Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mother raped in front of son after a Carols by Candlelight Service

Sometimes you read news that shocks you. This is one of them.

As to why Australians don't want to vote for a politician who is tough on crime, I don't really know. Some say they are just soft-hearted on crime - society/ both sides are to blame sort of bullshit. I blame it on the marijuana smoking. :)


Rapist Mark James Dennis jailed for 18 years for attacks
January 30, 2009 03:47pm

A SYDNEY man who raped a woman in front of her four-year-old son before igniting the gunpowder he had poured into her eyes, has been sentenced to at least 18 years in prison.

Mark James Dennis will serve up to 24 years in prison, after being found guilty of 13 sex and robbery charges, including rape and indecent assault.

The 38-year-old, of Tregear, in Sydney's west, admitted abducting and sexually assaulting a woman and a schoolgirl at knifepoint in separate attacks in Sydney's southwest in 2003 and 2005.

In one attack, a 26-year old woman was raped in front of her four-year-old son on their way home from a Carols by Candlelight service at Liverpool.

Dennis then put gunpowder on her eyes and ignited it, so she could not see him walking away.

It was an act Judge Penelope Hock, sitting in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, described as "gratuitous cruelty or a form of torture".

"This offence is so abhorrent that a substantial sentence must be imposed," she said.

Dennis will become eligible for parole on November 2, 2023, taking into account time already served.

43C - another very hot day

The weather is 43C today. Yesterday was 44+

Next week its going to be in the high to mid 30s. And we still haven't had a decent day of rain for about 3 weeks.

And we haven't come into February yet.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Mother raped in front of son after a Carols by Candlelight Service

Sometimes you read news that shocks you. This is one of them.

As to why Australians don't want to vote for a politician who is tough on crime, I don't really know. Some say they are just soft-hearted and want to believe its society's fault/ both sides are to blame/ takes2toTango sort of bullshit. I blame it on the marijuana smoking. :)

The rapist ought to be flayed for a few days - before he gets fed to sharks. Its a win-win-win.


Rapist Mark James Dennis jailed for 18 years for attacks
January 30, 2009 03:47pm

A SYDNEY man who raped a woman in front of her four-year-old son before igniting the gunpowder he had poured into her eyes, has been sentenced to at least 18 years in prison.

Mark James Dennis will serve up to 24 years in prison, after being found guilty of 13 sex and robbery charges, including rape and indecent assault.

The 38-year-old, of Tregear, in Sydney's west, admitted abducting and sexually assaulting a woman and a schoolgirl at knifepoint in separate attacks in Sydney's southwest in 2003 and 2005.

In one attack, a 26-year old woman was raped in front of her four-year-old son on their way home from a Carols by Candlelight service at Liverpool.

Dennis then put gunpowder on her eyes and ignited it, so she could not see him walking away.


Dennis bound her with rope from his bag before molesting and raping her. He also threatened the sobbing boy with a knife.

Dennis threatened to take the woman to a "gang bang" with his friends who "aren't as nice as me", and to kill her and her son if she went to police.



It was an act Judge Penelope Hock, sitting in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, described as "gratuitous cruelty or a form of torture".

"This offence is so abhorrent that a substantial sentence must be imposed," she said.

Dennis will become eligible for parole on November 2, 2023, taking into account time already served.


Judge Hock said Dennis was a long-term drug user and had no previous sex offences on his record.

"(These offences mark) a serious and disturbing escalation in his criminality...," she said.

Mother raped in front of son after a Carols by Candlelight Service

Sometimes you read news that shocks you. This is one of them.

As to why Australians don't want to vote for a politician who is tough on crime, I don't really know. Some say they are just soft-hearted on crime - society/ both sides are to blame sort of bullshit. I blame it on the marijuana smoking. :)


Rapist Mark James Dennis jailed for 18 years for attacks
January 30, 2009 03:47pm

A SYDNEY man who raped a woman in front of her four-year-old son before igniting the gunpowder he had poured into her eyes, has been sentenced to at least 18 years in prison.

Mark James Dennis will serve up to 24 years in prison, after being found guilty of 13 sex and robbery charges, including rape and indecent assault.

The 38-year-old, of Tregear, in Sydney's west, admitted abducting and sexually assaulting a woman and a schoolgirl at knifepoint in separate attacks in Sydney's southwest in 2003 and 2005.

In one attack, a 26-year old woman was raped in front of her four-year-old son on their way home from a Carols by Candlelight service at Liverpool.

Dennis then put gunpowder on her eyes and ignited it, so she could not see him walking away.

It was an act Judge Penelope Hock, sitting in Sydney's Downing Centre District Court, described as "gratuitous cruelty or a form of torture".

"This offence is so abhorrent that a substantial sentence must be imposed," she said.

Dennis will become eligible for parole on November 2, 2023, taking into account time already served.

43C - another very hot day

The weather is 43C today. Yesterday was 44+

Next week its going to be in the high to mid 30s. And we still haven't had a decent day of rain for about 3 weeks.

And we haven't come into February yet.

43C - another very hot day

The weather is 43C today. Yesterday was 44+

Next week its going to be in the high to mid 30s. And we still haven't had a decent day of rain for about 3 weeks.

And we haven't come into February yet.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Hundreds of Teenagers cause racial riot in Manly Beach

HUNDREDS of teenagers, some intoxicated, turned the Australia Day celebrations ugly yesterday as they stormed through The Corso causing chaos amid chants of “Aussie Pride’’.

