Damien Hooper's Aboriginal Flag T-shirt

Aboriginal boxer Damien Hooper loves his nan, Lillian Weribone, and wanted her to know. So when he marched with the Aussie team at the Opening Ceremony, he made a sign and held it up. His nan said "I cried my head off, it was unexpected and all the other family members were blubbering as well, win or lose, he's my champion."

Knowing that all his family and friends back home would be glued to the television, he wore a T-shirt with a picture of the Aboriginal flag on the front when he stepped into the ring.  But it went down like a lead balloon and was seen as a political statement and anything to do with politics is not allowed.

Hooper said "I'm Aboriginal and I'm representing my culture, not only my country, but all my people as well." He added "That's what I wanted  to do and I'm happy I did it."

Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter bans demonstrations or political, religious or racial propaganda at any Olympic venue.  IOC spokesman Damian Kelly said "He apologised to the team and said he would not wear it again."

Hooper won his first Olympic bout against American Marcus Browne 13-11.

Kathy Freeman carried both the Australian and Aboriginal Flags when she won gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.  I didn't see it as a slight against our flag then, and don't find Hooper's T-shirt offensive now, just two outstanding indigenous athletes being proud of who they are.

Brendan Lauritz - homeless financial planner

Brendan Lauritz was once a wealthy man who knows how it feels to hit "rock bottom."  He used to live the privileged life of a successful financial planner but lost everything, including his family and friends, when he made some bad investment choices.  For the past three years, he has been living in a small tent, hidden among the sand dunes at a Gold Coast beach.  .

When he lost his house, he started living out of his car, a BMW 5 Series, worth $130,000 but when it was repossessed, he was left on the street with all his worldly possessions - two bags and a doona.

Huddled under a picnic bench in the middle of the night during a howling storm, freezing cold and sopping wet, he realized it couldn't possibly get any worse.  He became depressed, anxious and at times, even paranoid.

He survives off Centrelink payments and has applied for 400 jobs without success but is optimistic about "coming back bigger than ever."  Every morning he gets up early, goes for a run, meditates and walks four kilometres to the local library and Rosies soup kitchen where he makes his big plans.  He bathes and washes his clothes in the ocean.

He's written a book about his ordeal called Working Backwards: From Miseree to Destin-ee to Happy-me and has a web site triggerdot.com

Andrew Forrest's gamble on the future

Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's Fortescue Metals Group is banking on iron ore prices remaining firm to pay down its debt as the company plans an expansion that will almost triple exports in the future. The iron ore price continued to slide towards $US117 per ton yesterday, 13 per cent lower than a fortnight ago and 38 per cent lower than last year's high of  $US190 per tonne.

Fortescue's debt will soon peak at $9 billion and if future forecasts are correct and the price averages $US135 per tonne over coming years, all will be well.  But JP Morgan's Lyndon Fagan wrote "If the benchmark price averages below $US115 per tonne for the next 18 months, FMG may need to look at funding options outside of debt."  He added "FMG's debt and cash flow would then be insufficient to complete the planned expansion."

A spokesman for Fortescue said "We are seeing a short term price reduction driven by a soft steel market and mills running down iron ore inventories as a result."  He thinks JP's Morgan's scenario is "highly unlikely" and expects the price to return to between US$120 and $US150 within a few months.

Fears of declining demand from China saw almost 20 per cent wiped off its share value over the past 12 days but closed 15 cents higher at $4.15, well below its $6 value back in April.

Twiggy Forrest is a generous man.  "I don't aspire to great wealth, I don't admire it and I don't intend to leave this earth a rich man" he said "I intend to give it away."  He has donated millions to Aboriginal causes and gave shares and options worth $80 million to The Australian Children's Trust, his Forrest Family Foundation.

http://australianchildrenstrust.org.au/

James Holmes and the Batman Massacre

When James Holmes failed an important oral exam at the University of Colorado, he went out and bought a high-powered rifle to add to his arsenal and three days later, dropped out of the neuroscience program without telling anyone why.

Now the experts are coming forward with theories of what's wrong with him and why he did it.  One such theory is from a psychologist who believes he is suffering from dormant schizophrenia that was triggered by the stress of failure.

But his premeditated planning of the massacre was calculated and deliberate and surely a man suffering from delusions couldn't have carried it off.    Even though he's been acting crazy, we get the impression it's not real.    He would know a lot about mental illness after completing his neuroscience degree last month and  pleading amnesia and spitting at his guards adds weight to the mentally ill argument.  Having to wear a Hannibal Lecter-type face guard makes him even more of a celebrity.

