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Health & Beauty
Hair gel is one of the most versatile products in your beauty arsenal. Our readers rank their 13 favorite gels
Health & Beauty | SPONSORED
Health & Beauty | SPONSORED
Health-minded picks for the girl who prefers gym bags to purses and kombucha to cocktails read more
Sleek and chic picks for the luxury enthusiast who is fluent in haute couture read more
When we think back on braid hairstyles of the past, the French braid pigtails reigned supreme on the playground. But the trending braids we've been spying all over the runway are proof that braids are still the coolest hairstyle around, only now with a grown-up twist. See video tutorials
Are you familiar with mircodermabrasion? Microdermabrasion uses physical exfoliation to help slough away the top layer of skin to give it a healthy glow and help increase cell turnover. Have you been to a spa or dermatologist's office for a microdermabrasion treatment? If so, you may have loved how each and every dead skin cell was removed, and noticed softer skin, fewer fine lines and even a reduction in acne. See products
The best beauty products save you time and money, and these 16 devices do just that. (Some even knock a few years off your appearance.) The new crop of electronic gadgets, at-home lasers and microcurrent therapy devices utilize the latest technology to deliver better-than-ever results. We tried dozens of beauty devices -- zapping, prodding and poking our skin to find the best gadgets that smooth skin, erase wrinkles, refine pores and even annihilate cellulite. Here, the top 16 beauty gadgets that made the cut. read more
Avoiding illness at the gym is a bit like driving defensively: You need to anticipate that other people will make mistakes, leading to dangerous (read: germ-y) situations. But while most of your attention is focused on the germ-ridden elliptical machines and free weights, you're completely overlooking a sneaky, disease-harboring source: your gym bag. read more
When Estée Lauder announced Kendall Jenner as the newest face of the iconic brand this past weekend (complete with some gorgeous behind-the-scenes pics), we immediately fell in love with this soft smoky green eye -- a look we think Jenner herself probably enjoyed. "I like a good eye," Jenner told model Joan Smalls, another Estée; Lauder campaign star, when asked about her favorite makeup in arecent interview. read more
1. Vince Camuto Amori Pointy Toe Leather Bootie, $179
I love when classic pieces have a unique twist, and the gold hardware on these ankle booties makes them anything but basic. read more
Singing, dancing and happy endings define Bollywood (Bombay's version of Hollywood) films. Grand, sweeping musical numbers fill the screen and suspend moviegoers' reality for three to four hours (unlike "Lord of the Rings," Bollywood films kindly have an intermission). read more
Thanks to advances in technology, makeup is no longer just makeup. Top cosmetic brands are creating products that not only make you look gorgeous in the short-term, they also pack long-term skin-care benefits. The days when makeup wreaked havoc on your face are gone -- now, makeup can actually make your skin better. read more


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Facts About Friends of Colombian Orphans:
- Hogares Club Michin, an orphanage in Bogota, Colombia, has been partnering with Friends of Colombian Orphans for 5 years. Friends of Colombian Orphans (FOCO) fundraises in the USA and the UK in order to buy knitting machines and pay for yarn, machine maintenance and a teacher at the orphanage as part of their vocational training program. As a nonprofit based in the USA, the four people who operate the charity ( three in the USA and one in the UK) do not take salaries. 100% of donations go to supporting the program. You can learn more about Hogares Club Michin please visit the website
- There are 7 machines: six are for items made with thin yarn. The 7th machine is for thicker/bulkier items. All machines are professional grade and cost FOCO $1300 each. Colombia has a strong knitwear culture: FOCO's and Club Michin's shared goal is to empower teens who otherwise might not have a future in the city of Bogota without this kind of training when they age out of the orphanage at age 18. The other shared goal is to grow big enough to create a cooperative where graduates of the program can come back to knit and make a living.
- The afternoon classes accommodate up to 13 students. While half the students work on the machines, the other half learn crucial handwork techniques, such as finishing.
- Club Michin has been running classes morning and afternoons. Students attend a total of three hours, 4 days a week. The morning classes accommodate up to 8 students: they are devoted to new learners who need more one on one help, and to children younger than 14 who are being introduced to the art of machine knitting , in the hope that they may choose to become serious students in the program when they get older.
- As important as learning the basics of knitting is, there is other components to the program that is just as crucial. It is an opportunity to teach and reinforce personal and interpersonal skills in a work setting, and to help those teens transitioning from institutionalized living to the outside world learn social and behavioral skills that will serve them well in the future. Being in the program also bolsters self-esteem: our program is working with kids who have had NOTHING in their lives, neither material goods nor affection. They get to see that they are capable of doing great things! Thank you for helping us reinforce this.
- So far in 2013 and 2014, 8 teens have worked on knitted items for Elephant Branded, a nonprofit in the UK that has graciously agreed to partner with us. The students are paid for their time dedicated to knitting items for Elephant Branded. Money is put into a savings account for them for when they age out of the orphanage. The teens have the option to take out some of the money for personal use. For example, one knitter took out money to buy a goodbye present for his brother who was being adopted. Empowering these teens is what FOCO is all about.
Thank you for your support!

subset: commoncrawl


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Weekdays at 9am on 92.3 KTAR
Bruce St. James and Pamela Hughes
Bruce St. James Show: Thursday, December 6
Today on the Bruce St. James Show...
9:05: The family of a missing ASU student wants answers. Where should they seek them?
10:15: What do you know about your 6th grader? They are probably living a secret life you have no clue about. We'll give you details.
11:05: The medical marijuana dispensary is now open for business in Arizona.
Most Popular
- November 21, 2014 - Hour: 1President Obama�s Executive Action on Immigration Could Shield 5 Million Illegally in U.S from Deportation. Senator Jeff Flake reacts with Bruce St. J
- November 21, 2014 - Hour: 2President Obama�s Executive Action on Immigration Could Shield 5 Million Illegally in U.S from Deportation. Sheriff Joe Arpaio reacts live with Bruce
- November 21, 2014 - Hour: 3The decision on the Ferguson Grand Jury is expected today. What will the fallout be as a weekend of violence and protests is expected?
- November 20, 2014 - Hour: 1President Obama will unveil is Executive Action on Immigration tonight but how much is he able to do under the constitution? A website could be live s
- November 20, 2014 - Hour: 2Is the historically long Grand Jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri a sabotage or just due diligence? Another Bill Cosby video comes out this time he t


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From GHN
Spaceflight in Silent Film
Decades before spaceflight was feasible, creative depictions of future technologies graced the silver screen More
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Replacement Windows in Twin Cities
Renewal by Andersen of the Twin Cities is proud to serve the window replacement and patio door replacement needs of the Twin Cities area. We are the window replacement division of Andersen Windows, drawing on the Andersen tradition of over 110 years of quality, innovation and craftsmanship.
Our turnkey process begins with a call from you and includes a respectful in-home sales consultation, custom-manufacturing of replacement windows to precisely fit your home and installation by a dedicated team of professionals. Best of all, we stand behind our products and installation with one of the strongest warranties in the Twin Cities window replacement business.
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The whole process was very professional, from the first consultation to the installation and removal of old windows. The condition of our home was very clean and staining was very professional. The only glitch occurred when a couple of pieces of molding were not reattached in our back entry by our cupboards. A friend stopped by and easily attached those with a nail gun.
We absolutely love our windows! Great quality and beautiful. The gentleman who installed them was extremely polite and nice. It was a pleasure to have him in our home! Thanks
We were very impressed with our sales rep. Very informed and easy to talk to. The 2 gentlemen who installed the window were friendly and very professional. They took their time and double checked what they were doing. They put down tarps to protect the floor and covered my furniture with plastic. I was impressed how they made new flashing for the top and covered a section of my cracked stucco with a really nice piece. The outside looks fantastic and their trimming inside was perfection. I have nothing but praise for our window and the whole Andersen Window process. Thanks .


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LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - Moviegoers who tuck into a medium popcorn and a soft drink could be eating the equivalent of three McDonald's quarter-pounder burgers topped with a dozen scoops of butter, according to a U.S. study.
A laboratory analysis of snacks sold at U.S. cinemas and commissioned by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI) found a medium popcorn and soft drink contained 1,160 calories and three days' worth -- 60 grams -- of saturated fat.
"Who expects about 1,500 calories and three days' worth of heart-stopping fat in a popcorn and soda combo? That's the saturated fat of a stick of butter and the calories of two sticks of butter," said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley in a statement.
