The Australian Newspaper creates its own reality

The Australian newspaper attacked the ABC on the 18th and 20th December by saying that the ABC’s Independent Audience and Consumer Affairs Unit  ruled that it was acceptable to equate climate change sceptics to paedophiles. Nor did it state that in the program at issue harm and offence was justified.
The ABC deny this and sent a letter to The Australian Newspaper. They refused to publish it.
Letter from Michael Millett ABC Director of Corporate Affairs.
You wonder why there is a Government investigation into the media, with behaviour like this.

Justice Rare's Judgement

Here is Justice Rare's judgement.
From Federal Court of Australia web site.

AshbyGate referred to Federal Police

Things are hotting up over the Ashby/Slipper Imbroglio.
A Labor Party politician Graham Perrett has asked the Federal Police to investigate Liberal National Party MPs, Mark McArdle, Julie Bishop and Christopher Pyne, plus Mal Brough, in their roles in AshbyGate.
I did not think it would happen so early. I thought the Xmas/New Year break would take precedence.
Interesting times.
 Labor MP Graham Perrett has referred the Ashby/Brough/Bishop/Pyne conspiracy to the Australian Federal Police.
Link to his letter below.
http://resources.news.com.au/files/2012/12/22/1226542/306440-hs-file-perretts-letter-to-afp.pdf

AshbyGate

The intriguing tale of the James Ashby/Peter Slipper imbroglio is very interesting indeed.
This could be a very explosive story in 2013.
This has been covered very well in the Independent Australia.
Read the full 5 part series on AshbyGate by Vince O'Grady.
Act one
Act two
Act three
Act four
Act five
It is interesting that the alleged cover up of this imbroglio as reported by Vince O'Grady started before Justice Rares damning judgement against James Ashby and his co-conspirators.
More from me later.

No brothel evidence, says Thomson's lawyer

Headline from the SMH.
No records of Craig Thompson using Brothels as yet, after subpoenas issued to a number of Brothels. 
Peter Slipper imbroglio going bad for the opposition.
Gillard/AWU imbroglio, no evidence of wrong doing as yet, a lot of hot air.
Now the Craig Thompson imbroglio going nowhere fast.
The Conservatives have been frantic to find a key to get rid of Gillard since August 2010.
Are all of these imbroglio's, all manufactured by the Conservatives and their cronies?
Are they all turning around and biting them on the bum?
Time will tell.
The Conservatives may have a smoking gun somewhere, but the smoke seems to be getting less as time goes on.

An Amusing Take on Recent Politics

 

 

The Liberal mire is getting murkier. AKA Ashbygate

The Liberal mire is getting "murkier".
Now Opposition Chief Whip Warren Entsch has admitted he knew about all of this before it hit the press. He allegedly rang Abbott the night before the imbroglio hit the UnOz.
See article here.
Below is an exert from the Independent Australia.

"His denial of specific knowledge sank further into implausibility when Opposition Chief Whip Warren Entsch confirmed today that he rang Abbott the night before Ashby submitted his claim against Slipper. And how did Entsch know Ashby’s case was about to break in the press? Well, IA can reveal that we have discovered through our investigations that Entsch and Mal Brough are very old friends — much like Slipper and Abbott. But, more specifically, Entsch’s staffer Suzanne Newbury’s husband, James Newbury, is none other than Christopher Pyne’s chief of staff."

 Below is a headline piece from the UnOz

"Labor seizes on Slipper case revelation

• by: Lanai Vasek
• From: The Australian
• December 16, 2012 10:27AM

LABOR is waiting for legal advice before it decides whether to call an inquiry into the sexual harassment case against former speaker Peter Slipper, amid revelations chief Coalition whip Warren Entsch knew about the allegations before they emerged in the media.

Leader of the House Anthony Albanese said it was “extraordinary” that Mr Entsch was aware of the harassment allegations by James Ashby before they appeared in the press."

It is getting more and more interesting.
I wonder how the Craig Thompson Imbroglio will pan out?

Abbott slips up on Slipper Setup Stunt

Abbott caught out on the conspiracy.
From the SMH
SMH article here

Quote:

"Federal Labor is trying to link Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to its claim there was a Liberal National Party (LNP) "conspiracy" to bring down former party member Peter Slipper and, by doing so, the Government.

Abbott denies this.
Abbott said he only found out about this when he read it in the newspaper on the Saturday."

/Quote:

But I.T. experts disagree.

This is a blog from an I.T. Pro.