There has been a report that James was adopted and speculation about whether he snapped after failing to live up to his brilliant father's expectations.  Robert Holmes has an impressive pedigree going back to the Mayflower and is currently the senior lead scientist with the American credit score company FICO, the company most lenders use to determine a person's credit risk.

In a few weeks time, Robert Holmes is scheduled to testify before a Senate panel investigating a bank fraud scandal that could destabilize the Western banking system and people are wondering if his son's actions could be somehow linked to this event.

As expected, legal experts are tipping that Holmes's attorneys are likely to pursue an insanity defense.

Sharia law doesn't apply, UK doctor told

Dr Zaid Al-Saffar is a consultant rheumatologist at Scarborough Hospital in North Yorkshire and head of the Islamic Society in his town.  He is having trouble coming to terms with the British family law concept of "sharing" the wealth with one's former spouse in the event of divorce.  Under Sharia law, he doesn't have to pay his wife anything, but British law told him to pay his ex-wife, academic Hanan Al-Saffar, maintenance of sixty thousand pounds.

They married in the Islamic tradition of Mahr, where the groom gives his bride a gift and because of this, his wife signed away her half of the family home.  So even though the doctor owns the house outright, he still thinks there is no need to pay her maintenance because according to Islam, his wife's family is supposed to take on the responsibility of looking after her.  Therefore, he says the payments are illegitimate and family law in the UK is biased against Muslim people.


He made the payments for four months and stopped when he heard his wife had come into an inheritance from her father.  He decided to lodge an appeal and represented himself.  He told the judge his ex wife was very rich and didn't need the money.


It was left to Lord Justice Ward to put him right.  He said "The husband has kept the whole of the capital in the marital home and his wife has not received any of it.  Under those circumstances, the order for spousal maintenance was a perfectly proper and fair order to make."  He pointed out that his wife's inheritance did not reduce his obligation to make a proper contribution.   "The rule in this country is that you share and the starting point is equal division."  He urged him not to become "consumed by bitterness" and dismissed his case.


Muslim couples usually take their family disputes to sharia tribunals run by the local mosques and there are around 85 operating in Britain today.  But women may be disadvantaged if they agree to Islamic rules and that is why the divorce agreement must be rubber-stamped by a British court, to ensure that neither party is disadvantaged.


Once the agreement is submitted in writing to the family court, there is no need for the couple to attend court, and the great majority are approved without incident.

McDonalds growth down in Australia

McDonalds growth in Australia has been sliced in half.  The newly appointed Chief Executive, Don Thompson has been talking to US investors about how Australia is suffering from a lack of consumer confidence and what he's doing to try and fix it.  In March this year, McDonalds introduced their "Loose Change" menu which seems to be working well.


-Double Cheeseburger $2
-Chicken 'n' Cheese $2
-10 Pack McBites $2
-Garden Salad $2
-Small Fries $1
-Small Soft Drink $1
-Soft Serve Cone 30c


We know that many restaurants are failing as the cost of living bites hard, but it's a surprise to learn that some people have stopped buying their Happy Meals. At the release of the chain's second-quarter earnings, Mr Thompson said "Across this region, we are seeing fragile consumer confidence in Australia, Japan's uneven recovery and an economic downturn in China."


We have good reason to hang onto our money.  It's likely that Australia is headed for a recession and many believe we are already in the midst of one right now.   China's economy is slowing and Europe cannot possibly continue to borrow more and more money to stay afloat, it will all end in tears, one way or the other, and there is no doubt we will be affected by the fallout.


China's insatiable appetite for iron-ore allowed us to sail through the GFC but the golden years of the mining boom are almost over.  Household expenses, particularly electricity bills, have skyrocketed so badly that the Gillard government has put money in pensioner's bank accounts to compensate, and we are told there is worse to come.


The Reserve Bank Governor, who has earned a reputation of being a complete idiot, told us yesterday not to panic, we are doing just fine, but nobody believes him.  Nor does the American CE of McDonalds who said "We are positioning our market appropriately in this environment with strong value platforms to build traffic."

New Australian Cult

Another new cult has emerged in northern NSW, built on something that everyone seems to want - spiritual healing.  Serge Benhayon, a former tennis coach from Maroubra, has figured out an easy way to get rich quick by starting up a company called Universal Medicine, located in Lismore, once the Waccy Baccy capital of Australia.

With a name like Universal Medicine, one would assume that he has some medical qualifications but Serge admits he has none.  He sells three different "Eso-herbs" on line - Harmony, Re-balancing and Connection - for $40 a plastic tub.

