Wednesday, November 30, 2011
It's A Wonderful Life
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Stalin's daughter dies
Svetlana Stalina, only daughter of tyrant Josef Stalin died this month of colon cancer aged 85. Her defection to the West during the Cold War was a huge embarrassment to the ruling communist party and in 1970 after her defection, she married an American and became and remained Lana Peters.
She became famous mainly because people were curious to know more about Stalin’s only daughter and she used the infamous Stalin name to write two best-selling autobiographies. Stalin doted on his little daughter and called her his “little sparrow” and showered her with presents. She became the equivalent of Shirley Temple in her country and thousands of babies were named Svetlana after her.
But she was restless and couldn’t settle, always on the move visiting India, England, France, America and she went back to Moscow in 1984. She once lived in a cabin with no electricity in northern Wisconsin, a Roman Catholic convent in Switzerland and in 1992 was living in a shabby part of West London in a home for elderly people with emotional problems.
Her mother, Nadezhda Alliluyeva, Stalin’s second wife, committed suicide in 1932 and Svetlana, who was 6 at the time was told that her mother had died of appendicitis but later learned the truth. Stalin was ruthless, even with his own family. His son Yakov was captured by the Nazis who offered to exchange him for a German general but he refused and Yakov was killed. Stalin also sent his daughter’s first love, a Jewish filmmaker, to Siberia for 10 years.
“You can’t regret your fate,” Ms. Peters once said, “although I do regret my mother didn’t marry a carpenter.”
Monday, November 28, 2011
Muslim medical students boycott Darwinism
Muslim medical students are walking out of lectures on evolution because it conflicts with how the world was created in the Koran. Professors at University College London are worried over the number of biology students boycotting lectures on Darwinist theory which is an important part of the syllabus. Muslims believe that Allah created the world, mankind and all known species, similar views also held by fundamentalist Christians.
Steve Jones, professor of human genetics at the college teaches introductory genetics to about 300 first year students, a fifth of whom are Muslim. He remembers having similar clashes years ago with kids who were fundamentalist Christians, they too were outraged and thought the subject should not be included in the syllabus.
A British science lecturer at Middlesex University and member of the Royal Astronomical Society Dr Usama Husan, caused outrage earlier this year when he said that Islam is compatible with Darwin’s theory of evolution. In a lecture at the Masjid al-Tawhid mosque in Leyton UK, he outlined why Darwin’s theory and Islam were in harmony.
But he received death threats and was forced to retract his claim and his return to the mosque was cancelled on the advice of police fearing for his safety. Instead Dr Husan’s father Suhaib, head of the mosque’s committee of trustees, issued a humiliating statement on his son’s behalf – “I seek Allah’s forgiveness for my mistakes and apologise for any offence caused.” Dr Hasan stepped down from his position as vice-chairman and imam at the mosque.
The Bible and Koran don't agree with Darwin. In the Quran it says "The Originator of the heavens and the earth and when He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be" and it is." The Bible in Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Incredibly, even today, with all the scientific evidence at our fingertips, the debate still rages.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Peter Slipper needs to watch his back
Labor knows what it feels like to have a "rat" in the ranks. Mal Colston was a man totally destroyed by his colleagues for defecting to the other side and Peter Slipper needs to watch his back. He has something in common with Colston - he also lied about his parliamentary entitlements.
When Mal Colston felt slighted about being passed over for deputy presidency of the Senate, he defected to the Coalition. Labor members were furious and went for the jugular. Veteran Victorian senator Robert Ray said “Anyone who rats on the Labor Party will get exactly what this quisling Quasimodo from Queensland got.”
Senator John Faulkner also had his two bob’s worth ''I want to speak about someone who is venal, I want to speak about someone who is unscrupulous, I want to speak about someone who is mercenary, I want to speak about someone who is contemptible and despicable, I want to speak about someone who is the most useless and abominable representative the federal Parliament has ever seen. That person is a person who last night skulked into this chamber, slimed into the chamber quite slowly to collect his travel allowance cheque.”