From Delimiter an I.T. site they say that I.T. experts are saying B.S. about Abbotts claim.
Read about it in the link below.
http://delimiter.com.au/2012/12/14/d...estamp-claims/

The metadata of the media release on the Ashby matter sent by Mr Abbott's office to media outlets indicates it was "created" at 11.08pm on Friday, April 20, 2012 - before News Limited published its exclusive story on the Saturday.

More here, IndependentAustralia

If what has been reported is true then the Conservatives have a lot to answer for.

Not only Tony Abbott potentially lying.

The Liberal/National Party conspiring to overthrow the Speaker of Parliament on a trumped up conspiracy and potentially the downfall of a legally voted in Government.

Interesting times.

Dawkin's Scale

Well known British Atheist and Evolutionary Biologist, Richard Dawkins has bought out a scale from 1 to 7 classifying Atheist to Theist.
Where do you sit on this scale?

U.S. Elections

Have to comment on how the conservatives in the U.S.A. were ambushed in the Presidential elections.
They had no idea that they would lose.
They thought that they were a "shoe in".
Have a look at some comments by conservatives before the elections at the links below.
Gathering Storm: Time for Dems. to hit panic button.
Australian Tea Party comment. Tea Party make a brave prediction.
Romney headed for a landslide win

I thought this YouTube video was worth looking at.

Climate Sceptic Richard Muller changes mind

From the Sydney Morning Herald

Richard Muller, a climate sceptic physicist who founded the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature (BEST) project, said he was ''surprised'' by the findings. ''We were not expecting this, but as scientists, it is our duty to let the evidence change our minds.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/climate-results-turn-sceptic-let-the-evidence-change-our-minds-20120730-23769.html#ixzz223ulPnql

Viscount Monckton's Claims

Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, the well known climate change denier has made some very interesting claims.
Monckton claims that he is a member of the House of Lords.
This is incorrect.
The Clerk of the Parliaments had to do an unprecedent thing, write to Monckton asking him not to claim that he was a member of the House of Lords.
A letter to Viscount Monckton of Brenchley from the clerk of the Parliaments.

Has made the claim that he has a cure for AIDS, Malaria, MS, or some process that shows promise.
Has anyone heard anymore of this?
This claim was made more than 12 months ago.
 Hear this here from the 44minute 11 seconds mark.

The Tentacles of Climate Science Denial

 LNP delegates at the Queensland LNP party's state conference passed a motion yesterday to stop the Queensland schools teaching environmental propaganda.

From The Age Newspaper

LNP delegates at the party's state conference passed a motion yesterday calling on Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek to stop the teaching of ''environmental propaganda material, in particular post-normal science about climate change''.
The mover of the motion, Noosa LNP member Richard Pearson, attacked ''false prophets who would poison the minds of our children in our schools''.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/scientists-reject-lnp-school-move-20120713-221or.html#ixzz20XxXNf6P

It seems the shrill climate change deniers such as Alan Jones, Andrew Bolt, Lord (uphimself) Monckton have a big sway over these conservative Queensland politicians. 

It is good to see the Scientists fighting back.

Sensing Murder

Sensing Murder a "reality" show on New Zealand's TVNZ, produced by Ninox Television.
This was a hit in NZ and to a lesser extent in Australia.
The show had these so called Psychics investigating cold cases. They were missing people.
One person that was investigated by the Psychics was Jane Furlong,  Furlong 17, went missing from Auckland's Karangahape Rd in 1993.
The psychics from this show investigating the disappearance were, Deb Webber an Australian and Kelvin Cruikshank. Below is a YouTube video of the Sensing Murder show about Jane Furlong.
The psychics sensed she was in the Auckland Domain somewhere.
She was found  at Sunset Beach, Port Waikato about 90km away from Auckland.
This is a big fail for the charlatans.

Jane Furlongs body was found in May 2012 at Sunset Beach. Jane Furlong body found How gullible are people that believe in these charlatans.
They mess with the minds of desperate people trying to find out what happened to their loved ones.
They do this for money.
Low life's I call them.

Joe Hockey's ABC 936 Hobart interview

Below is a link to that Hobart ABC radio interview.
Joe Hockey's ABC interview

Delimiter responds to Joe Hockey's response.

Delimiter now responds to Joe Hockey's response.
Title of response.
Sorry mr. Hockey, you're still wrong.
Delimiter responds to Joe Hockey's response.

Hockey responds.

