This line from David Marr is one of the best descriptions I’ve ever read of the farcical sound and fury which is Question Time in the House of Representatives:
It’s a bit like an RSPCA pound: never free of the spectre of being put down, the dogs bark and howl to attract attention.
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For those interested in basic facts about temperature trends in Australia and globally over recent decades, there is a great post over at Lavartus Prodeo by Brian Banisch, who has been following the data and the various scientific reports on this issue for a long time. Very much worth having a read of for those who are just wanting some facts.
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Items on Indian students, refugees in our region and Copenhagen
Below are links to some recent pieces I have written on other sites:
- some impacts from the recent http://asiancorrespondent.com/andrew-bartlett-blog/tragic-murder-puts-spotlight-back-on-safety-of-indians-in-australia murder of an Indian man living in Melbourne;
- connections between http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2009/12/19/another-failed-summit/ the failures of a UN Summit on hunger and the Copenhagen climate change summit.
- articles detailing some more mistreatment of refugees in our region here http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2009/12/29/more-refugee-torment-in-our-region/ and here http://asiancorrespondent.com/andrew-bartlett-blog/dangers-for-refugees-in-region-highlighted-by-forced-deportation-from-thailand
Below are links to some recent pieces I have written on other sites More... ()
Many not for profit and charity groups have got a lot smarter over the years in tapping into some of the large amounts of money that get spent over Christmas. Christmas catalogues full of gifts for good cause groups have become widespread. In recent times, that has extended to bypassing a present all together, and giving someone a donation which actually goes direct to the good cause.
This form of fundraising is now also tapping into social media, so much so that even my humble blog gets occasional requests to promote a cause from people who specifically target the avenues of social media to widen their reach.
Here’s one example I recently received on behalf of World Vision.
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I’ve posted a piece over at The Stump about the links between global hunger and climate change, and the unfortunate parallels between the less than successful climate change summit in Copenhagen and an even more dismal outcome at the recent Hunger Summit in Rome, which received far less attention.
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It was 20 years ago today.
On 20 November 1989, the international Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) was formally adopted. According http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/18/us-ratify-children-s-treaty?tr=y&auid=5614841 to Human Rights Watch, the Convention became “the most widely and rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history. Twenty years on, only two countries have failed to ratify the Convention – Somalia and the USA.
In the USA, Presidential action to ratify an international treaty requires the approval of the Senate. I think this is a good mechanism and one Australia should adopt, even though it would undoubtedly be frustrating from time to time. But regardless of the distractions of health care reform and climate change legislation, this is one action the USA’s President and Senate should get moving on.
On 20 November 1989, the international Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) was formally adopted. According to Human Rights Watch, the Convention became “the most widely and rapidly ratified human rights treaty in history. Twenty years on, only two countries have failed to ratify the Convention – Somalia and the USA.
Somalia currently has no recognised government, which makes it impossible for it to ratify the CROC. In the USA, Presidential action to ratify an international treaty requires the approval of the Senate. I think this is a good mechanism and one Australia should adopt, even though it would undoubtedly be frustrating from time to time. But regardless of the distractions of health care reform and climate change legislation, this is one action the USA’s President and Senate should get moving on. ()
Following are links to some items I’ve had published on other sites
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