DO NOT VOTE THE GREENS .. RATHER HANG AND BURN THEM !

DO NOT VOTE THE GREENS .. RATHER HANG AND BURN 

THEM !

So many people need not have lose thier homes or die so 

horribly. The warnings have been there for a decade. If 

politicians are intent on whipping up a lynch mob to divert 

attention from their own culpability, it is not arsonists who 

should be hanging from lamp-posts but greenies.

Governments appeasing the green beast have ignored 

numerous state and federal bushfire inquiries over the past 

decade, almost all of which have recommended increasing 

the practice of "prescribed burning". Also known as "hazard 

reduction", it is a methodical regime of burning off 

flammable ground cover in cooler months, in a controlled 

fashion, so it does not fuel the inevitable summer bushfires.

IS JULIA GILLARD GOING TO JAIL? KNOW ANY SOCIOPATHS? I THINK YOU DO! Here’s a sociopath checklist. Remind you of anyone you know?

There are good people in this world and there are some really bad people. Sociopaths. Dumb sociopaths go to jail. Smart sociopaths often climb to the top. They leave a trail of destruction behind them, broken hearts, broken dreams, empty bank accounts.You need to know about sociopathy, so you can avoid these people.


ABOUT JULIA GILLARD: There are 2 fraud squad investigations ongoing into her activities with the AWU in the 1990’s, BUT she is trying to stop you from finding out. 

Not only was hundreds of thousands of WA taxpayers funds defrauded, but there are still unanswered questions about missing money from a widows and orphans fund in WA.

Julia helped her boyfriend get this money.

Sociopaths..not your friends

Now that we know something about sociopaths, let’s look at the people they hurt. Because sociopaths are crooks, they don’t like whistleblowers. They bully, intimidate, threaten, even beat them (and worse). 

I know a lot about the AWU scandalbecause I followed Michael Smith’s blog from the beginning. What I saw convinced me that crimes were committed.

But what got me really upset (to the point of tears) was the story of Bob, an honest man who tried to right wrongs and was bullied, intimidated,sent bullets in the mail, and finally bashed so savagely that he was put in hospital. But he still didn’t give up. 

Luckily he has much nicer friends now. They got him to tell his story. Listen up, kiddies and let’s see whose names come up! 

Profile of the Sociopath

This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.

• Glibness and Superficial Charm
• Manipulative and Conning
  They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
• Grandiose Sense of Self
  Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
• Pathological Lying
  Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
• Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
  A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
• Shallow Emotions
  When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
• Incapacity for Love
• Need for Stimulation
  Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
• Callousness/Lack of Empathy
  Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
• Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
  Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
• Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
  Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
• Irresponsibility/Unreliability
  Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
• Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
  Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
• Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
  Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
• Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
  Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

---

Other Related Qualities:

1. Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
2. Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
3. Authoritarian
4. Secretive
5. Paranoid
6. Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
7. Conventional appearance
8. Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
9. Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
10. Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
11. Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
12. Incapable of real human attachment to another
13. Unable to feel remorse or guilt
14. Extreme narcissism and grandiose
15. May state readily that their goal is to rule the world

(The above traits are based on the psychopathy checklists of H. Cleckley and R. Hare.) 

---

NOTE: In the 1830's this disorder was called "moral insanity." By 1900 it was changed to "psychopathic personality." More recently it has been termed "antisocial personality disorder" in the DSM-III and DSM-IV. Some critics have complained that, in the attempt to rely only on 'objective' criteria, the DSM has broadened the concept to include too many individuals. The APD category includes people who commit illegal, immoral or self-serving acts for a variety of reasons and are not necessarily psychopaths. 

---

DSM-IV Definition 

Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture. There is a marked inability to get along with others or abide by societal rules. Individuals with this disorder are sometimes called psychopaths or sociopaths. 

Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV) 

1. Since the age of fifteen there has been a disregard for and violation of the right's of others, those right's considered normal by the local culture, as indicated by at least three of the following: 
    A. Repeated acts that could lead to arrest. 
    B. Conning for pleasure or profit, repeated lying, or the use of aliases. 
    C. Failure to plan ahead or being impulsive. 
    D. Repeated assaults on others. 
    E. Reckless when it comes to their or others safety. 
    F. Poor work behavior or failure to honor financial obligations. 
    G. Rationalizing the pain they inflict on others. 