The gossip has already started and only Harry Jenkins can stop it. Rumours abound, among them is the theory that Harry took a sizeable drop in salary for the good of his party but will be compensated and looked after, possibly in the same way they looked after Kim Beazley. The government says that the first time they knew about Harry’s intention to leave was on that very morning and if this is true, he should say so.
Another theory is that Jenkins was tired of criticism from his Labor colleagues and was stung by the dressing down Cream gave him a few months ago. Come on Harry, give us the drum.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Peter Slipper - New Speaker of the House
Tony Abbott was taken by complete surprise yesterday when he realized that Julia Gillard had done a deal that would keep him further away from his goal of becoming Prime Minister. She manoeuvred a Liberal turncoat, Peter Slipper, into the position of Speaker and now the government has the prospect of 76 votes to the Opposition’s 73, previously the ratio was 75-74.
The government now needs only three cross-benchers to pass legislation, instead of four. It seems there was some angst about Craig Thomson being found guilty of paying for prostitutes and other expenses with his union credit card and if found guilty, he would be forced to resign.
Peter Slipper has a reputation of using his parliamentary entitlements to the max and was caught out lying when he made claims of $20,000 which he had to pay back. Yesterday in his acceptance speech, he admitted that he had past ‘transgressions’ and as one politician said yesterday, “They don’t call him Slippery Pete for nothing”.
In March he took his wife on a “study” tour of Europe that cost $25,000. His Queensland constituents were so outraged by his spending habits, they signed a petition calling for a full audit of his expenses which was tabled in parliament in September. The Dept of Finance is seriously thinking of launching an audit of his entitlement claims over the past 10 years.
The move also reduces the danger of Andrew Wilkie being able to threaten the government’s survival if they can’t deliver his poker machine reform. But after a meeting with Julia Gillard, Wilkie said “The government is not so foolish as to think they could burn me because they know they may need me for any number of reasons” he said. How true.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Teenage parents forced to finish school
The Labor Party has done something the Liberals would never be game enough to do - use a big stick to get kids an education. But they've pulled it off - the new law, already passed in both chambers, will mean that when a teen's baby turns 6 months, they will have to make arrangements with Centrelink to finish Year 12 or have their welfare payments cut off. The first trial of 4,000 will start next year in 10 locations across Australia.
There were only two dissenters of the bill - Greens MP Adam Bandt and Bob Katter. Mr Brandt was worried that it could stigmatize young parents and Katter thought it has strong racial overtones and would lead to a new wave of “child thieving”. He said the new law would only deliver power to a “self-opinionated, know-it-all university-class” of social workers who would then control the young mothers.
Another trial will start in July involving 22,000 long-term unemployed parents aged under 23. They too will have to attend Centrelink meetings and follow a participation plan to help become job ready once their children are at school.
Well done Labor.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Fattest Woman in the World
After divorcing her husband three years ago, Pauline Potter from Sacramento became so fat, she won the Guiness World Records title of heaviest woman in the world, weighing in at 50 stone (700lb). But to her skinny husband Alex, it only made her more attractive and he has moved back in with his former partner to become her full-time carer.
The turning point was when she had to ask her overweight son to help her get dressed. It takes around an hour to shower and she can’t manage on her own, she needed him to lift the folds of fat from behind her and to wash underneath each one. 'My goal is to lose 200lb (14st 4lb) plus and have weight-loss surgery so I can be mobile again and not rely on anyone for help,' she said.
Mrs Potter receives $850 a month in benefits which isn't a lot and wonder where she gets the money from for those huge grocery bills.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Celebrity Apprentice Australia Winner
Instead of quietly basking in the glory of winning Celebrity Apprentice, Comedian Julia Morris put her foot in her mouth. She said that Deni Hines was persecuted for the colour of her skin, describing viewers backlash as that of a racist "lynch mob." But the "viewer backlash" she mentioned had nothing to do with her colour and everything to do with her personality.