After the article in Delimiter, my previous post, Joe Hockey has responded in Delimiter.
Article heading is. 
4G comments taken out of context, says Hockey
 Hockey's response

Joe Hockey joins the Bullshit Market

Joe Hockey has now weighed in to the NBN argument with some breathtaking Bullshit.
The claims were made in a radio interview which Hockey gave with the ABC’s Statewide Mornings show on ABC 936 in a visit to Tasmania last week.
Here is some of those words of unbelievable bullshit.

• 4G mobile broadband has the potential to be “far superior” to the fibre technology which Labor’s National Broadband Network policy features.
• It could cost Australians up to $1,000 to connect to the NBN.
• And what – you know, I don’t know about you but I use an iPad. The iPad I carry around in the car, I don’t have a cable dragging behind the car. I use wireless technology and I think that’s the way that functionality is going.
• There is a great deal of irony in the fact that when the Government did a deal with Telstra for the National Broadband Network, I understand part of that deal identified that Telstra was not allowed to sell its new 4G technology as a competitor to the NBN because 4G has the capacity to be far superior to the NBN,” said Hockey. “So what does the Government do? It says, well, you’re not allowed to market it, as a competitor.

Read the article on this ABC interview at the link below.
Joe Hockey's Bullshit.
As far as I know wireless, such as 4G are not banned from competing with the NBN, but I will stand corrected with good reliable FACTS to the contrary though.

Alan Jones breaches broadcasting code

That great bastion of free speech and fairness, Alan Jones , has breached the broadcasting code by claiming ''human beings produce 0.001 per cent of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere'', the Australian Communications and Media Authority has found.

The authority found that this was presented as a statement of fact, it was not substantiated by the licensee and there was no evidence that reasonable efforts had been taken to ensure that it was reasonably supportable as being accurate, as required under the codes,'' the authority's chairman, Chris Chapman, said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/joness-greenhouse-gas-miscue-caused-hot-air-emission-20120615-20fdq.html#ixzz1xttzbAsX

In other words it was BullShit by Jones and not corrected by him or the radio station. This is a continuing saga of disinformation and bullshit by radio station 2GB and it's presenters regarding the Gillard Government.
This station and presenters have been frothing at the mouth with rage since August 2010, when their white haired boy Tony Abbott could not negotiate with the Independents and Greens to claim Government. This station 2GB has been relentlessly negative towards the Gillard Government and it's policies since August 2010. 

I cannot remember in my whole life, a radio station so biased politically than this one. They are a disgrace.

2GB Cash for Comments

Radio station 2GB in Sydney have lost their case in the Federal Court regarding new rules requiring presenters to reveal, on air, the deals they and their employers have with advertisers.
Macquarie Radio (owners of 2GB) say that compliance with this rule is impossible and impinges on their freedom of speech.
Well you can thank those great bastions of freedom of speech and fairness (not) Alan Jones and John Laws for all of this with their disgraceful cash for comments imbroglio. 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/2gb-loses-case-against-changes-in-disclosure-20120614-20d5i.html#ixzz1xtrg1ada

Indian Catholics want a man gaoled for exposing their fraud.

That's right, the  Catholic Church in Mumbai want a Sanal Edamaruku arrested for “deliberately hurting religious feelings and attempting malicious acts intended to outrage the religious sentiments of any class or community”, an offence under Section 295(a) of the Indian Penal Code.
What did he do?
He exposed blood oozing from a statue of Christ at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Velan kanni in Vile Parle, Mumbai was in fact water from a leaky pipe – the Catholic Church of Mumbai made a formal complaint about him to the Mumbai police.
Please join the Rationalist Association (UK) in condemning the misuse of Indian law by the Catholic Church to silence a campaigner against superstition. In March 2012, following his exposure of a supposed miracle at a Catholic Church in Mumbai as nothing more than the result of a leak, a complaint was lodged against Sanal Edamaruku by the local Catholic Archdiocese with the Mumbai police, who are now able to arrest him. He has been denied 'anticipatory' bail which means if arrested he faces a long term in prison merely for explaining the science behind an apparent mystery. 
Please if you wish go sign a petition by the UK Rationalists Association.

Abbott and Gillard. What did we do wrong to end up with these two?

Indeed, what did us poor suffering Australian's do to suffer these two 4th rate leaders?
How many ladders did we walk under, how many black cats crossed our paths, how many cracked mirrors etc, etc..
This article linked below by  Peter Hartcher the political editor and international editor of The Sydney Morning Herald, says it all. It crystallised my thoughts on the political debate we have at the moment.
Abbott and Gillard. "Panic on the House Floor."
below are some pieces from the article.