He's in hot water with health authorities who are concerned that certain treatments are being subsidised by Medicare.  A physiotherapist, Kate Greenaway and psychologist Caroline Raphael, who both work at Universal Medicine, encourage patients to seek GP referrals for treatment and Medicare will reimburse two-thirds of the cost for long-term injuries.  Ms Greenaway offers "esoteric connective tissue therapy", a therapy created by Benhayon, that promises to improve energy flow "by allowing the pulse of the lymphatic system to symbiotically correspond with the body's own ensheathing web."

She said about 20 per cent of her clients were funded by Medicare and hundreds had experienced reduced pain as a result.  Her work includes "craniosacral massage" and even though it has no evidence-based scientific backing, Ms Greenaway found it very effective.

John Dwyer, former head of medicine at the University of NSW thinks it's rubbish and said "GP's might be sending a person in good faith to get  a legitimate therapy but what this person is getting is esoteric nonsense."

A statement from Medicare read "A Medicare benefit can only be paid where the service is rendered by an appropriate health practitioner and is 'clinically relevent' ....  It is up to the practitioner to determine whether a service they provide meets the criterial in the Medicare Benefits Schedule."

A former patient of Ms Greenaway who did not want to be named said "I went there because I felt so sick I could hardly walk" she said.  "After three sessions I was told my craniosacral pulse was getting better and my health was improving.  On the same day my doctor told me I had cancer.  I'm angry that really sick people might not be getting the treatment they need if they are believing what Serge tells them."


The director of Melbourne-based Cult Counselling Australia, Raphael Aron, is concerned about the treatments, especially the "esoteric breast massage" which claims to keep breast cancer at bay and "chakra-punture" offered by his sons Michael and Curtis for $70 an hour.  His daughter 22, claims to be able to talk to women's ovaries and also charges $70 an hour.  So the family business is going very well.


Serge owns six properties in the Lismore suburb of Goonellabah where the healing service is based and is also director of five companies associated with Universal Medicine including Fiery Investments Pty Ltd and Fiery Impulses Pty Ltd. 

Serge claims to have 1000 followers, mainly women and business is expanding, now in the UK. They call him 'The One' and believe him when he says he's the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci.

Serge had a brilliant idea that couldn't lose.  Gullible women looking for that elusive "something" missing from their lives have had their prayers answered and Serge was clever enough to put a name to it - he says his female students have merely discovered the "livingness of love" from his "esoteric way of life."

Universal Medicine is subject to three complaints to the Health Care Complaints Commission.

Child Psychopaths

Nature or nurture, it's an interesting, ongoing debate.  I want to believe that the love and affection we lavish on our children and the happy childhood we create for them is the reason they turn out to be happy well-adjusted adults, but I'm not convinced.   I think we are a product of our ancestors and it's all in the genes.

Professor Mark Dadds is a parenting expert from the University of NSW and last year, he published the results of his work in the British Journal of Psychiatry and the Journal of Child Psychiatry, suggesting that eye contact is vital in learning how to love others.

For five years he worked with children with a history of sustained rages, continual aggression, violence and cruelty to animals and he thinks the answer lies in the infant's inability to look into his mother's eyes and see the love.

A mother and her small son are in a playroom, watched by a researcher through a two-way mirror.  The phone rings and she is told "show him, in the way that seems most natural for you, that you love him."  She looks lovingly at her child and tells him, but the little boy won't return her gaze, he looks at her mouth where the words are coming from, but just doesn't understand what she means.

Professor Dadds' theory is that when babies gaze at their mothers, it's the fundamental moment that sets the stage for the development of empathy and morality in humans.

There is also a big difference between "hot" and "cold" children, he says.   The "hot" lash out with aggression but the smaller group of "cold" children don't react emotionally, care about others or show remorse.  "Cold" children did not return their mother's gaze and did not respond to her love.

His studies concluded:  The baby doesn't look into his mother's eyes, the mother never feels the baby's love, the toddler is remote, the mother is stressed, the child is aggressive, the parents are angry, the family fights all the time, the teen becomes aggressive and destructive and finally, the adult is callous and calculating as he is never understood or cared for the feelings of others.  

Today we have another view on the same theme.  The International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions are having a conference next week in Paris and a Sydney University psychologist, Dr David Hawes, will address the conference with his findings.  He believes that parents who maintained a "warm and emotionally engaged parenting style" could protect them from developing aggressive and anti-social behaviour later in life.