Youths caused minor damage to some stores, cars and a taxi, with one attack leaving a young girl cut by glass and in shock.

It is not known if the 18-year-old was specifically targeted because she was an Asian.

Police played down any racial motives behind yesterday’s unruly behaviour, with Manly Police Commander Dave Darcy saying it was a group of about 80 individuals, many intoxicated, who created problems.

A group of teens jumped on the car in which the girl was a passenger outside Manly Council Chambers in The Corso before punching through the windscreen, covering the terrified girl in shattered glass.

A Bacino Cafe staff member said the crowd of mostly young men was running through The Corso towards Manly Wharf every 20 minutes, shouting “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie’’.

“They stopped the whole traffic, they were jumping over cars,’’ he said.

The crowd also damaged a number of awning signs from shops along The Corso.

Superintendent Darcy said last night police had yet to receive any reports of damage from shop owners.

Indira and Ziggie Jackman, of Manly, who were sitting outside the cafe, said: “The girl was in the back passenger seat of the car.  It happened just here, in front of our eyes. They were running up on top of the cars.’’

The 18-year-old, who suffered cuts, grazes and bleeding, said a large shard of glass embedded in her foot and her back when one of the men smashed the window.

“Two to three people came over the car,’’ she said.

“The glass window just came over my head.

“I had to shut my eyes because of the glass.’’

At least two other vehicles were targeted, including one taxi driven by a Sikh who drove away.

The teens also jostled against a police car and yelled “f*** the pigs’’ as the police tried to intervene to stop them jumping in the water at the wharf.

The Corso was filled with hundreds of teens during the afternoon, many draped in Australian flags and covered in green and gold zinc like warpaint, some shouted racial slurs and demanded girls take their tops off or tried to pull bikinis off female friends.

What started off as boisterous chanting, quickly escalated to intimidatory behavour just before 2pm.

The youths came from across Sydney, including both western and southern areas as well as closer to home.

Manly Police called in the riot squad and Polair just before 3pm.

Some people, who said they were residents, yelled at police demanding to know why they weren’t doing more.

The greater police numbers and cooling temperatures prevented the situation from escalating and by 4.30pm things had quitened considerably.

While some teens claimed the incidents had nothing to do with race, a number of young men said they hoped the day would escalate into something like the racially-motivated Cronulla riots of 2005.

One 18-year-old man, who did not want to be identified, said a lot of people had been talking about coming down to Manly for Australia Day.

He said the day was to celebrate what it meant to be Australian.

“We’re celebrating we are Australian, f*** the ethnics,’’ the man said.

He said a number of the group were not Caucasian but had joined in to stop getting bashed.

Another group of teens spotted on the beach sported hand-drawn maps of Australia on their stomachs with the words: “f*** off we’re full’’.

Superintendent Darcy played down the afternoon’s drama and any suggestions of it being racially motivated. “There are around 10,000 people in Manly having a wonderful time and what we have is about 80 young people who are intoxicated, who are acting anti-socially and inappropriately,’’ he said.

“And they are trying to spoil it for others but despite their efforts the overwhelming majority are having a good time.

“They have not been successful because there is a genuine good will towards everyone in Manly.’’

Superintendent Darcy said the behaviour of this group had been unacceptable, but said there was no suggestion any activities were racially motivated and that the crowd had not targeted ethnic minorities.

The youths were not from the local area, he said.

Police made a number of arrests, including one for assaulting police.

(Morons)

Welcome to Melbourne Hot Summer

Ye Gods!! Temperature is gonna be super hot the next week. So far there has been no rain in the last three weeks. Frankly I can't even remember when was the last time we had rain here. The reservoir levels here in Victoria are at 30%.

This is terrible.

I wish Australia (the Govt) would build another dam in an area in Victoria where it gets so much rain that it floods. But noooo.... they'd prefer everyone to take shorter showers, smell like bogans, and invest in a billion dollar desalination plant that will only provide a fraction of the water supply but consume a massive chunk of our electricity supply.

On a wishful note: it would be great if Australia could build an aquaduct system that would bring water from the North - where they get tropical rain - and channel the water down south. It would cost billions of dollars but it would be a boon for future generations.




Red Square Game

Use your mouse, click onto the red square and move it around to avoid the blue squares from hitting you. You also have to avoid hitting the black wall.

If you can make it pass 19 seconds; you're doing very well. Don't forget to take a screen shot to record your triumph.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Melbourne Weather turns Inferno - One Week of 40C

Ye Gods!! Temperature is gonna be super hot the next week. In fact with temperatures averaging 40C, this week may be the hottest week on record

So far there has been no rain in the last three weeks. Frankly I can't even remember when was the last time we had rain here. The reservoir levels here in Victoria are at 30%.

This is terrible.

I wish Australia (the Govt) would build another dam in an area in Victoria where it gets so much rain that it floods. But noooo.... they'd prefer everyone to take shorter showers, smell like bogans, and invest in a billion dollar desalination plant that will only provide a fraction of the water supply but consume a massive chunk of our electricity supply.

On a wishful note: it would be great if Australia could build an aquaduct system that would bring water from the North - where they get tropical rain - and channel the water down south. It would cost billions of dollars but it would be a boon for future generations. Even if a lot of the water gets evaporated along the way down - it would probably come down as rain.