We got to see the real Deni, an angry, nasty woman who has spent a lot of time in the company of people who support her belief that she is a true celebrity and talented singer. After her appearance in the show, it's obvious to everyone that she is neither.
When Shane Crawford made the mistake of inviting Deni onto the stage in the last challenge, she snatched the microphone from him and told the audience that it was she who sang the jingle, as if anyone could care less. "I actually managed to sing the 1800 number" she said and everyone in the audience was embarrassed and cringed.
But I think the star of the show was Jesinta Campbell, Miss Universe Australia 2010. You might expect a 20 year old beauty queen to be an air head with very few brain cells but you'd be wrong. This young woman is smart and showed maturity way beyond her years and conducted herself in a manner that must have made her parents proud.
Monday, November 21, 2011
The President's Cup 2011
Tiger Woods, ranked 50th in the world proved US captain Fred Couples right yesterday when he beat Aaron Baddeley to give the US an 18-14 lead. Woods blasted out of a deep bunker on the 15th to within 2 feet to clinch the win for the Americans. Couples was among the first to greet him, the man he called "the best player in the world forever." Hunter Mahan was another trump card for Couples who thumped our Jason Day.
Greg Norman was among those who questioned Couples' decision to go with Tiger instead of major winner Keegan Bradley but Norman's two selections, Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby only produced 1.5 points. Norman is unlikely to be at the next President's Cup to be held at Muirfield Village in Ohio in 2013.
World No 8 Adam Scott said the Internationals didn't have the same bond as the Americans. "I don't mean we're not friends, we just don't get to see each other all year like the American boys do. It's easy to come together under one flag - if you had 12 Aussie boys out there, it would be a different vibe but for first-timers who aren't familiar with it, until they get into it, they don't know what it's all about."
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Natalie Wood's Death Reopened
Not everyone believed Natalie Wood's death was an accident. The explanation given that she was drunk and fell overboard trying to tie up or climb into a dinghy somehow didn't add up. Her husband Robert Wagner who she married twice was the number one suspect.
Christopher Walken was there that night and they were all drunk. They went to a restaurant, came back to the boat and drank some more. Davern said he heard a heated argument between Wood and Wagner followed by thumping noises. He also alleges Wagner refused to allow him to call the Coastguard when it became obvious that she was not on board.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
President Obama's Visit to Australia
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said "The US has repeatedly said it has no intention of restraining China and has expressed its support of a strong, prosperous and stable China. We hope the US will fulfill its pledges."
US aircraft including B52 bombers, F18s, Harriers, C130s, C17s and the Global Hawk will fly in and out of Darwin and it's reasonable to assume there will be more nuclear-powered US warships in our ports.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Al Pacino comes to Sydney
Al once asked Helen Mirren to leave the set after she paid him a visit to watch him work. In 1997 her husband Taylor Hackford was directing Pacino in The Devil's Advocate and he spotted her trying to look inconspicuous behind a group of people and went straight over to her husband who told her she had to leave. Some actors don't like their peers watching them work, and Al seems to be one of them.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Pippa Middleton Not Wife Material
Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of the future Queen of England, fell in love with Alex Loudon and thought she was happy. Little did she realize that her lover hated being the centre of attention so much, that he ended their relationship. He couldn’t cope with the media “circus” that surrounded his girlfriend everywhere they went.
He is reported to be intensely private and strait-laced with a very close-knit circle of old Etonian friends who have no time for celebrity. He was so upset at being constantly followed by the paparazzi, he stopped going out.
Whether Pippa likes it or not, she is now a celebrity and the man she chooses to be with will also attract a huge amount of media attention. Alex’s family comes from a long line of baronets, admirals and statesmen and his parents see Pippa as ‘not wife material’.
Meanwhile, Pippa doesn’t know it yet but fate has dealt her one of the best hands of her life and one day she will thank her lucky stars that Alex and this pompous family will no longer be a part of her life.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Tiger Woods Comeback
It's clear that Tiger Woods is on the way back after finishing 3rd in the Australian Open yesterday. It was Greg Chalmers' second national championship title and he did well to resist the late charge by Woods and a 50 foot birdie putt by John Senden that nearly caused a play-off. Woods made a brilliant birdie at the 12th before chipping in for an eagle at the 14th.
