in demand for anyone who wants to park up their truck between jobs or overnight, and those with small minds want to see us brought down to the same level as those in the old more suburban logan.
Those small minded councillors with their small minded committee ( and I'll add that even the truck drivers on that committee seemed to agree with the council position because they personally will not be affected by the new regulations and since it's not in their backyard, are happy to see others charged a fee and an ongoing annual charge to continue doing what they have always done, and for the main reason they probably chose NOT to live in logan in the first place.
It really galls me to still hear this stupid inane retort from logan that they didn't ask for this and that it was forced upon them because it's utter rubbish , yes they have continually asked to have their boundary moved south into Beaudesert several times, and because of the previous rules, before the unscrupulous Beattie changed a few words at a time at midnight meetings to remove our right to decide our own destiny by referendum which allowed us to veto it at the ballot box, we were able to thwart their attempts to take over our area, on our terms unlike now.
Logan has put it's nose into our business and thinks we do not see that these two issues, with some reservations to lots under 2 acres is just the thin end of the wedge and a precursor of things to come where as the urban footprint grows so will the regulations until we are either forced out by necessity , rated out or harassed by council so that remaining becomes untenable.
It's a sham we do not have one councillor who is prepared to actually represent the general public, instead of ruling like primmadonna's or in my opinion "overlords"
I say do not pay, do not bow to their idiocy, do not scrape to those would be masters, and do not vote for this crop of bludgers again.
.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Are lawyers just the lowest scum on this earth ?
Recently a man was caught by police, arrested and charged by police of several counts of sexual assault against women at or near train stations, he is alleged to have grabbed them inappropriately but on at least one occasion he is alleged to have dragged a victim into bushes and went further until he gave up because of how hard the victim fought back.
I Can't say too much more in detail, except that a number of complainants are involved, the evidence and witnesses seem numerous and irrefutable, there is little doubt the police have their man.
What I find offencive is how his defence lawyers are trying to "get him off" with a cock and bull arguement which is pushing the limits of believability and completely ignoring the victims by making a claim that the man is a Sudanese Asylum seeker and he only performed these acts because of the trauma suffered by him back in his country after seeing some very horrific things.
I'm bot going to dispute that this man may have suffered trauma, but my question is how does that make you start putting your hands under women's clothing , absolutely without their consent?
This is a lawyer who will take a fortune for this case and who in complete disregard for the man's victim will attempt to trivialise their suffering at his hands and say . "too bad, the attacker has suffered more so it's all ok"
Any lawyer who can make this case is in my opinion scum and nothing better, I guess he is happy to let his own wife or daughter come into contact with a person who is essentially a sexual predator without a worry, right?
I'm sorry but we have to as a society say that we cannot keep empowering criminals who freely make the choice to offend by letting the lawyers use the past or events from the past to negate responsibility for actions.
the worse thing is it is never going to happen because the majority of our elected representatives are lawyers also.
.
I Can't say too much more in detail, except that a number of complainants are involved, the evidence and witnesses seem numerous and irrefutable, there is little doubt the police have their man.
What I find offencive is how his defence lawyers are trying to "get him off" with a cock and bull arguement which is pushing the limits of believability and completely ignoring the victims by making a claim that the man is a Sudanese Asylum seeker and he only performed these acts because of the trauma suffered by him back in his country after seeing some very horrific things.
I'm bot going to dispute that this man may have suffered trauma, but my question is how does that make you start putting your hands under women's clothing , absolutely without their consent?
This is a lawyer who will take a fortune for this case and who in complete disregard for the man's victim will attempt to trivialise their suffering at his hands and say . "too bad, the attacker has suffered more so it's all ok"
Any lawyer who can make this case is in my opinion scum and nothing better, I guess he is happy to let his own wife or daughter come into contact with a person who is essentially a sexual predator without a worry, right?
I'm sorry but we have to as a society say that we cannot keep empowering criminals who freely make the choice to offend by letting the lawyers use the past or events from the past to negate responsibility for actions.
the worse thing is it is never going to happen because the majority of our elected representatives are lawyers also.
.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Who has access to your property? do you know ?
Ever looked out your window because a flicker of movement caught your eye?
It is common enough on bigger places where there is space for birds, small roo's or wallaby's or even the neighbours pets , not a problem at all until you look out and it's a person you don't know appearing to be sneaking around, then you feel like going back in time to before Little Johnny in a state of paranoia changed the law and took the majority of our guns, and pull one out and see the uninvited bugger on his way.
It seems the council has decide that animal control people, and others can access your property on the most flimsiest of grounds, "reasonable suspicion that there may be an unregistered animal hidden on your property" or something similar.
This is someone who does not have to have a police check to hold the job, who can come into contact with your children and does not have to have a blue card and who may not really be there for legitimate purposes for all we know.
It would not be hard for any criminal organisation to have their people employed by council to access properties under the guise of looking for dogs but actually caseing your place when you're out and reporting back to those who may rob you.
All too far fetched? of course it is, never going to happen, council will only employ the best of people, . . . . . . . . . .won't they ?
I think it's time for razor wire on the fence, just in case.
It is common enough on bigger places where there is space for birds, small roo's or wallaby's or even the neighbours pets , not a problem at all until you look out and it's a person you don't know appearing to be sneaking around, then you feel like going back in time to before Little Johnny in a state of paranoia changed the law and took the majority of our guns, and pull one out and see the uninvited bugger on his way.
It seems the council has decide that animal control people, and others can access your property on the most flimsiest of grounds, "reasonable suspicion that there may be an unregistered animal hidden on your property" or something similar.
This is someone who does not have to have a police check to hold the job, who can come into contact with your children and does not have to have a blue card and who may not really be there for legitimate purposes for all we know.
It would not be hard for any criminal organisation to have their people employed by council to access properties under the guise of looking for dogs but actually caseing your place when you're out and reporting back to those who may rob you.
All too far fetched? of course it is, never going to happen, council will only employ the best of people, . . . . . . . . . .won't they ?
I think it's time for razor wire on the fence, just in case.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Heavy Vehicle Parking - Bogan's sham consultation.
I'm not surprised at the outcome from those council officers preparing for policy on heavy Vehicle Parking across the new areas forced to be a part of Logan by a dictatorial State government with an act of parliament to ensure there was no opposition.
At meetings in both Jimboomba and Logan Village there was a clear message sent to Logan that any and all intrusion into the lifestyle and business of the old North Beaudesert Shire was at the least unwelcome, unneeded and an overbearing assertion of Logan authority for the sake of it and nothing else, the people had their say but has it been heard, the answer is no.
During and since those meetings there were some who made a lot of noise about how they were there to make it "right " for truck owners notably the old jimboomba Chamber of commerce which is now named after Logan.
The community consultation has been poorly responded to really, and why would you bother anyway, it's not like your opinion would matter one iota in Logan Council which in my opinion seems to just find ways to charge the residents more and more as if your pockets are bottomless and money grows on trees.
The Council put together a working group to assist with making policy and it seems that even with all the big noting from some of those on that group, they have achieved nothing except to follow the council line that truck owners should pay a fee to park on their own land and that restrictions should apply as to where and how big a property you must have before you can park a truck there at all.
The sham has worked, for council that is, they will be able to make the claim that they have done everything possible to allow community to have a say in the development of this policy and that it is a result of all the available resources and opinions that have been put together to make it fair and reasonable.
I don't agree with that , I don't believe that any of those on the working group speak for me, I reject the very idea that my rights need to be removed so that council can get more money for nothing and I'm seriously thinking of looking for a pan body to park here to make my protest and perhaps even test the council's resolve on any future fee.
If I were a working truck driver I'd be contemplating a blockade of council about now or a black ban on the delivery of anything and everything to council.
I don't think this is the end of this.
At meetings in both Jimboomba and Logan Village there was a clear message sent to Logan that any and all intrusion into the lifestyle and business of the old North Beaudesert Shire was at the least unwelcome, unneeded and an overbearing assertion of Logan authority for the sake of it and nothing else, the people had their say but has it been heard, the answer is no.
During and since those meetings there were some who made a lot of noise about how they were there to make it "right " for truck owners notably the old jimboomba Chamber of commerce which is now named after Logan.
The community consultation has been poorly responded to really, and why would you bother anyway, it's not like your opinion would matter one iota in Logan Council which in my opinion seems to just find ways to charge the residents more and more as if your pockets are bottomless and money grows on trees.
The Council put together a working group to assist with making policy and it seems that even with all the big noting from some of those on that group, they have achieved nothing except to follow the council line that truck owners should pay a fee to park on their own land and that restrictions should apply as to where and how big a property you must have before you can park a truck there at all.
The sham has worked, for council that is, they will be able to make the claim that they have done everything possible to allow community to have a say in the development of this policy and that it is a result of all the available resources and opinions that have been put together to make it fair and reasonable.
I don't agree with that , I don't believe that any of those on the working group speak for me, I reject the very idea that my rights need to be removed so that council can get more money for nothing and I'm seriously thinking of looking for a pan body to park here to make my protest and perhaps even test the council's resolve on any future fee.
If I were a working truck driver I'd be contemplating a blockade of council about now or a black ban on the delivery of anything and everything to council.
I don't think this is the end of this.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Why won't the west take a stand on Israel's war practices.
Here is a press item which reveals how Israel refutes any belief that they are capable of wrongdoing in their war against the country they adjoin, Palestine, when the vote was clearly in favour of investigation.
The real question is why the west refuses to accept their responsibility to say "no More" to what is effectively an American State in the Middle East which is supported by the US in both financial and military ways?
In the question we also have the answer, the USA.
The "war" or at least what the Israelis call a war or allow them to respond to stone throwing by children with machine guns and tanks, and to respond to a single suicide bomber with air strikes and gunships and when the casualty count is so one sided as to have 100 to 1 dead in favour of Israel and even those figures may not be accurate because at every attack communications and power are the first things the Israeli military machine knocks out so the world cannot see the utter carnage and the futility of any Palestinian defence along with the numbers of innocents who suffer death and injury.
The west, or at least the representatives on the UN should hang their heads in shame for their cowardly abstaining from the vote.
ISRAEL has rejected a UN resolution that calls on it and the Palestinians to probe suspected war crimes committed during the Gaza war at the turn of the year.
"Israel rejects the resolution of the UN General Assembly, which is completely detached from realities on the ground that Israel must face," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement said that during the 22-day war, which killed some 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Israeli military "demonstrated higher military and moral standards than each and every one of this resolution's instigators."
Yesterday, the 192-member assembly overwhelmingly approved an Arab-sponsored resolution that endorsed a UN report accusing both Israel and Palestinians of war crimes and possible crimes against humanity during the war.
The vote was 114 in favour and 18 against, with 44 abstentions.
Israel, which had strenuously opposed the non-binding resolution and the UN report that it endorsed, voted against it as did its staunchest ally, the United States, along with Australia and a few European countries.
A majority of European Union countries, including Britain, France, Spain and Sweden, abstained after failing to secure amendments to the text, including one that would have dropped references to possible Security Council action if the report's findings are not implemented. Russia also abstained.
The move capped a two-day debate on the 575-page UN-commissioned report by a panel led by respected former international prosecutor Richard Goldstone.
The report recommended that its findings be transferred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague if Israel and the Hamas rulers of Gaza fail to conduct credible investigations into the war.
From the outset, Israel rejected the report as biased.
The real question is why the west refuses to accept their responsibility to say "no More" to what is effectively an American State in the Middle East which is supported by the US in both financial and military ways?
In the question we also have the answer, the USA.
The "war" or at least what the Israelis call a war or allow them to respond to stone throwing by children with machine guns and tanks, and to respond to a single suicide bomber with air strikes and gunships and when the casualty count is so one sided as to have 100 to 1 dead in favour of Israel and even those figures may not be accurate because at every attack communications and power are the first things the Israeli military machine knocks out so the world cannot see the utter carnage and the futility of any Palestinian defence along with the numbers of innocents who suffer death and injury.
The west, or at least the representatives on the UN should hang their heads in shame for their cowardly abstaining from the vote.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Koala habitat , decreasing by government decree.
The State Government has released its new planning laws which they claim will save Koala populations in South East Queensland including spending $15 million to buy new or rehabilitate existing habitats, compulsory acquisition powers for koala habitats outside the urban footprint, land swaps and banning dogs in new developments.
All sounds good doesn't it, except when you consider that the average developed house lot is around a quarter of a million dollars these days, so the $15million will only buy 60 lots or about 20 acres worth of development potential land.
The minister, Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones, seems to be a State version of Garrett in that they are only yes men to their respective governments and those who fund them, which in Queensland seems to be the developers.
Is Kate Jones so uneducated on environmental issues that she actually believes that this amount of money to buy back land for Habitat will save the Koala population? Or does she just follow the party line unerringly and mindlessly hoping the voters will believe the spin she speaks with the release.
With the likes of Garrett, Wong and now Kate Jones leading the Labor Federal and State governments charge on environmental issues we have nothing to fear about the future in my opinion, because there won't be much environment left to worry about.
All sounds good doesn't it, except when you consider that the average developed house lot is around a quarter of a million dollars these days, so the $15million will only buy 60 lots or about 20 acres worth of development potential land.