But how can you exhibit warm feelings towards a 4 year old boy when you discover that he has tortured the neighbour's kitten or hurt his baby sister so badly, she had to be treated in hospital. The parent would  automatically switch off the love, recognise they have a serious problem, and start praying for him to grow out of it.

Dr Hawes doesn't agree and said "The children's callous and unemotional traits cause parents to become harsher in their discipline and to emotionally disengage and this is the opposite of what parents should be doing."  Oh really Dr Hawes?  Good luck with that recommendation.

But he does concede that genes play an important part of our make-up. "Callous, unemotional traits are to a large extent under genetic control" he said "but they are also shaped by the parent-child relationship."  So, back to the nature versus nurture argument and square one.

Currently, there is no standard test for psychopathy in children.

Thomas Kelly's funeral today

Thomas Kelly and Josie Talite

On the 7th July 2012, 18-year-old Thomas Kelly was on his way to Josie Talite's 18th birthday party at Kings Cross.  He was walking hand-in-hand with his girlfriend on the street, excited about a fun night out with his friends, when he was fatally king-hit by a stranger.  His heart-broken parents turned his life-support system off two days later.

Late on Wednesday this week, Crime Stoppers got an anonymous call from a teenage footballer who allegedly saw what happened that night.  After an A-Grade Rugby League win at their western suburbs home ground, a small group headed to Kings Cross to celebrate.  One of the players was Kieran Loveridge, an 18 year old part time salesman, estranged from his parents, and described by his friends as a 'couch surfer'.

The anonymous young informer said he was moved by the television footage of his parents Ralph and Kathy Kelly, good, decent people, who had to come to terms with knowing that their beloved son just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After the phone call, Loveridge was placed under surveillance and the Assistant Commissioner of Police gave him a chance to give himself up, thinking he could be feeling guilty and ready to come forward.  He appealed to him via a news conference and said "It's only a matter of time before we come knocking at your door" but it didn't work, he had no intention of coming forward.

Detectives believe that Loveridge punched three other men that night in Kings Cross, all within the space of  three hours.  They spoke to other footballers who were with him that night, people he worked with and pored over his bank statements and phone records.  But when they finally had enough evidence to arrest him, he couldn't be found.

Then they got another tip-off.  Loveridge would be watching a training session of the Canberbury Bulldogs at Belmore oval and at 7.30pm on Wednesday night and that's where detectives arrested him and took him to Campsie police station.  He was charged with one count of murder and three counts of assault.  His football coach refused to comment.

Yesterday in court, Loveridge sat with his head down and appeared to weep when told that he wouldn't be going home.  His lawyer Sharon Ramsden said she would make an application for bail next week.

After his court appearance yesterday, one of his mates, a stocky youth in a hoodie and sunglasses, lunged at Channel 9 cameraman Mario Conti who then fell to the ground.  Witnesses said he hit his head as he fell on the concrete and he lay still, barely moving, until he was taken to Royal Prince Alfred hospital with head injuries.  His attacker was taken to Burwood police station, charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, refused bail and will appear in Parramatta Children's Court today.

Mario Conti

The Thomas Kelly murder has had a huge impact on everyone, especially parents.  You can't stop teenagers wanting to go to Kings Cross, it's part of growing up.  But there is no excuse for this mindless violence, bashing innocent kids for no reason, just for fun, and I hope the judge makes an example of this thug and puts him away for a very long time.  But knowing how the judicial system treats young offenders these days, bending over backwards to give them another chance, justice may not be done the way we would like it to be.

Thomas Kelly's funeral was held today at The Kings School chapel, North Parramatta.

Edit 9/11/2013:  Thomas Kelly killer sentence outrage: http://annamariacom.blogspot.com.au/

The Shire

Cronulla beach

Channel 10's The Shire premiered on Monday night and people haven't stopped talking about it ever since.  Cronulla locals are angry that most of the people who feature in the series are blow-ins and don't live in the area.   The Shire Mayor is furious and would like to ban it which only adds to its popularity.

The attempt by Channel 10 to shock audiences with their new so-called reality show has worked a treat.  Sophie and Vernesa stole the show, two girls who believe that looking good is what life is all about.  They are proud of their fake boobs, Botox injections and pumped-up lips and are totally oblivious of just how sad their view of life appears to ordinary folk.

Sophie lives and works in Rhodes and is planning to set up a fat-blasting business in the Shire and Vernesa works at Westfield, Miranda and lives at Lansvale.  But Ten's programming boss David Mott said it didn't matter, subjects could live, work or play in the shire and don't have to necessarily live there.