2. At least eighteen years in age. 

3. Evidence of a Conduct Disorder, with its onset before the age of fifteen. 

4. Symptoms not due to another mental disorder. 

---

Antisocial Personality Disorder Overview (Written by Derek Wood, RN, BSN, PhD Candidate) 

Antisocial Personality Disorder results in what is commonly known as a Sociopath. The criteria for this disorder require an ongoing disregard for the rights of others, since the age of 15 years. Some examples of this disregard are reckless disregard for the safety of themselves or others, failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors, deceitfulness such as repeated lying or deceit for personal profit or pleasure, and lack of remorse for actions that hurt other people in any way. Additionally, they must have evidenced a Conduct Disorder before the age of 15 years, and must be at least 18 years old to receive this diagnosis. 

People with this disorder appear to be charming at times, and make relationships, but to them, these are relationships in name only. They are ended whenever necessary or when it suits them, and the relationships are without depth or meaning, including marriages. They seem to have an innate ability to find the weakness in people, and are ready to use these weaknesses to their own ends through deceit, manipulation, or intimidation, and gain pleasure from doing so. 

They appear to be incapable of any true emotions, from love to shame to guilt. They are quick to anger, but just as quick to let it go, without holding grudges. No matter what emotion they state they have, it has no bearing on their future actions or attitudes. 

They rarely are able to have jobs that last for any length of time, as they become easily bored, instead needing constant change. They live for the moment, forgetting the past, and not planning the future, not thinking ahead what consequences their actions will have. They want immediate rewards and gratification. There currently is no form of psychotherapy that works with those with antisocial personality disorder, as those with this disorder have no desire to change themselves, which is a prerequisite. No medication is available either. The only treatment is the prevention of the disorder in the early stages, when a child first begins to show the symptoms of conduct disorder. 

---

THE PSYCHOPATH NEXT DOOR (Source: http://chericola57.tripod.com/infinite.html) 

Psychopath. We hear the word and images of Bernardo, Manson and Dahmer pop into our heads; no doubt Ted Bundy too. But they're the bottom of the barrel -- most of the two million psychopaths in North America aren't murderers. They're our friends, lovers and co-workers. They're outgoing and persuasive, dazzling you with charm and flattery. Often you aren't even aware they've taken you for a ride -- until it's too late. 

Psychopaths exhibit a Jekyll and Hyde personality. "They play a part so they can get what they want," says Dr. Sheila Willson, a Toronto psychologist who has helped victims of psychopaths. The guy who showers a woman with excessive attention is much more capable of getting her to lend him money, and to put up with him when he strays. The new employee who gains her co-workers' trust has more access to their chequebooks. And so on. Psychopaths have no conscience and their only goal is self-gratification. Many of us have been their victims -- at work, through friendships or relationships -- and not one of us can say, "a psychopath could never fool me." 

Think you can spot one? Think again. In general, psychopaths aren't the product of broken homes or the casualties of a materialistic society. Rather they come from all walks of life and there is little evidence that their upbringing affects them. Elements of a psychopath's personality first become evident at a very early age, due to biological or genetic factors. Explains Michael Seto, a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental health in Toronto, by the time that a person hits their late teens, the disorder is almost certainly permanent. Although many clinicians use the terms psychopath and sociopath interchangeably, writes psychopath expert Robert Hare on his book 'Without Conscience', a sociopath's criminal behavior is shaped by social forces and is the result of a dysfunctional environment. 

Psychopaths have only a shallow range of emotions and lack guilt, says Hare. They often see themselves as victims, and lack remorse or the ability to empathize with others. "Psychopaths play on the fact that most of us are trusting and forgiving people," adds Seto. The warning signs are always there; it's just difficult to see them because once we trust someone, the friendship becomes a blinder. 