The minister, Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones, seems to be a State version of Garrett in that they are only yes men to their respective governments and those who fund them, which in Queensland seems to be the developers.
Is Kate Jones so uneducated on environmental issues that she actually believes that this amount of money to buy back land for Habitat will save the Koala population? Or does she just follow the party line unerringly and mindlessly hoping the voters will believe the spin she speaks with the release.
With the likes of Garrett, Wong and now Kate Jones leading the Labor Federal and State governments charge on environmental issues we have nothing to fear about the future in my opinion, because there won't be much environment left to worry about.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Winning the battle against Fire Ants ? I don't think so !
Recently I have been made aware of the situation with the department that is supposed to be all about the eradication of Fire Ants, a particularly aggressive ant that both stings and bites, simultaneously, and continually, repetitively.
The ants are very fast moving, and have the swarm instinct so when attacked most people and animals sustain heavy bites/stings to the affected area, and I'm talking hundreds of bites and stings, before the ants can be removed from the affected area.
What i have just been made aware of is that every new housing estate, no matter how far from any of the current fire ant areas, is instantly declared an area and added to the zone for control and monitoring, and that means inspections and a paper trail of how any materials are removed from site.
The thing is that i could make the claim that i personally am winning the battle against fire ants the same way the department is, without even bothering to kill one ant, and how is that possible? simple just keep increasing the area covered under fire ant investigation and there for the area with the ants becomes a smaller percentage, pure and simple mathematics.
That's not quite what the department is doing, because they are obviously killing off much of the fire ant population with their baits of toxic corn and are controlling the spread by monitoring the areas affected as well.
However, since they were granted power over the average citizen with the ability to fine people for non compliance with their own made up rules which almost no one knows about, they have been reluctant to relinquish that power and by increasing the areas under investigation they continue to need more staff keeping the department as one of the biggest in existence.
I'm not advocating stopping of the program to eradicate this ferocious pest, which was allowed to be imported here by a failure of the very department that now has power to fine ordinary people for far lesser failures to comply, and the department now even admits the ants may have been here longer than first thought, well DUH.
Will the ants ever be eradicated? i don't think so, all the new megalomaniac heads of department will never let that happen, in case they actually have to go get a job.
The ants are very fast moving, and have the swarm instinct so when attacked most people and animals sustain heavy bites/stings to the affected area, and I'm talking hundreds of bites and stings, before the ants can be removed from the affected area.
What i have just been made aware of is that every new housing estate, no matter how far from any of the current fire ant areas, is instantly declared an area and added to the zone for control and monitoring, and that means inspections and a paper trail of how any materials are removed from site.
The thing is that i could make the claim that i personally am winning the battle against fire ants the same way the department is, without even bothering to kill one ant, and how is that possible? simple just keep increasing the area covered under fire ant investigation and there for the area with the ants becomes a smaller percentage, pure and simple mathematics.
That's not quite what the department is doing, because they are obviously killing off much of the fire ant population with their baits of toxic corn and are controlling the spread by monitoring the areas affected as well.
However, since they were granted power over the average citizen with the ability to fine people for non compliance with their own made up rules which almost no one knows about, they have been reluctant to relinquish that power and by increasing the areas under investigation they continue to need more staff keeping the department as one of the biggest in existence.
I'm not advocating stopping of the program to eradicate this ferocious pest, which was allowed to be imported here by a failure of the very department that now has power to fine ordinary people for far lesser failures to comply, and the department now even admits the ants may have been here longer than first thought, well DUH.
Will the ants ever be eradicated? i don't think so, all the new megalomaniac heads of department will never let that happen, in case they actually have to go get a job.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Government relaxes rules on foreigners who want to buy property here.
The claim from the minister is that it will have little effect on first home buyers because it is still very dificult for foreigners to by existing homes without the approval from the Foreign Investment Review Board. it has only been made easier to purchase new homes without the Boards approval.
Really ?
If supply and demand was the driver of the last property boom and that in real terms means that the increase in population is creating a situation where people cannot find homes to satisfy their housing needs, then why has there been a push to introduce further immigration and attract them to the growth areas.
This is not a racist issue, it more about further widening of the affordability gap for our children who will want to one day buy their own home and not be forced by government policy to fund the lavish retirement lifestyle of some foreign investors.
There is even talk of bringing tourists here for real estate shopping tours, and it's quite probable that is already occurring.
I wonder how much of this country will be sold off a lot at a time to foreigners?
We will have to foot the bill for infrastructure like the Traveston's Crossing Dam which will supply water in the future to a few major developments in the area, and like the Wyarralong Dam which will service a 200 square kilometer industrial precinctto the west of Beaudesert and stretching 27 kilometers along the Logan River.
And that's without increases to roads carrying capacity which are in an appalling state of repair and totally inadequite for the needs of the present users.
What we should be looking toward is a Sustainable Population, but to be honest I think we may have missed that boat.
Really ?
If supply and demand was the driver of the last property boom and that in real terms means that the increase in population is creating a situation where people cannot find homes to satisfy their housing needs, then why has there been a push to introduce further immigration and attract them to the growth areas.
This is not a racist issue, it more about further widening of the affordability gap for our children who will want to one day buy their own home and not be forced by government policy to fund the lavish retirement lifestyle of some foreign investors.
There is even talk of bringing tourists here for real estate shopping tours, and it's quite probable that is already occurring.
I wonder how much of this country will be sold off a lot at a time to foreigners?
We will have to foot the bill for infrastructure like the Traveston's Crossing Dam which will supply water in the future to a few major developments in the area, and like the Wyarralong Dam which will service a 200 square kilometer industrial precinctto the west of Beaudesert and stretching 27 kilometers along the Logan River.
And that's without increases to roads carrying capacity which are in an appalling state of repair and totally inadequite for the needs of the present users.
What we should be looking toward is a Sustainable Population, but to be honest I think we may have missed that boat.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Pigs about to feed at the trough.
With pensioners recently fighting for a couple of years to get a meagre $32 a week increase to the paltry pittance that the pension has become as inflation and the wages / prices spiral flys away out of sight, they have been told that this is a generous move by the government, pffft!
While the sledging and personal slurs and innuendo flail from the lips of each side in the parliament particularly during question time and debates, behind the scenes there has been some pretty handy getting together to discuss the ministers pay rise that's going to come to them; note I said is going to rather than may, and i did so because the independent tribunal or commissioner (who is paid by the government) has decided that a pay rise should be forthcoming and neither side are going to knock it back.
It reminds me of way back when someone was telling us we all need to tighten our belt and that life wasn't meant to be easy, and how that angered the community so much that they were voted out at the next election.
Its funny isn't it that when a pensioner in this lucky country is only worth a bag of prawns a week, or a carton perhaps, the ministers will get a rise that is a jar of good caviar or french champagne, let them eat cake!
While the sledging and personal slurs and innuendo flail from the lips of each side in the parliament particularly during question time and debates, behind the scenes there has been some pretty handy getting together to discuss the ministers pay rise that's going to come to them; note I said is going to rather than may, and i did so because the independent tribunal or commissioner (who is paid by the government) has decided that a pay rise should be forthcoming and neither side are going to knock it back.
It reminds me of way back when someone was telling us we all need to tighten our belt and that life wasn't meant to be easy, and how that angered the community so much that they were voted out at the next election.
Its funny isn't it that when a pensioner in this lucky country is only worth a bag of prawns a week, or a carton perhaps, the ministers will get a rise that is a jar of good caviar or french champagne, let them eat cake!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Preselection tussels as egos clash in the LNP.
It seems things are not exactly hunky dory in the LNP camp and it's all got to do with preselection for the Federal election which is still quite a way off.
In my opinion the LNP doesn't exist at federal level anyway, but there are those out there who are already staking their claim on certain electorates and making demands that the other party from which the LNP was formed don't field a candidate to run against them.
Take for instance the LNP poster boy, Peter Dutton who is touted to be moving from his prior area, Dickson which is now marginal, and heading to McPhearson down toward the Gold Coast where it is more conducive to a conservative victory.
It seems that the move may have upset the local branch before it has even happened, and that some who believe they should be up for preselection themselves don't want the competition from a more highly profiled candidate with some even going to the media to tell all who read that he has dumped his old seat for an easy run.
Bringing back any memories? I thought it might, i was critical of a State member who also dumped his area and moved into what was a safe seat for over 20 years, where people with lesser profile had worked all that time for the community only to be shafted of the reward of being preselected by what i believe is pure cowardice and running away from a real challenge where Mr. Personality could have used that profile to mount a significant display and quite possibly turn out the incumbent and thereby win two seats instead of one.
In our neck of the woods there is another candidate who has been touting their suitability for a new seat and it seems has claimed to be the LNP candidate for that federal seat or at least has publicised that is the desire.
The seat is yet to be officially created, although it is expected to be but regardless, once again i wonder why these LNP people continue to think they will be alone when they run because at Federal level it is still Nationals and Liberals so theoretically a National LNP member should be able to run against and Liberal LNP member without it ending up in conflict.
I'm horrified at the way the National Party seems to be grabbing any slightly profiled person to become a candidate and force them on the community who really don't want to choose between dumb and dumber, or any other candidate who believes they are above the rest of society and that their shit don't stink.
As a typical swinging voter who at this time is full up to here with Labor, feeling very dissatisfied with the State governments bungling and selling off our assets and the federal government who we voted to get rid of work choices and who have barely touched that legislation except to allow workers to get a union rep to assist them in enterprise bargaining and really only doing so to guarantee themselves more union fee related income, I would probably vote conservative this time.
Buy, if I don't like the choices from the LNP, what am I going to do?
I suppose I can always vote green!
In my opinion the LNP doesn't exist at federal level anyway, but there are those out there who are already staking their claim on certain electorates and making demands that the other party from which the LNP was formed don't field a candidate to run against them.
Take for instance the LNP poster boy, Peter Dutton who is touted to be moving from his prior area, Dickson which is now marginal, and heading to McPhearson down toward the Gold Coast where it is more conducive to a conservative victory.
It seems that the move may have upset the local branch before it has even happened, and that some who believe they should be up for preselection themselves don't want the competition from a more highly profiled candidate with some even going to the media to tell all who read that he has dumped his old seat for an easy run.
Bringing back any memories? I thought it might, i was critical of a State member who also dumped his area and moved into what was a safe seat for over 20 years, where people with lesser profile had worked all that time for the community only to be shafted of the reward of being preselected by what i believe is pure cowardice and running away from a real challenge where Mr. Personality could have used that profile to mount a significant display and quite possibly turn out the incumbent and thereby win two seats instead of one.
In our neck of the woods there is another candidate who has been touting their suitability for a new seat and it seems has claimed to be the LNP candidate for that federal seat or at least has publicised that is the desire.
The seat is yet to be officially created, although it is expected to be but regardless, once again i wonder why these LNP people continue to think they will be alone when they run because at Federal level it is still Nationals and Liberals so theoretically a National LNP member should be able to run against and Liberal LNP member without it ending up in conflict.
I'm horrified at the way the National Party seems to be grabbing any slightly profiled person to become a candidate and force them on the community who really don't want to choose between dumb and dumber, or any other candidate who believes they are above the rest of society and that their shit don't stink.
As a typical swinging voter who at this time is full up to here with Labor, feeling very dissatisfied with the State governments bungling and selling off our assets and the federal government who we voted to get rid of work choices and who have barely touched that legislation except to allow workers to get a union rep to assist them in enterprise bargaining and really only doing so to guarantee themselves more union fee related income, I would probably vote conservative this time.
Buy, if I don't like the choices from the LNP, what am I going to do?
I suppose I can always vote green!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Reigniting the old market garden issue.
A couple of weeks ago I received an email suggesting that trees were being cleared on a few properties in the old North of Beaudesert with permits or approvals from Logan Council and the sender was concerned that there was going to be a new influx of Protected Horticulture operations due to some kind of moratorium on tree clearing.
Being pre occupied with work and other personal issues I checked out a couple of addresses and found that one of them was definitely cleared and now has been covered with the familiar plastic igloo type structures that have caused much concern for people who want private residential use of their land adjacent to what is essentially factory farming.
I was however, amazed to see this weeks local paper and the sensationalised stories about one property in Greenbank and whilst I have sympathy for the owner of the neighbouring property if there is a change of use to Intensive Horticulture I have to wonder why just one property has been targeted and why the hysterical views about small cropping in any form, of another person, have been added as a separate story.
Actually I don't have to wonder, it is quite obvious in my opinion that the alliances are gathering their forces together once again to try to get one persons idea that we should all only be allowed to garden up to 200 square meters on our land revisited by Logan Council and forced upon us.
I have had email discussions with someone who has been a well known advocate for regulation of Protected horticulture within rural residential or what they call rural living areas now, for well over 5 years and who despite having a comprehensive document lodged with the Beaudesert Council all that time ago which would have seen both Council and community well served by allowing everyone, including new buyers to know the rules and have a clear understanding of the requirements before attempting to buy land for intensive horticulture operations and allowing the community fair dispute resolution as well as a process of objection to any proposed new change of use, that person has been gagged and omitted from discussions because it has become politicised and that person will not come out against market gardens and does not believe in extinguishing the "as of right use" that existing operators have now.
