Monday, April 28, 2008
Quote of the Moment:
"You're promoted by who you pray with."
Retired US Air Force officer Mikey Weinstein, who says that he has been contacted by more than 5,500 service members or their families about incidents of religious discrimination. Incidents include a sergeant who told a lower-ranking soldier that he would 'bust him in the mouth' for not believing in God.
"You're promoted by who you pray with."
Retired US Air Force officer Mikey Weinstein, who says that he has been contacted by more than 5,500 service members or their families about incidents of religious discrimination. Incidents include a sergeant who told a lower-ranking soldier that he would 'bust him in the mouth' for not believing in God.
Two Aboriginals froze to death last winter in Kalgoorlie and more will die this year if emergency housing is not built, a local doctor has warned the Federal Government.
Homelessness among Aborigines is a serious problem in the West Australian mining town, where rents have been driven up by the resources boom and there is a critical lack of public housing, said Christine Jeffries-Stokes, a Kalgoorlie pediatrician.
Some indigenous people sleep rough in the bush or in Boulder Camp, a string of tin sheds and a tap on the edge of the mining town.
"It's not safe and it's not fit for humans," Dr Jeffries-Stokes said of the filthy conditions. "People are dying of the cold and catching pneumonia and other infections. In the winter we often have two or three (funerals) a week. You're talking about a population of about 3000 people, so that's an awful lot of funerals."
(Source: The Age)
Homelessness among Aborigines is a serious problem in the West Australian mining town, where rents have been driven up by the resources boom and there is a critical lack of public housing, said Christine Jeffries-Stokes, a Kalgoorlie pediatrician.
Some indigenous people sleep rough in the bush or in Boulder Camp, a string of tin sheds and a tap on the edge of the mining town.
"It's not safe and it's not fit for humans," Dr Jeffries-Stokes said of the filthy conditions. "People are dying of the cold and catching pneumonia and other infections. In the winter we often have two or three (funerals) a week. You're talking about a population of about 3000 people, so that's an awful lot of funerals."
(Source: The Age)
CIA agents trying to thwart terrorist attacks can legally use interrogation methods prohibited under international law, according to the US Justice Department.
A letter sent by the Justice Department to Congress in March makes a distinction between acts "undertaken to prevent a threatened terrorist attack" and those undertaken "for the purpose of humiliation or abuse."
Scott Silliman, who teaches national security law at Duke University, said that "what they are saying is that if my intent is to defend the United States rather than to humiliate you, than I have not committed an offence."
(Source: The Age).
A letter sent by the Justice Department to Congress in March makes a distinction between acts "undertaken to prevent a threatened terrorist attack" and those undertaken "for the purpose of humiliation or abuse."
Scott Silliman, who teaches national security law at Duke University, said that "what they are saying is that if my intent is to defend the United States rather than to humiliate you, than I have not committed an offence."
(Source: The Age).
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Hundreds of mentally ill patients will be forced to quit smoking under new regulations.
Mental health hospitals are moving to ban smoking outdoors as well as indoors.
The Mental Health Co-ordinating Council said in a submission that nicotine withdrawal imposed extra stress on very sick patients.
"It targets a particularly vulnerable section of the community with bans that the Government will not impose on the larger community," the submission said. "It imposes a disproportionate level of suffering on those who are already suffering enough."
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
Mental health hospitals are moving to ban smoking outdoors as well as indoors.
The Mental Health Co-ordinating Council said in a submission that nicotine withdrawal imposed extra stress on very sick patients.
"It targets a particularly vulnerable section of the community with bans that the Government will not impose on the larger community," the submission said. "It imposes a disproportionate level of suffering on those who are already suffering enough."
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
A British court has ruled that banks have been charging overly high penalty fees.
In a case between the British Office of Fair Trading and eight banks, the High Court ruled this week that all such fees must be in line with the cost to the bank of the customers' error.
Customers in Australia can be penalised up to $50 by banks for relatively minor transgressions, such as attempting to deposit a cheque which bounces.
The Consumer Action Law Centre has estimated these penalties can be between 64 and 92 times the true cost to the bank.
Customers in Britain have been refunded more than 500 million pounds (1 billion Australian dollars) from contesting these fees and the High Court case ultimately may mean banks will be forced to refund an estimated 9 billion pounds more.
Gordon Renouf from the consumer group Choice described it as "a huge win for UK bank customers."
However he said that no similar case has been tried here because Australian banks were less willing to co-operate in a test case.
"In Australia it has been left to individual consumers to take on the banks by themselves which is a ridiculous David-and-Goliath-style situation" he said.