"You might think you're getting Bambi, but you're really getting Godzilla."
She said even sharing a small portion of popcorn between two people would mean consuming a day's worth of saturated fat, the kind that clogs arteries and is linked to heart disease.
Hurley said every tablespoon of "buttery" oil topping adds another 130 calories according to the study published in Nutrition Action Healthletter.
"Asking for topping is like asking for oil on French fries or potato chips," she added.
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When two or people flood another person's Facebook status with unrelated comments, thus resulting in a conversation.
Dude! I think Troy and Kristen JimJacked my status!
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November 27, 2014
The Virginia men's basketball team will make its highly-anticipated return to the court on November 14 in Harrisonburg.
James Madison officially announced Wednesday morning that basketball season will begin with a UVa visit to the Convocation Center for a 7 p.m. tip-off against the Dukes. The game will mark UVa's first visit to Harrisonburg since 1982.
The Cavaliers are coming off the program's best season in two decades -- a 30-7 performance that included ACC regular season and tournament titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where the Wahoos lost 61-59 to Michigan State at Madison Square Garden. UVa finished last season ranked No. 10 in the country in the postseason coaches poll.
UVa opened last season with a 61-41 win over the Dukes at John Paul Jones Arena last November. With that win, The Cavaliers improved to 9-0 all-time against JMU.
The opener at JMU is the latest non-conference road game announced for the Cavaliers this upcoming season. The Wahoos will travel to Maryland for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on December 3, and visit VCU on December 6.
The ACC is expected to announce UVa's full basketball schedule later this month.
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Florida likely won't go for another Coordinator/first time HC again. I don't think Morris has been a HC at this level
from Pittsburgh
Member since 16 April 2012 | Blog
Helmet Stickers: 231 | Leaderboard
Born in Austin, TX. Dad was an OSU alum. Born and raised a Buckeye fan
- NFL TEAM: Steelers
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Recent Activity
1. Are you sure it wouldn't be on ESPN2? Usually they flip between the two channels by region.
2. As a fellow resident of Pgh Mullen's is always the move for me when watching games back home. What part of Pittsburgh do you call home?
Anyone know a good wall repairman to fix the wall I just ran through? #BlameCoachCoombs
I've been saying for a while now that we need to get rid of Seven Nation Army as our primary "pump-up" song. It's so cliche now; everyone does it, and frankly its getting old. Most people I've talked to at games share my sentiments. This is Ohio State and we shouldn't be followers when it comes to traditions and gameday atmosphere. A new (and unique) pump up song would do the trick imo.
My idea is to incorporate the song "Downfall of Us All" by A Day to Remember. I might be biased because they are one of my favorite bands, but if you listen to the beginning of the song, I think it would be a great song to get the students jumping around and getting loud. (Some people might think its too "heavy" but we play that Rage Against the Machine song all the time at games so I don't think that would be a big deal). The first couple seconds could be repeated and chanted by the students, then at "lets go" everyone starts jumping around/cheering. Excited to see what y'all think about the idea.
(I made this suggestion to the guys at Block O through an email but they never responded...)
We (Block O) did a Columbus Crew song that I thought was pretty cool. I hope we continue doing that because I know I enjoyed it.
Michael Thomas-101yds
Did the bagel have free cream cheese on it?
Wasn't it Clark who had the season ending injury, and Corey Smith with the redshirt?
Ohio State 49
Cal 24
New Castle is AAA. Its Western PA, which is pretty decent competition. Highest class is 4A. Obviously not on Ohio high school level but he is playing some good teams like Central Valley (where Robert Foster went) and Hopewell (Rushel shell). I live in the area (North Hills, 4A); hope this helps! Go Bucks
Tyvis Powell has become one of my favorite players after this; I'm gonna need to pick up a 23 jersey soon! I can see Tyvis being a fantastic leader in the future (or present for that matter)
At least Brutus kept a smile on his face
Thats because Alabama got commitments from top guys like Dee Liner and Alvin Kamara (and AShawn Robinson as well i think) on NSD, which bumped them up to #1.
Also, if Lenzelle Smith gets his toe behind the line for his long 2, we win the ballgame in regulation...
Not that i agree with out offense on the last possession, but how do you not call a foul. Two guys all over him; even Dickie V thinks thats an automatic foul call. Thats home court pressure...
I second that
What is up with our free throw shooting?!
He just seems kind of awkward out there. Seems to be a step behind, and is very tentative with the ball in his hands.
Ross looks bad today
James Quick just caught a long pass. So thats 3 i guess ;)
Lol at the Allstate CEO's cookiecutter trophy presentation speech
Wow great throw by Bridgewater


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Find records of Marjorie Gervens
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Marjorie Gervens (1914 - 2007) was born on January 9, 1914. She was born into the Gervens family.
Marjorie had no-known marriages. Marjorie died on November 4, 2007 at 93 years old.
Marjorie Gervens's last known residence is at Wayne, Passaic County, New Jersey.
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Robert Geller Spring/Summer 2015 Collection
Robert Geller Spring/Summer 2015-When it comes to the Robert Geller man, style is laid-back and simple is a positive but don't mistake that philosophy…Read More
Aiden Andrews was one of the finalists for VMAN and Ford's model search. Following the competition, he was snapped up and photographed for a variety of fashion bibles, ranging from Arena Homme+ and VMAN to Dazed & Confused. He had his breakthrough when he starred in Jil Sander and Raf Simons' fall 2010 campaigns, cementing his status as the one to watch.
Robert Geller Spring/Summer 2015-When it comes to the Robert Geller man, style is laid-back and simple is a positive but don't mistake that philosophy…Read More
Billy Reid Spring/Summer 2015-Designer Billy Reid is on a roll when it comes to prints. Since the founding of his label, Reid has produced…Read More
Tuned into his on-going collaboration with Champion, designer Todd Snyder unveiled a casual spring/summer 2015 collection during New York Fashion Week. Embracing dusty neutrals, offset by dark alternatives, Snyder turned out one essential after the next, honing in on relaxed fits and accessible style options. From solid knit pullovers and bomber jackets to tailored suits, Todd Snyder delivered menswear staples for the everyday man.Read More
A Model Halloween-Taking a break from that perfect angle or the ultimate pose, Halloween provided an opportunity for some of our favorite models to…Read More
Legends of the Fall-VMAN has models on the mind as they approach their fall/winter 2013 issue. Enlisting leading industry models and a few of…Read More
Complex Fashion–The uniform reigns for Siki Im's spring/summer 2014 collection with the designer focusing on fashions that take their inspiration from prisons and hospitals….Read More
New School of Thought-Continuing his penchant for translating social movements and changes into fashionable moments, designer Robert Geller looks to the changing cultural climate…Read More


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Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–07: Valley of Veiled Flame (PFRPG) PDF
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–07: Valley of Veiled Flame (PFRPG) PDF
Pathfinder Adventure Path #42: Sanctum of the Serpent God (Serpent's Skull 6 of 6) (PFRPG)
Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–02: The Silver Mount Collection (PFRPG) PDF
The Campaign Book, Volume I: Fantasy
White Wolf Publishing
And not just one campaign, but six!
Each of the campaigns details a unique setting, important NPCs, and a complete storyline with outlines of at least a half-dozen adventures. Each of the campaign settings builds the story to a climatic [sic] finale, but that doesn't mean the campaign is over. Each of the settings is rich enough to allow for many future stories.
Enter Astria, Realm of Faerie and help a prince regain his throne. An entire race that exists only in the minds of the Dreamers is being threatened by a powerful extradimensional sorceress. As ambassadors to a new land, you are outraged to find your people's most hated enemies already negotiating with the newly discovered culture. As faithful servants of the Emperor, it is your duty to root out treachery and treason wherever you find it. Word of revolt is spreading through the Empire ... An angry Merqueen is destroying the shipping trade that your homeland depends upon. A mysterious and powerful spirit has chosen you to act on its behalf in a war-torn world.
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Award-winning journalist and prolific author Peter FitzSimons has an enviable ability to bring history to life. In this, his 27th book, FitzSimons takes us deep into the disastrous Gallipoli campaign and spells out in detail the fateful steps that led Australian and New Zealand soldiers to utter devastation, if not absolute despair.