In those email discussions I was also enlightened to the fact that the regulations can be applied at State Government level as they are in NSW which removes the ability of some opportunistic politically savvy aspirants to use such a polarising issue for their own purposes.
I was asked this interesting question, and it is so pertinent, " why would someone move into a rural area, into roads named Farm or Harvest even, and then try to stop others who are just using their right to follow a typically rural pursuit from running a small crops operation on their land?
Being pre occupied with work and other personal issues I checked out a couple of addresses and found that one of them was definitely cleared and now has been covered with the familiar plastic igloo type structures that have caused much concern for people who want private residential use of their land adjacent to what is essentially factory farming.
I was however, amazed to see this weeks local paper and the sensationalised stories about one property in Greenbank and whilst I have sympathy for the owner of the neighbouring property if there is a change of use to Intensive Horticulture I have to wonder why just one property has been targeted and why the hysterical views about small cropping in any form, of another person, have been added as a separate story.
Actually I don't have to wonder, it is quite obvious in my opinion that the alliances are gathering their forces together once again to try to get one persons idea that we should all only be allowed to garden up to 200 square meters on our land revisited by Logan Council and forced upon us.
I have had email discussions with someone who has been a well known advocate for regulation of Protected horticulture within rural residential or what they call rural living areas now, for well over 5 years and who despite having a comprehensive document lodged with the Beaudesert Council all that time ago which would have seen both Council and community well served by allowing everyone, including new buyers to know the rules and have a clear understanding of the requirements before attempting to buy land for intensive horticulture operations and allowing the community fair dispute resolution as well as a process of objection to any proposed new change of use, that person has been gagged and omitted from discussions because it has become politicised and that person will not come out against market gardens and does not believe in extinguishing the "as of right use" that existing operators have now.
In those email discussions I was also enlightened to the fact that the regulations can be applied at State Government level as they are in NSW which removes the ability of some opportunistic politically savvy aspirants to use such a polarising issue for their own purposes.
I was asked this interesting question, and it is so pertinent, " why would someone move into a rural area, into roads named Farm or Harvest even, and then try to stop others who are just using their right to follow a typically rural pursuit from running a small crops operation on their land?
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Rudd, showing how he loves China again.
My view of the Australian financial situation differs greatly from that purported by our PM Kevin 07, in that I don't really believe we had to go into recession nor did we need to talk down the business confidence or the value of currency.
Our major Banks were not exposed in a big way to the world economic meltdown and continue to make huge profits despite following the worlds pull back of business lending and even home loans, for which in my opinion there was no need.
Our unemployment rate had not taken any significant dive , and job prospects although lower were still greater than the number of job seekers.
And then they announced that we were in recession and that people needed to stock up on groceries and that there would be mortgage repayment holidays and the stimulus packages, wow, we suddenly stopped buying, borrowing, going out, driving or anything else that cost money and that meant that retailers were not ordering and in turn manufacturers were not needing to make things, shit, we are in recession.
OK, to actually get to my point, Rudd has said that we should not buy Australian made, in fact we should avoid it at all costs.
Why?
You may laugh, but here's what he said;
Talk about comparing cabbages with persimmons, honestly does he think there is any similarity between a country with a very low population, between wars, and with a rudimentary economy based on wool and wheat is anything like what we have grown into.
Really if we don't help ourselves, the Chinese with the money will help themselves to our country, and just maybe that is part of Rudd's agenda. Kevin 07 seems to be the best ambassador for sell it to China and buy it back again ten times the price since Pig Iron Bob Menzies had his crush on Japan.
Does Rudd really think that by turning Australia into a marketplace for China and giving away jobs here is any kind of answer? and Just where does he think the people will get the money from to buy all the Chinese stuff when we're all out of work, and who does he think will be paying all the tax that has allowed Kevin 07 to jet around the world?
Think again Kevin, the unions don't like your ideas and anyone with kids will be wondering where they are going to get a job when all we have is retail.
Kevin 07 has run out of ideas and, I think, time.
Our major Banks were not exposed in a big way to the world economic meltdown and continue to make huge profits despite following the worlds pull back of business lending and even home loans, for which in my opinion there was no need.
Our unemployment rate had not taken any significant dive , and job prospects although lower were still greater than the number of job seekers.
And then they announced that we were in recession and that people needed to stock up on groceries and that there would be mortgage repayment holidays and the stimulus packages, wow, we suddenly stopped buying, borrowing, going out, driving or anything else that cost money and that meant that retailers were not ordering and in turn manufacturers were not needing to make things, shit, we are in recession.
OK, to actually get to my point, Rudd has said that we should not buy Australian made, in fact we should avoid it at all costs.
Why?
You may laugh, but here's what he said;
"We need to avoid any form of protectionist measure which invites retaliatory protectionist measures," he told reporters today.
The mistake of the Great Depression was that governments believed the way to get through was to close their national borders to imports.
"We're not about to repeat those mistakes here."
Talk about comparing cabbages with persimmons, honestly does he think there is any similarity between a country with a very low population, between wars, and with a rudimentary economy based on wool and wheat is anything like what we have grown into.
Really if we don't help ourselves, the Chinese with the money will help themselves to our country, and just maybe that is part of Rudd's agenda. Kevin 07 seems to be the best ambassador for sell it to China and buy it back again ten times the price since Pig Iron Bob Menzies had his crush on Japan.
Does Rudd really think that by turning Australia into a marketplace for China and giving away jobs here is any kind of answer? and Just where does he think the people will get the money from to buy all the Chinese stuff when we're all out of work, and who does he think will be paying all the tax that has allowed Kevin 07 to jet around the world?
Think again Kevin, the unions don't like your ideas and anyone with kids will be wondering where they are going to get a job when all we have is retail.
Kevin 07 has run out of ideas and, I think, time.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
AEC changing boundaries, what's in a name?
A name for a new electorate has been proposed and with valid reasons, the electorate of Wright was thought to be named after the Australian poet and social and environmental activist Judith Wright, however locally this name will more than likely be associated with the ex Labor politician and convicted criminal Keith Wright.
It is of course the fact that Mr Wright was a figure in the local area being a teacher and headmaster of schools in the area where the new electorate is to be proposed.
Unfortunately it is his abominable crimes that make this choice of name unsavoury for this area, because even though he has served his time and been released he has not gone away and his victims are still serving a life sentence from the atrocious and perverse acts he perpetrated upon them.
On a Tangent of sorts, there are commentators who are claiming a demographic of voters which will give the new seat a lean toward the conservatives by more than a few percent will favour any candidates from the Nationals or Liberals should they field one and that with a backlash from the Labor State and Federal governments it is a distinct possibility that this will be a conservative seat in it's initial term.
That begs the question, who will be the candidate in Queensland, will it be a Liberal? a National? or will it be one of the recently configured LNP?
I think we already know one person who will be putting their hand up and shouting from the roof tops that they are the best candidate, A person who has not worked in a real job, does not have years of business experience, has no life experience and does not really have a normal lifestyle in my opinion.
One candidate who dumped a council division, while continuing to take the pay for it, and ran at the last federal elections, failing dismally even though it is thought that the publicity budget would have been many times what was spent by both the major rivals from Labor and Liberal will probably dump the council division again to run for this new seat expecting to get preselection it seems.
I don't know how the people of that division will take being dumped a second time, I personally would be outraged!
It is of course the fact that Mr Wright was a figure in the local area being a teacher and headmaster of schools in the area where the new electorate is to be proposed.
Unfortunately it is his abominable crimes that make this choice of name unsavoury for this area, because even though he has served his time and been released he has not gone away and his victims are still serving a life sentence from the atrocious and perverse acts he perpetrated upon them.
On a Tangent of sorts, there are commentators who are claiming a demographic of voters which will give the new seat a lean toward the conservatives by more than a few percent will favour any candidates from the Nationals or Liberals should they field one and that with a backlash from the Labor State and Federal governments it is a distinct possibility that this will be a conservative seat in it's initial term.
That begs the question, who will be the candidate in Queensland, will it be a Liberal? a National? or will it be one of the recently configured LNP?
I think we already know one person who will be putting their hand up and shouting from the roof tops that they are the best candidate, A person who has not worked in a real job, does not have years of business experience, has no life experience and does not really have a normal lifestyle in my opinion.
One candidate who dumped a council division, while continuing to take the pay for it, and ran at the last federal elections, failing dismally even though it is thought that the publicity budget would have been many times what was spent by both the major rivals from Labor and Liberal will probably dump the council division again to run for this new seat expecting to get preselection it seems.
I don't know how the people of that division will take being dumped a second time, I personally would be outraged!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Cheap Chinese Cars - what's the catch?
Since Rudd was outed for getting use of a ute provided by his then mate and neighbour, for free, which he denied was his at first until his mate told media that it was, and then denied that he'd given any favourable treatment in return for that ute or even that the treasurer had done anything either, the question has arisen about how that used car dealer has become the local dealership for the "Great Wall" line of motor vehicles in this country.
See, it's not as easy at hiring a bikini girl to wash them in the car yard and then flog them off to buyers off the street, not by a long shot.
New cars are shipped needing the final detailing, some small fitments done and all the local regulations and compliance done as well plus there is the after sales service, repairs, breakdowns, and warranty things too.
You expect someone to have to invest a considerable amount in a business that is going to be the local dealership for a new line of cars and that is why in most cases dealerships are offered to existing dealers who already have facilities in place, the office structure, financial capability and contacts along with a sound background and sustainable business plan for the new line.
So I ask the question, "In this day and age where we expect a dealer to be all of the above, how does a used car yard owner get the licence to sell a line of new card as the local dealer?"
There is an even greater issue here. one that has plagued Australian car manufacturers for several decades, how do we produce cars here with cheaper, subsidised imports taking from the small market we already have?
You may remember back in the late 70's when Holden was going broke (as usual)and had to be bailed out by the tax payer (yet again) and the plan was that to allow a reasonable market share for profitability on of the big car manufacturers had to go ; Chrysler had to go.
But it wasn't too long before a good mate of the then PM was importing Hyundai's and other cheap little cars from Asia flooding the local market, and all that really happened was that those cheap nasty cars eventually sold , and jobs at local car makers and the suppliers to the industry dried up while the Asian factories got bigger and bigger.
Now we're seeing it all happen again, Holden has just about gone to the wall(well it has in the US, with GM having to be bailed out big time by the Taxpayers) and suddenly a friend of the PM is going to import some cheap Overseas cars, and presumably more local jobs will go in the car industry and those supplying to it.
I ask the Question, apart from people who want a cheap car, and of course Rudd's mate, how does Australia benefit from dumping jobs here to bring in cheap rubbish from Overseas?
See, it's not as easy at hiring a bikini girl to wash them in the car yard and then flog them off to buyers off the street, not by a long shot.
New cars are shipped needing the final detailing, some small fitments done and all the local regulations and compliance done as well plus there is the after sales service, repairs, breakdowns, and warranty things too.
You expect someone to have to invest a considerable amount in a business that is going to be the local dealership for a new line of cars and that is why in most cases dealerships are offered to existing dealers who already have facilities in place, the office structure, financial capability and contacts along with a sound background and sustainable business plan for the new line.
So I ask the question, "In this day and age where we expect a dealer to be all of the above, how does a used car yard owner get the licence to sell a line of new card as the local dealer?"
There is an even greater issue here. one that has plagued Australian car manufacturers for several decades, how do we produce cars here with cheaper, subsidised imports taking from the small market we already have?
You may remember back in the late 70's when Holden was going broke (as usual)and had to be bailed out by the tax payer (yet again) and the plan was that to allow a reasonable market share for profitability on of the big car manufacturers had to go ; Chrysler had to go.
But it wasn't too long before a good mate of the then PM was importing Hyundai's and other cheap little cars from Asia flooding the local market, and all that really happened was that those cheap nasty cars eventually sold , and jobs at local car makers and the suppliers to the industry dried up while the Asian factories got bigger and bigger.
Now we're seeing it all happen again, Holden has just about gone to the wall(well it has in the US, with GM having to be bailed out big time by the Taxpayers) and suddenly a friend of the PM is going to import some cheap Overseas cars, and presumably more local jobs will go in the car industry and those supplying to it.
I ask the Question, apart from people who want a cheap car, and of course Rudd's mate, how does Australia benefit from dumping jobs here to bring in cheap rubbish from Overseas?
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sociopath , is there one in our midst?
When you say the word Sociopath it sounds like, and many think it is like Psychopath and that is because it is in a way.
Sociopaths get around in the community and are sons and daughters, husbands and wives sometimes, but there are ways to recognise them and when you see all the things they do and put them together they're not that hard to spot.
The main character aspects that distinguish the Sociopath are
Their utter lack of conscience
Their inability to love or be loved
Their ability to turn mean in an instant and be sadistic.
Their ability to follow the rules and use them against you.
Many who encounter a Sociopath in the workplace will find that they are prepared, have spent time undermining you in both your position and credibility and once they begin a campaign against you they have the support of your boss and fellow workers who will see them as the victim, yes they have already been planting the seeds in small comments, manipulation, and even sabotage ; and you will rarely get a good outcome in an encounter with a sociopath because they are prepared to go to any length to get what they want, they know what they want and they will have it.
The sociopath will always find someone to blame and you really don't have to have even done anything to them to earn their ire, They never take responsibility for their own actions and will even go so far as to manufacture proof, mostly circumstantial to bolster their excuse and put the onus of blame onto someone else.