Even lovers get taken for a ride by psychopaths. For a psychopath, a romantic relationship is just another opportunity to find a trusting partner who will buy into the lies. It's primarily why a psychopath rarely stays in a relationship for the long term, and often is involved with three or four partners at once, says Willson. To a psychopath, everything about a relationship is a game. Willson refers to the movie 'Sliding Doors' to illustrate her point. In the film, the main character comes home early after just having been fired from her job. Only moments ago, her boyfriend has let another woman out the front door. But in a matter of minutes he is the attentive and concerned boyfriend, taking her out to dinner and devoting the entire night to comforting her. All the while he's planning to leave the next day on a trip with the other woman. 

The boyfriend displays typical psychopathic characteristics because he falsely displays deep emotion toward the relationship, says Willson. In reality, he's less concerned with his girlfriend's depression than with making sure she's clueless about the other woman's existence. In the romance department, psychopaths have an ability to gain your affection quickly, disarming you with words, intriguing you with grandiose plans. If they cheat you'll forgive them, and one day when they've gone too far, they'll leave you with a broken heart (and an empty wallet). By then they'll have a new player for their game. 

The problem with their game is that we don't often play by their rules. Where we might occasionally tell a white lie, a psychopath's lying is compulsive. Most of us experience some degree of guilt about lying, preventing us from exhibiting such behavior on a regular basis. "Psychopaths don't discriminate who it is they lie to or cheat," says Seto. "There's no distinction between friend, family and sucker." 

No one wants to be the sucker, so how do we prevent ourselves from becoming close friends or getting into a relationship with a psychopath? It's really almost impossible, say Seto and Willson. Unfortunately, laments Seto, one way is to become more suspicious and less trusting of others. Our tendency is to forgive when we catch a loved one in a lie. "Psychopaths play on this fact," he says. "However, I'm certainly not advocating a world where if someone lies once or twice, you never speak to them again." What you can do is look at how often someone lies and how they react when caught. Psychopaths will lie over and over again, and where other people would sincerely apologize, a psychopath may apologize but won't stop. 

Psychopaths also tend to switch jobs as frequently as they switch partners, mainly because they don't have the qualities to maintain a job for the long haul. Their performance is generally erratic, with chronic absences, misuse of company resources and failed commitments. Often they aren't even qualified for the job and use fake credentials to get it. Seto talks of a patient who would get marketing jobs based on his image; he was a presentable and charming man who layered his conversations with educational and occupational references. But it became evident that the man hadn't a clue what he was talking about, and was unable to hold down a job. 

How do you make sure you don't get fooled when you're hiring someone to baby-sit your child or for any other job? Hire based on reputation and not image, says Willson. Check references thoroughly. Psychopaths tend to give vague and inconsistent replies. Of course the best way to solve this problem would be to cure psychopaths of their 'illness.' But there's no recipe for treating them, say psychiatrists. Today's traditional methods of psychotherapy (psychoanalysis, group and one-on-one therapy) and drug treatments have failed. Therapy is more likely to work when an individual admits there's a problem and wants to change. The common problem with psychopaths, says Sets, "Is they don't see a problem with their behavior." 

Psychopaths don't seek therapy willingly, says Seto. Rather, they're pushed into it by a desperate relative or by a court order. To a psychopath, a therapist is just one more person who must be conned, and the psychopath plays the part right until the therapist is convinced of his or her 'rehabilitation.' 

Even though we can't treat psychopaths effectively with therapy, it doesn't mean we can't protect ourselves, writes Hare. Willson agrees, citing the most important factor in keeping psychopaths at bay is to know your vulnerabilities. We need to "realize our own potential and maximize our strengths" so that our insecurities don't overcome us. Because, she says, a psychopath is a chameleon who becomes "an image of what you haven't done for yourself." Over time, she says, "their appearance of perfection will begin to crack," but by that time you will have been emotionally and perhaps financially scathed. There comes a time when you realize there's no point in searching for answers; the only thing is to move on. 

Taken in part from MW -- By Caroline Konrad -- September 1999 

THE MALIGNANT PERSONALITY: 

These people are mentally ill and extremely dangerous! The following precautions will help to protect you from the destructive acts of which they are capable. 

First, to recognize them, keep the following guidelines in mind. 

(1) They are habitual liars. They seem incapable of either knowing or telling the truth about anything. 

