Oxfam International YouTube Playlist: United Nations Climate Conference

The only issue* that matters now!

*Well - except for banning nukes.

Mark 'Diesel' Lizotte on RocKwiz

The election's over, so back to the real world.

Mark "Diesel" Lizotte is one of Australia's most prodigious talents.

If you ever get a chance to see him live, grab it!

2008 US Presidential Election Candidates, Sen. Chris Dodd.

If you're even a bit of a political animal as I am, then watching the US presidential race is a bit of a past-time, and with SBS World News service providing the excellent PBS.org "News Hour", the coverage isn't as full of sensationalist or hysterical hyperbole as the mainstream wading pool fare can get. Last night MOH and I watched and listened with interest when Democrat Senator Chris Dodd was interviewed. From his first words, he got our attention, and given we're still bathing in the afterglow of a change of Federal Govt. here in Australia, that's quite something. This is the first time we've had the opportunity to see and hear him, and while he didn't even mention the critical issue of our time (climate change), we were both very impressed with his composure, demeanour and intelligence. He is the first US presidential candidate among the field so far, to really "ring my chimes" and make such a positive impression (and that includes what I've seen and heard so far of Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden, Kucinich et al, and any of the Republican candidates). It will be interesting to follow how he stacks up against the early and favoured front runners of Clinton, Obama and Edwards.

Dodd Reflects on Political Experience, State of the U.S. Economy

In the latest in a series of in-depth interviews with 2008 presidential candidates, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., reflects on his extensive political experience, why he's chosen to run for the White House in 2008 and the volatile state of the U.S. economy.

PBS 2008 Primaries coverage: Democrats. Republicans

The Golden Age of the Iced Vovo

In the afterglow of such a resounding Labor victory this 2007 federal election, we the people, have a few modest requests .... (thanks to Stilgherrian, safe and happy travels).

Traffic lights and take aways

My small country town recently got its first set of traffic lights - to control pedestrians! People using a zebra crossing between two shopping precincts, strolling across the road without due regard for road traffic, often resulted in vehicles backing up though a major roundabout during peak times, so the local council put in traffic lights to control the foot traffic . Is this unusual? It may not be, but I find it amusing. Oh, and how do you know you live in a country town? I reckon it's when you still have at least 1 stand alone shop front butcher, our town has 3. How do you know when the "big smoke" has discovered your country town? When you've got a Thai or Indian or Japanese restaurant that also does takeaways. We've got 2, 1,1 respectively. ;-)

Not The Daily Show, With Some Writer

As Mr Redstone said "Getting paid is the name of the game".

Pay up you cheap skates!

Tina Arena - Sorrento Moon (I Remember)

One of Australia's best chanteuse's, Tina Arena now lives in France. A new album is due out in December, with Australia being first in. Thanks Tina, we know you still call Australia home. ;-)

Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See

Well, no it's not, but the consequences of doing nothing will be.

A logical "pros and cons" approach to the still politically thorny issue of global warming (that's climate change for all you skeptics out there).

Bellinger Birdsong, morning bird calls in Australia

My first attempt at a YouTube video.
Bird song from Winter Solstice, 21 June 2005.

Chinese Lunar Obiter

The PRC are very proud of their achievement in getting a rocket with a satellite payload destined for the moon and year of topographical surveying from orbit. The news broadcasts from CCTV4 for the last 3 days, have devoted at least 15 minutes to replaying the launch and projected orbits, with ample interviews, shots of the command centre, and of excited young school students waving national flags, dressed up as astronauts, and the man in the street with telescope, scanning the skies (through the the smog and haze) for the bright dot that is Chang'e I. The launch is rightly, a source of immense pride and prestige for China. But as it enters an era of wannabe "(proto) Super Power", and increased influence on the world stage, brought about primarily by the insatiable need for raw materials and energy resources, to feed its own booming and the economies of its international trading partners, they are finding their pragmatic view on "non interference" in other nations' internal affairs, is coming under increasing scrutiny. As successive world powers have found over the millennia; it is one thing to become the Grand Pooh Bah, it is another to keep the title, while setting a good example, holding the moral, and actual (least you be attacked where you least expect it!), high ground, AND also keeping your people content, as well as providing a positive vision for the future and practically working toward it, not only for your own country, but other nations around the world. While the track record of our own "Western civilization" is a mixed one of tawdry, self serving bullying and strong-arm tactics, laced with, at best, a good dose of hypocritical tyranny and condescension heaped on the less fortunate peoples of the planet, we have at least maintained the pretence of the goals of universal human rights and suffrage, the rule of law and social justice, and sought to spread the practice across nations, once we'd got it half right ourselves. And as the current batch of "Super Powers" is finding, when throwing these particular babies out with the bath water, it's a bit difficult to keep the restless hordes within and outside your own borders in check, regardless of whether they are "enemy combatants", monks, dissidents, traitors, or just plain inconvenient or unpatriotic citizens. There is a saying (apparently a Chinese curse) to the effect, "May you live in interesting times". The times right now are very interesting indeed, with many local challenges and one almost overwhelming global challenge facing the whole of humanity. Sometimes I wish I had a Tardis to zip forward 50 or 100 or even 1000 years to see what becomes of us all. To our Chinese friends I say, welcome to the space age and ...."May you live in interesting times". (Aside: FIMDs crystal ball gazing says look for a Lunar landing timed to co-incide with the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics next year!)