They lie, sometimes by omission, but are shameless about it and clever too, they will wrap their lies seamlessly around a morsel of fact which they will point to if questioned and argue indignantly about if fronted on the original lie.
Sociopaths are on the surface very nice to you, assessing your worth in terms of what you can do for them, what you can give them or how you can take a bullet for them, they are charming and charismatic, sometimes sickeningly so.
They are also conceited, they genuinely think they are the centre of attention and that the world revolves around them and they show it with an arrogance and an attitude, and are prone to create drama to generate interest in themselves all the time.
Sociopaths, like psychopaths, are experts at masking their anger when it suits them, they don't like to mix their worlds and will hold back rather than reveal their nasty side to those who they are in the process of charming. That does not mean they will not retaliate, in fact it means they will retaliate later and it will be with all of their capability, they will try to crush you.
They don't take to criticism or personal insults well, they see criticism in almost everything except for glowing praise and see insults where there are none intended and even see insult toward them at a personal level in things that are not even directed at them, said to them or written. They demand respect and will react against any who show insufficient respect to their position or their perceived authority.
Sociopaths are power hungry, they want to dominate others, they want to have a hold over people, they Will have people in fear of them happily and believe that it is respect for them not fear. They often become lawyers, Judges, Politicians, Psychologists, even school principles but it must be a position of power over others.
They are parasites, they will live off the work of others, take credit for the work of others, and see others unrewarded for their efforts unashamed by it. If they can't find someone to do the work for them they will use their charm to try to get someone to give it to them.
They are manipulative, emotional puppeteers, they love to make people jump, they will spend weeks, months, even years if they have to, planting seeds and setting people up so they can get what they want or just for the pleasure they get from seeing people crushed under their heel.
They are victims; they constantly paint a picture that someone is out to get them, someone is hurting them, they have been picked on or bullied but always to get pity and to get something from you.
Unfortunately this is a character flaw, a mental problem that cannot be cured and in most cases is not recognised until your life has been torn apart by them; perhaps this will have been a bit of help to those readers out there who may now recognise a sociopath among us or even to those who may have been in denial about how their Friend, the nicest person they ever knew is getting so many people upset with them for apparently no reason.
.
Sociopaths get around in the community and are sons and daughters, husbands and wives sometimes, but there are ways to recognise them and when you see all the things they do and put them together they're not that hard to spot.
The main character aspects that distinguish the Sociopath are
Their utter lack of conscience
Their inability to love or be loved
Their ability to turn mean in an instant and be sadistic.
Their ability to follow the rules and use them against you.
Many who encounter a Sociopath in the workplace will find that they are prepared, have spent time undermining you in both your position and credibility and once they begin a campaign against you they have the support of your boss and fellow workers who will see them as the victim, yes they have already been planting the seeds in small comments, manipulation, and even sabotage ; and you will rarely get a good outcome in an encounter with a sociopath because they are prepared to go to any length to get what they want, they know what they want and they will have it.
The sociopath will always find someone to blame and you really don't have to have even done anything to them to earn their ire, They never take responsibility for their own actions and will even go so far as to manufacture proof, mostly circumstantial to bolster their excuse and put the onus of blame onto someone else.
They lie, sometimes by omission, but are shameless about it and clever too, they will wrap their lies seamlessly around a morsel of fact which they will point to if questioned and argue indignantly about if fronted on the original lie.
Sociopaths are on the surface very nice to you, assessing your worth in terms of what you can do for them, what you can give them or how you can take a bullet for them, they are charming and charismatic, sometimes sickeningly so.
They are also conceited, they genuinely think they are the centre of attention and that the world revolves around them and they show it with an arrogance and an attitude, and are prone to create drama to generate interest in themselves all the time.
Sociopaths, like psychopaths, are experts at masking their anger when it suits them, they don't like to mix their worlds and will hold back rather than reveal their nasty side to those who they are in the process of charming. That does not mean they will not retaliate, in fact it means they will retaliate later and it will be with all of their capability, they will try to crush you.
They don't take to criticism or personal insults well, they see criticism in almost everything except for glowing praise and see insults where there are none intended and even see insult toward them at a personal level in things that are not even directed at them, said to them or written. They demand respect and will react against any who show insufficient respect to their position or their perceived authority.
Sociopaths are power hungry, they want to dominate others, they want to have a hold over people, they Will have people in fear of them happily and believe that it is respect for them not fear. They often become lawyers, Judges, Politicians, Psychologists, even school principles but it must be a position of power over others.
They are parasites, they will live off the work of others, take credit for the work of others, and see others unrewarded for their efforts unashamed by it. If they can't find someone to do the work for them they will use their charm to try to get someone to give it to them.
They are manipulative, emotional puppeteers, they love to make people jump, they will spend weeks, months, even years if they have to, planting seeds and setting people up so they can get what they want or just for the pleasure they get from seeing people crushed under their heel.
They are victims; they constantly paint a picture that someone is out to get them, someone is hurting them, they have been picked on or bullied but always to get pity and to get something from you.
Unfortunately this is a character flaw, a mental problem that cannot be cured and in most cases is not recognised until your life has been torn apart by them; perhaps this will have been a bit of help to those readers out there who may now recognise a sociopath among us or even to those who may have been in denial about how their Friend, the nicest person they ever knew is getting so many people upset with them for apparently no reason.
.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Privacy - is there any ?
There are many reasons to think that your privacy in nonexistent and in the main they relate to our ever growing use of electronic communication devices such as mobile phones, computers and even pagers and satellite TV.
The thing most people don't realise is that when someone calls you a signal is sent to your phone, so guess what? it means they have to know where to send that signal so in essence they have to track your handset all the time and apparently can do so to within 10 meters with general service available now and to within a meter or so with some more advanced gear which they will use if you are under investigation.
I personally make a lot of calls, all day and into the night also texts and emails, as part of my job, given that one would have to assume that I do sleep, anyone monitoring my electronic communications would be able to know where I am 24 hours a day without any problems at all. and thus if I were stupidly accused of being somewhere it would be a simple matter of looking on my phone bill or my email account to see just where I was at any time.
I digress. Many people don't even know that "big brother is watching" or at least aren't provided with that information in a form that allows them to realise that it is happening especially in the workplace. For instance, your email that is "yourname@yourworkplace .com" usually comes through a central server and is duplicated so the employer can see what is in every email and further can be singled out of the email bulk by certain criteria be it Porn, competitors or even personal details in the wording.
But, it doesn't stop there, in fact that is barely the tip of the iceberg; there are simple marketing devices that can allow those people to aim certain types of advertising to you by collecting information about your web browsing habits which also means that they have small software devices inside your PC which is accessible from a third party for exchange of information.
Of course that means that they can also put more information onto your computer in certain situations and also that other third parties can use the access way created to add further data collection devices (cookies) into your system which can be in small bits which are designed to become active and join up to become a program once all the pieces have been put into your system.
That really does make it easy for Governments and their agencies e.g. police, Tax Department, ASIO etc, to see what is in your PC and to even manipulate what can be deleted. Of course that also may allow information to be put on your computer without you knowing, and communications to be made between websites and by email to be made using the ID from your computer without your knowledge.
Of course authorities will claim that they need the power to see detailed information which is privately held within your computer to catch a variety of criminals such as child predators, terrorists, money launderers and perpetrators of identity fraud which is a valid argument and one that has an opposite where people have made claims that they have had data put into their computers by a third party unknown to them, which is very possible because it seems it is so easy to do if you have the knowledge and equipment.
The only real protection from electronic security breaches is to not use any of the electronic gadgets, but is that realistic? While the privacy Act allows you access to the data and information collected about you , you have to know it is being collected and by whom before you can access it and if information and communication can be attributed to you by others you have to know it exists if you want to do anything about it.
The thing most people don't realise is that when someone calls you a signal is sent to your phone, so guess what? it means they have to know where to send that signal so in essence they have to track your handset all the time and apparently can do so to within 10 meters with general service available now and to within a meter or so with some more advanced gear which they will use if you are under investigation.
I personally make a lot of calls, all day and into the night also texts and emails, as part of my job, given that one would have to assume that I do sleep, anyone monitoring my electronic communications would be able to know where I am 24 hours a day without any problems at all. and thus if I were stupidly accused of being somewhere it would be a simple matter of looking on my phone bill or my email account to see just where I was at any time.
I digress. Many people don't even know that "big brother is watching" or at least aren't provided with that information in a form that allows them to realise that it is happening especially in the workplace. For instance, your email that is "yourname@yourworkplace .com" usually comes through a central server and is duplicated so the employer can see what is in every email and further can be singled out of the email bulk by certain criteria be it Porn, competitors or even personal details in the wording.
But, it doesn't stop there, in fact that is barely the tip of the iceberg; there are simple marketing devices that can allow those people to aim certain types of advertising to you by collecting information about your web browsing habits which also means that they have small software devices inside your PC which is accessible from a third party for exchange of information.
Of course that means that they can also put more information onto your computer in certain situations and also that other third parties can use the access way created to add further data collection devices (cookies) into your system which can be in small bits which are designed to become active and join up to become a program once all the pieces have been put into your system.
That really does make it easy for Governments and their agencies e.g. police, Tax Department, ASIO etc, to see what is in your PC and to even manipulate what can be deleted. Of course that also may allow information to be put on your computer without you knowing, and communications to be made between websites and by email to be made using the ID from your computer without your knowledge.
Of course authorities will claim that they need the power to see detailed information which is privately held within your computer to catch a variety of criminals such as child predators, terrorists, money launderers and perpetrators of identity fraud which is a valid argument and one that has an opposite where people have made claims that they have had data put into their computers by a third party unknown to them, which is very possible because it seems it is so easy to do if you have the knowledge and equipment.
The only real protection from electronic security breaches is to not use any of the electronic gadgets, but is that realistic? While the privacy Act allows you access to the data and information collected about you , you have to know it is being collected and by whom before you can access it and if information and communication can be attributed to you by others you have to know it exists if you want to do anything about it.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Freedom of Information, . . . . another twist of Bligh's Knife!
As usual, this government has passed a bill in a midnight sitting on or around Tuesday 2nd June, and the bill and vote took very little time as it was rushed through much like the legislation that gave Beattie and Bligh the power to amalgamate councils.
This time it was the new promised, and I have to say much lauded as giving us the most transparent government in the country, freedom of information act in Queensland that was given the bums rush at a late night sitting where it was put up and voted through in a very short time.
Ok, so they did somewhat revamp the act but is it going to make information more easily accessible or is it just to be seen as making changes toward making information seem more accessible.
One of the major sticking points was in a section of the Act ; Right to Information Act, section 54- which seems to be designed to neutralise the effect of releasing any information they have to release under the application for FOI by allowing the government to release that same information publicly 24 hours after it has been released to the applicant.
It seems, on the surface, to be reasonable doesn't it.
Think about how much this government has spent on SPIN, that is deliberately creating positive publicity for the purpose of making the government's approval from the public higher.
Putting two and two together yet?
In real terms it means that the government can release the information you request and pay a lot for to the public one day after you get it and publish it in a way that can dilute the effectiveness of the applicant releasing it and in real terms long before the applicant has even been able to read and understand it thoroughly anyway.
The purpose for this seems to be to offset the majority of applications which are from journalists and the opposition who will either publish it in the case of the Journalists or use it to ambush a government minister in question time.
What is more appalling is that the relevant ministers are given detailed briefings about media and opposition applications (FOI Requests) giving them time ( FOI requests are not usually actioned for a month and can be dragged out by being referred from department to department) to prepare a response, create a spin campaign or even rebut the issue before it becomes public knowledge.
This is obviously about making FOI ineffectual and more expensive and a deliberate attempt to try to make it seem to be a worthless pursuit (even more than it is already because the typical response from FOI requests is that there is no document found that is within the scope of your application)
The opposition put up an admirable case for change or removal of the section of the act and even requested that FOI requests have a capped cost for the applicant at a maximum of $1000, but even that was rejected by Bligh.
Beattie and now Bligh have indeed been twisting the knife, cutting out the heart of the community re: any public criticism or public opposition even to the point of wanting the public to only hear their sanitised version of anything.
.
This time it was the new promised, and I have to say much lauded as giving us the most transparent government in the country, freedom of information act in Queensland that was given the bums rush at a late night sitting where it was put up and voted through in a very short time.
Ok, so they did somewhat revamp the act but is it going to make information more easily accessible or is it just to be seen as making changes toward making information seem more accessible.
One of the major sticking points was in a section of the Act ; Right to Information Act, section 54- which seems to be designed to neutralise the effect of releasing any information they have to release under the application for FOI by allowing the government to release that same information publicly 24 hours after it has been released to the applicant.
It seems, on the surface, to be reasonable doesn't it.
Think about how much this government has spent on SPIN, that is deliberately creating positive publicity for the purpose of making the government's approval from the public higher.
Putting two and two together yet?
In real terms it means that the government can release the information you request and pay a lot for to the public one day after you get it and publish it in a way that can dilute the effectiveness of the applicant releasing it and in real terms long before the applicant has even been able to read and understand it thoroughly anyway.