The other shock trump card was Beckaa, a part-time university student and daddy's little princess.  Picking her up from the airport in a limo rental when she returns from Dubai with a brand new nose job, we get to meet her father who didn't seem the least embarrassed about funding his daughter's lifestyle, giving her money to spend on designer clothes, cosmetic surgery or anything else her heart desires.  He might now be a known 'face' around town, but he falls way short of being a wise parent.

Apart from these three people, the rest of the cast are totally forgettable and appear to be actors following a script, which is not reality television at all.

Tony Gilham dies of a heart attack

Tony Gilham was devastated when two of the three appeal judges set his nephew free last month.  For almost 20 years, the civil engineer fought tooth and nail to prove that the story Jeffrey Gilham told the court about how his parents and his brother died was a lie.  The elation he must have felt when a jury found him guilty and sentenced him to a life in prison and then the shock of his release on appeal only a few weeks ago.

He was convinced that it was Jeffrey himself and not Christopher who murdered his brother and sister-in-law and then silenced his brother by killing him too.  And then came the straw that broke the camel's back - four days ago Jeffrey Gillham was finally given access to his $1 million inheritance that included the family home where Tony and his brothers, Stephen, Peter and Richard grew up.  He tried desperately to stop it but it was no use, the DPP told him they had withdrawn their attempt to seize it.

He felt so strongly about his nephew's guilt that he signed over his share of his Sunshine Coast home to his best friend Jenny Robb, who he was staying with, while he prepared for another appeal to the High Court. He wanted to make sure he had no assets left if the case went against him and was prepared to bankrupt himself rather than pay his nephew one cent in court costs.

Margaret Cunneen SC who prosecuted Jeffrey Gilham for his parents' murders in 2009 said "I have the utmost respect for him, in the face of the tragic loss of his three beloved family members, Mr Gilham had the strength of character, integrity and decency to apply all his energies towards honouring their lives."

At 4 am yesterday morning, paramedics were called to a house in Sydney south and fought in vain to revive him.  He was 60 years old.

Ricky Nixon's alleged knife assault on Tegan Gould

Last year, Ricky Nixon was involved in an incident that ruined his career and now he's in trouble again but this time, it's more serious.  Kim Duthie, a 17 year old school girl, claimed she had a sexual relationship with Nixon and that he used cocaine.  She handed over a video and audio recording of herself and Nixon in a hotel room but some time later, she withdrew her accusations and said she made it all up.

In March 2011, his company Flying Start, representing 45 AFL players, was banned from acting as player-manager for two years.  He pre-empted dismissal by standing down and released a statement.  "With the understanding and support of my family and close friends, I have decided to go to a rehabilitation clinic to seek treatment for a substance problem that has impacted on my life and my decision-making, particularly over the last eight weeks."

Early on Sunday morning, around 3am, his ex-fiance Tegan Gould 28,  made a frantic 000 call to police after he allegedly attacked her with a knife.  She was found cowering in a lane near the Port Melbourne apartment they used to share, with bruising to her face and neck.

Now the 49 year old Nixon is up on five charges - intentionally causing serious injury, false imprisonment, assault with a weapon, escaping lawful custody and resisting arrest.  He will appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 20.

Leanne Michelle Scott pokie addict jailed

Leanne Michelle Scott 42, is a poker machine addict who stole $800,000 from two employers over seven years.  Although she takes full responsibility for her actions, she feels that staff at the three venues where she gambled so much money away, should have approached her to ask if she had a gambling problem.

Dream on Miss Scott, it's never going to happen, you are a big girl who never expected to get caught, nobody held a gun to your head and the sympathy you can expect to get is zero.  A bit harsh?  Probably, but she pursued a path she must have known would end in tears, and crying about it when she got caught just doesn't wash.

Gambling has been firmly embedded in our culture since Adam was a boy.  We bet on anything, sporting events, political elections, two flies crawling up a wall, you name it.  And it's not only poker machines in pubs and clubs that are a problem, you can gamble your life away sitting at your computer at home 24/7.

Andrew Wilkie tried in vain to do something but he was naive in my view, the more people gamble, the more taxes get paid to state governments.  "The state government rakes in close to $1 million in gambling taxes day after day" South Australian Senator Nick Xenophone said yesterday, so things are unlikely to change.

Scott pleaded guilty to 41 counts of theft but admitted to another 195 incidents.  She created false employee expense claims and fake customer accounts and siphoned off the money into her account.    She played the poker machines at three Adelaide hotels and said "Why is it that while I was losing $1,000 and $2,000 every night, and being at the machines for hours on end, no one approached me to ask if I had a gambling problem?"  She went on "I'm not here to make excuses, I just want to warn people that it could happen to anyone."