(2) They are egotistical to the point of narcissism. They really believe they are set apart from the rest of humanity by some special grace. 

(3) They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault. 

(4) They are remorselessly vindictive when thwarted or exposed. 

(5) Genuine religious, moral, or other values play no part in their lives. They have no empathy for others and are capable of violence. Under older psychological terminology, they fall into the category of psychopath or sociopath, but unlike the typical psychopath, their behavior is masked by a superficial social facade.

If you have come into conflict with such a person or persons, do the following immediately! 

(1) Notify your friends and relatives of what has happened. 

Do not be vague. Name names, and specify dates and circumstances. Identify witnesses if possible and provide supporting documentation if any is available. 

(2) Inform the police. The police will do nothing with this information except to keep it on file, since they are powerless to act until a crime has been committed. Unfortunately, that often is usually too late for the victim. Nevertheless, place the information in their hands. 

Obviously, if you are assaulted or threatened before witnesses, you can get a restraining order, but those are palliative at best. 

(3) Local law enforcement agencies are usually under pressure if wealthy or politically powerful individuals are involved, so include state and federal agencies as well and tell the locals that you have. In my own experience, one agency that can help in a pinch is the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service or (in Canada) Victims Services at your local police unit. It is not easy to think of the IRS as a potential friend, but a Swedish study showed that malignant types (the Swedes called them bullies) usually commit some felony or other by the age of twenty. If the family is wealthy, the fact may never come to light, but many felonies involve tax evasion, and in such cases, the IRS is interested indeed. If large amounts of money are involved, the IRS may solve all your problems for you. For obvious reasons the Drug Enforcement Agency may also be an appropriate agency to approach. The FBI is an important agency to contact, because although the FBI does not have jurisdiction over murder or assault, if informed, they do have an active interest in any other law enforcement agencies that do not follow through with an honest investigation and prosecution should a murder occur. Civil rights are involved at that point. No local crooked lawyer, judge, or corrupt police official wants to be within a country mile if that comes to light! It is in such cases that wealthy psychopaths discover just how firm the "friends" they count on to cover up for them really are! Even some of the drug cartel biggies will scuttle for cover if someone picks up the brick their thugs hide under. Exposure is bad for business. 

(4) Make sure that several of your friends have the information in the event something happens to you. That way, an appropriate investigation will follow if you are harmed. Don't tell other people who has the information, because then something bad could happen to them as well. Instruct friends to take such an incident to the newspapers and other media. 

If you are dealing with someone who has considerable money, you must realize that they probably won't try to harm you themselves, they will contract with someone to make the hit. The malignant type is a coward and will not expose himself or herself to personal danger if he or she can avoid it.

---

Update: A thorough article. You may also find more at http://sociopathworld.com/.

Federal Government grants to unions and others invited to share in the party (Party?) @mpsmithnews

Here is a table of grants made to trade unions directly by the Federal Government from 2007 to 2011.   Keep in mind this table is before the magnanimity displayed in the 2011 budget document below.

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGER IMAGE:

A few things jump out immediately, like the very large dollar amounts of some grants and the somewhat amorphous goals they've set.   I wonder if a young and naive lawyer was engaged to make sure that no pitfalls were encountered in the handover of $10,000,000 to the Union Education Foundation as it embarks on its mission to "Develop and deliver  Workplace Education program to create a co-operative workplace relations environment by improving the skills and knowledge of employee representatives".

That's a lot of co-operative environment they're creating there - $10MILL worth of it.   Thiess Contractors apparently achieved world class operations in this regard at the Dawesville Cut project, the Western Australian Government trumpeted Thiess's achievements along with the AWU in the Annual Report of the BCITF from 1993  Why, here's a direct quote, "The Thiess Dawesville Cut project is not only a significant engineering feat, it is operating as a model site for workplace reform and innovative training delivery."   I wonder if $10,000,000.00 would buy the AWU Workplace Reform Association manuals, systems, online learning modules and associated intellectual property?   (I'm reliably informed a Fitzroy townhouse is a necessary ancillary instrument in the successful and innovative delivery of workplace reform - should get a couple of them for $10MILL).