The purpose for this seems to be to offset the majority of applications which are from journalists and the opposition who will either publish it in the case of the Journalists or use it to ambush a government minister in question time.
What is more appalling is that the relevant ministers are given detailed briefings about media and opposition applications (FOI Requests) giving them time ( FOI requests are not usually actioned for a month and can be dragged out by being referred from department to department) to prepare a response, create a spin campaign or even rebut the issue before it becomes public knowledge.
This is obviously about making FOI ineffectual and more expensive and a deliberate attempt to try to make it seem to be a worthless pursuit (even more than it is already because the typical response from FOI requests is that there is no document found that is within the scope of your application)
The opposition put up an admirable case for change or removal of the section of the act and even requested that FOI requests have a capped cost for the applicant at a maximum of $1000, but even that was rejected by Bligh.
Beattie and now Bligh have indeed been twisting the knife, cutting out the heart of the community re: any public criticism or public opposition even to the point of wanting the public to only hear their sanitised version of anything.
.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bligh, creating jobs, . . . . . . . . in china again!
During the election campaign Bligh and the puppet, Andrew Fraser, made promises to create thousands of jobs, and they have been delivering on that promise at every opportunity, but not the way the citizens of Queensland would like.
At the time of the election, and dismissed by the electorate, the truth was becoming apparent with contracts for government service uniforms not even given to tender to Queensland firms, and the supply of those uniforms now is provided by a company in China while the company which had the contract was not even considered and now has cut staff and is facing closing down.
Again in a tiny piece in the major Queensland News paper, almost hidden, is the news that a local glass company has been overlooked by the Bligh government and the yes man Fraser in particular in favour of a Chinese company.
We're facing the toughest times financially at government level due to Fraser's handling of the treasury and the government playing catch up on infrastructure projects to win an election rather than provide for the people, and yet when opportunity presents to put Queenslanders into jobs this government decides to give those jobs to China.
Bligh, Fraser = FAIL.
At the time of the election, and dismissed by the electorate, the truth was becoming apparent with contracts for government service uniforms not even given to tender to Queensland firms, and the supply of those uniforms now is provided by a company in China while the company which had the contract was not even considered and now has cut staff and is facing closing down.
Again in a tiny piece in the major Queensland News paper, almost hidden, is the news that a local glass company has been overlooked by the Bligh government and the yes man Fraser in particular in favour of a Chinese company.
We're facing the toughest times financially at government level due to Fraser's handling of the treasury and the government playing catch up on infrastructure projects to win an election rather than provide for the people, and yet when opportunity presents to put Queenslanders into jobs this government decides to give those jobs to China.
Bligh, Fraser = FAIL.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Fire Sale. . .how deep are we?
I'm sure we're in it up to our necks, although is wasn't too long ago that Bligh and Fraser along with the Labor Party machine were touting their management of this State's finances as an election winner and it worked too.
It's obvious now to all but the most ardent, blind labor faithful that the real reason for the early election is that they just wouldn't have been able to keep the dire financial position, in which over ten years of this Labor government has put us, where we owe over 10 million a day to service loans and our credit rating is the lowest of any State in Australia.
Both the Bligh and Rudd governments have been quick to tell us we're in recession, and that it is the global financial crisis that is to blame for running us into deficit at both state and federal levels, and even that has been proven to be a fallacy with recent figures showing that we have not succumbed to the global recession and that our banks are the healthiest in the world as is our economy and that all the talk led to the initial downturn and also that it was a deliberate tactic from the two Labor governments to disguise their poor performance.
Bligh is not content with turning over thousands of hectares to developers and risking the potential of having the blood of the demise of the SEQ Koala population on her hands, she has now announced that they will be selling off our assets, that's right actually reducing our collateral when prices are at rock bottom and they are likely to only get a fraction of their cost or true value.
They're also going to see Queensland motorists and consumers slugged with extra charges at the petrol bowser, and by down lining at the supermarket checkout, by cutting off the Queensland Fuel Subsidy which is about 8.38 cents per liter.
Other things in the list are;
Forestry Plantations Queensland
Port of Brisbane Shipping Terminal
Port of Brisbane motorway
Queensland Rail's Coal assets
Queensland Rail non passenger services assets
I find it really hard to believe that a government could fool the people into voting them back into office at an early election when they'd have to know that they have borrowed well beyond their capacity to repay in tough times and that their poor management has led to such drastic action.
It's obvious now to all but the most ardent, blind labor faithful that the real reason for the early election is that they just wouldn't have been able to keep the dire financial position, in which over ten years of this Labor government has put us, where we owe over 10 million a day to service loans and our credit rating is the lowest of any State in Australia.
Both the Bligh and Rudd governments have been quick to tell us we're in recession, and that it is the global financial crisis that is to blame for running us into deficit at both state and federal levels, and even that has been proven to be a fallacy with recent figures showing that we have not succumbed to the global recession and that our banks are the healthiest in the world as is our economy and that all the talk led to the initial downturn and also that it was a deliberate tactic from the two Labor governments to disguise their poor performance.
Bligh is not content with turning over thousands of hectares to developers and risking the potential of having the blood of the demise of the SEQ Koala population on her hands, she has now announced that they will be selling off our assets, that's right actually reducing our collateral when prices are at rock bottom and they are likely to only get a fraction of their cost or true value.
They're also going to see Queensland motorists and consumers slugged with extra charges at the petrol bowser, and by down lining at the supermarket checkout, by cutting off the Queensland Fuel Subsidy which is about 8.38 cents per liter.
Other things in the list are;
Forestry Plantations Queensland
Port of Brisbane Shipping Terminal
Port of Brisbane motorway
Queensland Rail's Coal assets
Queensland Rail non passenger services assets
I find it really hard to believe that a government could fool the people into voting them back into office at an early election when they'd have to know that they have borrowed well beyond their capacity to repay in tough times and that their poor management has led to such drastic action.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Peter Garrett - Fraud for the environment.
I've said before that Peter Garrett is an embarrassment as a minister in my opinion and that he is simply a sycophantic yes man following party line without a clue about anything environmental in real terms, and I stand by that.
The burning of fossil fuels has to be the biggest downside of mans foray into the modern society that it is today as far as impact on this planet we live on, the continued reliance on a depleting finite resource that is damaging in its removal and then doubly damaging it its processing and eventual use is the greatest success and greatest failure at the same time.
All that being said we can make the choice to do something about it on a daily basis, reducing the amount of fuel we use, using consumables with less packaging and limiting the amount of travel we do, all things that a government suggests to the people in the community to lessen the impact of climate change.
So you have to ask yourself why would the minister for the environment be spending $226,010 on travel, burning vast quantities of aviation fuel, going around the world, when a Skype hook up could achieve the same result?
Simple, Garrett is enjoying one of the perks of being a minister, free world tours at the taxpayers expense, holidays around the world for free.
The Government will claim that he went to some conference or did some government business while he was there of course and he will most likely trot out the old line that it is expected that we attend these things, which is BS.
Garrett is a fraud, spouting lines from old songs about how the people should do without, make sacrifices to help reduce carbon emissions and at the same time he's burning so much carbon on world trips that we're effectively going backwards and not achieving any reduction at all.
Garrett should rethink his globetrotting ways, he should practice as he preaches, he should be an example for reduction of carbon emissions, he should be a shining light to the rest of the community about how we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and do business world wide without wasting both money and resources.
If Garrett can't do this he should resign, and let someone who can be real, effective and set an example as a warrior for climate change.
In my opinion Garrett is a Fraud for the environment.
The burning of fossil fuels has to be the biggest downside of mans foray into the modern society that it is today as far as impact on this planet we live on, the continued reliance on a depleting finite resource that is damaging in its removal and then doubly damaging it its processing and eventual use is the greatest success and greatest failure at the same time.
All that being said we can make the choice to do something about it on a daily basis, reducing the amount of fuel we use, using consumables with less packaging and limiting the amount of travel we do, all things that a government suggests to the people in the community to lessen the impact of climate change.
So you have to ask yourself why would the minister for the environment be spending $226,010 on travel, burning vast quantities of aviation fuel, going around the world, when a Skype hook up could achieve the same result?
Simple, Garrett is enjoying one of the perks of being a minister, free world tours at the taxpayers expense, holidays around the world for free.
The Government will claim that he went to some conference or did some government business while he was there of course and he will most likely trot out the old line that it is expected that we attend these things, which is BS.
Garrett is a fraud, spouting lines from old songs about how the people should do without, make sacrifices to help reduce carbon emissions and at the same time he's burning so much carbon on world trips that we're effectively going backwards and not achieving any reduction at all.
Garrett should rethink his globetrotting ways, he should practice as he preaches, he should be an example for reduction of carbon emissions, he should be a shining light to the rest of the community about how we can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and do business world wide without wasting both money and resources.
If Garrett can't do this he should resign, and let someone who can be real, effective and set an example as a warrior for climate change.
In my opinion Garrett is a Fraud for the environment.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Division 3 decided, . . .wait for the ricochet, . .
After what seems like months since the cowardly departure from a tough fight with sitting Labor man John Mickel in the seat of Logan to the relative sure thing of a safe seat in Beaudesert by the former Division 3 representative, it would seem that we now have the other candidate who came second (by a handful of votes)in the two horse race for division 3 almost 14 months ago, as the victor of this by-election.
The very experienced former deputy and acting Mayor will be back to add to his previous 12 years in the chamber.
This actually raises some questions about what is going to happen to the political balance in council, and to the ladder climbing of the new kids who seem to spend their days plotting ways to tip other councillors out of their chairs including the deputy mayor, or should i say especially the deputy mayor who seems to be the main target most of the time even though all attempts so far have ended in complete and utter embarrassing failure.
The fact that the newly elected Division 3 representative has great experience as a deputy mayor may be the catalyst for another coup attempt from the power hungry "kiddie councillors" who may attempt to offer their allegiances in exchange for support to topple the current deputy mayor.
I doubt that the division 3 representative will be willing to play that game with the likes of those would be razor gang members of council in a bloody minded and politically driven coup that would serve no real purpose except to further destabilise council as a whole.
personally I think the new division 3 councillor will get a chair anyway, quite possible the chair for community services.
The very experienced former deputy and acting Mayor will be back to add to his previous 12 years in the chamber.
This actually raises some questions about what is going to happen to the political balance in council, and to the ladder climbing of the new kids who seem to spend their days plotting ways to tip other councillors out of their chairs including the deputy mayor, or should i say especially the deputy mayor who seems to be the main target most of the time even though all attempts so far have ended in complete and utter embarrassing failure.
The fact that the newly elected Division 3 representative has great experience as a deputy mayor may be the catalyst for another coup attempt from the power hungry "kiddie councillors" who may attempt to offer their allegiances in exchange for support to topple the current deputy mayor.
I doubt that the division 3 representative will be willing to play that game with the likes of those would be razor gang members of council in a bloody minded and politically driven coup that would serve no real purpose except to further destabilise council as a whole.
personally I think the new division 3 councillor will get a chair anyway, quite possible the chair for community services.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Shock Treatment, . . . .is it just brutality?
Since the Police Union have had their way and officers have been issued with what is effectively a cattle prod in a pistol, the Taser; Police haven't had so much exposure in the media for overzealous use of force since the Joh bejelke Peterson days in Queensland where police were reduced to almost a political goon squad.
The initial cry for the taser from the police union was as a safety precaution for the general public; the claim was that the taser would replace lethal force, the gun, for the majority of cases where police were confronted by an agitated and armed offender (alleged) who was resisting arrest and making threats to the public or police.
So far the Taser has been used on children and adults who appear to have done little more than question the validity of police instructions or not obeyed police instructions in a fast enough time frame.
This isn't a police bashing post by any means, however, it seems to me that if you give someone the power to, and the use, of a tool then they will find a reason to use it.
That being said, my concern is that the police have no way of ascertaining the health conditions of a person they are shocking with 50,000 volts or whether this kind of voltage could have serious consequences of a negative nature to the person they are shocking which could result in death even though both the government and the police claim there are no adverse health issues with the taser.
Recently reported in the media is the story of how police officers got involved in an incident which was occurring at a hotel across the road from a police station which resulted in about half a dozen police officers scuffeling with 3 members of a family with one officer targeting the older man who appeared in video footage to be pushing officers away from his younger relatives and who during the scuffle with this particular officer returned punches after several times evading the grasp of that officer who eventually tasered the older man and then grabbed him in a headlock. One of the younger relatives retaliated by running at the officer and (allegedly) head butting him which resulted in severe damage to the officer who was knocked out instantly and hit his head very hard on the ground when he went down.
The men were arrested by police later and charged but let off by a judge who saw the video evidence and called the police to task for excessive force, and released the charged men, to the ire of police.
The older man suffered a heart attack only minutes after the tasering by that officer, and most probably as a result of it, a point which police say has no basis despite overwhelming contradictory evidence from the USA where cases of heart attacks and other problems after Taser shocks are well documented.
The police want to continue to have appeals and have the men charged with something, since the officer has serious problems from his injuries, and it seems to me that it's about revenge rather than right and wrong.
The incident was a common one where a rowdy group were blueing after a skinfull at the pub, the question is this, if the taser is a replacement for lethal force as they say, then why was it used in this situation? was that officer in fear for his or a member of the public's life? or, . . was he frustrated at his inability to apprehend an old man who was trying to break up the fighting?