Red Square Game

Use your mouse, click onto the red square and move it around to avoid the blue squares from hitting you. You also have to avoid hitting the black wall.

If you can make it pass 19 seconds; you're doing very well. Don't forget to take a screen shot to record your triumph.

Australia Day

From Tim Blair's site.
(Private Greg Sher, deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Commando Regiment, served with the Special Operations Task Group. He was killed in a Taliban rocket attack on 4th January, 2009. Greg’s brother Steven wrote this piece.)

AUSTRALIA Day, and its annual attempts to define what it means to be Australian, formerly saw us subject to clichés about barbecues, beer, beaches and bronzed bodies.

We now live in a different time.

For the family and friends of all eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, perpetually linked by tragic loss and unlimited pride, Australia Day is an opportunity to consider anew who we are, and why we embark on what we do.

Our generously giving society is replete with those prepared to serve for the welfare of the broader Australian community. We are blessed with the many thousands of charity workers and unpaid volunteers who donate their time to care for those who cannot look after themselves. We are blessed with the SES workers who sacrifice unpaid days attending to natural disasters. We are blessed with the ambulance crews, fire-fighters and policemen who encounter the worst conceivable situations in order to ensure the public’s welfare. This is often done at risk to their own lives.

And so it is with the officers and enlisted personnel of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Whether ensuring stability for the populace of the Solomon Islands, securing aid for the destitute in East Timor, or providing armed force in Oruzgan Province so that Afghan females may attain an education free from Taliban retribution, our military members serve with distinction. They exhibit remarkable moral clarity even when faced with the most stressful humanitarian injustices imaginable.

It is they who step forward to safeguard our values, society, democratic institutions, our lives, and our Australian way of life.

For those who have never lived under the stifling, claustrophobic atmosphere of an oppressive regime, and may be tempted to take our freedoms for granted, this could seem far-fetched. But those who have endured life under an authoritarian government understand with a heavy heart these sentiments. When coming to Australia, the rights and privileges afforded to immigrants cannot but produce an immense and everlasting appreciation.

The parents of Greg Sher, a special forces Commando, brought their three children out of then-undemocratic South Africa in 1986 in order to embark on a new life in a new country. As immigrants who sought to soak up the Aussie culture and integrate into society, they were quickly imbued with notions of service and benevolence.

Australia welcomed our family to this country. And now our brother and son lies at one with this land, forever locked in its embrace. We, his family and friends, can only offer to return that embrace and hold this nation close to our hearts, asking it to remember that Gregory has given so much both to us and this country.

Private Greg Sher (top right) with his grandmother, parents and brothers.

For too long we’ve accorded the title of “hero” to sporting identities and entertainment personalities, whose impressive but relatively inconsequential contributions have somehow eclipsed those made by the truly brave and committed Australians seeking to guarantee a more just future.

The 26th of January is a fitting time to contemplate what Australia Day means to each of us. Certainly, our ADF personnel reflect the best of our country’s values. They embody the very ethics that Australia can be so proud of, especially in comparison to almost every other nation in the world. They strive to represent our ‘fair-go’ mentality. They encapsulate sacrifice and service. These are not just real heroes. They are humble Australian heroes.

Let his contribution to this upstanding tradition be the legacy of our Australian son, brother, partner and friend – Gregory Michael Sher.

Sinus Infection can Kill you

I'm still suffering from that damn sinus infection. I think it got worse yesterday when I didn't flush out the sinus tract leading to a blockage.

During these sort of occasions I like to read up about the sinus and the various problems and cures. Here's another one from docflash:

SINUSES
You need a sinus like you need a hole in the head.  In fact,  that's all a sinus is.

The only place you've got sinuses is in your  face. You've got a pair under your eyes in your cheeks: a pair just behind the bridge of your nose; a pair in your forehead above your eyes: if you put your hands flat over your face, they'll cover all your sinuses.

There are spaces left in the bones of the face when they form. All these spaces open into your nose, high up. They make the skull lighter; they help your voice resonate; and, importantly, provide a  "crumple zone" that can protect your brain. When your face hits something (or something hits you) very hard, the sinuses break first, absorbing some of the impact and perhaps preventing lethal damage to the brain.

Sinuses are lined with the same kind of skin that's inside the nose and lungs. Like them, it has cells that line it, produce mucus (which is designed to catch dust and germs, like flypaper) and sweep the mucus to the sinus opening, which is about as big as a letter /o/.

People's sinus drainage varies. For some reason, people with long, narrow faces tend to have more sinus problems -- people with the "Prince Charles" type face. People who look like Nanook the Eskimo don't get their sinuses blocked as often, in my experience.

Sinuses get blocked when the mucus doesn't drain as fast as it's produced. Anything that causes your nose to run probably causes your sinuses to make more mucus, too. Allergies can do it, as can a cold or even chronic exposure to irritants like cigarette smoke or other chemicals. If your sinuses can't empty drain through the tiny hole to the nose, you've got a problem.

If allergies are your problem, there are now some new allergy treatments that can really help. Some of the new antihistamines don't make you sleepy, and there are topical steroid nasal sprays that can eliminate allergy symptoms in many people. Elastic strips that help hold your nose open help a lot, too.

Two things that commonly keep the sinus from draining well are tobacco smoke and dryness. Nicotine paralyzes the cells that sweep out the dust and germ-laden mucus, and dryness makes that mucus drier and stickier. When you're outside in a hot and dry place, the mucus in your nose turns dry, hard, and sticky. Your sinuses are designed to move moist, liquid mucus; not rocks.