Just one other comment from me and the Seeker of Truth.   The Clothing, Textiles and Footwear Union seems to score very well on the English language teaching front.   This is a curious series of grants, particularly when compared with the broader $20M this government has made available for workplace language training in the 2011 budget training package.  

I wonder if the Workplace Reform Advisors engaged by Thiess contractors have given the workplace reform caper away - there are billions awaiting their distinctive competence here!

Download 2011 budget training package

Federal Government grants to unions and others invited to share in the party (Party?)

TREE HUGGING GREENS JUST PLAIN OLE' DUMB,USELESS AND SLOW LEARNERS!

By Larry Pickering

The longer we can prevent a bushfire, the greater the eventual bushfire.

I will always remember the Victorian father searching for photos of his dead wife and kids among the ashes, wondering how he was going to pay the $30,000 fine administered to him by a Green council for daring to attempt to clear his property of combustible material.

The Australian bush is a dangerous place. People die and property is destroyed as a result of our passion for rustic living.

The sound of bellbirds and the bucolic smells of the bush are irresistible. The trouble is we shouldn’t be there. It is an ancient, foreign place to the modern, urban person.

Bushfires will happen, whether lightning starts them, Aborigines start them, arsonists or God starts them.

Every 10 -15 years combustible undergrowth builds to a point where it becomes a tinderbox begging to be ignited... and eventually it will ignite despite our efforts to prevent it.

Only then can the natural regeneration of the bush begin.

We drag bodies from these regular fires while hunting suspected arsonists. But arsonists may have done us a favour because, if left uncleared another year, the damage in life and property would have been far greater.

Millions of hectares of Australian bush burn annually but that matters only when we and our belongings are in the way. The natural order of the bush won’t make an exception because we build a house in its path.

The Greens lobby against the clear-felling of trees around homes and they win. They overtake councils. Their arrogance is breathtaking. Their lack of understanding of the bush is confounding and at the cost of countless lives.

A Green gopher like the Tasmanian hare-brained Bob Brown, doesn’t understand the bush; he just likes to live in it.

Flammable seeds from gaseous eucalypts, desperate to regenerate, lie dormant waiting, waiting. It is the inevitable fire’s intense heat that breaks open these rich, pregnant pods and allows our bush to regenerate, to live.

Return to a black landscape in a few months’ time and the fire’s purpose will be clear. It is an essential part of the health of our bush.

And the Green gophers still don’t get it... their memories are too short, their vision of reality too limited. Their influence too dangerous.

Bullying in the eye of the beholder

ARE you being bullied? If you have a job, attend university, have a hectic social life or do anything else that involves being put under pressure, you probably are.

But only because everything is defined as "bullying" these days. From being called out on your slackness to being hauled over the coals for your political views; what we used to call "being put on the spot", we now call "bullying".

The rise and rise of the B-word is testament to the touchiness of our therapeutic era and to the now widespread belief that people are pathetic bundles of sensitivity who will unravel at the merest hint of pressure.

The wild expansion of the definition of bullying was brought home to me over the holiday season by an article written by the ABC's Jonathan Holmes.

He was criticising The Australian's recent critical commentary about Margaret Simons, director of the Centre for Advanced Journalism at the University of Melbourne. The Australian's critique of Simons had crossed the line from legit journalism to "bullying", said Holmes. Tellingly, he described this paper as "one of the biggest bruisers in the playground". What was most striking about his piece was that it described Simons's own criticisms of The Australian, which have been myriad, as "judicious, cautious and fair", while The Australian's criticisms of her apparently add up to "bullying".

This sums up how eye-swivellingly subjective the term "bullying" has become. Bullying is now entirely in the eye of the beholder, with some words and ideas (the ones we disapprove of, basically) being branded with the B-word, while others are given a nod of approval.

This is an upfront attempt to delegitimise certain forms of media criticism, particularly those that emanate from popular newspapers and are aimed at respectable public figures.

More and more commentators, academics and even powerful politicians now depict themselves as victims of "bullying", by which they actually mean fierce criticism or public ridicule.