In the case at the gold coast the officer tasered a 15 year old girl who was being held by two security guards; was that officer in fear of his or a member of the public's life? I don't think so. He used the taser like a fist to punish the girl out of anger and rage, he issued summary justice. . . .no judge , no jury, just a cop and his taser and that girl will obey or by heaven she will pay.
So in reality do our police need to be using a replacement for lethal force as they have in these cases, look up you tube and see how they use them in the USA and you will see that if a person doesn't respond fast enough, obey quick enough or even treat the cop with enough respect they can be tasered, just normal people who have come to the attention of police and feel the wrath of those officers.
I think the officer who uses a tares should be forced to submit a public report as to why they felt that they were in fear for their life or fear for a member of the public's life and if they cannot substantiate a real and present danger, they should be stood down.
Well you can tell me that you think police don't get enough support from the general public, and that as a rule we are losing respect for them, and even that they are a necessary evil, but I guess we need the force, even though we probably fear them more than any criminal, or bikie gang, strange isn't it.
.
The initial cry for the taser from the police union was as a safety precaution for the general public; the claim was that the taser would replace lethal force, the gun, for the majority of cases where police were confronted by an agitated and armed offender (alleged) who was resisting arrest and making threats to the public or police.
So far the Taser has been used on children and adults who appear to have done little more than question the validity of police instructions or not obeyed police instructions in a fast enough time frame.
This isn't a police bashing post by any means, however, it seems to me that if you give someone the power to, and the use, of a tool then they will find a reason to use it.
That being said, my concern is that the police have no way of ascertaining the health conditions of a person they are shocking with 50,000 volts or whether this kind of voltage could have serious consequences of a negative nature to the person they are shocking which could result in death even though both the government and the police claim there are no adverse health issues with the taser.
Recently reported in the media is the story of how police officers got involved in an incident which was occurring at a hotel across the road from a police station which resulted in about half a dozen police officers scuffeling with 3 members of a family with one officer targeting the older man who appeared in video footage to be pushing officers away from his younger relatives and who during the scuffle with this particular officer returned punches after several times evading the grasp of that officer who eventually tasered the older man and then grabbed him in a headlock. One of the younger relatives retaliated by running at the officer and (allegedly) head butting him which resulted in severe damage to the officer who was knocked out instantly and hit his head very hard on the ground when he went down.
The men were arrested by police later and charged but let off by a judge who saw the video evidence and called the police to task for excessive force, and released the charged men, to the ire of police.
The older man suffered a heart attack only minutes after the tasering by that officer, and most probably as a result of it, a point which police say has no basis despite overwhelming contradictory evidence from the USA where cases of heart attacks and other problems after Taser shocks are well documented.
The police want to continue to have appeals and have the men charged with something, since the officer has serious problems from his injuries, and it seems to me that it's about revenge rather than right and wrong.
The incident was a common one where a rowdy group were blueing after a skinfull at the pub, the question is this, if the taser is a replacement for lethal force as they say, then why was it used in this situation? was that officer in fear for his or a member of the public's life? or, . . was he frustrated at his inability to apprehend an old man who was trying to break up the fighting?
In the case at the gold coast the officer tasered a 15 year old girl who was being held by two security guards; was that officer in fear of his or a member of the public's life? I don't think so. He used the taser like a fist to punish the girl out of anger and rage, he issued summary justice. . . .no judge , no jury, just a cop and his taser and that girl will obey or by heaven she will pay.
So in reality do our police need to be using a replacement for lethal force as they have in these cases, look up you tube and see how they use them in the USA and you will see that if a person doesn't respond fast enough, obey quick enough or even treat the cop with enough respect they can be tasered, just normal people who have come to the attention of police and feel the wrath of those officers.
I think the officer who uses a tares should be forced to submit a public report as to why they felt that they were in fear for their life or fear for a member of the public's life and if they cannot substantiate a real and present danger, they should be stood down.
Well you can tell me that you think police don't get enough support from the general public, and that as a rule we are losing respect for them, and even that they are a necessary evil, but I guess we need the force, even though we probably fear them more than any criminal, or bikie gang, strange isn't it.
.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Genetics made me small, . . . . God doesn't get involved the whims of those with small man's syndrome.
When people make the astounding claims that they have been victimised, stalked, picked on as a child or come under any other form of discrimination you would hardly expect to see them trying to be the authority over the general populous, seeking attention any and every way they can get it and releasing to the press self promotional stories with a continuing frequency, would you?
Well apparently that's exactly what you'd do because after years of being picked on as a child for being "small" we see a story about a person deciding to get surgery in Russia to get an 8cm growth in the leg bones and someone paying it seems $40,000 for that to happen, plus I would imagine air fares and accommodation etc.
I actually have serious doubts about the alleged "picked on" story in one way because as a rule you don't get picked on for that it is usually because you are a prick, and no one likes you, isn't it?
I also don't believe that there was any other reason than vanity behind the surgery, at all, and in fact it can line up behind the other rumoured procedures that are purported to have been paid for by this person.
Aside from the fact that in the press and TV media, the statements conflict in places, which from this source is not unusual in my opinion, the pictures are also interesting for a couple of reasons, that are quite obvious by the fact that they shouldn't be there if the timing is as it is stated.
You have to ask yourself, why do these type of people always try to dominate everyone, try to become the highest ranking, and have the most power, the answer from a psychology perspective (from a website, I might add) is that they have been sexually molested, don't laugh, or that they are embarrassed by their father figure and want to replace them as head of the family, again don't laugh, or that they are consumed by insecurities and use the attack is the best form of defence idea.
Ok, websites may not be the most reliable places to get psych diagnosis, and I take no responsibility for any babble they might put out on any number of subjects relating to the human mind, but I don't have an answer for that question so I had to try and find one, didn't I ?
Being a sceptic, I actually think that, given the timing, this is purely a profile raising exercise, will the women of Beaudesert feel either sorry for or empowered by this assertive action on body image ? or will the general public think this is just another example of spoilt gen Y's wanting and getting and never hearing the word NO.
I wonder at the mental state of people who will go into unnecessary serious surgery several times perhaps in the name of vanity, and at their capacity to rationally and reasonably represent the majority of the public who would never put their own life in danger that way.
I also wonder at the reference to God, and the blaming, and if there is one, just how impressed a God would be to find a former Jewish person being so disrespectful to both their temple and their holy father. God was innocent in all this.
Well apparently that's exactly what you'd do because after years of being picked on as a child for being "small" we see a story about a person deciding to get surgery in Russia to get an 8cm growth in the leg bones and someone paying it seems $40,000 for that to happen, plus I would imagine air fares and accommodation etc.
I actually have serious doubts about the alleged "picked on" story in one way because as a rule you don't get picked on for that it is usually because you are a prick, and no one likes you, isn't it?
I also don't believe that there was any other reason than vanity behind the surgery, at all, and in fact it can line up behind the other rumoured procedures that are purported to have been paid for by this person.
Aside from the fact that in the press and TV media, the statements conflict in places, which from this source is not unusual in my opinion, the pictures are also interesting for a couple of reasons, that are quite obvious by the fact that they shouldn't be there if the timing is as it is stated.
You have to ask yourself, why do these type of people always try to dominate everyone, try to become the highest ranking, and have the most power, the answer from a psychology perspective (from a website, I might add) is that they have been sexually molested, don't laugh, or that they are embarrassed by their father figure and want to replace them as head of the family, again don't laugh, or that they are consumed by insecurities and use the attack is the best form of defence idea.
Ok, websites may not be the most reliable places to get psych diagnosis, and I take no responsibility for any babble they might put out on any number of subjects relating to the human mind, but I don't have an answer for that question so I had to try and find one, didn't I ?
Being a sceptic, I actually think that, given the timing, this is purely a profile raising exercise, will the women of Beaudesert feel either sorry for or empowered by this assertive action on body image ? or will the general public think this is just another example of spoilt gen Y's wanting and getting and never hearing the word NO.
I wonder at the mental state of people who will go into unnecessary serious surgery several times perhaps in the name of vanity, and at their capacity to rationally and reasonably represent the majority of the public who would never put their own life in danger that way.
I also wonder at the reference to God, and the blaming, and if there is one, just how impressed a God would be to find a former Jewish person being so disrespectful to both their temple and their holy father. God was innocent in all this.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Don't wig the Cat out man.
With the latest discussions in the good chambers of Logan Council , behind closed doors i might add, is about Cat Registration, I'm not kidding.
It has been reported in the news that the State Government is requiring all the cats to be registered and micro chipped and most preferably desexed as well, and some Councils have made enquiry and had discussions about how exactly that will be implemented.
I'm informed that at Logan there is quite a margin between the amount collected from the registration of Dogs and what they spend on facilities and control (specifically for Dogs) and that has also been part of the discussions I hear.
So getting down to tin tacks, we the public assume the reason, and really the only plausible one, for hiding the discussions from us is that these gutless councillors are planning to charge cat owners for the privilege of keeping the mice away from the pantry, could it be so ?
I'd have to say that even if it was free, you'd have to be "tossing possums" to even consider registering your cat because in all likely hood sooner or later these councillors will decide to make you pay, and how easy will it be to know who to charge than to simply go through the register of those who partook of the free registration etc.
Another thing to consider is that by charging the public for owning cats as they do Dogs, council effectively takes responsibility for the control of problems related to cats in their jurisdiction, even the feral ones.
Now I've been a long time advocate of protecting the natural environment and reducing the numbers of feral cats out there decimating natural species and breeding out of control, so this is a good thing right? Wrong, do we really think Logan Council will actually want to spend the money from cat registration on animal control? I doubt it.
There is a real need for control of feral cats not just in Logan but across Australia, and it's a Government problem that really doesn't seem to be getting very much attention or actually getting any results in real terms; feral cats are increasing.
So are you going to register your cat, if you are or are not I'd like to know the reason.
It has been reported in the news that the State Government is requiring all the cats to be registered and micro chipped and most preferably desexed as well, and some Councils have made enquiry and had discussions about how exactly that will be implemented.
I'm informed that at Logan there is quite a margin between the amount collected from the registration of Dogs and what they spend on facilities and control (specifically for Dogs) and that has also been part of the discussions I hear.
So getting down to tin tacks, we the public assume the reason, and really the only plausible one, for hiding the discussions from us is that these gutless councillors are planning to charge cat owners for the privilege of keeping the mice away from the pantry, could it be so ?
I'd have to say that even if it was free, you'd have to be "tossing possums" to even consider registering your cat because in all likely hood sooner or later these councillors will decide to make you pay, and how easy will it be to know who to charge than to simply go through the register of those who partook of the free registration etc.
Another thing to consider is that by charging the public for owning cats as they do Dogs, council effectively takes responsibility for the control of problems related to cats in their jurisdiction, even the feral ones.
Now I've been a long time advocate of protecting the natural environment and reducing the numbers of feral cats out there decimating natural species and breeding out of control, so this is a good thing right? Wrong, do we really think Logan Council will actually want to spend the money from cat registration on animal control? I doubt it.
There is a real need for control of feral cats not just in Logan but across Australia, and it's a Government problem that really doesn't seem to be getting very much attention or actually getting any results in real terms; feral cats are increasing.
So are you going to register your cat, if you are or are not I'd like to know the reason.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Nothing to fear ; . . except fear itself ? right?
Things that go bump in the night, that shadow that seemed to move just at the edge of your periferal vision, things that go missing and later reappear where you've already looked, sound familiar?
You are just like everyone else in this there are things that are odd and things that seem not to make any sence, and of course there are some things, unexplainable things that freak you out.
If this does become reality it won't be before they either only make it available to police and military or only make available some device to allow police and military to see someone if they are "invisible"
I just thought it looked like fun.
.
You are just like everyone else in this there are things that are odd and things that seem not to make any sence, and of course there are some things, unexplainable things that freak you out.
Deborah Smith
April 5, 2009
An invisibility cloak has long been the the stuff of science fiction, but fantasy is about to become reality.
The British scientist who pioneered the concept, Sir John Pendry, expects a cloak that can conceal an object from prying eyes to be unveiled within months.
Harry Potter need not worry just yet. His wizard's cloak, which makes people disappear, is still too complicated and costly for Muggle scientists to emulate.
"At the moment we don't have the technology to do that," Professor Pendry, of Imperial College London, told the Herald . The first man-made cloak will be more like an invisibility "carpet", he said. Tuck a tiny object underneath it, and it will seemingly disappear because the bump the object makes will be hidden from view with an artificial mirage.
Its development will be a startling demonstration of the potential of metamaterials - a radical new technology that could lead to other applications, including barriers to prevent waves damaging the shore, acoustic cloaks to reduce noise, stealth systems for the military, and faster telecommunications.
Metamaterials have microscopic structures that give them properties not found in nature because of the unusual way the structures interact with light or other electromagnetic waves.
They can be designed to hide things by bending radiation around an object as if it were not there, "like water flowing around a stone", said Professor Pendry, who will give a public talk on invisibility at the University of Sydney on Wednesday.
He was the first to think up these new materials a decade ago. In 2004, to "spice up" one of his mathematically dense lectures in the US, he mentioned Harry Potter. "I said one of the interesting things they could do is hide things."