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
In a case between the British Office of Fair Trading and eight banks, the High Court ruled this week that all such fees must be in line with the cost to the bank of the customers' error.
Customers in Australia can be penalised up to $50 by banks for relatively minor transgressions, such as attempting to deposit a cheque which bounces.
The Consumer Action Law Centre has estimated these penalties can be between 64 and 92 times the true cost to the bank.
Customers in Britain have been refunded more than 500 million pounds (1 billion Australian dollars) from contesting these fees and the High Court case ultimately may mean banks will be forced to refund an estimated 9 billion pounds more.
Gordon Renouf from the consumer group Choice described it as "a huge win for UK bank customers."
However he said that no similar case has been tried here because Australian banks were less willing to co-operate in a test case.
"In Australia it has been left to individual consumers to take on the banks by themselves which is a ridiculous David-and-Goliath-style situation" he said.
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
The federal government has awarded a $60,000 contract to a company owned by a Minister's adviser - without any competitive tendering process.
The contract to manage the media at the 2020 Summit was awarded to CMAX Communications. Australian Securities and Investment Commission records show that the company is wholly owned by Christian Taubenschlag, the media adviser of Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon. The company is run by his wife Tara.
(Source: The Age)
The contract to manage the media at the 2020 Summit was awarded to CMAX Communications. Australian Securities and Investment Commission records show that the company is wholly owned by Christian Taubenschlag, the media adviser of Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon. The company is run by his wife Tara.
(Source: The Age)
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Companies would be allowed to intercept employees' emails without their consent under legislation proposed by the federal government.
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland says that he is considering the legislation, on the grounds that it would curb attacks from hackers and terrorists.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that "I promise we are not interested in the email you send out about who did what at the Christmas party."
However Dale Clapperton of Electronic Frontiers Australia claimed that "a network supervisor in a company or local government authority may not have the same honourable intentions."
Asha Rao, an information security expert at RMIT University in Melbourne, said the policy was little more than a Band-Aid to a more pervasive problem. "Basically, these companies need to get their information systems up to scratch," said Dr Rao. "I'm worried that this law removes the onus from companies to have up-to-date security systems."
Another leading information technology expert, who asked to remain anonymous because he had work pending with the Government on cyber-security, said that viruses and other threats to computer security are "growing faster than anyone can catch them." He added that "these sectors need to build new systems that are independent of the internet."
However, he said, "that's going to cost a lot of money".
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland says that he is considering the legislation, on the grounds that it would curb attacks from hackers and terrorists.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that "I promise we are not interested in the email you send out about who did what at the Christmas party."
However Dale Clapperton of Electronic Frontiers Australia claimed that "a network supervisor in a company or local government authority may not have the same honourable intentions."
Asha Rao, an information security expert at RMIT University in Melbourne, said the policy was little more than a Band-Aid to a more pervasive problem. "Basically, these companies need to get their information systems up to scratch," said Dr Rao. "I'm worried that this law removes the onus from companies to have up-to-date security systems."
Another leading information technology expert, who asked to remain anonymous because he had work pending with the Government on cyber-security, said that viruses and other threats to computer security are "growing faster than anyone can catch them." He added that "these sectors need to build new systems that are independent of the internet."
However, he said, "that's going to cost a lot of money".
(Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
Melbourne Lord Mayor John So appeared in advertisements costing a total of $800,000 of public money over three years.
The council paid for a series of television ads between 2005 and 2007, along with weekly ads in local newspapers and magazines published by a former colleague of the Lord Mayor.
The Lord Mayor claims that he thought many of them were free because they were "community announcements" promoting Melbourne.
(Source: The Age)
The council paid for a series of television ads between 2005 and 2007, along with weekly ads in local newspapers and magazines published by a former colleague of the Lord Mayor.
The Lord Mayor claims that he thought many of them were free because they were "community announcements" promoting Melbourne.
(Source: The Age)
A government enquiry has heard that Aboriginal children were used as 'guinea pigs' in medical experiments.
Kathleen Mills from the Stolen Generations Alliance told a Senate enquiry that the Australian public did not know the full extent of what happened to some children who were taken from their parents and institutionalised under removal policies.
She also said that efforts to obtain records that support the claims, such as that children were injected with serums to gauge their reaction to the medication, had been hampered.
"These are the things that have not been spoken about," Ms Mills told the inquiry. "As well as being taken away, they were used...There are a lot of things that Australia does not know about."
Outside the inquiry, Ms Mills said her uncle had been a medical orderly at the Kahlin Compound in Darwin. She said he told her that children were used as "guinea pigs" for leprosy treatments in about the 1920s.