When Julia Gillard copped some flak from internet users (in the midst of the global praise she received) over her shallow, showboating speech on misogyny last year, one magazine said she had been "bullied online" - as if she were an everyday teenage girl being harassed by schoolmates rather than the most powerful woman in the southern hemisphere being critiqued for a very public speech.

Gillard's partner Tim Mathieson has lashed out at the "bullies" who ridicule poor Julia. Seemingly believing, like ABC's Holmes, that we're still all stuck in the playground, Mathieson said "the big boys" should stop "bullying women".

"Would they like being called nasty names?" he asked.

In a human rights lecture last year, academic Anne Summers compared the grief Gillard sometimes gets with "workplace bullying". On an issue like the carbon tax, it just isn't possible that the "level of vitriol" aimed at Gillard is because of the tax itself, said Summers - rather, it must be because of "the simple fact that she is a woman".

Here, even entirely legitimate political criticism over something like the carbon tax, which has made some people angry, can be slyly delegitimised through being depicted as playground-style bullying beastliness. This is a doubly patronising approach - it depicts the critics of Gillard as bullies (potentially freezing serious political debate in the process, with male MPs probably becoming increasingly fearful of appearing like ugly playground toughs), and it also depicts women as fragile creatures who might wilt or faint upon hearing a coarse or mocking critique.

In describing as "misogynistic bullying" what the rest of us simply look upon as heated political debate, feminists ironically rehabilitate the Victorian view of women as sensitive flowers who might need to be chaperoned when they tiptoe through parliament or venture on to the world wide web.

Where the B-word is often used as a means of shielding politicians from the vitriolic screeching of the madding crowd, it can also be used to chastise politicians who are considered too hard-headed.

So the claims that Tony Abbott "bullied" someone at university in the 1970s are now used to write off his entire political style in the here and now. One magazine describes him as a misogynistic "relic of the 1950s" whose "bullying has continued to the current day".

If Abbott makes a strongly worded speech, shooting down his enemies, it's bullying, apparently, akin to what he allegedly did at uni.

In Britain in 2010, then PM Gordon Brown became embroiled in something called "Bullygate" after it was revealed he frequently "clenched his fists" in the presence of his staff and "swore at senior advisers".

Unbelievably, some of Downing Street's staff phoned the National Bullying Helpline to complain about Brown. Did they think working at the heated heart of the British establishment, where key decisions are made, would be a cosy, stress-free experience with no swearing? If so - and I'm sorry if this is bullying - they are idiots.

The ideas of "workplace bullying" and "university bullying" are common currency today.

According to one British official report, workplace bullying can include everything from "arguments and rudeness" to "ignoring people, unacceptable criticisms, and overloading people with work".

In short, work itself - with all its tussles and pressure - is a kind of bullying. Which makes you wonder why we don't all just stay in bed instead, or perhaps literally go back to the playground, where we might be afforded some protection against life's stresses and debates by a caring teacher.

We are all worse off as a result of this bullymania. The bullying obsession is especially bad for politics, since it both helps to insulate already aloof politicians like Gillard from public ridicule while chastising other, more outspoken politicians for daring to appear strong-willed.

It threatens to make politics more dull, and to drain the zest and drive from media debate and from everyday life by branding all those who forcefully speak their minds as bullies.

In 2013, make it your resolution to never, no matter how beleaguered you feel, say, "I'm being bullied!" Those words should never cross the lips of anyone over the age of 10.

Bullying in the eye of the beholder

More evidence of the religious nature of the AGW cult...Veteran Irish explorer Pat Falvey believes global warming was to blame for the lightning strike which killed Ian McKeever whilst climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.......

There are people who take this seriously.

By the way, here's a good Google game.   Google "climate change" and something you hate, like say Jellyfish or marine stingers and it's odds on the effect of climate change will make them worse.   Then Google something you love like butterflies, and guess what??????????

‘Global warming is to blame,’   says veteran climber Pat Falvey

By Eoin English and Lynne Kelleher

Friday, January 04, 2013

Veteran Irish explorer Pat Falvey believes global warming was to blame for the lightning strike which killed Ian McKeever.

About 1,000 Irish people climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania every year, but Mr Falvey said this is the first time there has been such a tragic accident on the imposing African peak.