Other researchers in the audience, led by David Smith of Duke University, took his message to heart. "They went back and built the darn thing."
In 2006 Professor Smith revealed the first cloak, which steered radiation around a copper cylinder, making it invisible to microwave detection.
"I am optimistic work in progress will produce an optical cloak in the next six months," Professor Pendry said.
Sydney Science Forum on invisibility, Wednesday April 8, 5.30 pm, Bookings 9351 3021, ssf@science.usyd.edu.au .
If this does become reality it won't be before they either only make it available to police and military or only make available some device to allow police and military to see someone if they are "invisible"
I just thought it looked like fun.
.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
WHO IS BUDDY WILSON ?
-
I've had several emails in relation to the issues ongoing at Greenbank which mostly seem to revolve around the divisional councillor, the Greenbank community centre management committee and now a new group trying to move into the area.
The issues;
It seems that when issues arose between the Divisional Councillor, Hagnal Ban, and a community group situated in the Greenbank Community Center's Kurrong Romm on a permanent basis with the rent subsidised by that Councillor, the first thing that Ban did was to stop paying the $50 a week rent without telling the group it had been cut. After a period of perhaps two months the GCC committee issued a notice to the group asking for rent to be paid up to date and after some checking to find it had indeed not been paid by the councillor, it was paid by a means that resulted in a permanent rec cord of the payment and the receiving of that money. Nevertheless later at the GCC AGM it was declared that the money had not been paid and this information was given to journalists to discredit the group in all probability.
The payment of the overdue rent was never acknowledged by the GCC committee and an order was issued by it to remove the group from the GCC . After a time, the dispute escalated to the point where the group was locked out by council (Beaudesert) Questions were asked at the time about the councillors involvement as a committee member of the GCC management Committee, and the Councillor gave assertions to the public and Logan Council that she was never a member of the committee, despite it being recorded on minutes that she had offered apologies at committee meetings and had attended committee meetings which are not open for the public. It has also been public knowledge that the previous council Beaudesert Shire put a councillor on every community group including the GCC management Committee and it is in council documents that she was put there and in the GCC constitution that a councillor would have automatic membership on that committee.
During the time these disputes were on going the GCC was undergoing some upgrades including the construction of a new caretakers residence, bollards around driving areas to keep cars away from pedestrian areas, and some other things. As soon as the group was locked out it seems their telephone connection, which I'm told cost the group about $3500, was connected to the new caretakers residence by someone other than Telstra apparently and without consent from the group, and that group paid the bill for a time while it was used by others. I believe that theft of a phone line is a serious offence, but I'm not seeing any action from either Council or other authorities.
I wonder at how the connection between the councillor, Hagnal Ban, and the committee in this matter is not obvious to a Council who have inherited the situation, but it seems they are nonetheless turning a blind eye to it.
The AGM of the GCC management committee was a shambles by all accounts and the president was just going to chair it until a member of the public insisted that all committee deliver reports and then stand down while a neutral chair hosts the re election of a new committee. The Councillor, ban was there but refused to chair, and it was Greg Birkbeck who quickly jumped to the position of chair after a whispering session with the councillor apparently. The old committee had the numbers and was re-elected without a problem, and those people who came on the night to join up as members to be elected to that committee were prevented from voting. I personally believe that was set up by some people who had declared that they were going to join up and help get a new committee going, but didn't do so until the AGM even though I'm told they were informed that if they did so they would not be permitted to vote. Those people are integrated with that committee very well now I'm told.
The GCC management committee have made it compulsory for members to have a blue card (for working with children) even though they don't offer any programs at all, no child care and are a hall hire committee in essence, they have also signed off on the applications for members saying that they do, and the members have signed off saying they are working or volunteering to work with children under the GCC management committee as i understand it.
Any members who wouldn't provide their personal details on the form for the management committee, rightfully, on the basis that it is wrong to make this a requirement for membership, have been sent letters terminating their membership.
Since that time it has been revealed to me that it is a requirement for members t attend 4 meetings per Annam to maintain membership, and of course vote at future AGM's and that committee has also changed the constitution to say that they only have to open meetings to the public on two occasions other than the AGM, so no one but them are ever going to be the committee.
At the last AGM questions were asked as to who was residing in the caretakers residence, since it was supposed to be advertised to the public that a job as caretaker was available, but it was clear that someone was already occupying the building, I was told that the secretary was seen parked there and her car was there overnight on a regular basis. At that AGM it was publicly announced by the secretary that a temporary caretaker named BUDDY WILSON was in fact the occupant of the building until a permanent care taker could be found.
Apparently there was 1 applicant interviewed for the job and was rejected, I am also told that someone named Greg Birkbeck interviewed the applicant, although not a member of the committee or an officer with Logan Council, I don't know if Birkbeck is qualified to interview applicants for a caretakers job anyway, but if there was only one why were they rejected? will this information be made public. The rumour is that the persons residing in the caretakers residence are related to members of the committee.
So I wonder who was Buddy Wilson, how was he removed from the residence and why if the position was not yet filled, and where is he now and for that matter where did he come from because other than the claim of his existence by the GCC management committee member, no one else has ever seen or heard of him.
If you know Buddy Wilson, please email me so I can resolve the issue.
.
I've had several emails in relation to the issues ongoing at Greenbank which mostly seem to revolve around the divisional councillor, the Greenbank community centre management committee and now a new group trying to move into the area.
The issues;
The councillor being a member of the GCC management committee
The removal of a long term community group from the GCC
The use and relocation of a telephone line
The inconsistencies in the accounts at the GCC AGM.
The closing of GCC meetings to the public
The compulsory blue card requirement, with no children's program
The cancelling of memberships over blue card requirement
The matter of who resides in the care takers residence at GCC
It seems that when issues arose between the Divisional Councillor, Hagnal Ban, and a community group situated in the Greenbank Community Center's Kurrong Romm on a permanent basis with the rent subsidised by that Councillor, the first thing that Ban did was to stop paying the $50 a week rent without telling the group it had been cut. After a period of perhaps two months the GCC committee issued a notice to the group asking for rent to be paid up to date and after some checking to find it had indeed not been paid by the councillor, it was paid by a means that resulted in a permanent rec cord of the payment and the receiving of that money. Nevertheless later at the GCC AGM it was declared that the money had not been paid and this information was given to journalists to discredit the group in all probability.
The payment of the overdue rent was never acknowledged by the GCC committee and an order was issued by it to remove the group from the GCC . After a time, the dispute escalated to the point where the group was locked out by council (Beaudesert) Questions were asked at the time about the councillors involvement as a committee member of the GCC management Committee, and the Councillor gave assertions to the public and Logan Council that she was never a member of the committee, despite it being recorded on minutes that she had offered apologies at committee meetings and had attended committee meetings which are not open for the public. It has also been public knowledge that the previous council Beaudesert Shire put a councillor on every community group including the GCC management Committee and it is in council documents that she was put there and in the GCC constitution that a councillor would have automatic membership on that committee.
During the time these disputes were on going the GCC was undergoing some upgrades including the construction of a new caretakers residence, bollards around driving areas to keep cars away from pedestrian areas, and some other things. As soon as the group was locked out it seems their telephone connection, which I'm told cost the group about $3500, was connected to the new caretakers residence by someone other than Telstra apparently and without consent from the group, and that group paid the bill for a time while it was used by others. I believe that theft of a phone line is a serious offence, but I'm not seeing any action from either Council or other authorities.
I wonder at how the connection between the councillor, Hagnal Ban, and the committee in this matter is not obvious to a Council who have inherited the situation, but it seems they are nonetheless turning a blind eye to it.
The AGM of the GCC management committee was a shambles by all accounts and the president was just going to chair it until a member of the public insisted that all committee deliver reports and then stand down while a neutral chair hosts the re election of a new committee. The Councillor, ban was there but refused to chair, and it was Greg Birkbeck who quickly jumped to the position of chair after a whispering session with the councillor apparently. The old committee had the numbers and was re-elected without a problem, and those people who came on the night to join up as members to be elected to that committee were prevented from voting. I personally believe that was set up by some people who had declared that they were going to join up and help get a new committee going, but didn't do so until the AGM even though I'm told they were informed that if they did so they would not be permitted to vote. Those people are integrated with that committee very well now I'm told.
The GCC management committee have made it compulsory for members to have a blue card (for working with children) even though they don't offer any programs at all, no child care and are a hall hire committee in essence, they have also signed off on the applications for members saying that they do, and the members have signed off saying they are working or volunteering to work with children under the GCC management committee as i understand it.
Any members who wouldn't provide their personal details on the form for the management committee, rightfully, on the basis that it is wrong to make this a requirement for membership, have been sent letters terminating their membership.
Since that time it has been revealed to me that it is a requirement for members t attend 4 meetings per Annam to maintain membership, and of course vote at future AGM's and that committee has also changed the constitution to say that they only have to open meetings to the public on two occasions other than the AGM, so no one but them are ever going to be the committee.
At the last AGM questions were asked as to who was residing in the caretakers residence, since it was supposed to be advertised to the public that a job as caretaker was available, but it was clear that someone was already occupying the building, I was told that the secretary was seen parked there and her car was there overnight on a regular basis. At that AGM it was publicly announced by the secretary that a temporary caretaker named BUDDY WILSON was in fact the occupant of the building until a permanent care taker could be found.
Apparently there was 1 applicant interviewed for the job and was rejected, I am also told that someone named Greg Birkbeck interviewed the applicant, although not a member of the committee or an officer with Logan Council, I don't know if Birkbeck is qualified to interview applicants for a caretakers job anyway, but if there was only one why were they rejected? will this information be made public. The rumour is that the persons residing in the caretakers residence are related to members of the committee.
So I wonder who was Buddy Wilson, how was he removed from the residence and why if the position was not yet filled, and where is he now and for that matter where did he come from because other than the claim of his existence by the GCC management committee member, no one else has ever seen or heard of him.
If you know Buddy Wilson, please email me so I can resolve the issue.
.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Draft SEQRP ; Make your comments count, time extension.
This is a press release and the sceptic in me says that they haven't received the minute percentage of submissions as yet to effectively call this consultation so they are extending the deadline for closing, but basically it allows you all to have your say on one of the most manipulative, prejudicial, biased, misinformed, and polarising documents the government has released.
In real terms the SEQ RP is about stopping mums and dads using that big block they planned and worked for years to own, often doing without to do so, from being subdivided to either fund retirement or provide land for their offspring. The SEQ RP calls this fragmented development and prefers the kind delivered by the major developers like Lend Lease, so it has given them in many cases development rights in the middle of rural areas whilst preventing anyone else from having the same right.
The big hit comes when it seems that councils get the workload to make it all happen, and guess what, that means that those mums and dads don't get the right to develop their parcel of land but they get to fund the planning for the big developer, fund the structure planning for that developer and fund the planning for infrastructure to service that development for the big developer and fund quite a bit of the physical infrastructure to that development, in other words you cant have your rights even though you have paid your own way, but you will now pay again so the developer can make huge profits, . . . . . . .and of course that developer may just make a tax deduct able, large donation to a political parties campaign fund.
In real terms the SEQ RP is about stopping mums and dads using that big block they planned and worked for years to own, often doing without to do so, from being subdivided to either fund retirement or provide land for their offspring. The SEQ RP calls this fragmented development and prefers the kind delivered by the major developers like Lend Lease, so it has given them in many cases development rights in the middle of rural areas whilst preventing anyone else from having the same right.
The big hit comes when it seems that councils get the workload to make it all happen, and guess what, that means that those mums and dads don't get the right to develop their parcel of land but they get to fund the planning for the big developer, fund the structure planning for that developer and fund the planning for infrastructure to service that development for the big developer and fund quite a bit of the physical infrastructure to that development, in other words you cant have your rights even though you have paid your own way, but you will now pay again so the developer can make huge profits, . . . . . . .and of course that developer may just make a tax deduct able, large donation to a political parties campaign fund.
Minister for Infrastructure and Planning
The Honourable Stirling Hinchliffe
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
EXTRA TIME FOR SEQ REGIONAL PLAN SUBMISSIONS
South East Queenslanders have an extra month to provide feedback on the draft SEQ Regional Plan 2009 – 2031.
Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe today announced the public consultation period has been extended to 1 May instead of closing of this Friday.
“Some Councils and interest groups have asked for an extension, I’m keen to make sure everyone gets the chance to have their say,” said Mr Hinchliffe.
“This is a plan to protect the things that make South East Queensland such a great place to live for future generations, like our wonderful outdoors environment.
“It places more than 84 per cent of the region off limits to urban development.
“I encourage everyone to have a look at the draft so they can provide any feedback.
“It’s a plan for smart growth, to manage our expanding population and tackle the issues of today like housing affordability, congestion and climate change.
“I’m proud to say we’ve managed to avoid any significant changes to our existing urban footprint, which provides a clear boundary to stop sprawl and protect our natural environment, whilst providing enough land for predicted population growth.
“The focus of the growth will remain the Western Corridor, where the population will expand twice as fast as Brisbane and the coastal areas each year on average.”
Mr Hinchliffe said although submissions usually covered several issues, key themes had already emerged.