For people who spend every moment striving to win and hold power, their greatest fear is powerlessness. We have just seen Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott panic at the prospect of powerlessness, but it loomed for each in a very different way.

Abbott lives in fear of stunts because, we have to conclude, he has built his own political success on stunts. He goes from factory to factory, day after day, declaring imminent bankruptcy as he spreads a fear campaign. He is the leader who called for a "people's revolt" against a carbon tax.

"She freaked when the AWU walked into her office," was how one participant in the process described it. "She just lost it," said another.
This moment illuminated the real "Real Julia". It showed up two realities which are not customarily on public display. First, it showed that she feels herself to be dependent on the unions for her leadership, and on the AWU in particular, whose affiliated MPs supplied at least 20 of the 71 votes she won in her leadership ballot against Rudd in February.
Second, Gillard's acute anxiety suggests that she feels her leadership to be under a live threat.

Where do we go from here?

Who should lead the two major parties?

I think we are down the creek without a paddle.

The Liberals have one potential leader that is a real Liberal, Malcolm Turnbull.

Labor as far as I can see has no one.

Kevin Rudd is not the answer, he may be a short term answer to Labor. But for me he does not have the spine to be a good leader. This is evidenced by his falling over on his ETS policy.

Discuss.

Schools Ethics Classes

Well here in NSW, there has been a "stoush" by religious types, such as Fred Nile, a Christian Parliamentarian, over having Ethics Classes when religious classes are on, to cater for those kids that don't go to religious classes.
This all started when the old Labor government introduced a trial of ethics classes.
Well this sent the god botherers into a frenzy and they wanted the ethics classes to stop.
The new Conservative government decided to hold a Parliamentary Inquiry into ethics classes.
Well I thought, well here the ethics classes will now stop.
But, no, the inquiry has ruled in favour of the classes.
SMH article here http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/inquiry-rules-in-favour-of-school-ethics-classes-20120527-1zd5z.html
A win for rationality.

Dry parts of the planet to get drier, wet parts wetter

This is the story in an article in The Conversation.

The article says.

 The cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the past 50 years has intensified at twice the rate predicted by climate change models, according to a report by US and Australian scientists of ocean salt levels.

The article is linked below.
http://theconversation.edu.au/dry-parts-of-the-planet-to-get-drier-wet-parts-wetter-6700
Is this a hoax, a conspiracy, that the deniers would say from organisations like the American Heartland Institute and Australia's Galileo Movement.

George Galloway

Here is an old YouTube video.
I have seen it before but well worth revisiting this.
Galloway has just reentered the UK after a thumping win in the Northern Area of Bradford. He defeated convincingly the Labour candidate, I think it was a safe Labour seat. 

No warming on this planet for 15 years?

No warming for 15 years, was the rant from Andrew Bolt on his blog in the Daily Telegraph last year.
He claims that the British Met. Office latest temperatures said this.
Well I went looking on the British Met. Office and could not find it.
I sent a reply to Bolt's blog asking for a link.
I got no reply and I was not published.
Well below is what Skeptical Science has to say about this. 
Skeptical Science article.
Here is Bolt's article in the Herald Sun.

Rudd V Gillard

The way I see it is.
Labor is going to be beaten in the 2013 election, I doubt there are too many that think Labor can win.
With Gillard at the helm we will have a more stable government until 2013. With Rudd the government will be unstable because of less talent on the front bench, and possibility that the Independents may stop supporting him, which will lead to an early election.
Rudd has a much bigger chance (if there is one) of defeating Abbott in the 2013 election.
So what would you do if you were a government backbencher?
Go for Gillard and certain annihilation, possibly bigger than NSW Labor's loss last year. Or.
Go with Rudd and still have a loss or a very small outside chance of a win (maybe 100/1), but possibly lose less members at the next election.
Put yourself in the backbenchers position.
For me personally I would go for Gillard for a more stable government and wait for the Neanderthals to bash down the castle gates in 2013.
Labor needs to change and what Rudd said about the faceless men/union movement is right. They need to reinvent themselves as a new progressive left leaning Liberal party, not to be confused with the Liberal party that is a right wing conservative party and not Liberal at all. Liberals to me are progressive, Abbotts mob are not.