When the Allied forces landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula in what is now Turkey, at dawn on April 25, 1915, the plan was to secure the Dardanelles, thus allowing the Imperial Fleet to go all the way to Constantinople (now Istanbul). If all went well, it was the hope of the popular Lord Horatio Kitchener and also of the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, that the Ottoman Empire would be knocked out of the war. To put it mildly, things did not go as planned.
Even though the harrowing story of Gallipoli has been told many times before, some of the facts of the battle – which actually resulted in six times fewer deaths than the war on the Western Front – are either forgotten or obscured, or else need to be reinterpreted and placed in context.
In dealing especially with the latter task, FitzSimons has succeeded extremely well. Indeed, in Gallipoli he has produced a work of fascinatingly imaginative popular history – which is underpinned by meticulous research and scholarship. To highlight this, the notes and references section at the end of the book boasts 64 pages, and the detailed bibliography runs to a further 21 pages.
The book is clearly written, with useful maps, a careful index, and some fine black-and-white photographs. These include a splendid portrait of the Australian war hero Hugo Throssell, of the 10th Light Horse Brigade. Throssell survived the disastrous August 1915 charge on the Nek to lead a heroic attack on Hill 60, for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Sadly, after the war Throssell committed suicide.
Two other photos particularly caught my eye. One is of a blindfolded Turkish Army envoy being led to the headquarters of the widely admired commander of the Australian and New Zealand forces, Lieutenant General Sir William Birdwood. The point of their meeting was to negotiate an armistice to bury the dead, which took place two days later on May 24, 1915. On the other hand, there is a starkly haunting photograph of a huge pile of Turkish soldiers' bones and skulls.
In fact, as a result of the entire ill-fated Dardanelles campaign, which extracted such a devastating human toll, the Turkish army is estimated to have suffered almost twice as many deaths (86,692) as all the Allies put together (43,921). Turkey had an estimated 164,617 wounded, compared with 97,11 wounded for all the Allies.
FitzSimons is especially adept at telling the story of Gallipoli from the Turkish side, including examining details of the Ottoman leadership. In addition, he and his hard-working research team make excellent use of the minutes and other revealing records of the many meetings of the British War Council, held in London a century ago.
The epilogue to this admirable book makes clear that in the main the Anzacs had nothing personal against "Jonny Turk", whom they regarded as fighting for his country. The same applied to the Turkish troops, one of whom is quoted as saying, well after the war: "We didn't hate the enemy. Their duty was to come here and invade, ours was to defend. No, I never hated them, never. And now we're brothers and I want to send my regards to [all] the Anzacs."
I find particularly poignant a paragraph written by then Colonel John Monash on June 18, 1915. While sitting in his dugout at Anzac Cove, Monash penned the following lines: "When peace comes, and we are free to move about the country, no doubt the tourist of the future will come to inspect these parts."
The still often underestimated Australian commander continued: "I suppose that some day, on some high plateau overlooking Anzac beach, there will be a noble memorial erected by the people of Australia, to honour the memory of their fallen dead, who lie peacefully sleeping in the little valleys all around."
Now how prescient is that?
Ross Fitzgerald is Emeritus Professor of History & Politics at Griffith University.
The Sydney Morning Herald, November 22-23, 2014, Spectrum, Books p 38]]>
Saturday could be one of the most crucial upper house state elections that Australia has seen for many years. This is because it comes at a time when a clutch of progressive social issues are beginning to break through into mainstream society. They include legalisation of recreational and medicinal marijuana, voluntary euthanasia, marriage equality, stem cell research and issues based loosely around the regulation of religion. Neither of the major parties in Victoria's lower house will do much to promote these issues. Instead they are likely to allow the debate to be driven by private member's bills and/or the media. Indeed over the next few years, the carriage of most of these issues will depend on which of the minor parties does best in Victoria's upper house — the Legislative Council.
Importantly, an upper house win for religious parties in Victoria might mean that abortion could be back on the political agenda. Victoria is the home of our only abortion "assassination" — with the death of a clinic security guard in 2001. But Victoria also has the most liberal abortion laws in the country. Every month, pro and anti-abortion supporters face off outside East Melbourne's fertility clinic, singing prayers and protest songs across the road at each other. It's a simmering issue just waiting to burst out through a re-aligned Victorian upper house.
There are four religious parties contesting the Victorian election and all of them are passionately anti-abortion and anti-euthanasia. They are Family First, Australian Christians, the DLP, and Rise Up Australia — the latter being notorious for making a causal link between Victoria's deadly bushfires in 2009 and the state's abortion laws! Despite the fact that in the upper house Clive Palmer has done a deal with the Greens, it is fascinating to see that PUP preferences in the Victorian election are also supporting right-wing "pro-life" Christian parties. Indeed one might wonder if the latter could even herald an alliance between Palmer and Family First's Bob Day in the Senate, as the mining magnate struggles to hold his disintegrating party together.
PUP has directed its second preferences to Family First in the Victorian upper house electoral regions of Northern and Southern Metro and to the Australian Christians Party in South Eastern Metro, virtually assuring Family First of a seat if they get a good primary vote. This would leave Family First in the box seat to drive conservative social change in Victoria. In all electoral regions Palmer has put the Voluntary Euthanasia Party about as far back as he could and often even behind religious fanatics like Rise Up Australia. Not many people see the PUP as a "religious" party but then not many people have heard Clive Palmer talk about his own fervent religious beliefs and how they affect his political agenda.
In the upper house, Labor has done a preference deal with their old arch-enemy, the DLP, to try and lock the Greens out of the Western Victoria region. This deal could easily hand the DLP the third religious party seat in the upper house and thus give the balance of power to a religious party bloc. The Greens, who are becoming well known for their extremely aggressive and highly personal social media campaigns, will retaliate strongly against Labor. However the real contest over whether Victorians want to have a NSW-style upper house (where the Rev Fred Nile and his Christian Democrats hold the balance of power) will be played out in Victoria's Northern Metropolitan region.
Here a titanic struggle between the progressive and the conservative forces in Australia will crystallise in a head to head tussle between Family First's Brendan Fenn and the Sex Party's Fiona Patten. One of these two is most likely to win the fifth seat in this region. Curiously, a vote for PUP here would be as good as a vote for Family First, while on the other hand a vote for pop singer Gotye's new party, The Basics Rock'n'Roll Party, would be a vote for the Sex Party. It's a tantalizing contest. Due to the way the Senate-style voting system works, a vote for Labor, Liberal or the Greens will have virtually no bearing on who will win this last upper house seat. The fact is that preferences from the smaller parties — either toward the Sex Party or to Family First — will determine the outcome of Northern Metro and quite possibly the balance of power in Victoria's upper house.
The Sex Party and Family First represent the two ends of the electable voting spectrum in present-day Australia — a secular, libertarian approach to life compared with a religious, authoritarian one. This debate is of considerable interest to average Australians — most of whom stand somewhere between the positions of these two parties. It is fascinating to realise that Seven Network's nationally televised 'Sunrise' morality debate in 2010, between Ms Patten and Family First's Queensland director, Wendy Francis, still attracts many viewers online and, in some courses in media studies, is seen as a benchmark debate about Australian morality.
Section 116 of our Constitution outlines the freedoms for and from religion, that apply in Australia. Despite this, we have no formal separation of church and state, and the Australian states are exempt from Section 116. Theoretically the states could set up their own state religions! Although this is remarkably unlikely, the recent election of religious parties to state upper houses where they can influence and shape government policy, is of considerable concern to secular people.
Although 61 per cent of the population said they "had" a religion at the last Census in 2011, only 7 per cent said they were actively involved in religion. By definition, religious parties are composed of people who are actively involved in religion. Having them in control of state upper houses and legislative agendas is not good for the other 93 per cent of Australians.
Emeritus Professor of History and Politics at Griffith University, Ross Fitzgerald is the author of 36 books, including his memoir, 'My Name Is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey.'
The Weekend Australian, November 22-23, 2014]]>
William Brownfield, the Assistant Secretary of State for Drugs and Law Enforcement, the most senior government official responsible for US drug policy, made some very significant comments on October 9 which have received surprisingly little media attention. Brownfield declared that the international community should now proceed on four pillars: first, respect for the integrity of the existing UN Drug Control Conventions; second, acceptance of flexible interpretation of those conventions; third, tolerance of different national drug policies; and fourth, agreement that whatever drug policy countries have, the commitment continues to combat the criminal organisations trafficking drugs for economic gain.