If the opening to the sinus is blocked by one of these chunks of dried mucus, the problems get worse quickly. Cells that produce mucus keep on doing so, even when the sinus doesn't drain normally. This increases pressure, and the pressure causes pain. And, a pool of stagnant mucus in your sinus is ripe for infection. There's nothing more appetizing to a germ than a pool of stagnant mucus. Yum!

The real trouble starts once your sinus is infected. If the pressure gets high enough, it impairs the blood flow to the area. The body then can't get white blood cells there to fight the infection. The germs grow unopposed, and you can find yourself in a  medical emergency. People can die from a bad sinus infection that doesn't get proper treatment.

Badly infected sinuses hurt. They're tender if you tap on the forehead or face over the sinus; the skin may be warm or red; and often you'll have a fever. This is a medical emergency: contact your doctor.  When a sinus gets a bacterial infection, antibiotics can be life-saving.

Two things are necessary in treatment: drain the sinus, and kill the germs. Of the two, drainage is the most important. Remember the dried mucus that can plug the sinus opening? This may be contributing to the problem. To moisten it, you must drink lots of extra fluids (try to drink enough to make your urine clear) and get more moisture in the air you're breathing. Taking a hot shower with the doors and windows closed and the fan off can help; so can putting your face over a steaming hot pan of water with a towel over your head. If you moisten a piece of dried mucus that's blocking the tiny sinus opening, you might make it slippery enough to slip out.

Swollen mucus membranes can block the sinuses. If you nose is stuffy and it's hard to breath, the opening to your sinuses may be swollen causing problems draining. One of the few times that I recommend decongestants is when a sinus is blocked. If you do take them, take extra fluids! I also recommend a 12-hour nasal spray containing oxymetozaline to shrink swollen membranes.

It's important to use nasal sprays correctly. First, try not to use them for more than about 5 days, or you might get rebound congestion when you stop. When actually using the spray, you need to decongest your nose all the way up to the sinus opening. Since your nose has little "shelves" of bone (called turbinates) that make the air you breath swirl and drop its dust on the lining, you must decongest it a stage at a time.

Blow your nose well, and clean out whatever you can. Then, close the other nostril with a finger: breath  in sharply; and spray the decongestant into each nostril; wait three minutes and repeat. This will hopefully open your nose all the way back to the sinus opening, and the decongestant may shrink the tissues around the hole itself, hopefully relieving the blockage. Remember that decongestants should not be used by people with high blood pressure or heart disease without checking with your doctor first.

Once your  nose is open, it would be a good time to breath in the steam mentioned earlier. If one side of your face is more congested than the other, sleep with the bad side up since it's easier for a sinus to drain downhill. A hot water bottle or heating pad may helps, too, and ice bags can be a great help in stopping a sinus headache.

Remember: tobacco smoke paralyzes your sinus linings, as well as your lungs. So: if you’ve got a sinus problem, you need cigarettes like a hole in the head.
 



for more articles like this, see my book "Blood, Sweat, and Gears." Available from Whitehorse Press (800-531-1133) or by clicking here from amazon.

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Welcome to Melbourne Hot Summer

Ye Gods!! Temperature is gonna be super hot the next week. So far there has been no rain in the last three weeks. Frankly I can't even remember when was the last time we had rain here. The reservoir levels here in Victoria are at 30%.

This is terrible.

I wish Australia (the Govt) would build another dam in an area in Victoria where it gets so much rain that it floods. But noooo.... they'd prefer everyone to take shorter showers, smell like bogans, and invest in a billion dollar desalination plant that will only provide a fraction of the water supply but consume a massive chunk of our electricity supply.

On a wishful note: it would be great if Australia could build an aquaduct system that would bring water from the North - where they get tropical rain - and channel the water down south. It would cost billions of dollars but it would be a boon for future generations.




Red Square Game

Use your mouse, click onto the red square and move it around to avoid the blue squares from hitting you. You also have to avoid hitting the black wall.

If you can make it pass 19 seconds; you're doing very well. Don't forget to take a screen shot to record your triumph.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Australia Day

From Tim Blair's site.
(Private Greg Sher, deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Commando Regiment, served with the Special Operations Task Group. He was killed in a Taliban rocket attack on 4th January, 2009. Greg’s brother Steven wrote this piece.)

AUSTRALIA Day, and its annual attempts to define what it means to be Australian, formerly saw us subject to clichés about barbecues, beer, beaches and bronzed bodies.

We now live in a different time.

For the family and friends of all eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, perpetually linked by tragic loss and unlimited pride, Australia Day is an opportunity to consider anew who we are, and why we embark on what we do.

Our generously giving society is replete with those prepared to serve for the welfare of the broader Australian community. We are blessed with the many thousands of charity workers and unpaid volunteers who donate their time to care for those who cannot look after themselves. We are blessed with the SES workers who sacrifice unpaid days attending to natural disasters. We are blessed with the ambulance crews, fire-fighters and policemen who encounter the worst conceivable situations in order to ensure the public’s welfare. This is often done at risk to their own lives.

And so it is with the officers and enlisted personnel of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Whether ensuring stability for the populace of the Solomon Islands, securing aid for the destitute in East Timor, or providing armed force in Oruzgan Province so that Afghan females may attain an education free from Taliban retribution, our military members serve with distinction. They exhibit remarkable moral clarity even when faced with the most stressful humanitarian injustices imaginable.