Magistrate Bob Harrap said the offence was too serious for a suspended sentence and imposed a six year jail term with a two year non-parole period.  He was convinced of her genuine remorse and contrition by her honest account of how she stole the money and her guilty plea.

"Upon your release from custody, you will find yourself without employment and will struggle to find work and you will not have a house to go back to, I accept that" he said. "I am particularly conscious of the impact upon your relationship with your daughter."  The court heard how Scott agreed to sell her house and surrender the profits but she only had $20,000 equity to offer.

Australian Hotels Association chief executive Ian Horne said the government and the gaming industry spent $6 million every year on services to help problem gamblers which is a pathetic amount of money given by an industry worth billions.  "Leanne never sought those services and we wish she had" her father said.

Meanwhile Southern Cross University's Dr Sally Gainsbury surveyed 6680 people on gambling, 2270 were internet gamblers and of those, 450 called themselves 'problem gamblers'.  Their losses averaged out at $825 a month.

Gina Rinehart has jobs that nobody wants

Gina Rinehart gets a lot of bad publicity and suffers from our "tall poppy syndrome" - off with her head.  It could be because she's the richest woman in the world, yet refuses to release an inheritance her father left her four adult children or it could be just green-eyed jealousy, she's got it and we haven't.  And when she said she was going to bring in 1700 foreign workers for her Roy Hill mine, we thought she was doing it to save money by paying them less and doing Aussies out of a job.

But Ms Rinehart says her main focus is giving Australians jobs and the figures are pretty convincing.  There was plenty of work on offer at her $9.5 billion Roy Hill mine, but not enough Aussies responded to positions available in the remote, hot area of the Pilbara.  Job turnover is very high so she decided to build a dream village with first-class facilities that will attract and keep good workers on the job.

She's bringing in 1715 temporary foreign workers to help build her dream that will take three years to complete.  Workers will spend four weeks at Roy Hill and fly to Perth for a week off with the same pay and conditions as local construction workers.  Another 6,785 Australians will work on construction and there will be 200 training places.  Roy Hill will also employ 2,000 local workers for the next twenty years.  That's pretty impressive and the size of the project is mind boggling with so much work to be done.

Dongas in Port Hedland caravan park 2009

She intends to build an airport within nine months that will take passenger jets up to 737 in size.  Remote rail gangs will build 340 kilometres of rail line to carry 55 million tonnes of iron ore every year from the mine to Port Hedland where a new port will be built.  GPS will control the driverless rail trucks.

The WA Chamber of Commerce said very few workers in the eastern states took up opportunities in WA mines.  A recent federal government $9000 relocation grant attracted only 496 people to move to WA for work, and just 48 people from the eastern states.  A Chamber spokesman said "WA is the growth area of the economy and there are some fantastic opportunities for interstate workers to come to a dynamic and growing state that welcomes skilled workers with open arms."

Skilled foreign workers already working in WA mines come from UK, Ireland, The Philippines, US, India, South Africa, China and Canada.  This year, the WA mining industry will need almost 120,000 workers and the Pilbara will need an extra 34,000.  A fly-in fly-out welder can earn $100,000-$140,000 a year, an engineer $125,000-170,000 and a manager $280,000-$285,000.

Gone are the old "dongas" or dog boxes workers had to put up with in the old days.  Right now Roy Hill has an impressive bar with spectacular views over the Chichester Range and rooms have flatscreen TVs, Foxtel and  ensuite bathroom.  There is also a well equipped gym and the dining room is stocked with fresh fruit and salads.

If you have ever been to that part of our country, you know the problem, you couldn't possibly live there.  But if Ms Rinehart and other big miners want to create a comfortable oasis in the desert, who knows what the future holds for this massive industry that keeps our economy ticking along so very nicely.

Ernest Borgnine dies

Ernest Borgnine, nick-named Mr Ugly, has died, at age 95.  Not the most handsome man in the world but he loved women and they seemed to love him, for a while.  He was married five times, twice to movie stars, four years to High Noon actress Katy Jurado and 32 days to Broadway queen Ethel Merman.

He had a face that was instantly recognizable and some would say it was a face that only a mother could love.  He admitted to having a fierce temper and his emotional outbursts on screen were brilliant and memorable.  His performance as the thuggish sergeant who beats Frank Sinatra to death in From Here to Eternity was made for him.  His acting was so realistic, a group of young hoods threatened him one night in New York.  "Hey, you're that guy who killed Sinatra" they said and he only escaped injury when he spoke to them in Italian and convinced them that it was only a movie.

