Feb 1 - 2010

Front Page

There was as expected the Australian National University rated number one in Australia, in research. The ANU is the most represented University that comes out with pro-anthropogenic global warming nonsense. To indicate that this is a top research university, when so much of what they say on the subject is easily refuse it by looking at the literature, makes the whole process to me a joke. The ANU is also coincidentally the most left positioned University in Australia. It would have been a bigger surprise in a Labor environment if the university had not made top place.

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A number of years ago I was reading about the installation of a missile defence shield. During the Iraq War quite a bit was made of this technology. To read today on page one and three about our troops getting a new siren warning system, that initially had been delayed until 2018, beggars belief. What it does indicate is how poorly in general our generals treat our troops in combat. Defence is quoted as saying that anti-missile systems are not yet reliable enough is code for we don't want to spend the money.

The article at the top of the page shows just how messed up our legal system is. Here we have a woman remarried, living in the UK, to a very wealthy man demanding $21,000 in child support from old husband. Actually she demanded a lot more but that was as much as the courts were willing to give. The law should be that if remarried and the new husband can provide wealth of the family that the ex-husband should then be free from the burden. Instead the ex in this case is required to pay $110,000 a year. Australia is the only country on the planet that applies such absurd rules.

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"Not only is the sea temperature warmer" I recently read a fairly detailed analysis on sea temperature trends over the last few years. Both the Argo bouys and other measurement systems show that the sea temperatures have declined. In this case Rosanne Barrett is either global warming believer or just a poor researcher.

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There are two aspects to this story about the planes sent to Egypt to retrieve Australians. The first one is about the support our consular officers give to Australians abroad. Many years ago I was given a piece of advice while travelling in any situation where Embassy contact is required try the US embassy before the Australian Embassy. The embassy in Egypt is a large one and processes should be in place to contact Australians registered there. That this did not happen simply reinforces the stereotype that the Australian Embassy is not the place to go for help. The other aspect is the continuing trend of Australians not willing to help themselves in any situation. The trend is to immediately cry for help from mummy at the slightest scratch. For those a little older this is a disturbing trend in our culture and society.

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What a surprise China has once again blocking information on the Internet in this case about what is happening in Egypt.

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Sally Neighbour is in Islamic apologist. A few of her articles now show are definite leaning towards apologising for Islam. She paints quite a rosy picture of the Muslim Brotherhood. Over the years I've read quite a number of articles about this group. They are acknowledged as one of the primary drivers for the modern Jihadist movement. The group represents returning to a more fundamentalist view of Islam. Ironically this is one that would put Ms Neighbour it is a position of being a poorly treated women in the new society. You only have to read some of the writings of Hassan al-Bannah to understand what this group represents. Ms Neighbour seems to have been reading press releases from the organisation rather than their literature. She would make a good partner for Karen Armstrong.

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Excellent article by Michael Stutchbury.

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Top letter by Evan Coumbe takes a very simplistic view of the situation in Egypt. It astonishes me how little we as a nation understand international politics.

Benjamin Burns by contrast, in a very direct way, sums up the situation more succinctly.

Good question by Harry Baker what does "un-Australian" actually mean? Australia seems to accept everything these days the matter how much they may conflict with each other. So in the current economic and political climate everything goes in Australia.

Phillip Adams is our most left-leaning media personality. He always interrupts any guest not on the far left. Sometimes he interrupts because his ego would not allow someone else to talk for so long. There are some individuals to when I'm flipping channels and see them automatically causes me to keep going. He is one.

In Cut-and-Paste we find the reason, or a least one example, of why the new flood levee will be rorted to the max. We have people claiming Centerlink payments other thousand dollars per person simply because they went without power for 48 hours during the floods. This is the same amount, that those forced up onto the roofs of their homes because of rising floodwaters where they spent a day or more, receive.

Others who didn't get flooded a few kilometres from a store or a road was cut to 24 hours can also claim this bonus. It's a lot like the free $900 16,000 people received from the government in the stimulus. With such obvious claims being allowed right now how could anyone possibly trust the government to ensure the billions of dollars will be spent effectively. Can you imagine how much good this money would do in say the hands of the Salvation Army.