It is they who step forward to safeguard our values, society, democratic institutions, our lives, and our Australian way of life.

For those who have never lived under the stifling, claustrophobic atmosphere of an oppressive regime, and may be tempted to take our freedoms for granted, this could seem far-fetched. But those who have endured life under an authoritarian government understand with a heavy heart these sentiments. When coming to Australia, the rights and privileges afforded to immigrants cannot but produce an immense and everlasting appreciation.

The parents of Greg Sher, a special forces Commando, brought their three children out of then-undemocratic South Africa in 1986 in order to embark on a new life in a new country. As immigrants who sought to soak up the Aussie culture and integrate into society, they were quickly imbued with notions of service and benevolence.

Australia welcomed our family to this country. And now our brother and son lies at one with this land, forever locked in its embrace. We, his family and friends, can only offer to return that embrace and hold this nation close to our hearts, asking it to remember that Gregory has given so much both to us and this country.

Private Greg Sher (top right) with his grandmother, parents and brothers.

For too long we’ve accorded the title of “hero” to sporting identities and entertainment personalities, whose impressive but relatively inconsequential contributions have somehow eclipsed those made by the truly brave and committed Australians seeking to guarantee a more just future.

The 26th of January is a fitting time to contemplate what Australia Day means to each of us. Certainly, our ADF personnel reflect the best of our country’s values. They embody the very ethics that Australia can be so proud of, especially in comparison to almost every other nation in the world. They strive to represent our ‘fair-go’ mentality. They encapsulate sacrifice and service. These are not just real heroes. They are humble Australian heroes.

Let his contribution to this upstanding tradition be the legacy of our Australian son, brother, partner and friend – Gregory Michael Sher.

Australia Day

From Tim Blair's site.
(Private Greg Sher, deployed to Afghanistan with 1st Commando Regiment, served with the Special Operations Task Group. He was killed in a Taliban rocket attack on 4th January, 2009. Greg’s brother Steven wrote this piece.)

AUSTRALIA Day, and its annual attempts to define what it means to be Australian, formerly saw us subject to clichés about barbecues, beer, beaches and bronzed bodies.

We now live in a different time.

For the family and friends of all eight Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, perpetually linked by tragic loss and unlimited pride, Australia Day is an opportunity to consider anew who we are, and why we embark on what we do.

Our generously giving society is replete with those prepared to serve for the welfare of the broader Australian community. We are blessed with the many thousands of charity workers and unpaid volunteers who donate their time to care for those who cannot look after themselves. We are blessed with the SES workers who sacrifice unpaid days attending to natural disasters. We are blessed with the ambulance crews, fire-fighters and policemen who encounter the worst conceivable situations in order to ensure the public’s welfare. This is often done at risk to their own lives.

And so it is with the officers and enlisted personnel of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Whether ensuring stability for the populace of the Solomon Islands, securing aid for the destitute in East Timor, or providing armed force in Oruzgan Province so that Afghan females may attain an education free from Taliban retribution, our military members serve with distinction. They exhibit remarkable moral clarity even when faced with the most stressful humanitarian injustices imaginable.

It is they who step forward to safeguard our values, society, democratic institutions, our lives, and our Australian way of life.

For those who have never lived under the stifling, claustrophobic atmosphere of an oppressive regime, and may be tempted to take our freedoms for granted, this could seem far-fetched. But those who have endured life under an authoritarian government understand with a heavy heart these sentiments. When coming to Australia, the rights and privileges afforded to immigrants cannot but produce an immense and everlasting appreciation.

The parents of Greg Sher, a special forces Commando, brought their three children out of then-undemocratic South Africa in 1986 in order to embark on a new life in a new country. As immigrants who sought to soak up the Aussie culture and integrate into society, they were quickly imbued with notions of service and benevolence.

Australia welcomed our family to this country. And now our brother and son lies at one with this land, forever locked in its embrace. We, his family and friends, can only offer to return that embrace and hold this nation close to our hearts, asking it to remember that Gregory has given so much both to us and this country.

Private Greg Sher (top right) with his grandmother, parents and brothers.

For too long we’ve accorded the title of “hero” to sporting identities and entertainment personalities, whose impressive but relatively inconsequential contributions have somehow eclipsed those made by the truly brave and committed Australians seeking to guarantee a more just future.

The 26th of January is a fitting time to contemplate what Australia Day means to each of us. Certainly, our ADF personnel reflect the best of our country’s values. They embody the very ethics that Australia can be so proud of, especially in comparison to almost every other nation in the world. They strive to represent our ‘fair-go’ mentality. They encapsulate sacrifice and service. These are not just real heroes. They are humble Australian heroes.

Let his contribution to this upstanding tradition be the legacy of our Australian son, brother, partner and friend – Gregory Michael Sher.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

A solution to the Financial Crisis

At the heart of the financial crisis is the moral failure of company leaders.

They don't give a rat's ass about the long or medium term future of their companies. So they don't bother with sticking to sound business practices.

Why? No accountability. They aren't held accountable for their failures. If they screw up badly and get sacked, they walk away with massive payouts in the millions of dollars. Its obscene and perverse.
Richard Feld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers, will walk away with $299 million dollars (on top of the 500 million dollars he earned during his tenure)

Heck even without the financial payout, if someone is being paid millions of dollars as an annual wage, do you think he'd really be hurt if he got sacked after performing miserably in 5 years time? He's got the money why would he care?