"He said it made our people very, very ill...the treatment almost killed them," she said.
"It was a common experience and a common practice...People are very inhibited to speak about their experience and it is not a nice subject...I don't want them to be shamed."
At least one similar experiment was carried out in the United States. Up until 1972, the 'Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male' involved withholding treatment for syphilis from 399 black men in order to study the progress of the disease. By the end of the study, nearly half of the men had died of syphilis or related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected, and 19 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis.
(Source: The Age, Wikipedia)
Kathleen Mills from the Stolen Generations Alliance told a Senate enquiry that the Australian public did not know the full extent of what happened to some children who were taken from their parents and institutionalised under removal policies.
She also said that efforts to obtain records that support the claims, such as that children were injected with serums to gauge their reaction to the medication, had been hampered.
"These are the things that have not been spoken about," Ms Mills told the inquiry. "As well as being taken away, they were used...There are a lot of things that Australia does not know about."
Outside the inquiry, Ms Mills said her uncle had been a medical orderly at the Kahlin Compound in Darwin. She said he told her that children were used as "guinea pigs" for leprosy treatments in about the 1920s.
"He said it made our people very, very ill...the treatment almost killed them," she said.
"It was a common experience and a common practice...People are very inhibited to speak about their experience and it is not a nice subject...I don't want them to be shamed."
At least one similar experiment was carried out in the United States. Up until 1972, the 'Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male' involved withholding treatment for syphilis from 399 black men in order to study the progress of the disease. By the end of the study, nearly half of the men had died of syphilis or related complications, 40 of their wives had been infected, and 19 of their children had been born with congenital syphilis.
(Source: The Age, Wikipedia)
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
The Iraqi government says that the United States has renewed a contract with a company whose employees were responsible for an unprovoked massacre.
The US State Department has renewed its contract with the Blackwater firm. The Iraqi government says they were not consulted.
The Iraqi government claims that Blackwater employees shot and killed 17 people, including women and children, on September 16 at Baghdad's Nusoor Square.
Survivors and victims' family members allege Blackwater guards started shooting without provocation. Blackwater says armed insurgents attacked its employees.
An Iraqi investigation accused the guards of committing "premeditated murder." The FBI also is investigating.
Under a provision put in place early during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Blackwater and similar companies operating in Iraq have total immunity from Iraqi law.
Although Blackwater is officially a security firm and its employees officially guards, their role is closer to soldiers. Their website lists job opportunities including "defensive marksman", and jobs for "former U.S. Military Personnel with a minimum of 8 years active duty. Service must have included a significant amount of experience in the Special Operations community."
(Source: CNN website [US], Blackwater website)
The US State Department has renewed its contract with the Blackwater firm. The Iraqi government says they were not consulted.
The Iraqi government claims that Blackwater employees shot and killed 17 people, including women and children, on September 16 at Baghdad's Nusoor Square.
Survivors and victims' family members allege Blackwater guards started shooting without provocation. Blackwater says armed insurgents attacked its employees.
An Iraqi investigation accused the guards of committing "premeditated murder." The FBI also is investigating.
Under a provision put in place early during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Blackwater and similar companies operating in Iraq have total immunity from Iraqi law.
Although Blackwater is officially a security firm and its employees officially guards, their role is closer to soldiers. Their website lists job opportunities including "defensive marksman", and jobs for "former U.S. Military Personnel with a minimum of 8 years active duty. Service must have included a significant amount of experience in the Special Operations community."
(Source: CNN website [US], Blackwater website)
Sunday, April 06, 2008
A report written for the US military has recommended "clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers" to promote the US government's views, including hiring bloggers to "verbally attack" particular targets.
The report for the Joint Special Operations University wrote that "information strategists can consider clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers or other persons of prominence...to pass the U.S. message..."
"Sometimes numbers can be effective; hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering."
It cautioned that "such operations can have a blowback effect, as witnessed by the public reaction following revelations that the U.S. military had paid journalists to publish stories in the Iraqi press under their own names."
The report also looks at hostile blogs, such as those who actively aid anti-US forces - but also including those who merely promote "a message that is antithetical to U.S. interests".
"The initial reaction may be to take down the site, but this is problematic in that doing so does not guarantee that the site will remain down."
(Source: wired.com)
The report for the Joint Special Operations University wrote that "information strategists can consider clandestinely recruiting or hiring prominent bloggers or other persons of prominence...to pass the U.S. message..."