Brownfield noted that the first of the international drug treaties was drafted in 1961 and that the world has changed greatly in the half century since then. He argued that in a rapidly changing world the international approach to drugs must be sufficiently flexible to enable national policies to adjust. Brownfield accepted that countries must work together in the international community showing tolerance for those differing policies including 'legalisation, decriminalisation, de-penalisation'. While this approach involves some continuity with long standing US drug policy, it also represents considerable change.
Over more than a century, the US has been the principal architect and international enforcer of global drug prohibition. This was a system slowly built up over many decades after an initial meeting in Shanghai in 1909. The system rests on three major international drug treaties (1961, 1971, 1988) and a network of UN agencies to develop, implement and monitor policy. About 185 countries, including Australia, have signed these treaties.
Until now, the US has strongly supported a very strict interpretation of these treaties. While evidence of success of this approach is hard to identify, serious unintended negative consequences are all too obvious. Brownfield's comments represent a major shift in US drug policy with a new acceptance of the major change in attitudes to drug policy occurring around the world.
Pragmatism is slowly replacing ideology. But despite the growth over the last half century in the size and hazard of the global drug market and the increasing number of deaths, diseases, property crime, corruption, violence and major threats to national security, the USA is clearly not yet ready to abandon its long held view that drugs are primarily a criminal justice problem.
These changes are also reflected in Australia with Prime Minister Tony Abbott conceding on April 29, 2014 that 'It's not a war we will ever finally win. The war on drugs is a war you can lose'. Importantly, Abbott and a number of other senior Australian politicians are open to the idea of allowing medicinal cannabis to be legally prescribed and used.
Dr Alex Wodak, president of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, said that "politicians of varying stripes are now being mugged by the reality that, whether we like it or not, a desire to use psychoactive drugs is part of life on Planet Earth, especially for young people."
Until now, our drug policy has been about a world many would like to live in, instead of being about the world we actually inhabit. In fact, the global 'central command' approach to drug policy has failed as spectacularly as the North Korean and Cuban central command economies. As Wodak rightly concludes, "The only benefit of this failed approach to drug policy has been short-term political".
In 2004, then Senator Barack Obama said presciently 'in terms of legalisation of drugs, I think that the battle – the war on drugs has been an utter failure. And I think that we need to rethink and decriminalise our marijuana laws'. The Gallup poll has been asking US citizens every year since 1969 'Do you support the legalisation of marijuana?' Support rose from 12 per cent in 1969 to 58 per cent in 2013. Although this year it dropped slightly to 51 per cent, 2014 is the 4th consecutive year that support for the 'legalisation of marijuana' in the Gallup poll has been at or over 50 per cent.
Although politics can often be a merciless occupation, the reality is that, with the right message, a great many Australian citizens value courage and vision – especially in our leading politicians.
Gough Whitlam's 1972 campaign slogan, 'It's time', surely applies in spades to drug policy in Australia now. The time for exploiting futile drug prohibition for short-term political gain should be over. Many countries are now starting to explore what a post-prohibition world might look like. Australia should join that exploration.
Professor Ross Fitzgerald's memoir, 'My Name is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey', is available as an e-book and a talking book from Vision Australia.
The Canberra Times, November 17, 2014, p 5.]]>
BARRY Hill and I share at least one thing in common: an abiding admiration for Indian poet, novelist, philosopher and playwright Rabindranath Tagore. Born in 1861 in Calcutta (now Kolkata, West Bengal), Tagore died in 1941, a few months before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.
A friend of Albert Einstein, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi, Tagore was one of the world's great public intellectuals, an early leader of India's nationalist movement and, in 1913, the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He also wrote what are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh.
Hill is best known as an award-winning poet. 'Peacemongers' is his first major prose work since the acclaimed 2002 biography 'Broken Song: TGH Strehlow and Aboriginal Possession.' This new book is an involved and meandering meditation on the author's search for spiritual meaning, and also an exploration of the genesis and foundations of peace.
It begins with Hill's pilgrimage in India to Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha supposedly received enlightenment under the bodhi tree, and finishes in Nagasaki, one of the two Japanese cities destroyed by atomic bombs in World War II.
Towards the end of the book Hill also gives due recognition to Australian writer Wilfred Burchett, the first Western journalist to report on the effects of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Within 48 hours of arriving there, Burchett had written what Hill terms "his world-shattering story" that, a month after the atomic blast, was published uncensored on September 6, 1945, in London's 'Daily Express'. Burchett's explosive piece ran under the headline "The Atomic Plague" and opened with the words: "I write this as a warning to the world."
As well as poetic musings about his travels to India and Japan, in 'Peacemongers' Hill intercuts reflections about indigenous and other Australians and also about his father, a Melbourne-based peace activist and a union man who is a presence throughout this relentless and, to my mind, sometimes pretentious book.
What I do find fascinating in 'Peacemongers' are all the details about Indian judge Radhabinod Pal, from the High Court of Calcutta, and the role he played in the war crimes tribunal set up in Tokyo by the Americans in 1946. Indeed part six of the book, titled "Reason and Lovelessness: Tagore, the Tokyo Trial and Justice Pal", is alone worth the price of this well-produced and finely illustrated tome.
This especially applies to Hill's analysis of Pal's unequivocal dissent from the tribunal's majority decision and his reasons for rejecting Japanese guilt. In fact, Pal's lengthy judgment, the only one that dissented absolutely, was suppressed at the time. It was published only in 1953 – in Pal's massive work 'International Military Tribunal for the Far East: Dissentient Judgment.'
As Hill reveals, Pal was one of the three token Asians (the others were from China and The Philippines) belatedly appointed by General Douglas MacArthur to ''balance'' the 11 Westerners on the bench. Pal's appointment was complicated by the fact that officers of the Indian National Army, led by Gandhi's rival for the presidency of the Indian National Congress, Subhas Chandra Bose, were on trial for fighting with the Japanese in Burma.
It is intriguing to learn that the handsome Pal, who hailed from East Bengal, arrived in Tokyo a little after the trial had begun. Moreover his attendance at the trial, which ran for 2½ years, was the least of all judges save one. This was the Australian president of the tribunal, William Webb, who regularly returned to Brisbane.
The controversial thrust of Pal's Tokyo judgment is that all nations involved in the carnage of war, victors and vanquished, were culpable. Thus he argued that the ''so-called trial … obliterate(d) the centuries of civilisation which stretch between us and the summary slaying of the defeated". Indeed, if criminality were the main issue, the US decision to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and especially on Nagasaki, he argued, was one of the greatest crimes of all. Such atomic blasts, Pal poetically concluded, had "never occurred on earth before — nor in the sun or stars".
While all of the rich information about Pal is undoubtedly worthy of record, I find Hill's conceit of having Tagore's ghost at the Tokyo trial to be coy and unconvincing.
Apart from most of the material about Pal, Hill is at his best when he writes directly about Tagore and especially about the poet-philosopher's multi-layered stories of knowledge and epiphany, and about Buddhism, Hinduism and Zen. Yet despite his quest to overcome self-importance, in the main Hill's often solipsistic mediations reveal a writer still caught up in self-regard.
As it happened, when I first opened 'Peacemongers' the book's saffron yellow page marker indicated page 9 of part one, which is titled 'Slippery Buddha'. Straightaway my eyes fell on the following sentence: "He walked adrift, feet splayed and astray, like an elephant that had lost its trunk."
What on earth did this mean, I wondered. It was not an auspicious beginning.
Often the material Hill quotes is much more lucid, powerful and penetrating than his own text. Bearing that in mind, I will end by quoting from the Dalai Lama's exegesis on the 'Heart Sutra.'
This ancient Buddhist text is something to which Hill often refers in 'Peacemongers',as well as in a separate seven-page author's note positioned inside the book.
So here are some lines from the pen of the Dalai Lama:
"Anger and hatred, they destroy our inner peace. Compassion, forgiveness, a brotherhood and sisterhood, contentment, self-discipline, these are the basis of peace — both external peace and inner, mental peace. Only through strengthening these inner good qualities can a genuine lasting peace develop. This is what I mean by spiritual development. I also sometimes describe this as inner disarmament. In fact, in all levels of our existence — family life, social life, working life, and political life — inner disarmament is, above all, what humanity needs."
Now there are some words of wisdom.
Ross Fitzgerald is emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University.
The Weekend Australian, November 15-16, 2014, Review, Books, p 19]]>
Mr Goss implemented the reforms Mr Fitzgerald recommended in his 1989 landmark report into Queensland police corruption.
