Is it such a gamble? From The Outsider

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Students at the University of Sheffield have donated four tonnes of goods to city charities. As...

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The Stone Roses confirm all planned shows to go ahead after Ian Brown calls Reni a 'c**t' onstage

Is it such a gamble? From The Outsider

The dithering about whether or not to bring in limitations on how much you can lose on the pokies is just another example of Australian government policy waiting for a leader. Think about smoking. It took until the late 'eighties for governments to grasp the nettle and begin to clamp down on people's freedom to smoke (and kill themselves – if not others). Twenty five years later you wonder why legislation was so slow to come in for a policy that today looks like a no-brainer. Most habitual smokers, like myself, secretly welcomed preventative legislation and I have no doubt that people hooked on the pokies will welcome the social changes that are so long overdue.

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PokieMen - From The Outsider

7 dec | The heroes of Souths footy club - co-owners Peter Holmes A'Court and Russell Crowe - plan to make the Club a 'Pokie Free Zone'. 10,000 emails go out today to whip up support from the Club members as well as a campaign on Facebook to network the community.

Their argument is that ethics and business do mix. That while finding $1 million to replace the lost revenue is tough, the Club is not a money machine. It's a social place and needs to be responsible for the welfare of its people. This is a far cry from the persona projected by James Hardie and those other dinosaur organisations for whom 'business is business'.

Let's hope the guys pull the rabbitohs out of the hat next week and get the approval of their Board. . . read more

Sportingbet Decider

22 nov | Sportingbet Decider - placing bets on the political future . . read more

The Demon Child Incident

15 jun | Belinda Neal, Labor backbencher and wife of John Della Bosca, warns Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella in Parliament that her evil thoughts will turn her unborn child into a demon. Then she denies she said it, then says sorry. . . read more

Kevin Rudd Mash-up

8 jun | Red Symons turns his remixing talents to some quotes from Kevin Rudd, new leader of the Australian Labor Party. . . read more

State of the Union - From the Outsider

8 jan | The latest conversation between Julia Gillard and Bob Hawke about the role of the Unions in the Australian Labor Party emphasises how far distant is the current PM from the realities of politics in Australia. We are fed up with the factioneering of power by an antediluvian set of inflexible idealogues who know nothing about the new politics being born by social media and the rise of pluralistic democracy. The Occupy movement is part of this new reality. A ‘fourth way’ if you like, some 15 years after New Labour in the UK dumped the Union ticket and went for the social inclusion of the ‘third way’. Politics ain’t what it used to be and it is the Gillards of this world who are blind-sided to where the bread is now being buttered. . . read more

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY!

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." -- Ronald Reagan (1986)

Mavi Marmara: Israeli officers face Turkish trial

A Turkish court has charged four senior Israeli military commanders over the killing of nine Turkish activists trying to reach Gaza in 2010.

Ex-military chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi and former heads of military intelligence, the navy and air force are expected to be tried in absentia.

The nine pro-Palestinian activists were killed after Israeli troops boarded their ship, the Mavi Marmara.

They had been hoping to breach Israel's naval blockade and deliver aid to Gaza.

Ron Paul on Why Bankster Power Must be Eradicated

It is imperative that the American people be educated on the dangers of the Fed and the importance of restoring sound money. Now that nearly 50 years have elapsed since silver was removed from circulation, fewer and fewer Americans have firsthand familiarity with real money.

The laying of the groundwork must begin today, so that the American people will be prepared for the day when the mirage the Fed has created evaporates completely.

Chinese army general calls for 'decisive action' vs PH

China should launch "decisive action" against the Philippines to reinforce Beijing's claim on the disputed Scarborough Shoal, a hardline Chinese army general said Friday.

People's Liberation Army (PLA) Major General Luo Yuan, in a commentary published by state-owned website china.org.cn, said China has not abandoned the idea of "war at all costs" to protect its interests.

"'Peaceful rise and 'period of strategic opportunity' preclude war," said Luo, who has been described by Western media as "hawkish" for his ultranationalist views.

"It is incorrect to assume that China will completely rule out military action in any event during this 'period of strategic opportunity,'" he said, referring to Beijing's dispute with Manila.

Think Again From The Outsider

The great challenge facing everyone who wants to change the world we live in is how do you get traction for your ideas? Gunter Pauli the inventor of the ‘blue economy’ has a novel approach. His missionis to develop globally 100 manufacturing innovations with viable business models that could generate 100 million jobs in 10 years. All with zero emissions and no waste.

The novelty? To drive this revolution in an economic framework that will attract investors and governments in entrepreneurial partnerships that feed self-interest while revolutionising outcomes – particularly in relation to carbon.

The blue economy was initially a report to the Club of Rome recommending innovations inspired by science and biometrics. This is a truly cool equation. Science + Economics = A Better Future.

The Really Big Apple

Recently it was announced that Steve Jobs had an FBI file that detailed his personality, how he ran his company and the possibility that he would be appointed to George Bush Sr.' s government.

What is more interesting about Apple at the moment is the $100bn in cash reserves it's accrued and what it might use them for.

End world hunger?

Take over other companies?

Pay its suicidal employees more?

Whatever it chooses, we should really stop focussing on Jobs' genius and start thinking about how the wealth his genius created can be spent for good.

The Future of Trust - From The Outsider

The images of senior Australian politicians being bundled into cars to escape the threat of indigenous demonstrators confirms how weak the post-apology environment is in Australia. The whole point of the apology was not to say 'sorry' but to build a new platform for the positive evolution of indigenous Australians. The apology created a climate of trust but the ignoble inaction that has followed, apart from proposed tinkering with the Australian constitution, has destroyed the platform and the belief in the trustworthiness of political process. Can't we (non-indigenous Australians) actually do something? Something communal not bureaucratic, spiritual not gestural – something that shows that we care.