He won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Marty, an ugly, unhappy butcher with no social life who desperately wanted a girlfriend.  He tells his mother "There comes a point in a guy's life when he's gotta face some facts and one fact I gotta face is that whatever it is that women like, I ain't got it."  The romantic theme of the low-budget film was a surprise hit and won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival and four academy awards.  He once said "The Oscar made me a star and I'm grateful but I feel had I not won it, I wouldn't have got into the messes I did in my personal life."

Grace Kelly presents the Oscar in 1956

His first marriage ended when Katy Jurado accused him of kicking her when she asked for more money to live on.  'He hit me all the time' but added "I love him very much."  Borgnine alleged in the divorce that it was his wife who had been cruel to him.  Referring to the physical fights they used to have during their marriage, Jurado said "He's Italian and I'm Mexican, and that's the way we Latins behave."

Katy Jurado

Ethel Merman, the queen of Broadway, was seven years older than Borgnine when they married.  She was known as 'Hitler' by the dancers in her shows because of her bossy and controlling manner.  Borgnine said at the time "This will last forever, you can bet your last dime on it."  But not long after, Merman said to her friend Lucille Ball "Ernie has the most terrible temper, when he's mad, he smashes everything in sight, I can't live like that."  Borgnine said "I was married to her for 32 days, and that was enough."

Ethel Merman

In 1973, Borgnine married for the fifth time to Norwegian-born Tova Traesnaes who owned a beauty salon in Las Vegas.  She was 24 years his junior.  He finally found his soul mate and they were married for 38 years.  He said recently "It has lasted longer than all my marriages put together - American women have a tendency to become the trouser-wearers of the family but Tova is modest and gentle."

  




Ermes Efron Borgnino joined the Navy in 1935 and served on a destroyer during WW II.  He also played some of the most memorable roles in the history of Hollywood.

Katie Holmes free at last

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have reached a quick divorce settlement.  Cruise must have seen the writing on the wall when it became obvious that the media was on Katie's side.  He was clever enough to realize that the general public were against him sending Suri to Sea Org to initiate her into Scientology and in order to prevent any more damage being done to his sinister sect, he gave Katie what she wanted - primary custody of Suri.

"The case has been settled and the agreement has been signed" Katie's attorney Jonathan Wolfe said in a statement.  "We are thrilled for Katie and her family and are excited to watch as she embarks on the next chapter of her life."  He added "We thank Tom's counsel for their professionalism and diligence that helped bring about this speedy resolution."

It must have been difficult for Katie to cut the ties of Scientology because every person Tom employs is a Scientologist and so are many of their friends and acquaintances.  She insisted that Suri's nanny and bodyguards accompany her when ever she visits Tom and from now on, she will not be exposed to anything related to Scientology which includes going to birthday parties of people associated with the weird, so-called church that has nothing to do with religion, yet is able to function in Australia and America tax free.

Katie's parents are delighted to "have their little girl back" where she belongs, in a world where L Ron Hubbard and Xenu don't exist, nor do his people who came to earth 75 million years ago from outer space to attach themselves to human beings, causing them spiritual harm.

Cruise's best friend, Scientology Chairman of the Board, David Miscavige, is reported to have chosen Katie Holmes as his third wife and was best man at his wedding.  His wife Shelly, also a high ranking Scientologist, hasn't been seen since 2006 after she filled job vacancies without her husband's permission and nobody knows where she is.

Miscavige's choice of wife for Tom has backfired, she didn't turn out to be a naive little girl who wouldn't rock the boat, and he didn't take into account that her father was a smart lawyer who, once he saw that his daughter wanted out, he sprang into action.  Nice try fellas, but the game's up, it's all over.

Shane Warne buys English country estate

Shane Warne and Liz Hurley have bought a country estate set on 187 acres.  It's the magnificent Donnington Hall, the historic mansion on the border of Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.  It has 13 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, four cottages, stables, tennis courts and a private lake.

The real estate agent who sold the property refuses to confirm or deny that the celebrity couple are the new owners and that the selling price was six million pounds.

Last week, Warne, Hurley and their children gathered together at a Richmond charity game and judging by the pictures, everyone had a wonderful time.

While Warne, his son Jackson and Hurley's son Damien played cricket, Hurley and Shane's daughters Summer and Brooke bonded on the sidelines with other family and celebrity friends like Jemima Khan.