The report's findings of entrenched corruptions led to an election which swept away of 32 years of conservative Queensland government.
"Wayne Goss was a man of uncompromising integrity and an outstanding Queenslander whom I greatly admired," Mr Fitzgerald said.
"We first met when I held a few meetings with him and the other political leaders, Mike Ahern and Angus Innes, during the corruption inquiry," he said.
"All three provided essential support then.
"And after he became premier, Wayne's leadership produced the reforms which transformed that state.
"Like most reformers, he paid a heavy price."
Mr Fitzgerald said he and his wife, Kate, recently shared a meal with Wayne and Roisin Goss.
"We've had little contact over recent years, but happily we shared a simple meal with our wives a couple of months ago when he was already gravely ill," Mr Fitzgerald said.
"I extend my deepest sympathy to Roisin, Ryan and Caitlin."
Author and social commentator Professor Ross Fitzgerald, emeritus professor in history and politics at Griffith University, said Mr Goss' rise to premier was linked to Tony Fitzgerald's inquiry.
"It was really the Fitzgerald Inquiry that enabled Wayne Goss to become the first Labor premier of Queensland for 32 years in December 1989," Professor Fitzgerald said.
"Had it not been for the Fitzgerald Inquiry, that could not have happened.
"And also had not the Queensland Labor Party not been through the reforms of the late Dr Denis Murphy and Peter Beattie, the party would not have been ready to take part."
Professor Fitzgerald described Mr Goss as a "steady hand, but he really wasn't a radical reformer".
"His government was able to achieve many of the reforms that Tony Fitzgerald suggested," he said.
Professor Fitzgerald said there was a sharp contrast between Wayne Goss and the Sir Joh Bjeke Petersen-era politicians.
"Interestingly enough, he wasn't flamboyant and he wasn't over-the-top like Joh or some of Joh's ministers like Russ Hinze," Professor Fitzgerald said.
"He was a sober, steady Premier, which may have been what Queensland needed after the Fitzgerald reforms."
Professor Fitzgerald said an additional sad note in Mr Goss's passing was the fact that his federal political aspirations were cut short by an early tumour.
Mr Goss stood for pre-selection for the seat of Oxley against Pauline Hanson in 1998, but had to withdraw because of his health.
At that 1998 election, the seat of Oxley was divided and the new seat of Blair created. Pauline Hanson stood in Blair and lost.
"It would have been fascinating to see how Goss would have performed federally," he said.
"I mean, he was very different to Joh.
"He wasn't a caricature like Joh. Sober and even-handed would be my assessment."
Tony Moore, 'The Brisbane Times', November 11, 2014]]>
This is what our biology teacher, Norton Hobson, a strongly anti-communist ex-communist, said to us at Melbourne High School in 1960.
Although somewhat of a caricature, Mr Hobson's pithy statement contains at least an element of truth, which Tony Abbott might keep in mind when he meets President Vladimir Putin at next Saturday's G20 leaders summit in Brisbane.
Because the G20 is a consensus-based forum, any decision to ban the Russian President is one for the entire G20 membership. It is not a decision Australia can make unilaterally.
So assuming Putin will attend, the Prime Minister must follow up on his intention of having a very robust discussion with him over the murder of 298 people, including 38 who called Australia home, on flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine.
However, we should note that our extremely well-performing Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, recently had a constructive conversation with Putin in Milan. Bishop made clear to Putin our concerns about Russia's involvement in Ukraine.
It is important to remember that last year's G20 summit in St Petersburg was hijacked by events in Syria. It is very much to be hoped the Brisbane summit focuses on its key economic agenda and isn't overwhelmed by a concentration on Islamic State terrorism in Iraq and elsewhere.
This year's G20 is an opportunity for Australia to influence global economic issues of direct relevance to our nation. It is also a platform for Australia to strengthen our relationships with countries of importance to our strategic and trading interests.
As host, Australia must ensure this isn't merely a high-level talkfest, and in particular that leaders use their combined influence to deliver economic outcomes to benefit the global community.
In fact, Australia intends to structure leaders' discussion around three key themes:
. Promoting stronger economic growth and employment outcomes.
' Making the global economy more resilient to deal with future shocks.
. Strengthening global institutions to ensure their continuing relevance to the global economy.
To achieve these aims, we must maintain a tight focus on core economic issues: increasing employment, promoting trade and competition, investing in infrastructure and, perhaps most important, reforming global tax systems. At the finance ministers meeting in February, Australia achieved a G20 first with a commitment to implement policies that aim to lift collective gross domestic product by more than 2 per cent above current estimates across the next five years. This equates to an additional $US2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) in economic activity and tens of millions of new jobs.
This will require each G20 member to deliver a comprehensive growth strategy as part of the Brisbane action plan. It should be noted, however, that members' initiatives are about 90 per cent of the way to achieving that collective ambition, with nearly 1000 measures being put on the table.
It is strongly to be hoped that, at this G20, all leaders of member countries will deeply understand that the international tax system is in urgent need of reform. Tax avoidance, including base erosion and profit shifting, by large multinational enterprises, is becoming more common, sophisticated and aggressive.
Multinationals avoid paying tax through corporate planning strategies that exploit gaps and mismatches in countries' tax standards. Surely, as a principle, company profits should be paid in the country where they are earned?
The G20 must firm up its intention to tackling base erosion and profit shifting.
This is why the G20 has endorsed a common reporting standard for the automatic exchange of tax information between countries. This will improve transparency and reduce opportunities for massive tax evasion and avoidance.
Further, enhanced co-operation between tax authorities, including through the exchange of information, will assist tax administrators in building a comprehensive picture of the financial arrangements of their residents. Standardising the type and format of information exchanged, as well as improving timeliness, will increase its effectiveness.
Together with G20 countries, the OECD has developed a new global standard for automatic exchange of information, whereby bulk taxpayer information can be exchanged between tax authorities without first requiring a request to be made.
G20 finance ministers endorsed a new standard in February and agreed to start exchanging tax information automatically by the end of next year — which is when the 2015 G20 leaders summit is scheduled to be held in Turkey.
G20 members account for 85 per cent of the global economy, 75 per cent of trade and two-thirds of the world's population. The members of the G20 are of key importance to Australia's economy. They include six of Australia's top 10 trading partners.
Australia also has invited New Zealand and Singapore as our two guests, which takes the figure to eight out of 10.
More than 75 per cent of Australia's merchandise exports go to G20 countries, worth about $190 billion.
The G20 has proven itself capable of responding to the direst of economic circumstances, such as the global financial crisis.
Its strength lies in the diversity of its membership, which brings together advanced and emerging economies.
Let's hope that, at next week's summit in Brisbane, all G20 members, including Russia, bite the bullet and commit themselves to global economic reforms.
Ross Fitzgerald's memoir, 'My Name is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey', is available as an e-book and a talking book from Vision Australia.
The Weekend Australian, November 8-9, 2014, Inquirer, p 22.]]>
To demonstrate where we are headed, the Advertising Standards Board recently adjudicated a complaint about a television commercial that showed a child picking his nose. The complainant alleged that nose picking was a dangerous activity: "With all the germs and viruses around in this day and age, I would of (sic) thought Hygiene would of (sic) been a high priority."
Surely the ASB should have immediately dismissed this complaint. But incredibly, the case report (#0354/14) examined in minute detail first "The Complaint", then "The Advertiser's Response" and finally (drum roll) "The Determination".
Why spend thousands of dollars and a huge chunk of corporate time giving such a complaint serious consideration?
The ASB, which now sees several of such trivial complaints, has no short cut to deal with them. Many of the advertisements that attract complaint are posters and billboards on busy street corners where thousands of people see them every day. Usually complaints are based on individual moral judgments or religious convictions that have little to do with the public good but everything to do with personal systems of belief.
While in the past such political correctness has infected many government agencies, its more recent appearance in non-government regulatory agencies is alarming. The Australian Press Council has moved from being a regulatory body that usually dismissed anyone's complaint about a newspaper to one that now makes minute and exacting decisions on the most obscure issues.
The council's recent handling of a complaint by the Australian Society for Kangaroos in response to a suggestion from a food writer from this newspaper that kangaroos were killed, among other things, according to "world's best practice" was similar to the ASB's handling of the nose-picking incident. It kicked off a series of notifications, responses, examinations and re-examinations of standards and so-called best practice.