Even with the company in serious crap, the top management are busy feathering their nests, and trying to squirrel away as much nuts as they can.

But heck, its just human nature. If you don't have laws or a culture holding them accountable for their actions - they really don't give a damn. Put a bunch of monkeys in charge of a leaky ship, and the first thing they'd be doing would be to place as much bananas into the life boats before casting off and leaving you to drown.

So how do you raise the level of personal responsibility and accountability?

For starters: Acknowledge that the success of the company is not solely due to the actions of one or two top managers. Its also due to the efforts of many responsible hardworking individuals right down the chain of command.

Then make it mandatory for all top management - CEOs, CTOs, to accept a basic wage - ie $100k - and receive their top payment in Special Preference Shares. They pay a dividend percentage based on the profit of the company. And they can't be traded or sold ever until the owner dies, then its converted into ordinary shares and distributed to the heirs. If the company becomes totally unprofitable after they leave- their shares are worthless.

Second: Extend their liability for the failure of their actions. If under their watch, they lose hundreds of millions of dollars- they ought to be held responsible for that failure and face financial retribution.

Third: Extend the Reach of Corporate Regulators. Too often you hear of CEOs who adopt shoddy accounting practices, racking up massive corporate expenses, ruin the company's long term viability - and running away to the Bahamas to live a life of luxury. No, this can't continue. Someone who commits fraud on this massive scale must be caught. But this is a work for the Foreign Ministries to fix up. Frankly, I'd prefer to pay a team of mercenaries to go over and bring the bastard back.

Fourth: Beef up the powers of the regulators. If you have poorly paid understaffed police, and a soft-headed Judiciary - you're going to end up with crooks who get away with murder - like we do here in Australia. Fix it up. Train Ninjas for the role and institute tough penalities for transgressors.

BTW, watch this video for an explanation of how the Financial Crisis was caused.

And set these laws into stone. Make it very very hard for them to be changed. After the Great Stock market crash of 1929 - Congress put into place the Glass-Steagall Act - to prevent a similar disaster from reoccuring. It was repealed in 1999. I remember that moment - I thought OMG they've removing the Glass-Steagall Act!!! Then someone more experienced than me said: "Relax lah, modern banking has progressed since then. Look, the banking industry isn't going to collapse. They're too smart for that now."




Hello!!! (Give me Your Money)

Its always good to have strong passwords. (Iagthsp711) See that's one right there.

And whenever you use an internet cafe computer, workplace computer, or computer where other people have access to - never let the computer save your password in its memory. ie never tick the save password command. Simple security protocol.

I just received an email from an old acquaintance's email account (which she rarely uses and has rarely communicated with me). I suspect she must have been working in the UK, used an internet cafe computer - allowed it to save her password - or perhaps had a virus/trojan steal her password.

It reads as follows:
from YYYY XXXX
to
date Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 8:19 AM
subject HELLO!!!
mailed-by hotmail.com hide details 8:19 AM (1 hour ago) Reply Hi,Sorry i didn't tell you i would be travelling on a short trip to Uk, I'm presently in London, but I'm having some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel. My money, and other valuables were kept in it. I need you to assist me with a soft loan urgently of (1,000GBP) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get me back home. I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist with, I'll send it back to you as soon as i return, let me know if you can be of any help? sorry for the inconveniences this might cause you,i had no choice. Please get back to me ASAP.

YYYYYX

Solution: Don't respond. Report to

For more information read here:
www.millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/MSN-Hotmail-email-hoax.htm

A solution to the Financial Crisis

At the heart of the financial crisis is the moral failure of company leaders.

They don't give a rat's ass about the long or medium term future of their companies. So they don't bother with sticking to sound business practices.

Why? No accountability. They aren't held accountable for their failures. If they screw up badly and get sacked, they walk away with massive payouts in the millions of dollars. Its obscene and perverse.
Richard Feld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers, will walk away with $299 million dollars (on top of the 500 million dollars he earned during his tenure)

Heck even without the financial payout, if someone is being paid millions of dollars as an annual wage, do you think he'd really be hurt if he got sacked after performing miserably in 5 years time? He's got the money why would he care?

Even with the company in serious crap, the top management are busy feathering their nests, and trying to squirrel away as much nuts as they can.

But heck, its just human nature. If you don't have laws or a culture holding them accountable for their actions - they really don't give a damn. Put a bunch of monkeys in charge of  a leaky ship, and the first thing they'd be doing would be to place as much bananas into the life boats before casting off and leaving you to drown.

So how do you raise the level of personal responsibility and accountability?

For starters: Acknowledge that the success of the company is not solely due to the actions of one or two top managers. Its also due to the efforts of many responsible hardworking individuals right down the chain of command.

Then make it mandatory for all top management - CEOs, CTOs, to accept a basic wage - ie $100k - and receive their top payment in Special Preference Shares. They pay a dividend percentage based on the profit of the company. And they can't be traded or sold ever until the owner dies, then its converted into ordinary shares and distributed to the heirs. If the company becomes totally unprofitable after they leave- their shares are worthless.

Second: Extend their liability for the failure of their actions. If under their watch, they lose hundreds of millions of dollars- they ought to be held responsible for that failure and face financial retribution.