Mr Falvey told The Ray D’Arcy Show yesterday he believes the world’s changing climate caused the "freak" weather which hit Mr McKeever and his group as they climbed Kilimanjaro amid torrential downpours.

"It was quite freaky and probably it’s because of the global warming climate change and it happened in an area that he was misfortunate  to be in," he said. "It was a place called Lava Towers which sticks up in the air like a sore thumb. It is a tower of rock in the lunar landscape section.

"It is very unusual to have thunderstorms and rain at that particular level of the mountain but it is just the whole climate is changing."

Climber and retired Garda Martin Byrne, who climbed Mount Everest in 2011 and recently brought a team of fundraisers to climb  Kilimanjaro for the charity Concern Worldwide, said he was very saddened to hear of Mr McKeever’s death.

"Being struck by lightning while climbing is an extremely rare occurrence and, for all the massive amount of planning, physical training, and preparation that goes into such climbs, it is not a natural event anyone can prepare for," he said.

"I have personally been affected by fatalities of climbing colleagues.

"My own climb to the peak of Everest was dampened considerably by the death five days earlier, just 48m from the summit, of Irish mountaineer John Delaney from Co Laois. My thoughts are with Ian’s family, friends, and colleagues."

http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/01/more-evidence-of-the-religious-nature-of-the-agw-cult.html

Please arrange a sacrifice to the Climate Gods forthwith via @mpsmithnews

Eloi said:                           

                                There is absolutely nothing that isn't caused by or made worse by "global warming"http://www.numberwatch.co.uk/warmlist.htm

Eloi, that has to be one of the most frightening things I have ever seen.

We have one of those soda stream machines at home, you put a bottle of water into it, press the button and it carbonates the water just like from the shop.

But I have just discovered that the gas used in soda water, coca cola^tm and other dangerous carbonated drinks is dangerous carbon dioxide.

How could my government be so reckless as to allow this outrage?   Here is one of the dangerous cylinders of the thatched-roof destroying, rabid-bat creating, outdoor-hockey ending cylinders of carbon dioxide.

Now I'll just have to say a little prayer to the Climate Change Gods every time I have a scotch and soda.

But, how can this be?   Now I am really torn.   On the back of the self-same cylinder of the dangerous gas that's responsible for higher electricity bills in Camperdown, there is this logo.

Only an apostate could make that claim.   I'm dobbing.   What's the point of paying more for everything in Australia to save the world by regulating the globe's climate from the Climate Vatican in Canberra when irresponsible drinkers can still hook in to a scotch and soda?

Please arrange a sacrifice to the Climate Gods forthwith

Julia Gillard plays down her own dirt unit running from inside her office : Gillard wanted to dig up the dirt files of others, yet runs like a rabid mouse when her own laundry is being aired to public Scrutiny. Can we all say Hypocrite!

Full of shit Jenny Macklin, A MINISTER'S answer that she could live on the dole has been marked as "inaudible" in the official transcript from her office, despite the crystal-clear video.I could live on the dole, says Families Minister Jenny Macklin

A MINISTER'S answer that she could live on the dole has been marked as "inaudible" in the official transcript from her office, despite the crystal-clear video.

From today parents will move from the parenting payment to Newstart in what federal Families Minister Jenny Macklin says is aimed at getting people back to work. About 84,000 single parents will be affected.

For parents in a relationship, the changes come into force when their youngest turns six.

>> Read more on the changes here

It will save the budget $728 million over four years, but welfare groups say it will lead to more people falling into poverty.

Families Minister Jenny Macklin. Picture: Chloe Geraghty

When asked today Ms Macklin said she would be able to live on the dole.

"I could, and of course we understand that what's important for people who are unemployed is that we do everything possible to help people get work," she said.

"That's the whole focus of this government - to do everything we can to help people to get into work and that's what we're doing with these single parents as well."

But when her office issued a transcript of the press conference, the question - and answer - were marked as "inaudible".

You can make up your own mind with the video above.

The Minister's office has been contacted for comment in regards to the transcript.

Ms Macklin said the changes to the single parenting payments were aimed at getting parents back into work.