Like many avid watchers of Skippy I have long had an emotional attachment to our iconic marsupial. Hence, I make no judgment on the final decision handed down in respect to this aspect of the kangaroo complaint (it was not upheld), only that it should surely never have come up in the first place and, when it did, the press council should have been able to deal with such a ridiculously trivial complaint in a simple and expeditious way.
The process for reviewing the classification of films is also flawed. Appealing an adverse decision by the Australian Classification Board, then getting it under the nose of the Classification Review Board will cost the film owner or distributor $10,000. It's actually more than this when one takes into consideration the costs for the appellant to launch an action. Such a large fee means the process is really affordable only by large-scale studios. It's completely out of reach for independent and amateur filmmakers.
The politically correct imperative behind the review of film classifications is that a handful of people may be offended if the classifiers slip up and make a mistake. So a PG film may get a G rating. Or an MA rated film may get an R rating. Yet on the internet there are thousands of similar films to the ones under formal review. Such films can be downloaded at the push of a button and hardly any of them will be classified in the first place, let alone be subjected to expensive review.
The reason the cost is so high is said to be because Classification Review Board members have to be flown in from around the country to watch the film together.
Why? Surely they can watch it on DVD or even online in their own homes or offices and email their decision to the convener of the board? It is this subservience to the notion of due process, and of correctness in the face of practicality and common sense, that is increasingly frustrating.
It doesn't end there. The decision-making is itself full of political correctness. Take the recent review board decision to lower the classification of the Roadshow-distributed film Blended from M to PG. While I personally agreed with the decision, the board's "findings on material questions of fact" revolved almost entirely around sex. It cost $10,000 for three people to work out that talking about teenage masturbation and a quick grab of a rhino copulating shouldn't exclude 13 and 14-year-olds from watching the film.
It is worthy of notice that the Greens are making the advertising and promotion of "unhealthy lifestyles" a policy pitch at the coming Victorian election. While many of us may agree with some of their sentiments concerning the crass promotion of alcohol in sport and of junk foods ads near schools, there's surely something sinister about a supposedly progressive party threatening to introduce laws that set up bureaucracies to regulate basic human behaviours such as eating, drinking and communicating.
Surely common sense should prevail?
Ross Fitzgerald is emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University and the author of 36 books, including his memoir 'My Name is Ross: An Alcoholic's Journey.'
The Weekend Australian, October 25-26, 2014, Inquirer p 24]]>
Among the finalists in the fiction category is Richard Flanagan, who won the Man Booker Prize in London last week for his novel 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North'. A few conservatives were riled when Flanagan, within minutes of winning his award told the BBC he was "ashamed to be Australian" when asked about the government's environmental and energy policies. Despite his comments Flanagan's shortlisting might reduce any impression of bias coming from the newly re-constituted PMLA judging panel.
The completely new judging panel includes several conservative commentators and a former Liberal MP which came in for criticism earlier this year, A former PMLA judge, Colin Steele in Crikey said the 2014 panel "does reflect in some ways possibly a political bent".
The non-fiction and history panel was chaired by the conservative Australian Gerard Henderson and included former Liberal MP and 'Quadrant' magazine editor Peter Coleman (the father-in-law of former treasurer Peter Costello and columnist for 'Spectator Australia'). The panel also included historian Ross Fitzgerald and psychiatrist Ida Litcher, both of whom are contributors to 'The Australian.'
Fiction and poetry were chaired by Louise Adler, publisher of Tony Abbott's book 'Battlelines' and one of the judges for both categories was poet Les Murray, who is also the current poetry editor of 'Quadrant' magazine.
Short-listed books in the non-fiction category include 'The Lucky Culture' by Nick Cater, an editor at 'The Australian', (heavily criticised by Guy Rundle on Crikey last year) and Hal G.P. Colebatch's 'Australia's Secret War: How unionists sabotaged our troops in World War II', published by Quadrant Books.
The six winners of each category are more likely to be announced next month and will each receive a tax-free prize of $100,000 making the PMLA Australia's richest literary prize.
The shortlist :
A World of Other People, Steven Carroll (Harper Collins)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan (Vintage Australia)
The Night Guest, Fiona McFarlane (Penguin: Hamish Hamilton)
Coal Creek, Alex Miller (Allen & Unwin)
Belomor, Nicolas Rothwell (Text Publishing)
Tempo, Sarah Day (Puncher & Wattmann Poetry)
Eldershaw, Stephen Edgar (Black Pepper)
1953, Geoff Page (University of Queensland Press)
Drag Down to Unlock or Place an Emergency Call, Melinda Smith (Pitt Street Poetry)
Chains of Snow, Jakob Ziguras (Pitt Street Poetry)
Moving Among Strangers, Gabrielle Carey (University of Queensland Press)
The Lucky Culture, Nick Cater (Harper Collins Publishers)
Citizen Emperor, Philip Dwyer (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Rendezvous with Destiny, Michael Fullilove (Penguin)
Madeleine: A Life of Madeleine St John, Helen Trinca (Text Publishing)
Prize for Australian History
Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War, Joan Beaumont (Allen & Unwin)
First Victory 1914, Mike Carlton (Random House)
Australia's Secret War: How unionists sabotaged our troops in World War II, Hal G.P. Colebatch (Quadrant Books)
Arthur Phillip: Sailor, Mercenary, Governor, Spy, Michael Pembroke (Hardie Grant Books)
The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka, Clare Wright (Text Publishing)
Young Adult Fiction
The Incredible Here and Now, Felicity Castagna (Giramondo)
Pureheart, Cassandra Golds (Penguin)
Girl Defective, Simmone Howell (Pan Macmillan)
Life in Outer Space, Melissa Keil (Hardie Grant Egmont)
The First Third, Will Kostakis (Penguin)
Children's Fiction
Silver Buttons, Bob Graham (Walker Books )
Song for a Scarlet Runner, Julie Hunt (Allen & Unwin)
My Life as an Alphabet, Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin)
Kissed by the Moon, Alison Lester (Puffin)
Rules of Summer, Shaun Tan (Hachette)
Simon Vallenet, The Daily Review, October 20, 2014.]]>
IN a strong field of recent political biographies and memoirs, this first published biography of Dick Hamer is a most welcome addition.
Hamer, a reformist, was Liberal premier of Victoria from 1972 to 1981 and, as with any biography, details of the times the subject lived in make it all the more fascinating.
Author Tim Colebatch writes that he envies American historian Robert Caro, who has spent the past 40 years researching and writing his still unfinished five-volume biography of former US president Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Colebatch, a political and financial journalist, could have spent longer on his subject but managed to finish the job in the equivalent of a year of full-time work. He admits he has "left many fields unploughed".
The Public Record Office Victoria finally made the Hamer government papers available last year, too late to be of much help to Colebatch. Also, he writes, the biographer would "have loved to have had time to read the records of the Victorian Liberal Party, now in the University of Melbourne's archives". But, then again, he did not have 40 years up his sleeve, as Caro seems to have had. Yet, despite the time constraints, Colebatch has done an excellent job.
Although neither official nor authorised, this fine, well-illustrated biography has benefited from members of the Hamer family providing Colebatch with detailed memories, copious photographs and other documentary material. The last includes the 1160 pages of four volumes of personal and political diaries that a young and ambitious Hamer wrote between 1939 and 1941. Thank goodness that in the 20th century many of our leading politicians kept detailed diaries.
As well as more traditional sources, Colebatch has made extensive use online of the Victorian parliament's biographies of former MPs, the 'Australian Dictionary of Biography' and the National Library's invaluable search engine Trove. He also praises Wikipedia, the veracity of which I am much less certain about.
As Colebatch explains, Rupert James Hamer (who was known as Dick most of his life) was a Toorak boy educated at Victoria's best private schools, including Geelong Grammar. As a lieutenant in World War II he served with distinction at Tobruk.
Before taking over as premier of Victoria, Hamer had been a loyal minister under the chain-smoking and often uncouth Henry Bolte, who benefited enormously from the parlous state of the opposition that resulted from the great split in the Australian Labor Party in the mid-1950s.
Politically pragmatic, rarely doctrinaire and ably assisted by his intense and authoritarian political sidekick and attorney-general Arthur Rylah, Bolte was premier of Victoria for 17 years, from June 1955 until August 1972, when Hamer took over the reins.
As Colebatch demonstrates, in many ways Bolte — the sports-loving, authoritarian, no-nonsense farmer — was the polar opposite of the cultured and urbane Hamer, who for years had cultivated a strong social conscience.