Worst Government in Australian History

Is the current Australian government the "Worst Government in Australian History"?
I don't know, at the moment they are close.
I hold no torch for Gillard or Rudd.
Gillard is an inept leader. Nothing that shows this up more than what is happening at the moment.
If she had leadership qualities she would sack Rudd now, she should have last week at the latest.
He has been the most destabilising influence on this government.
What is she afraid of?
A leadership spill?
Rudd will only challenge if he has the numbers.
The longer Gillard "flounces" around, the more votes in caucus that she will lose.
Admittedly she has a lot against her.
A hung parliament, that is very difficult to negotiate.
The way she came to be Prime Minister.
If Rudd gets his old job back will he be a reformed character?
Only time will tell.
He has a lot of people in Labor that are against him.
He is more popular with the electorate, and maybe will put up a better show in an election than Gillard.
But Rudd needs to form a backbone and stop his overbearing, bullying behavior.
Unfortunately, the opposition, under Abbott, will be inept as well.

Climate Change Hoax? (Think tank’s talking points deepen the divide over climate change).

The quote below is from "The Conversation".
The Conversation is an independent source of information, analysis and commentary from the university and research sector — written by acknowledged experts and delivered directly to the public.
The article is written by Elaine McKewon.
Elaine McKewon is a third-year journalism PhD student at the University of Technology 

The trouble with words is that you never know whose mouths they’ve been in. —– Dennis Potter
Readers following the Australian news media’s coverage of climate change will probably have detected the conspiracy theories designed to discredit climate science and climate scientists.
These conspiracy theories label the scientific consensus on anthropogenic global warming “a hoax”, “a religion” or a “scare tactic” concocted to justify higher taxes and arbitrary, draconian restrictions on the personal freedoms of “helpless” and “disenfranchised” citizens.
Purveyors of this alternative reality tell us the entire global community of climate scientists has fabricated or exaggerated the threat of climate change to secure further funding for their research. This has been aided and abetted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a “political” organisation bent on fomenting a global warming crisis in order to install a left-wing totalitarian world government.

Read the full article at The Conversation.

Climate Gate

Those hacked British emails that allegedly shows a climate conspiracy by scientists.
See these videos.

Are they Global Warming Hoaxers

Are these people, scientists on this video all part of a hoax a conspiracy to pull the wool over our eyes about global warming. For what??  Have their grants continue? What else.
Do you believe the climate deniers?

More on Monckton and Others

Here is another YouTube video about Monckton, Alan Jones, the Galileo Organisation plus others.
It makes for very interesting listening.
It goes for 48 minutes and well worth the listening..
I think the video is from an ABC show. You know the Pinko, Leso, Poffo, Commo organisation that misinforms us on radio and TV.

 

The bits that I thought were interesting was when Jo Nova a scientist with Alan Jone's Galileo organisation said that peer reviewed science was broken and science should now be debated by the general public and they should then make their minds up. Even me who did not finish high school knows that this is BULLSHIT. This is coming from a scientist on Alan Jone's Galileo organisation.

Lord uphimself Monckton said that he has a cure for AIDS, Malaria, MS and has to run clinical trials. He was very evasive when questioned on this, but did not deny it. WOW, what a man, medical science is really going to stand up and take notice of him now. Do you think? 

Christopher Monckton talking to Australian Mining Moguls

Here is Lord uphimself Monckton talking in July last year, climate-denialist Christopher Monckton advised mining industry insiders to create a US-style Fox News channel in Australia, supported by the "super wealthy" in order to provide supportive coverage for the mining industry. The video, filmed in the boardrooms of pro-mining organisation Mannkal Economic Education Foundation, shows Mr Monckton offering to work with commentators such as Andrew Bolt to establish the channel.

Make up your own  mind if this is a good thing or not.

When Pseudoscience Kills

I am linking to a topic written on the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF) forum.
This is about a woman at a personal-development seminar called Dying in Consciousness, she was covered with mud, wrapped in plastic, put under blankets and immobilized with her head in a cardboard boxe for about nine hours, under instructions to hyperventilate. This happened in Canada recently.
The woman died by being cooked.
Below is a link to the story. 
Written by Dr. Steven Novella When Pseudoscience Kills.
The unfortunate thing is that these people that are running the course have no idea about basic science of how people regulate their temperature. Their ignorance is confounded by the people that attend these new agey, pseudo science courses, who have no idea about basic science as well.
Don't put your health in the hands of pseudo science.

