No More Shootout for Newcastle?

I find it very sad and outrageous that such a wonderful event as the Newcastle Shootout will possibly move to another city because Newcastle City Council won’t fund it (Weekender, NH 28/4:7).

Why must we have to stomach the divisive debate of having to choose between a new Art Gallery, and a Koala enclosure in Blackbutt reserve? Certainly these are the very things we employ a Council to look after and administer. I also don’t understand why the dodgy fiasco over the ‘white elephant’ markets in the mall was never reported to ICAC. Certainly this is a case of gross financial mismanagement.

Why don’t we have similar recourse to withdraw funding from those areas of Council that come up with these hit lists to our essential cultural services?

And why given the financial mess hasn’t the General Manager been made accountable?

Media Massacre at Virginia Tech

It is not appropriate for the media to shed such light and publicity on the individual who perpetrated those crimes in the US (“Massacre with a multimedia edge” SMH 20/4).

We live in an “image is everything”( – to quote the Nike add) soaked world, and such overt displays create a distinct impression on similar disaffected people who, like most of us, feel some form of disconnect from modern society. Having this guy’s personal film diaries, and notebooks and other testaments of his anguish on public show turns him into a glorified You Tube sensation. Whether you like it or not it will attract admirers. Is this necessary?

The real story is how we (and more importantly the United States) collectively deal with mental illness and unbridled gun culture and the ongoing tragedies that are created from that marriage. Why not investigate that?

New Coal Loader for the Hunter Region

Frank Sartor's decision to approve a third coal loader and expand another in order to send out an extra 100 million tonnes of coal into a world facing environmental catastrophe is a monumental error of judgment. (SMH ''Coal Exports to Double'' 14/4) It will stand as the greatest folly of our generation.

If this decision was a balanced one, as Frank Sartor stated it was (Newcastle Herald ''1 Bn Fix for Hunter Coal'' 14/4), then one billion dollars should have poured into renewable energy technology research and development as well. We have such a facility on Steel River Mayfield known as the CSIRO that could do with the funding. Instead, it is languishing.

Why? Due to poor political leadership renewable energy innovation has been sidelined for the “Clean Coal” solution, also known as the “Stick you Head in the Sand Solution” or the “All the Way with Coal We Say” chorus.

Politicians have campaigned that they want balance in the debate. This is impossible with decisions such as this one.

We have a public transport system that is a mess. We need buses every ten minutes and free, so that catching one becomes easy and effortless. A 1 Billion fix to our public transport system across the nation would be a wonderful investment as well.

Renewable energy and public transport, these are decisions which would deliver Governments great praise. Instead we have no future.

My sincere hope is that this decision is recinded immediately. Please, for the sake of future generations make this happen.

People need to understand that life is not just about money and power.

In order to achieve a future that is not in perpetual war we all need to find a new way to conduct our business on Earth.

This decision will not get us there.

Thanks for the Memories

Saw this amazing documentary last night on the ABC entitled "Thanks for the Memories" about inherited memories from donor's hearts.

The research into the workings of the heart's electromagnetic field was particularly interesting; that it creates more electromagnetic energy than the brain,
that it and the brain interact in a continuous sharing of information,
that its field can be measured up to six feet away from the subject,
and that the heart can register sense impressions of events before the brain and through the brain prepares the body for it.

The ABC page is located here:

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200704/programs/ZY8704A001D12042007T203000.htm