Stilnox banned for Australian Olympic athletes

Stilnox has a bad reputation.   A few years ago, horror stories were being told about how people using the sleeping pill were doing bizarre things in the middle of the night and having no memory of it the next day.  One woman cooked a complete baked dinner over a few hours, a man went driving in his car and sleep-walking was common.

Horrified, I did an article about Stilnox and the effects it was having on some people, and a women who was a chronic insomniac told me to stop knocking the drug because it had saved her life.  Her insomnia got so bad, when her GP prescribed her the drug, for the first time in years she went to bed and slept the whole night through.

Being able to go to bed and sleep is supposed to be a normal human function but it isn't for many.  Imagine lying awake night after night, longing for sleep that won't come, and reaching over to turn off the alarm clock, still wide awake at 6 am as you watch another dawn break outside your window.  You become afraid of going to bed, knowing that tomorrow morning you have to present yourself bright eyed and bushy tailed at the office, but knowing you will be red-eyed, incredibly depressed and desperately tired.

Grant Hackett's former coach Denis Cotterell is adamant that Stilnox cost him a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.  He was carrying the heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders, no swimmer had ever won the same event at three successive Olympics, and it was expected that he would be written into the history books.

There are two conflicting accounts of what happened to Hackett in the final.  According to Cotterell, he  began to panic when he got to Beijing because his speed times had deserted him.  "He couldn't sleep so he took Stilnox to settle his nerves" Cotterell said.  "For sure that contributed to his lack of clarity in the 1500m final, I've got no doubts about that."

But another source said that Hackett's poor performance was the fault of team officials who banned him from using Stilnox after he began sleepwalking around the Olympic village.  So was Hackett hung over from the effects of the drug or simply shattered from being deprived of his sleeping pill?

The champion swimmer said he was given the drug by officials, but always under the supervision of a team doctor or GP.  He admits he overused Stilnox and eventually became heavily reliant on them.  "At one point they scared me" Hackett said "They're evil."

Not according to an anonymous elite NRL player who was appalled that the Olympic committee has banned the drug just weeks out from the Olympics.  He said he and a lot of other NRL players take Stilnox. "After a big game with all the adrenalin and energy drinks and the emotion that comes with it, I can be staring at the ceiling until 6 o'clock in the morning.  It's impossible to get a good nights sleep without Stilnox and your whole week can be thrown out."

Another NRL top player said "They are fantastic, the great thing about Stilnox is that you don't get that hung over affect, it just puts you to sleep, that's why they are so great."

Rightly or wrongly, Australian athletes at the London games will be banned from using Stilnox or other drugs like it.

Catholic Church Sexual Abuse 4 Corners Program

Even though the Catholic church acknowledges that paedophile priests have ruined the lives of innocent children, Cardinal Pell still refuses to entertain any talk of an independent inquiry.   And we know why - it's because the church has been doing a very unsatisfactory job of investigating themselves.

The 4 Corners report on Monday night was a shocking account of how Catholic priests have been raping children for years, secure in the knowledge that their church will protect them.  The worst that could happen was a wrap over the knuckles and a transfer to another school where they would continue molesting innocents.  Innocents who were so badly damaged by these followers of Jesus Christ, they grew up to be drug addicts and victims of suicide.  In just one state alone, Victoria, confidential police reports have detailed suicides of at least 40 people sexually abused by Catholic priests.

And it wasn't only the child that suffered, to see the pain in the faces of their parents and their siblings - good people who believed that the Catholic church was an honourable institution and couldn't understand why their child suddenly didn't want to go to Mass anymore.

Cardinal Pell told 4 Corners "What ever the facts are, we have to face up to them."  But he insists that the church is in the best position to deal with the victims.  Not true, there has not been one single case where the church has referred a paedophile priest to police for prosecution.

Since 2007, the Catholic church is not legally responsible for the actions of its priests, so you can't sue the church, just the priest, but what's the point of suing a man who has no assets?

There are many good Catholics in the Australian Labor Party and they, among others, are now calling for a national inquiry or a Royal Commission and the church will fight tooth and nail to stop it.  Surely they must see that the only way for the church to reclaim any credibility and move forward, is to allow the inquiry to go ahead and give it their full co-operation.

On 27 May 1993, we saw George Pell, then a Bishop, walking side by side with a priest who was headed to court to face charges of sexual abuse.  He wanted to show his support for one of Australia's worst sexual offenders, Father Gerald Francis Risdale.  There was no one from the church to show support for the victims.   Those old enough to remember, will never forget.