Every two years, top players from the United States and an International team culled from the ranks of the finest golfers outside Europe, come together for the The President's Cup and it's all happening at the Royal Melbourne Golf club this week. The club will achieve the distinction of being the first course outside the United States to host the cup more than once.
Players are not personally compensated for their participation, instead each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to a charity of his choice. Since the event's inception, nearly $22 million has been raised for charities around the world.
Friday, November 11, 2011
John Daly's Dummy Spit
John Daly was 7 over par on the 11th fairway at the Australian Open in Sydney yesterday and as he tried to reach the green, his temper got the better of him and he dumped seven shots into the water. And as if that wasn't bad enough, he then realized he’d run out of golf balls and snapped. Furious, he handed over his score card and left the course. PGA Australia were quick to react, they rescinded Daly’s invitation to play in the Australian PGA on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in a fortnight.
John Daly has a lot of fans in Australia - we love this bad boy and he knows it. "I love the fans here in Australia, they've been great," Daly said. "I've never played well here, I tried too hard and it backfired, it might not be bad if they ban me ... because I've never played well here. But I do love the people here and this beautiful country. I take responsibility for my actions, I always have and I don't blame anybody but myself."
Australian golfing officials know that John Daly is good entertainment value and that’s why they keep inviting him back. Daly is also popular with his peers, you won’t find many tour players who don’t enjoy his company, mainly because he’s fun to be around. Yesterday Craig Parry was quick to defend him but when it was pointed out that walking off the golf course in the middle of a round is just not the right thing to do, he said “I’m not going to have a go at him for that”.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Schapelle Corby Guilty says Eamonn Duff
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Netanyahu is a liar says Sarkozy
What world leaders said in private at the G20 summit in Cannes last week was accidentally overheard by journalists after it was transmitted over a system used for translation.
President Sarkozy said of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “I can’t stand him anymore, he’s a liar” and President Obama replied “You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day.” President Obama is reported to have chastised Sarkozy for not informing the US of their intention to vote in favour of Palestinian membership in UN cultural agency UNESCO.
The journalists who overheard the exchange had a meeting and decided not to report the conversation because it was considered private and off the record but today, the whole world knows about it. The French are angry with Netanyahu’s ongoing Jewish settlement building on occupied Palestinian land and believe it’s holding up peace talks.
That makes me wonder what side France would be on in the event of a war with Iran but French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said "In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly the president (Sarkozy) said very clearly that if Israel's security was in question, we would be on Israel's side."
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Tiger Woods hurt by racist slur
Tiger Woods’ ex caddie Steve Williams attended an awards dinner in Shangai on Friday night and was receiving a tongue-in-cheek award for “celebration of the year” when he made a comment about his ex boss – Tiger Woods - that stunned the audience. He said “It was my aim to shove it up that black arsehole.”
He released a statement yesterday "I apologise for comments I made last night at the annual caddie awards dinner in Shanghai, players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun.” He went on "I now realise how my comments could be construed as racist. However, I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologise to Tiger and anyone else I have offended."
A member of the audience who was there that night said yesterday in the Daily Mail "Never have you been in a room and seen so many jaws drop - we knew Williams was an idiot, but we didn't know he was a racist idiot - I was standing next to a European Tour official who said, 'Thank God he is not on our tour'."
Williams is obviously still very bitter about being sacked just before this year's British Open in July. He caddied for Woods for 12 years and stood by him during his extramarital affairs but nobody knows why he was dropped. Three years ago at a dinner banquet in New Zealand, Williams made another rude remark about Phil Mickelson and again, claimed it was all in fun but Woods made him apologise to Mickelson.