Indeed somewhat earlier in his political career, Hamer had been a strong advocate of the abolition of capital punishment. This was a legacy of Hamer's emotional abhorrence of the highly divisive hanging at Melbourne's Pentridge Prison of Ronald Ryan at 8am on Friday February 3, 1967. As it eventuated, Ryan was the last person to be legally executed in Australia.
Although opinion polls demonstrated that most citizens still supported the death penalty, in the third year of his premiership and in a direct repudiation of Bolte's legacy, Hamer (who allowed MPs a free vote) legislated to abolish capital punishment in his state.
Hamer was the last Liberal premier in Australia to win three elections in a row, and his commitment to democracy in the partyrooms, which starkly distinguished him from the autocratic Bolte, ultimately became his achilles heel. As economic and fiscal problems accumulated and chronic disloyalty in state Liberal ranks undermined him, Hamer was, as Colebatch puts it, "run over in the end by the Young Turks".
Nevertheless, Hamer's damaged leadership towards the end of his premiership cannot undo his many positive achievements. These include his promotion of urban and rural environmentalism, and of cultural activities and the arts; his protection of built heritage; his advocacy of racial and sexual equality; his qualified support for feminism; and his significant social and legal reforms, including the decriminalisation of homosexuality. More tangibly, under his premiership, Melbourne's iconic tramlines were extended for the first time in a half century, the West Gate Bridge was built, and art galleries, libraries and theatres were constructed throughout Victoria.
Above all, in this well-written and helpfully indexed book, Hamer comes across as a person and politician of considerable charm and manifest integrity.
Perhaps as a result of our changing political landscape, by the end of his life in March 2004, aged 87, this classically educated, liberal-minded, progressively inclined former Liberal premier appeared to be valued and respected much more by his Labor opponents than by members of his own side. But, as another famous person hanged in Victoria so aptly put it, "Such is life."
Ross Fitzgerald is emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University.
The Weekend Australian, October 11-12, 2014, Review, Books p 19.]]>
In essence, the next City of Sydney council election will see every corporation that owns land or runs a business in the local area given two votes, while ordinary citizens get one.
In NSW there is no debate about whether businesses should vote in local council elections. As is the case in other council areas, businesses in the City of Sydney already had the right to vote.
Strangely, the recent changes have been orchestrated in the NSW parliament by the Shooters and Fishers Party.
The Melbourne model on which their push was based is not suited to Sydney.
The two cities use different systems to determine who pays rates to council. If the Shooters had their way and Melbourne's legislation were transposed on Sydney holus-bolus, thousands of businesses would have lost their vote.
After those opposed to the bill pointed out this egregious error, some hurried amendments saved Shooters MLC Robert Borsak and NSW Local Government Minister and Liberal MP Paul Toole from shooting themselves in the foot.
However, another legislative change to the City of Sydney Act, also pushed by the Shooters, will see control of the next council election removed from the independent and highly respected NSW Electoral Commission.
The general manager of the City of Sydney will now have to establish a new bureaucracy to create the business roll. Businesses will be subjected to more red tape by requiring them to provide extensive and in some cases intrusive information. Those that don't provide requested information face a $2200 fine, and businesses that don't vote will be fined $55.
The new legislation throws Sydney back to a time when property ownership determined political power.
Not only that, it dramatically tilts the political landscape towards those who are willing to pander most openly to the desires of the business community.
The history of businesses voting in council elections has been chequered.
Hence, in 1995 the NSW Crown Solicitor warned of serious inaccuracies in the permanent electoral roll of businesses that could vote — which meant that it would be "unsafe to hold an election for the City of Sydney".
Just weeks before last month's NSW legislation was passed, an independent review of the Victorian local government election process recommended major changes to business voting in Melbourne.
The review, chaired by respected former senior Liberal MP Petro Georgiou, recommended abandoning the Melbourne model because of major flaws.
Those pushing the bill in NSW parliament maintained that they simply wanted to make it easier for businesses in the city to vote.
However, the plain truth is that this legislation is about manipulating democracy and temporarily distracting citizens from the findings of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which recently has exposed corrupt links between some members of the Liberal Party and big property developers.
Unlike what we've seen at ICAC, the City of Sydney Council — led by long-serving independent mayor Clover Moore — is not interested in development deals lubricated by large sums of money in brown paper bags.
An alternative business voting bill was introduced by independent state MP for Sydney Alex Greenwich, who replaced Moore in 2012 when rule changes in NSW forced her to resign as an MP.
Greenwich's alternative bill would have ensured the roll for every council election was accurate. It also would have meant that businesses could choose whether they wanted to vote, a principle supported by the NSW Business Chamber, which has said compulsory voting is not necessary.
While the member for Sydney developed his bill through open negotiations and consultation, the Shooters and the Liberals worked behind the scenes in what seems an obvious ploy to return the City of Sydney Council to the Liberal Party.
During the past 10 years, under independent leadership, the City of Sydney has become one of the most desirable places in Australia to live and work. It is the fastest growing residential area in NSW. The previous census showed that 40 per cent of all new jobs created in the metropolitan area were in the City of Sydney.
Moreover, since 2004, Sydney council has approved $25 billion worth of development.
With businesses doing so well out of the City of Sydney, the question must be asked: who engineered the gerrymander to deliver them even more power, and why?
The only real supporters of this new legislation were the Shooters and Fishers Party and the Liberal-Nationals government.
This iniquitous plan was strongly opposed by community members, the ALP and the Greens.
Indeed, as a Labor member of the NSW parliament's joint standing committee on electoral matters, MLC Amanda Fazio, made clear, some Liberal city councillors who did not like the result of the previous election were among those who pushed hardest for change.
"Undue weight was given to the evidence of two first-term Liberal councillors from the City of Sydney," said Fazio.
Many citizens disapprove of this brazen attempt to thwart democracy. Indeed, the state Liberals should understand that their machinations and skulduggery may come back to haunt them at the forthcoming NSW elections in late March next year.
Meanwhile, after 10 years as Lord Major of Sydney, and in the face of another clear attempt by the NSW Liberal government to undermine her, Moore has yet to decide whether she will run in the next council elections in 2016.
However, she has declared: "When they commit these acts of bastardry, it makes you want to fight on."
Ross Fitzgerald is emeritus professor of history and politics at Griffith University.
The Weekend Australian, October 11-12, 2014, Inquirer, p 24.]]>


text:
The Disney Movie Trivia Test
Their result for The Disney Movie Trivia Test ...
Disney Rocker!
Wow! You know about as much about Disney movies as me! You rock!
What is the name of Ariel's crabby friend in "The Little Mermaid"?
What was the name of Ariel's love interest?
Name the movie this song is from: "Little town, it's a quiet village Every day, like the one before Little town, full of little people Waking up to say...."
Beauty and the Beast
Where did "Beauty and the Beast" take place?
How did Simba's father Mufasa die in "The Lion King"?
He was trampled by wildebeasts
Which of these movies is supposedly "based on a true story"?
In the movie "Lady and the Tramp" what are they eating in their famous dinner scene?
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Which of these is NOT a name of one of the puppies in the original "101 Dalmations" animated classic?
Who of these, in the original movie, did NOT marry a prince?
Of this list, who is NOT a Disney villian?
Abu was a...
but in the middle of the movie, he was turned into a what?
What kind of slipper did Cinderella drop at the ball?
Which of these movies did NOT have talking animals?
Snow White
What was the name of Jasmine's pet?
Which of these princesses had a mother sometime in the movie?
How did Gaston die in "Beauty and the Beast"?
Gaston fell off the top of the castle
Which movie had the song "bibbity boppity boo"?
True or False: Jasmine loved Prince Ali Ababwa the moment she set eyes on him.
Which of these is not a name of one of the seven dwarfs?
"There's more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done."
The Lion King
"One love, that has possessed me, one love, thrilling me through."
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
"When you're the best of friends, having so much fun together, you're not even aware, you're such a funny pair, you're the best of friends."
The Fox and the Hound
"I want adventure int he great wide somewhere, I want it more then I can tell."
Beauty and the Beast
"For a long time we've been marching off to battle, in our thundering herd we feel a lot like cattle."
"Life is your restaurant, and I'm your maitre d"
"Oh Great Spirit, hear our song, help us keep the ancient ways, keep the sacred fire strong, walk in balance all our days."