"What we have found as a result of the changes made in 2006, we have seen more and more single parents going back to work and of course the more that people go back to work the better.

"Unfortunately we have far too many children growing up in families where nobody is working. We want to do everything we possibly can to support families to go out to work and hold down a job."

A person living on the dole receives $246 a week.

As a Cabinet Minister, Ms Macklin earns $6321 a week.

Ms Macklin was speaking at the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne, where she visited new and future parents to celebrate the start of Dad and Partner Pay.

From today, eligible working dads and same-sex partners will receive two weeks of government-funded pay at the national minimum wage - currently about $606 per week before tax, for children born or adopted.

Will Enzinger, a self-employed equestrian coach, whose partner Emily Anker is expecting to give birth by caesarean section tomorrow, said the payment would allow him to take time off for the birth without having stress about money.

"Just to be there to support and do it together, it is a great opportunity," he said. "It will be a big help."

I could live on the dole, says Families Minister Jenny Macklin

MORE HUMOUR FROM SWAN AND THE LABOR PARTY WHERE DO THEY GET THESE JOKES...Don't blame us: Swan on vitriol

THE Gillard government bears no responsibility for the negative and vitriolic tone of the political debate in 2012, says Treasurer Wayne Swan.

He admits the ''scrappy'' political year turned many voters off politics but denies the government contributed to bitter partisanship that defined it.

''I don't concede that the government has been behind personal attacks,'' he said. ''We want to have a policy discussion based on the facts, not on the aggressive negativity, particularly the likes of which we've seen from Tony Abbott … to say that's a personal attack on Tony Abbott, given the events of last year, I find quite extraordinary.''

This year, Prime Minister Julia Gillard labelled Opposition Leader Mr Abbott a misogynist, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said he had an ''issue with capable women'', and Mr Swan called him a ''policy weakling'' and a ''thug when it comes to personal attacks''.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet called Mr Abbott a ''wrecker'' and said everything the Opposition Leader had told the public about carbon pricing was ''complete bullshit''.

But Mr Swan denied the government was culpable in helping to set the low tone of what has been labelled the nastiest political year in memory.

''You've got to be kidding me. The negativity in policy and personal attacks have all been from Abbott. I mean, for god's sake, these are the people who are now hung out to dry for their activities in terms of Mr Ashby and company,'' he said in reference to the Federal Court finding that the Liberal National Party-endorsed candidate, Mal Brough, conspired with James Ashby to end the political career of former speaker Peter Slipper.

Despite the finding, Mr Abbott has since expressed his full confidence in Mr Brough.

''I'm a little surprised at the notion that there is some sort of equivalence in terms of the negativity going on … the Prime Minister in particular in the face of enormous negative attack and enormous denigration performed superbly,'' Mr Swan said. ''Too often that gets brushed aside in some sort of notion that it was some sort of two-way process.''

The Treasurer pledged to haul the political debate to positive territory in 2013, saying it was his ''New Year's resolution'' to ignore ''glass-half-empty'' naysayers. ''My hope is to have a very, very strong policy debate … about the big reforms we need to set up [in] Australia for the future. That's where the government is coming from.''

Mr Swan said the government this year instituted ''one of the biggest reforms for the future of Australia'' - carbon pricing - in the face of ''vicious opposition, not just from the Liberals but from large sections of industry''.

''That showed the government's fortitude and commitment to policy, because what's got lost since the carbon pricing came in is how big a reform that had been.''

He also defended his surplus backdown, made a fortnight ago when he announced a $3.9 billion shortfall in revenue in the first four months of the financial year. He argued the surplus announcement should not be seen as a ''loosening of the purse strings'', and that the government had delivered record low interest rates that were helping business and families.

''In the circumstances of the international volatility, it would have been irresponsible to cut deeper or further during this period, because that would just endanger jobs and growth.''

Mr Swan rejected suggestions the mining tax had been unsuccessful, pointing to a fall in commodity prices, and nominated the key policy battlegrounds of 2013 as education, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, industrial relations and the National Broadband Network. ''We would love to get on with them in an environment which wasn't characterised by the excessive negativity we saw last year [2012].''

Don't blame us: Swan on vitriol