Third: Extend the Reach of Corporate Regulators. Too often you hear of CEOs who adopt shoddy accounting practices, racking up massive corporate expenses, ruin the company's long term viability - and running away to the Bahamas to live a life of luxury. No, this can't continue. Someone who commits fraud on this massive scale must be caught. But this is a work for the Foreign Ministries to fix up. Frankly, I'd prefer to pay a team of mercenaries to go over and bring the bastard back.

Fourth: Beef up the powers of the regulators. If you have poorly paid understaffed police, and a soft-headed Judiciary - you're going to end up with crooks who get away with murder - like we do here in Australia. Fix it up. Train Ninjas for the role and institute tough penalities for transgressors.

BTW, watch this video for an explanation of how the Financial Crisis was caused.

And set these laws into stone. Make it very very hard for them to be changed. After the Great Stock market crash of 1929 - Congress put into place the Glass-Steagall Act - to prevent a similar disaster from reoccuring. It was repealed in 1999. I remember that moment - I thought OMG they've removing the Glass-Steagall Act!!! Then someone more experienced than me said: "Relax lah, modern banking has progressed since then. Look, the banking industry isn't going to collapse. They're too smart for that now."

 


Saturday, January 24, 2009

A solution to the Financial Crisis

At the heart of the financial crisis is the moral failure of company leaders.

They don't give a rat's ass about the long or medium term future of their companies. So they don't bother with sticking to sound business practices.

Why? No accountability. They aren't held accountable for their failures. If they screw up badly and get sacked, they walk away with massive payouts in the millions of dollars. Its obscene and perverse.
Richard Feld, the CEO of Lehman Brothers, will walk away with $299 million dollars (on top of the 500 million dollars he earned during his tenure)

Heck even without the financial payout, if someone is being paid millions of dollars as an annual wage, do you think he'd really be hurt if he got sacked after performing miserably in 5 years time? He's got the money why would he care?

Even with the company in serious crap, the top management are busy feathering their nests, and trying to squirrel away as much nuts as they can.

But heck, its just human nature. If you don't have laws or a culture holding them accountable for their actions - they really don't give a damn. Put a bunch of monkeys in charge of a leaky ship, and the first thing they'd be doing would be to place as much bananas into the life boats before casting off and leaving you to drown.

So how do you raise the level of personal responsibility and accountability?

For starters: Acknowledge that the success of the company is not solely due to the actions of one or two top managers. Its also due to the efforts of many responsible hardworking individuals right down the chain of command.

Then make it mandatory for all top management - CEOs, CTOs, to accept a basic wage - ie $100k - and receive their top payment in Special Preference Shares. They pay a dividend percentage based on the profit of the company. And they can't be traded or sold ever until the owner dies, then its converted into ordinary shares and distributed to the heirs. If the company becomes totally unprofitable after they leave- their shares are worthless.

Second: Extend their liability for the failure of their actions. If under their watch, they lose hundreds of millions of dollars- they ought to be held responsible for that failure and face financial retribution.

Third: Extend the Reach of Corporate Regulators. Too often you hear of CEOs who adopt shoddy accounting practices, racking up massive corporate expenses, ruin the company's long term viability - and running away to the Bahamas to live a life of luxury. No, this can't continue. Someone who commits fraud on this massive scale must be caught. But this is a work for the Foreign Ministries to fix up. Frankly, I'd prefer to pay a team of mercenaries to go over and bring the bastard back.

Fourth: Beef up the powers of the regulators. If you have poorly paid understaffed police, and a soft-headed Judiciary - you're going to end up with crooks who get away with murder - like we do here in Australia. Fix it up. Train Ninjas for the role and institute tough penalities for transgressors.

BTW, watch this video for an explanation of how the Financial Crisis was caused.

And set these laws into stone. Make it very very hard for them to be changed. After the Great Stock market crash of 1929 - Congress put into place the Glass-Steagall Act - to prevent a similar disaster from reoccuring. It was repealed in 1999. I remember that moment - I thought OMG they've removing the Glass-Steagall Act!!! Then someone more experienced than me said: "Relax lah, modern banking has progressed since then. Look, the banking industry isn't going to collapse. They're too smart for that now."




Knocked Down by Sinusitis

I've been floored by a really bad case of sinusitis. Its so bad my left eye, ear, and jaw are aching as if I've been punched.

I used to get awful colds and my nasal passages were always getting clogged up. But a few years back I had an operation to enlarge the insides of my nasal passages. It was quite simple really. Forgot the name Septoplasty? We get problems cos my ancestors used to live in more cleaner air zones and with different sorts of vegetation, pollen etc.. In short, my nostrils aren't made for life in Singapore or Australia. It worked. I hardly get colds these days.

If I do get a simple cold/flu - it runs like this runny nose, followed by a sore throat, followed by a flammy cough, and a mild sinus infection.

I caught a cold two weeks ago - when I was starting to get better - I thought things would be helped if I went for a swim in the sea. Unfortunately, swimming in the sea may have introduced bacteria into the sinuses. It also didn't help that the sea water was about 10C.

The sinus are like small bags in your skull. They fit under your eye, cheekbones, and also have channels that lead to your ear and your even teeth nerves. When you get a cold, mucus/snot builds up and fill up these bags. Usually they are naturally emptied out. But when the shit hits the fan, they get clogged up and may get infected.