"For one so small, you seem so strong."
"I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing, but a cat's the only cat who knows how to swing."
The Aristocats
"I'm wishing for the one I love, to find me today, I'm hoping, and I'm dreaming of, the nice things he'll say."
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Their Analysis (Vertical line = Average)
They scored 80% on dispoints, higher than 34% of your peers.
All possible test results
Disney Dud
Did you even HAVE a childhood? Seriously, go watch some of your old Disney flicks and see what you've been missing. Answers: What is the name of Ariel's crabby friend in "The Little M... Read more
Disney Fan
You know your basic Disney, but you're not the Disney champ yet! Answers: What is the name of Ariel's crabby friend in "The Little Mermaid"? Sebastian What was the name ... Read more
Disney Ruler!
So close you can taste it! Watch more movies! Answers: What is the name of Ariel's crabby friend in "The Little Mermaid"? Sebastian What was the name of Ariel's love in... Read more
Disney Rocker!
Wow! You know about as much about Disney movies as me! You rock! Answers: What is the name of Ariel's crabby friend in "The Little Mermaid"? Sebastian What was the nam... Read more
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Hull takeaway operator Gholam Reza Parviz gets suspended jail term over Latino's hygiene case
Posted: December 13, 2013|
AN east Hull takeaway operator has narrowly avoided jail for a string of food hygiene offences and trading under a false name. Environmental officers from Hull City Council found Latino's, on Southcoates Lane, in a dirty state with no hot water. But instead of complying with the officers' requirements, Gholam Reza Parviz tried to evade the authorities by changing his name to suggest the takeaway was under new ownership.
The council, Humberside Police and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) joined forces to prosecute Parviz for food hygiene offences, benefit fraud and perverting the course of justice. Parviz, who currently runs Valencia takeaway, on Preston Road, east Hull, appeared at Hull Crown Court to face a number of charges relating to his time operating Latino's.
Parviz pleaded guilty to eight separate charges of food safety breaches, as well as breaching an Emergency Closure Notice for Latino's, issued by environmental health officers because he had no hot water. Officers found the premises and equipment were dirty, wall and floor surfaces were in a poor condition and there was no documented food safety management system in place. Suitable and clean protective over-clothing was also not being worn by staff.
Humberside Police also charged him with intention to pervert the course of justice, as Parviz claimed he was Mir Ali Mousavi while running Latino's.
Related content
Parviz appeared at Hull Crown Court last month to face the food hygiene charges and intention to pervert the course of justice charge. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in jail, suspended for two years.
Paul Turner, principal environmental health officer at the city council, said: "Parviz showed a disregard for the law. All he needed to do was fix the boiler, have a really good clean and throw out a few cloths.
"He could have been open the next day but he delayed matters and thought we wouldn't keep an eye on the place. The law gives us all sorts of powers to deal with this kind of disregard.
"I guess he gave a false name to try and throw us off the scent and as some diversionary tactic but his web of lies quickly untangled. This ended up being a very serious case indeed."
Mr Turner revealed Paviz could easily have lost his livelihood. He said: "We suggested to the court that it issues a Prohibition of Persons Order to prevent Parviz trading. They are very rare but they are issued in exceptional circumstances. We felt this was one such circumstances but the court decided not to grant it on this occasion."
Investigators from the council and the DWP found Parviz had also failed to declare he had started running Valencia Bay takeaway, also on Preston Road, and was receiving an income. Parviz pleaded guilty to two offences of failing to declare a change in his circumstances, which resulted in overpayments of council tax benefit and income support totalling £9397.28.
Parviz appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court for the benefit fraud and was given a conditional discharge, in addition to having to pay back every penny fraudulently taken. The Latino's premises is now under new ownership under the name New Pizza Corner, which has no connection to Parviz.
Hull City Councillor John Hewitt, portfolio holder for neighbourhoods and communities, said: "All these offences were of a serious nature and the food safety breaches posed a risk to the public.
By working together and conducting joint investigations, Hull City Council, DWP and Humberside Police have successfully prosecuted on all charges.
We continue to work closely with businesses to make sure health and safety standards are met and provide businesses with advice as to where they can make improvements, as well as prosecute where necessary."
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Center for Story-based Strategy
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Updates on memes, news, and events.
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- Friday 20 June 2014
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- Paul Hamlyn Hall
- Friday 20 June 2014
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- Friday 20 June 2014, 7pm
- Main Stage
- Friday 20 June 2014, 7.45pm
- Clore Studio Upstairs
Backstage Tour: Backstage Tours 13-14
Visit the Backstage and the Front of House areas of one of the world's leading theatres as it prepares to open its doors for the evening performance.
Big Sing Fridays
Shake the week's cobwebs away with a good sing in the Paul Hamlyn Hall! Explore the world of opera with The Royal Opera's music staff and guest artists.
Thurrock Tours: Thurrock Tours 13-14
Discover the fascinating world of the scenic artists and craftspeople who create stunning sets and scenery for the world-famous Royal Opera House on the tour of the Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop.
Manon Lescaut
Puccini's first triumph returns to Covent Garden for the first time in 30 years in a new staging by Jonathan Kent.
An Evening with Carmen Giannattasio
Meet the Italian soprano as she prepares to sing the virtuoso role of Elisabetta I in Donizetti's Maria Stuarda.


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Istanbul Apartment Rentals with Cable Tv(4,424)
4,424 Results
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Recent Istanbul Reviews
Excellant choice
الشقة جدا مريحة وواسعة ونظيفة مناسبة جدا للعائلات , بالإضافة إلى موقعها القريب من محطات الباصات والمترو ومن ساحة تقسيم وإطلالة على مضيق البسفور.. مالك الشقة إنسان عملي وواضح جداً.. أنصح بها وبقوة .. The apartment is very comfortable , spacious and clean..It is very suitable for families, in addition to its proximity to the metro and bus stations and Taksim Square and views of the Bosphorus .. apartment owner practical man and very clear .. I strongly recommend it ..
good for big families or groups, central as well.
We have stayed 6 nights at Taksim bomonti vip apartments and it was nice to spend time there. As location it is very central, just 3 minutes walk from metro station but we mainly walked to Taksim Square or at nights take a taxi, it is easier and cheaper as well. Apartment is very nice and also useful decorated, we were 8 people totally and worried in the beginning if we could have comfort, however it was well enough. 6 people can sleep in the beds in bedrooms and in the living room there is a double sofa bed and also as we were 8 people we requested extra single bed, so it was even enough for 9 people. Maybe if there would be breakfast service it would be even better, because i really dont like to prepare breakfast in the mornings, however my family always prefer to have breakfast in the home :( Anyway, it was nice and staff was helpfull for touristic tips as well. I can recommend this unit for especially families and groups whom stay crowded.
Our Sultan Suites Stay
My daughter and I had a wonderful 10 night stay at the beautiful Sultan Suites. Nafiye, the owner, was the perfect hostess! After a long flight from the States and what felt like an even longer wait at passport control, she greeted us at the apartment with wine, cheese and fruit. Our main apartment was on the top floor and overlooked the Golden Horn from the living room and balcony. My daughter had her own smaller but equally fabulous apartment on the first floor. Our apartments were outfitted in Ottoman style and were warm, comfortable and very elegant. The woodworking, crystal chandeliers and intricate paintings are lovely. Bedrooms are situated on a quiet back street facing the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate (not to be missed). There was plenty of cupboard space to unpack everything and stow the luggage. The kitchen is very well-equipped and the washer/dryer was a big plus for our long stay. We loved the wonderful Haman baths. What is not mentioned in the apartment description is that there are also rain showers! I also need to mention the beautiful Turkish towels and wonderful soaps that Nafiye supplied. The location was perfect for us. You are within walking distance of the main old city sites, but far enough away so that you can escape the din. There is a wonderful waterfront walk to the well-known historical attractions. You can also walk street-side, but be advised that you will need to walk in the street, at times. Crossing some streets can be an adventure. There are restaurants close by and one of Atatürk's favorite spots is right around the corner. Be sure to have breakfast on the rooftop. There is also a cozy restaurant on the bottom floor of the apartment building with a good breakfast and gracious owners. Thanks to Nafiye, we were able to enjoy an experience beyond the usual tourist spots and are very grateful for her generosity. You can always stay in a hotel, or tag along with a tour group, but the opportunity to become immersed in local culture and have a unique and authentic experience is not to be missed. We can't wait to return.