Tiger said they talked this morning and although he was hurt by the comment he accepted his apology and they shook hands. Woods admitted he did not understand how his relationship with Williams had deteriorated so rapidly but they have both now moved on. Tiger will start the Open as equal favourite with Williams' new boss Adam Scott. It should be an event worth watching.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Muslim girls imported to marry old men
It seems our government has been remiss in their responsibility for the care of teenage girls brought to Australia under a government visa program to marry old men. Two hundred 17 years old girls were granted prospective spouse visas and hundreds of older girls also received visas after being sponsored by much older men. The visa stipulates they must marry their sponsors within nine months.
A year 10 Lebanese schoolgirl arrived in Australia on a spouse visa for an arranged marriage only to find that her intended was decades older and a violent drunk who kept his previous wife and children in an adjoining house. When she went to authorities and sought protection, her own family threatened to kill her. "She will be slaughtered and killed," the girl's family said in a letter. "By God I will kill you at the airport and I will bury you in the grave. O you dog."
The Australian Childhood Foundation's Joe Tucci called for an urgent inquiry. "A thorough audit needs to be done to ensure these children are safe – is this a program the Australian community really supports?" he said. No, of course it isn't and we need to work out what is an acceptable age difference to save these girls from a lifetime of misery.
We have a higher regard for women in this country and a strong message needs to be sent to the Muslim community that this is not acceptable practice. It is yet another example of how Islam refuses to conform to our values, they continue to send for young girls to marry old men without a second thought for their feelings and something needs to be done to shut this arrangement down permanently.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Bali drug boy begs to be sent home
The continuing saga of the 14 year old Australian boy caught buying marijuana on Kuta Beach in Bali is turning into a media circus. Two television channels were involved in a bidding war but Channel 9 has signed an exclusive contract with his parents for an undisclosed amount.
On Friday the boy broke down in court and tearfully begged the judge to set him free. The court heard how the boy’s parents knew he had a drug problem and took him to Bali to get him away from marijuana. But that doesn’t explain why they allowed their son to wander the streets with his teenage friend alone, without supervision. His father told the court it was peer pressure that drove his son to smoke it and once he started, he couldn’t stop.
His fate will be decided later this week.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Shane Warne's BBL Face on Foxtell
Shane Warne’s career seems far from over after being enticed out of retirement with a package that will see him become the face of Fox Sports’ Big Bash League (BBL) coverage. Warne’s new business venture, Club 23 bar at Melbourne’s Crown Casino will be promoted and Cricket Australia will pay $50,000 in return for Warne spruiking the league around the country.
The Twenty-20 competition has been revamped and will start this summer with eight city-based teams competing and is expected to bring cricket fever back to Australia - who wouldn’t want to see the best bowler in the world in action?
The Melbourne Stars will unveil Warne as their star player next week – his team will include captain Cameron White, David Hussey, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson and John Hastings. Their first match is on December 17 when the Stars take on Sydney Thunder, the inaugural Stars-Renegades derby is on January 7 at the MCG and the final of the eight-team competition is on January 28.
Earlier yesterday, Warne's manager, James Erskine said ''He has a non-exclusive arrangement with Channel Nine. It's not a contract, it's a handshake deal, so he decides what he wants to do, and if he was going to play full-time it would probably mean taking a year off commentary in Australia,'' Erskine said.
''He went out on the ultimate high in Australia, taking 700 wickets, winning the Ashes. He's as fit as he's ever been and he believes he is still one of the top spin bowlers in the world but he is 42 and realises if he plays there is a certain amount of hype and media attention that comes with that,'' he said. ''One of the advantages would be that his kids are now old enough to watch him play … ''
Thursday, November 3, 2011
PM Papandreou wants Refendum
Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy are not happy with Mr Papandreou for wanting to give the Greek people the opportunity to decide their own future by referendum and have summoned him to a pre-G20 meeting in Cannes later today.
They believe that because they have been the ones writing the cheques, they should call the shots. If the Greeks vote ‘yes’ to the austerity package, they agree to give their government the authority to bring about painful changes that will hurt everyone even more.