Global Warming & Climate Change Myths

If you have ever been confounded by the toing and froing between science and the climate science deniers, well here is a guide to maybe make things clearer. 
Skeptical Science and "Global Warming & Climate Change Myths".
Click on the blue writing about what science says for an explanation and unfortunately some further toing and froing.

More Noalition NBN Bullshit Busting

Here is some more Noalition bullshit busting.
NBN Bullshit Busting.
From the linked article.

 Shadow Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed it is a "charade" that the NBN is kept off budget. The government, in response, has always argued that the NBN is not an expense to the government, because ultimately the project will be paid back to government, with a commercial rate of return estimated at around 7 per cent.

The NBN is an asset not an expense.
Background note. The national broadband network and the federalgovernment budget statements, a PDF from the Parliamentary Library. 
When will the media start asking the hard questions of the Noalition on the NBN. Questioning their assertions against the NBN and challenging what they say they want to do?

Update to "Fighting the NBN Bullshit".

It seems that the article by Piers Ackerman on the 4/1/12 has been pulled by the Daily terror.
It seems that possibly this piece is even too inaccurate for the Daily Terror.
I did not think they had any morals, ha, ha.

Fighting the NBN Bullshit

This is from Delimiter, an online technology magazine.
From Delimiter,

Over the past several weeks, several prominent newspaper commentators have published a number of factual inaccuracies with respect to the Federal Government’s National Broadband Network project. With the aim of informing good public policy debate, it seems appropriate to try and correct the record.

It starts out talking of the Daily Telegraph commentator Piers Akerman.
From his opinionated article that was published in the Daily Terror Telegraph on the 4th January.
They have signaled out a number of things in his piece and bullshit busted them.
The things that Akerman said are below.

The NBN is the most expensive piece of infrastructure ever committed to by the nation and is on track to be the greatest ever economic disaster any government has ever created.

Only 4000 homes have been connected to the fibre optic cable so far at a cost of more than $1 billion … NBN’s own projection for 2011 were 35,000 connections. That is a huge discrepancy and a massive failure to deliver.

Everything about the NBN is dodgy.

 The creation of the NBN Co was itself a demonstration of Labor’s lack of administrative skills and ineptitude with no background checks conducted on the men who have been handed a blank cheque drawn on the taxpayers of the nation.

Below is from Dean Jaensch, a political science academic and commentator for The Advertiser in Adelaide.

The roll-out is miles behind what NBN Co set as a target. It promised 35,000 connections by mid-2011. By the end of 2011, the NBN Co spin-doctors proudly announced that they had connected 12 per cent of the target.

We did not even have the opportunity to closely examine a prospectus before we decided to invest. The Government can claim that its mandate to inaugurate the NBN was based on the 2010 election result.

But it would be a good idea to let the public learn and understand what is going on in the finances and productivity of a company that they, not the Government, own and will pay for. Secrecy is not the best way to win support.

This low productivity has the potential to be interpreted as another policy failure coming up.

Now go to the Delimiter article to see the Bullshit Busting.

RightWing.org video 2012 Prediction

Have a look at this video from RightWingWatch.org
An evangelical preacher Pat Robertson waffles on about getting a message from god telling him the winner of the next Presidential Elections in the USA.
He says that he is not allowed to tell us the winner. What a juvenile jerk he is.
He is of course railing against Barack Obama.
Here is a newspaper article about this.
TheAtlantic
Who takes this stuff seriously?

The Pharmacy Guild and Blackmores

The Pharmacy Guild was "in bed" with Blackmores, the Alternative/Complementary drug company last year 2011.
Information for this blog obtained here at The Skeptic Magazine.
Read more at the above link.
They decided to "push" complementary medicines when people arrived at their pharmacy with a script for these four types of medicines.
Antihypertensives, they were going to "push" zinc supplements. 
Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs), they were going to "push" Co-enzyme Q10, for muscle pain.
Proton Pump inhibitors (for the treatment of gastric reflux), they were going to "push" Magnesium supplements, long term PPI use may cause Magnesium depletion.
Antibiotics, Probiotics for diarrhoea that may happen due to antibiotic use.
Luckily opposition to this started as soon as the Pharmacy Guild announced the agreement. It was fortunately shelved due to the lack of evidence for any of the "pushed" Blackmore "drugs" being of any use and not having any benefit.
Pharmacy Guild's attitude to CAMs (Complementary and Alternative Medicine).
Money to me obviously has gotten in the way in many pharmacies at the detriment of good science.