“By Monday morning my department had received more than 1000 submissions from individuals, commercial and community organisations, local governments and state agencies,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
“They range from several form letters to detailed council submissions, from input from wildlife organisations and conservation groups to the caravan industry.
“The natural environment is featuring strongly so far with feedback around koala issues, biodiversity, air, noise and coastal management.
“The department is already processing submissions and I have asked them to work closely with key stakeholders over coming weeks so we can finalise the plan by mid-year.”
KEY FACTS
- safeguards more than 84 per cent of the region’s 22, 890 sq km from urban development
- strict controls remain in place for housing outside urban footprint
undeveloped areas, infill areas and rural residential lots can cater for 735,500 more houses and units
- protects natural landscape and rural production areas from housing and rural subdivision
- promotes more growth in the Western Corridor to take pressure off coastal communities
- halts urban sprawl by locating new communities and jobs along public transport corridors to limit car use
- consolidates rural growth to keep green breaks between cities and communities
- ecofriendly tourism development allowed outside the urban footprint increased to include “medium-scale” projects, but not on ecologically significant or good quality agricultural lands
- new sustainable housing designs and new building standards
The draft South East Queensland Regional Plan can be viewed at: www.dip.qld.gov.au or at Council chambers.
Submissions can be mailed to:
Draft SEQ Regional Plan Submission
Department of Infrastructure and Planning
Reply Paid 15009, City East Qld 4002;
via fax: (07) 3235 4071
by email: seqreview@dip.qld.gov.au
(only if they include the full name and email address, or other address, of the submitter)
or lodged in person at the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, 63 George St, Brisbane.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Media 1 - voters 0
Watching the elections in Queensland has been less than inspiring, in fact I'd say there would be more controversy in a mono political system in a communist country.
I haven't seen a more arrogant person win an election since Beattie and I have to say she is just as the news media describe historical in this victory but in a different way.
In days long gone and when the people of France were starving a certain member of the royalty cried " let them eat cake" . . . . . The french revolted and killed as many of the upper class as they could.
Here in Australia, when we were running out of water, Blight said "let them drink their own shit" . . . . . . and the people rewarded her with another term to continue her dictatorial arrogance, ratifying again the forced amalgamations, accepting that they will pay more tax to service her $10 million a day interest bill on the Labor slush fund and accept the addition of a known toxin to our drinking water supply.
I have never seen such a dirty campaign, and one where the media was so biased, in my opinion clearly supporting the Labor government in Advertising, comment, publishing of press releases, and even continuing to advertise during the traditional media blackout before an election.
The very few opposition adds that I did see were sandwiched between Labor adds which featured the opposition leader with negative insinuations and with plain untruths about his policy and pure lies about what he will do if elected.
Then there was the strangest one of all; the amount of time Labor gave to advertising the opposition in a negative light and making claims that people will lose jobs if they vote against the government.
I would say that Queensland is in for a long three years of suffering under Labor and that even though Bligh promised Jobs, her federal counterpart Rudd has already said Labor will cut jobs, and even more that Bligh was claiming the opposition would cut, get ready for pain people.
I am about to succeed from Australia I think, I don't know if i can afford to continue to fly arrogant Bligh and her ministers around the world on holidays while we drink shit and toxins and eat tainted Chinese food because the regional plan is stealing all our farm land for housing and industry built by those companies it seems who funded this re election.
I haven't seen a more arrogant person win an election since Beattie and I have to say she is just as the news media describe historical in this victory but in a different way.
In days long gone and when the people of France were starving a certain member of the royalty cried " let them eat cake" . . . . . The french revolted and killed as many of the upper class as they could.
Here in Australia, when we were running out of water, Blight said "let them drink their own shit" . . . . . . and the people rewarded her with another term to continue her dictatorial arrogance, ratifying again the forced amalgamations, accepting that they will pay more tax to service her $10 million a day interest bill on the Labor slush fund and accept the addition of a known toxin to our drinking water supply.
I have never seen such a dirty campaign, and one where the media was so biased, in my opinion clearly supporting the Labor government in Advertising, comment, publishing of press releases, and even continuing to advertise during the traditional media blackout before an election.
The very few opposition adds that I did see were sandwiched between Labor adds which featured the opposition leader with negative insinuations and with plain untruths about his policy and pure lies about what he will do if elected.
Then there was the strangest one of all; the amount of time Labor gave to advertising the opposition in a negative light and making claims that people will lose jobs if they vote against the government.
I would say that Queensland is in for a long three years of suffering under Labor and that even though Bligh promised Jobs, her federal counterpart Rudd has already said Labor will cut jobs, and even more that Bligh was claiming the opposition would cut, get ready for pain people.
I am about to succeed from Australia I think, I don't know if i can afford to continue to fly arrogant Bligh and her ministers around the world on holidays while we drink shit and toxins and eat tainted Chinese food because the regional plan is stealing all our farm land for housing and industry built by those companies it seems who funded this re election.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Peter Garrett, it gets worse.
I've always had the opinion that Garrett was caught up in his political infatuation early in his life, quite possibly before Uni, and was staunchly anti conservative.
He used this to his best advantage as front man for Midnight Oil where his politically incorrect (for the time) lyrics complimented the Bands cutting edge, unique sound and put them into a niche withing the pop music genre where they had almost no competition as an anti government / pro humanity act.
There are of course those who sentimentally believe that Garrett is what he sings, I don't subscribe to that theory at all, despite him having served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004, in addition he also joined the International Board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term and served as adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations including Jubilee Debt Relief, and was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation.
My personal opinion is that due to his high profile, he was sought out for those roles to raise the profile among younger people and help with fund raising.
Anyway, read this and make your own opinion, is Garrett just a puppet a token, a Labor yes man?
He used this to his best advantage as front man for Midnight Oil where his politically incorrect (for the time) lyrics complimented the Bands cutting edge, unique sound and put them into a niche withing the pop music genre where they had almost no competition as an anti government / pro humanity act.
There are of course those who sentimentally believe that Garrett is what he sings, I don't subscribe to that theory at all, despite him having served as president of the Australian Conservation Foundation from 1989 to 1993 and 1998 to 2004, in addition he also joined the International Board of Greenpeace in 1993 for a two-year term and served as adviser and patron to various cultural and community organisations including Jubilee Debt Relief, and was a founding member of the Surfrider Foundation.
My personal opinion is that due to his high profile, he was sought out for those roles to raise the profile among younger people and help with fund raising.
Anyway, read this and make your own opinion, is Garrett just a puppet a token, a Labor yes man?
Former musician and Arts minister Peter Garrett has shut down an elite Melbourne classical music school.
The former singer with political rock band Midnight Oil has decided to defund the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and start a new institution within the University of Melbourne.
Unlike other institutions, ANAM does not offer degrees or formal classes - it comprises mainly of one-on-one tuition and opportunities to perform.
The body is seen as a good bridge between learning institutions and the professional musical circuit.
The federal opposition has questioned the motives behind the decision, pointing to the cosy relationship between the Vice Chancellor of Melbourne University Glyn Davis and the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
Davis helped Rudd run the recent 2020 Summit in Canberra.
Garrett has not announced how many students the new school will take or where it will be located.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Hillary Clinton, past it, or just the wrong person for the job?
The foreign policy of the US has ramifications accros the world and as far as being a peacekeeper the US has an important role but has the appointment of the Ex President's wife, a blatant crony job, tainted the impartiality with which the world expects issues to be tackled.
Hillary Clinton has already said that she is 100% behind the ongoing destruction of Palestine by Isreal and has fixed ideas about foreign policy on many other subjects and personally, I think someone new and a little less biassed or more impartial would have been better for the job, actually I think Mrs Clinton has no place in this new administration after all the US has been in the clutches of clintons and bushes for 20 years, isn't that enough?
Read on;
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis.
Ms Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad.
In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasury bonds, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods.
"By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together,'' Ms Clinton said at the US embassy here.
Ms Clinton had sought to focus on economic and environmental issues in Beijing, saying Washington's concerns about the human rights situation in China should not be a distraction from those vital matters.
Beijing's human rights record emerged nonetheless as an issue, as dissidents on Saturday reported being harassed or intimidated by Chinese authorities in a bid to stop them speaking out or meeting Ms Clinton while she was here.
"Plainclothes police blocked me from leaving my home. They were afraid I would try to meet with Hillary Clinton or others in her delegation,'' democracy campaigner Jiang Qisheng said.
Ms Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi largely agreed to disagree on human rights as they pledged future joint action on the economy and climate change.
The goodwill, also on display in her talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, could raise hope for a new era of cooperation between the two largest greenhouse gas emitters and two of the world's top three economies.
Hillary Clinton has already said that she is 100% behind the ongoing destruction of Palestine by Isreal and has fixed ideas about foreign policy on many other subjects and personally, I think someone new and a little less biassed or more impartial would have been better for the job, actually I think Mrs Clinton has no place in this new administration after all the US has been in the clutches of clintons and bushes for 20 years, isn't that enough?
Read on;
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to keep buying US debt as she wrapped up her first overseas trip, during which she agreed to work closely with Beijing on the financial crisis.
Ms Clinton made the plea shortly before leaving China, the final stop on a four-nation Asian tour that also took her to Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, where she worked the crowds to try to restore America's standing abroad.
In Beijing, she called on authorities in Beijing to continue buying US Treasury bonds, saying it would help jumpstart the flagging US economy and stimulate imports of Chinese goods.
"By continuing to support American Treasury instruments the Chinese are recognising our interconnection. We are truly going to rise or fall together,'' Ms Clinton said at the US embassy here.
Ms Clinton had sought to focus on economic and environmental issues in Beijing, saying Washington's concerns about the human rights situation in China should not be a distraction from those vital matters.
Beijing's human rights record emerged nonetheless as an issue, as dissidents on Saturday reported being harassed or intimidated by Chinese authorities in a bid to stop them speaking out or meeting Ms Clinton while she was here.
"Plainclothes police blocked me from leaving my home. They were afraid I would try to meet with Hillary Clinton or others in her delegation,'' democracy campaigner Jiang Qisheng said.
Ms Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi largely agreed to disagree on human rights as they pledged future joint action on the economy and climate change.
The goodwill, also on display in her talks with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, could raise hope for a new era of cooperation between the two largest greenhouse gas emitters and two of the world's top three economies.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
What a difference a day makes, as Qld plunges lower into recession than any other state.
As the treasurer tells his tale of woe and lays the blame at global factors out of his control, the question is being asked, how long has the problem been going on and why didn't the state government do something earlier.
We are going $1.66 billion into deficit by the forecast, and could be deeper and worse our states credit rating has dropped, the only state to do so, to AA+ from AAA which means we will pay a higher rate of interest on government borrowings and we were paying $10 million a day in interest before all this.
You'd have to say that the treasury has not kept the government informed of the situation or they have simply turned a blind eye to it hoping it wouldn't impact until after the elections.
With labor heavy weights jumping ship and taking life time incomes with them, it will be years before this state will be in the black again and one could only expect the incoming government to be stuck with the job of trying to sort out a mess.
Once Australia's boom state, riding a wave of property and mining investment, Queensland has an economy grinding to a halt. Treasury officials issued a dire warning yesterday for the next financial year, when they fear the budget deficit will double to $3.2billion.
The latest forecasts, which take into account the Rudd Government's $42 billion stimulus package and recent interest rate cuts, predict a further 60,000 people will be laid off in 2009-10, when economic growth will slump to 1per cent, putting Queensland on the brink of a recession.
With the property market stagnant and weakening global demand for coal, the $809 million surplus forecast for this financial year had become $54 million by December and was revised yesterday to a $1.573 billion deficit.
In the past two months, Treasury officials have revised down revenue collections by $500 million in transfer duty, $427 million in royalties and $334 million in GST, and for the first time will have to top up the supposedly fully funded government superannuation scheme.
The treasurer has come up with a solution though, he plans to either cut services, or raise taxes.
Brilliant!
We are going $1.66 billion into deficit by the forecast, and could be deeper and worse our states credit rating has dropped, the only state to do so, to AA+ from AAA which means we will pay a higher rate of interest on government borrowings and we were paying $10 million a day in interest before all this.
You'd have to say that the treasury has not kept the government informed of the situation or they have simply turned a blind eye to it hoping it wouldn't impact until after the elections.
With labor heavy weights jumping ship and taking life time incomes with them, it will be years before this state will be in the black again and one could only expect the incoming government to be stuck with the job of trying to sort out a mess.
Once Australia's boom state, riding a wave of property and mining investment, Queensland has an economy grinding to a halt. Treasury officials issued a dire warning yesterday for the next financial year, when they fear the budget deficit will double to $3.2billion.
The latest forecasts, which take into account the Rudd Government's $42 billion stimulus package and recent interest rate cuts, predict a further 60,000 people will be laid off in 2009-10, when economic growth will slump to 1per cent, putting Queensland on the brink of a recession.
With the property market stagnant and weakening global demand for coal, the $809 million surplus forecast for this financial year had become $54 million by December and was revised yesterday to a $1.573 billion deficit.
In the past two months, Treasury officials have revised down revenue collections by $500 million in transfer duty, $427 million in royalties and $334 million in GST, and for the first time will have to top up the supposedly fully funded government superannuation scheme.
The treasurer has come up with a solution though, he plans to either cut services, or raise taxes.
Brilliant!
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