If they say ‘no’, Greece would default on its debts and leave the eurozone, something Merkel and Sarkozy refuse to contemplate because they do not want to see the end of their precious monetary union.
Here is a comment from Yannis Zabetakis, assistant professor at the University of Athens.
I am an assistant professor at the University of Athens and I also have two boys aged seven and five and I am worried about what their future holds. I am very puzzled and angry about the latest developments. The prime minister and his cabinet are asking people to make a decision on a highly unpopular policy that will affect this country for the next 10 to 20 years. The austerity measures have created unemployment and poverty and it will take a long time and drastic action to turn this around. We have a lost generation in Greece. Many of our young people feel they have no option but to migrate abroad just to find work. But following a path that leads to a referendum is a naive path. You are asking people to decide now policies that will change the lives of people in the future - when we have no idea about what is going on. What we really need are elections. Give people a true choice. This government was not elected to do this and so I think their actions are illegal. They are trying to legitimatise their actions.
Our experience of the last three years shows that the recipe they are making is all wrong and should not be continued. It is like they are milking us - the cash cow - to death through overtaxing and austerity. We need a bailout but the government is being immature. I think the prime minister has committed political suicide. His actions mean the good collaboration we had with the rest of the eurozone countries, with leaders such as Sarkozy, is gone. Everyone in this country has had to make changes to their life. My family's income has gone down by 20%. We are making sacrifices every day. I mean we even have to restrict the books we buy for our children. The worst thing is that people have lost their smiles, their humour, their optimism.
Another point of view from Vasiliki Vassiliades
I think that Prime Minister George Papandreou's decision to announce a referendum is actually quite a smart move. If money can be injected into the economy, then there will be hope. I'm 60 and I'm retired. I was looking for a job in the US where I was living but I couldn't find a role teaching English as a second language. I left the US because I believed that the EU would provide Greece with a bailout package and the situation would begin to get resolved” Earlier this year I decided to relocate to Greece so that I could save money and see if there were any opportunities here for me. I've renovated a family home we have here and am able to live rent-free. I also get a small stipend which I live off of. But my island is quite small and you see how Greece's austerity measures have affected everyone. Even here we have a lot of Albanians who work in the construction industry but many are heading back to Albania because there are no jobs here. I'm in a relatively good position but I honestly don't know how other people are coping.
As the world holds its breath, the political European elites are still in denial and seem set on the road to suicide.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Melbourne Cup 2011 goes to France
Our politicians didn’t want to miss the running of the Melbourne Cup today so they brought Question Time forward half an hour. Both sides are claiming it was their idea and that the other side didn’t want it, but the truth is, they all wanted it and at one minute to 3pm, the chamber was empty. I’m reminded of Alan Wilkie’s angst about problem gamblers and wonder if he placed a bet, if not, he would be one of the few people in the House today who didn’t.
The lucky Victorians get a public holiday on the first Tuesday in November but the rest of us have to work. Most employers allow a television to be brought into the office but workers are expected to get back to work as soon as the race is over.
Tony Abbott said he didn't want question time curtailed so "we suggested to the Government" that question time start early so people could listen to the Cup. "We were happy with that, we didn't want question time shortened but we were perfectly happy for it to start early," he told commercial radio.
But Anthony Albanese tweeted last week "I have proposed a rearrangement of business for Tue that would ensure the big race was taken into account – will finalise on Mon”. I wonder if there is another Parliament anywhere in the world who would rearrange their schedule around a horse race. Probably not. Julia Gillard had Manighar and Tony Abbott picked the winner Dunaden.
French Jockey Christophe Lemaire who only arrived in Melbourne 24 hours ago after Craig Williams lost an appeal to keep the ride, shed tears of joy when the judges told him he had beaten England’s Red Cadeaux by a nostril. The German horse Lucas Cranach was third. This is the second year in a row that France has taken home the big prize, this year $6.2 million. Jockey Lemaire will take home a minimum fee of $180,000 - five per cent of first prize money.