"Sometimes numbers can be effective; hiring a block of bloggers to verbally attack a specific person or promote a specific message may be worth considering."
It cautioned that "such operations can have a blowback effect, as witnessed by the public reaction following revelations that the U.S. military had paid journalists to publish stories in the Iraqi press under their own names."
The report also looks at hostile blogs, such as those who actively aid anti-US forces - but also including those who merely promote "a message that is antithetical to U.S. interests".
"The initial reaction may be to take down the site, but this is problematic in that doing so does not guarantee that the site will remain down."
(Source: wired.com)
Thursday, April 03, 2008
More than half the patients in New South Wales hospitals are malnourished, according to dietitians working in public health.
The special commission of inquiry into acute care services at state hospitals heard from Joanne Prendergast and Rhonda Matthews, from the Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service.
Ms Matthews led a one-year study that concluded last September. It found 51 per cent of all patients had some degree of malnutrition in NSW hospitals.
Ms Matthews and Prendergast told the inquiry that they had no input into what foods were served to patients, and that no dietitians were involved at the Department Of Health, which developed hospital menus.
They also said that many patients are given packaged food which they're unable to open.
Rhonda Matthews, a dietitian at Royal North Shore, told the inquiry the standard of food was frequently described as "atrocious" and "absolutely appalling".
Ms Matthews said it was very difficult to get meals outside the normal serving times. She said nurses were lucky if they found "a few pieces of bread".
"Because it's been divorced from clinical care and it's being seen very much as a business unit."
(Source: The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald)
The special commission of inquiry into acute care services at state hospitals heard from Joanne Prendergast and Rhonda Matthews, from the Northern Sydney and Central Coast Area Health Service.
Ms Matthews led a one-year study that concluded last September. It found 51 per cent of all patients had some degree of malnutrition in NSW hospitals.
Ms Matthews and Prendergast told the inquiry that they had no input into what foods were served to patients, and that no dietitians were involved at the Department Of Health, which developed hospital menus.
They also said that many patients are given packaged food which they're unable to open.
Rhonda Matthews, a dietitian at Royal North Shore, told the inquiry the standard of food was frequently described as "atrocious" and "absolutely appalling".
Ms Matthews said it was very difficult to get meals outside the normal serving times. She said nurses were lucky if they found "a few pieces of bread".
"Because it's been divorced from clinical care and it's being seen very much as a business unit."
(Source: The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald)
A growing number of doctors are ordering unnecessary tests and even performing unnecessary surgery, according to the watchdog on abuse of the Medicare system.
In its latest review, the Federal Government's Professional Services Review has reported "disturbing cases" of pathology and diagnostic imaging tests being ordered by doctors without any clinical basis.
The report also found a rise in inappropriate practice in skin clinics, including doctors removing benign lesions, performing skin repairs of marginal benefit to patients and claiming lesions were bigger than they really were when billing Medicare.
Doctors were ordered to repay Medicare a total of more than $1.7 million in the 2006-7 financial year. The figure in the 2005-6 year was $1.3 million.
(Source: The Age)
In its latest review, the Federal Government's Professional Services Review has reported "disturbing cases" of pathology and diagnostic imaging tests being ordered by doctors without any clinical basis.
The report also found a rise in inappropriate practice in skin clinics, including doctors removing benign lesions, performing skin repairs of marginal benefit to patients and claiming lesions were bigger than they really were when billing Medicare.
Doctors were ordered to repay Medicare a total of more than $1.7 million in the 2006-7 financial year. The figure in the 2005-6 year was $1.3 million.
(Source: The Age)
A Victorian judge has described a 13 year old girl as a "willing party" in sex with a man over twice her age.
County Court judge William White also described the girl as "compliant" when sentencing 28 year old Nicholas Reuben.
Reuben was caught after he began chatting on the internet with an undercover police officer pretending to be a 14 year old girl. He offered the officer an iPod and a mobile phone if she would have sex with him.
Police seized his computer and found 2000 images of child pornography, including naked pictures of the 13 year old, as well as a DVD with about 100 child-pornography films.
Legally, children under 16 are considered unable to consent to sex.
(Source: The Age)
County Court judge William White also described the girl as "compliant" when sentencing 28 year old Nicholas Reuben.
Reuben was caught after he began chatting on the internet with an undercover police officer pretending to be a 14 year old girl. He offered the officer an iPod and a mobile phone if she would have sex with him.
Police seized his computer and found 2000 images of child pornography, including naked pictures of the 13 year old, as well as a DVD with about 100 child-pornography films.
Legally, children under 16 are considered unable to consent to sex.
(Source: The Age)