It's just a jump to the left and a step to the right ...

So here's an Oz politics political inclinations (in beta testing) result for moi. Surprise surprise, NOT! Good to see an Aussie version. Now go have some fun of your own. ;-)

Solar Energy in Australia

Some men see things as they are and ask why,
I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?

Sorry Kermit, now it's easy being green

At the National Press Club last week, Senator Bob Brown GRN, announced (among other things) that he'd use some of the 34 billion dollars slated by Liberal and Labor parties for tax cuts, to put a solar hot water system on every residential household roof in Australia, all 7 million of them. If the carbon emissions from my off peak hot water bill is anything to go by (about 3000 tonnes per year, or a third of my total electricity bill carbon load before I had a grid connect solar power station put on my roof recently), this would make a huge dent in Australia's greenhouse emissions and targets straight away. Not to mention lower household electricity bills, especially for families with members who like long showers. Why then, has there been absolutely no coverage of this in the mainstream media, while the PMs Road to Damascus (I'm not a climate change skeptic anymore) announcement mid leaders' debate last night, that he'd use money from a carbon credit auction to "do something", get kudos this morning? Can't remember what it was, something vague about reducing the impact of the increased cost of electricity for low income earners. What ever it was, it sure didn't ring my chimes the way the prospect of finally seeing a solar hot water system on every roof in Australia, did! Go figure ....

My Top Favourites at YouTube

My Top Favourites at YouTube

Australian Federal Election 2007

"I am their leader, they are my people, which way did they go? I must follow them!" My YouTube playlist dedicated to the event, with policy announcements, "Pick Me Pick Me" pleas, mainly from the Greens and Australian Democrats, because theyre the only ones that really have their eyes on the future as far as I'm concerned, And the major parties are going to do their best to muscle them out. Plus original youtuber commentary posts, and the usual suspects like Chaser and comedians. Because lets face it, if it wasn't so serious, you'd have to larf -right? Make your vote count - learn how to preference your vote at the AEC page about it. And if you're really desperate to see how the "major" parties are going, check out my YouTube subscription list, they're in there with everything else I'm interested in. admin edit 24/06/08: YT playlist deleted.

Tag lines

It is so easy and so much fun posting YouTube vids up here. I might have to change my tag line soon.

The Games - Sorry

John Howard says sorry. Sorry, wrong number .... Of for the love of .... John, just say sorry OK?! What a great show, so many talented Aussies (and expat Kiwis). And Gina Reilly before Kim (look at me, look at me ....)

The House of C'mons

So did a G blog search for "environmental activism" for Blog Action Day, and came across Dizzythinks and this YouTube post. Almost sprayed my monitor with the dregs of my caffeine addiction.

Blog Action Day

Ok, so it's already the 16th where I live, but it's the fifteenth where you live, right? So Cassie's post is the environmental contribution, and if you feel she's too bleak, well, check out the action day, lot's of hope, optimism and solutions there.

Vote 1 Democrats!

This election choose common sense and return the balance of power in the Senate to safe independent hands - re-elect Andrew Bartlett to the Senate.

Climate change skeptics

Gulp. Tipping Point Already Reached, Ten Years Early? October 10, 2007 Honestly FIM, you must be psychic! So what to do? Here are a few of the easier and painless solutions available now. 1. Solar hotwater on *EVERY* roof - no solar HW - No aircon. 2. Car free days for people who sit in offices working, with FREE hub and spoke public transport connections 3. Ban dark federation tile roof styles (I hate the sub-divisions with black rooves and not a solar HW system in sight!), and use UV solar blocker paint 4. Carbon Cops show on ABC TV showed how every household reduced their carbon footprint by at least 50%, doing the simple things we can all do. So what are we waiting for .... the Government to help? ROTFLMAO! Of course, there are lots more solutions out there, just pick one and go with it. And that includes voting for candidates and political parties who aren't "Johnnie come lately" to tree hugging, or are outright Climate Change Skeptics (and one would presume, also associate members of the Flat Earth Society). Personally, I think we're doomed and it's all over bar the shouting, but like the saying goes, "Even if I knew the world was going to end tomorrow, I'd still plant a tree today". I planted a tree today, how'd you go?

End of the world as we know it

So, everyone is still talking about "the tipping point" in regard to climate change. I got news for you people. We're past the tipping point, "2000 zero zero party over, ooops out of time"*, and galloping up on "the point of no return". With more and more science (your know, that stuff the skeptics say we need more of before we do anything) from the UN IPCC, Australian CSIRO etc. saying that we have to ACT NOW as more and more evidence piles up for 2012 being that point, and not just because that is when the Kyoto Protocol is up. It's the end of the world as we know it. (BTW there's been talk about the Mayan calendar date of December 21st, 2012 A.D. for many years.) The only comfort I take was recently articulated by Dr David Suzuki; in effect if we humans blow it, and climate change is an ELE (extinction level event), the planet will still be here, it's just that we human beings and a whole bunch of other species, won't. NB: Tim Flannery appeared on Lateline on Tuesday 9th; Celcius - tipping point already reached? DOUW! *Prince: (Party like it's) 1999

Welcome

First post in an occasional series .... maybe .... Meanwhile check out my YouTube channel Catchya later!