Two days ago , I slept on my left side - and what happened was that all the mucus flowed into the left side of my sinuses. I guess its a bit like directing all the traffic in Melbourne onto the South Eastern Highway - then closing down all lanes due to safety concerns. And to top it off - a Gas Tanker blows up.

So what? I had a major infection in the left side of my sinus - under the cheekbone. The snot couldn't get out. There was bleeding. My eye hurt so badly it felt like it would burst.

I thought enough is enough - I went and saw my doctor and got some antibiotics, painkillers and a saline nasal spray wash. He told me that my eye got bloodshot I had better check myself into the Eye and Ear hospital.

After 24 hours of use - I'm starting to feel better. My sinus has become unclogged- there's still some bleeding but... things are looking good.

Here's more reading if you're interested.

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/946414028.html


Crucify him: Bicycle Psycho kills infants and adults in Creche

A 20-year-old Belgian man armed with a long knife and wearing face paint killed two infants and an adult in a rampage at a creche on Friday, officials said.

The man, who had his face painted white with black around his eyes, rang the doorbell at the The Country of Fables day-care centre at about 10am.

After staff opened the door, he barged in with a 30cm-long knife and ran amok, slashing at some of the children as they lay in beds, officials said.

The suspect escaped on a bicycle but was detained nearby.

"He went straight for the babies and attacked them," Janssens said.

"The smallest ones were in their beds, they were probably asleep."

Ten children, including the two most seriously injured, and two adults underwent surgery and were out of danger, a doctor, Ignace De Meyer, told reporters.

"He quickly pulled out a knife and started using it on the children," the prosecutor added.

Six women members of staff tried to put themselves between the attacker and the children. One was hacked to death and two others were wounded in the legs or shoulders, officials said.

Hello!!! (Give me Your Money)

Its always good to have strong passwords. (Iagthsp711) See that's one right there.

And whenever you use an internet cafe computer, workplace computer, or computer where other people have access to - never let the computer save your password in its memory. ie never tick the save password command. Simple security protocol.

I just received an email from an old acquaintance's email account (which she rarely uses and has rarely communicated with me). I suspect she must have been working in the UK, used an internet cafe computer - allowed it to save her password - or perhaps had a virus/trojan steal her password.

It reads as follows:
from    YYYY XXXX
to   
date    Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 8:19 AM
subject    HELLO!!!
mailed-by    hotmail.com    hide details 8:19 AM (1 hour ago)        Reply        Hi,Sorry i didn't tell you i would be travelling on a short trip to Uk, I'm presently in London, but I'm having some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel. My money, and other valuables were kept in it. I need you to assist me with a soft loan urgently of (1,000GBP) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get me back home. I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist with, I'll send it back to you as soon as i return, let me know if you can be of any help? sorry for the inconveniences this might cause you,i had no choice. Please get back to me ASAP.

YYYYYX

Solution: Don't respond. Report to

For more information read here:
www.millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/MSN-Hotmail-email-hoax.htm

Hello!!! (Give me Your Money)

Its always good to have strong passwords. (Iagthsp711) See that's one right there.

And whenever you use an internet cafe computer, workplace computer, or computer where other people have access to - never let the computer save your password in its memory. ie never tick the save password command. Simple security protocol.

I just received an email from an old acquaintance's email account (which she rarely uses and has rarely communicated with me). I suspect she must have been working in the UK, used an internet cafe computer - allowed it to save her password - or perhaps had a virus/trojan steal her password.

It reads as follows:
from YYYY XXXX
to
date Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 8:19 AM
subject HELLO!!!
mailed-by hotmail.com hide details 8:19 AM (1 hour ago) Reply Hi,Sorry i didn't tell you i would be travelling on a short trip to Uk, I'm presently in London, but I'm having some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel. My money, and other valuables were kept in it. I need you to assist me with a soft loan urgently of (1,000GBP) to sort-out my hotel bills and to get me back home. I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist with, I'll send it back to you as soon as i return, let me know if you can be of any help? sorry for the inconveniences this might cause you,i had no choice. Please get back to me ASAP.

YYYYYX

Solution: Don't respond. Report to

For more information read here:
www.millersmiles.co.uk/identitytheft/MSN-Hotmail-email-hoax.htm

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

US President Barack Hussein Obama's inauguration speech 20th Jan 2009

My fellow citizens,

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Barack Hussein Obama

US President Barack Hussein Obama's inauguration speech 20th Jan 2009

My fellow citizens,

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them— that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence— the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Barack Hussein Obama


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Commentary: He gets it, man. He really sees the problem. I think we have a winner here. That was one of the best, most thoughtful, practical, inspirational, and idealistic speeches I have ever heard. He could end up as one of the best Presidents America has ever had.


Colonel Tigh takes a Dive. New Season for Battlestar Galatica

Woot! The new season for Battlestar Galactica is on!!! Just watched the first episode - it rocks!!! At the same time its probably one of the darkest episodes of the series. Can't really talk to much about the show otherwise I'll end up revealing too much. Suffice to say:

One of the main stars gets killed.

The final cylon is revealed.

And the origins of the 13th Tribe are elaborated upon.

Unfortunately, yes, they've really found Earth. No, its not a mistake. (Or perhaps, its THEIR version of Earth). The movie producers were very careful not to show the planet with its continent landmass shown clearly.

Click here if you want to find out about Plot Spoilers (But if I were you I'd hold off)