Monday, December 12, 2022

 

ATTACKS BY DOGS ON AUSTRALIA POST WORKERS HAVE INCREASED MARKEDLY OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS

 Why are some dog owners so careless and irresponsible? They are responsible for these attacks, and in this case, they are responsible for the death of a man.

A report by The New Daily says attacks by dogs have been on the increase over the last five months. The latest attack was on an unfortunate electrical contractor who was fatally mauled by two dogs during an horrific attack south of Brisbane earlier this month.

“The two animals, a bandog-bullmastiff cross and a Rhodesian ridgeback cross attacked and killed the contractor after he entered the property to read an electricity meter on December 3.

Australia Post says attacks on workers have increased more than 55 per cent, with an average of almost seven incidents a day since July 2022.”

Postal workers “have been left battered and bleeding, with injuries including puncture wounds, lacerations, scratches and bites.”

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https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/2022/12/12/sharp-increase-in-dog-attacks-on-posties/?breaking_live_scroll=1

Sunday, December 11, 2022

 

Girls now out-performing boys in nearly every HSC subject in NSW




Girls are outperforming boys in most Higher School Certificate subjects and doing almost as well in the historically male strongholds of mathematics and physics, leaving chemistry as one of the few subjects in which the top bands are dominated by boys.

Girls’ particularly strong performance in English renewed concerns about the subject’s mandatory inclusion in students’ Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, amid concerns it disadvantages boys.

Ahead of the release of Higher School Certificate results, NSW Education Standards Authority data from 2019 to 2021, obtained by the Herald, shows the trend of boys falling behind in key areas earlier in high school continues into senior years.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/girls-now-out-performing-boys-in-nearly-every-hsc-subject-20221209-p5c56d.html


 Tree-mendous achievement: Grandfather crosses Australia on foot to restore environment

Richard Van Pijlen has crossed almost all of Australia, one step at a time. Photo: Supplied

After eight months on the road and battling wind, rain, heat and fatigue, a Sydney grandfather will this week reach his Perth destination, having crossed the continent on foot.

Richard van Pijlen, 68, has been pushing his trolley of supplies for more than 4,000 kilometres to raise money so community bush regeneration group Landcare can plant one million trees.

“I didn’t really think things through too much, and just focusing on you know, 30 kilometres and then another 30 kilometres,” he told AAP this week as he began the last 150km of his cross-continent journey.

When AAP first caught up with Mr van Pijlen in May a few weeks after he’d set out, he was expecting to walk around 25km a day.

But on one occasion he reached 85km.

In November, after spending six weeks crossing the vast and arid Nullarbor Plain, the former painter walked 27 hours almost non-stop, resting only to eat.

“I’ve never been as exhausted in my whole life like that moment,” he said.

“You think you have nothing left, but there’s still a little bit left.”

It was soon after that mammoth effort, when he arrived in Norseman in Western Australia, that Mr van Pijlen met local cook Steve Pates.

“I was dumbfounded,” Mr Pates told AAP.

“I went in and cooked him the biggest breakfast I could fit on the plate, and he ate every bit of it.”

Since the pair met, Mr Pates has driven several food packages out to Mr van Pijlen on the road, on one occasion making a 500km round trip to deliver the meals.

“Every time someone stops by and is going to Perth I send him a care package,” Mr Pates said.

“He wants to leave the world a better place … you’ve got to admire the man.”

Mr van Piljen says the people he’s met on his journey have been the highlight of his journey.

During his trek, the Dutch-born Sydneysider celebrated his birthday and became a grandfather for the ninth time.

He told AAP he’s exceptionally proud of raising money and attention for Landcare, a charity he’s passionate about.

But for now, he is focused on reaching Fremantle, south of Perth, and could be there as early as Sunday.

“It has been really challenging because of the heat … around 40 degrees,” he tells AAP.

Mr van Piljen set off from Sydney’s northern beaches on May 2 and when he finally reaches his destination he will rest up and reunite with his partner who’s flying over from NSW.

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https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/people/2022/12/11/green-granddads-transaustralia-stroll/







Behrouz Boochani in Australia: ‘Some of those politicians who barred me are gone. But I am here’

Behrouz Boochani, the Kurdish writer and refugee is in Australia to promote his latest book Freedom, Only Freedom, a collection of work he wrote while in detention, alongside essays from experts on migration, refugee rights, politics and literature.

Boochani was locked up in offshore detention for six years, during which he wrote and published the award-winning No Friend But the Mountains.

He eventually settled in New Zealand.

Boochani fled ethnic persecution in Iran in 2013, attempting to arrive in Australia via boat from Indonesia, before being detained in the Manus Island detention centre.

There Boochani witnessed the “brutal side” of Australia and its politics, and penned his first book via compiled WhatsApp messages.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/08/behrouz-boochani-in-australia-some-of-those-politicians-who-barred-me-are-gone-but-i-am-here




Sunday, August 31, 2008

Ολυμπιακοι και Κινα

Οι Ολυμπιακοι Αγωνες ηρθαν και εφυγαν και η ζωη ξαναγυρισε στο σημειο που μας αφησε πριν την εναρξη των αγωνων.

Οι Κινεζοι οπως ειδαμε καθαρισανε τους παντες και τα παντα (σχεδον) και πηρανε τα πιο πολλα χρυσα μεταλλια, αν και οι Αμερικανοι κορδονωνται γιατι αυτοι πηραν τα πιο πολλα συνολικα...τελος παντων.

Η Αυστραλια επεσε λιγο στον τελικο πινακα μεταλλιων. Ηρθε εκτη, ανω μεχρι τωρα επιανε τη τεταρτη θεση.

Οσο για την Ελλαδιτσα...καταφερε να παρει τεσσερα, συνολικα. Καλα κι αυτα απο το τιποτα.

Η μεγαλη εκπληξη ομως ηταν η Βρετανια αφου πηρε την τεταρτη θεση, μετα την Κινα, την Αμερικη και τη Ρωσια. Οπως λενε πηγες οι Βρετανοι εχουν ξοδεψει, και συνεχιζουν να ξοδευουν, εκατομυρια δολλαρια για να μπορεσουν να ...  κερδισουν περισσοτερα μεταλια, αφου οι επομενοι αγωνες προκειται να γινουν στο Λονδινο!

Αυτο ομως που εκανε μεγαλη - πολυ μεγαλη-εντυπωση σε ολους ομως ηταν η τελετη εναρξης (και η τελετη στο τελος) των αγωνων. Ειδικα εκεινο το κοριτσακι που "τραγουδησε" (οι Κινεζοι ξερουν να ξεγελουν τον κοσμο), και τα πυροτεχνηματα που ηταν φτιαγμενα ειδικα για την τηλεοραση (αφου αυτα τα "ειδικα" δεν τα ειδαε κανενας στο σταδιο, παρα μονο οσοι ειδαν τηλεοραση), και πολλα αλλα.....

Μπραβο Κινεζοι, καλα τα κανατε!

Παρ' ολα αυτα ομως, ας λεμε και του στραβου το δικιο, οι αγωνες ηταν καλοι. Οπως ειπε και προεδρος Mr Rogge, οι αγωνες ηταν "exceptional". Μπραβο τους.

(Αν και πολλοι Αυστραλοι, εδω περα, ακομα θεωρουν τους Ολυμπιακους του Συδνευ, ως τους καλυτερους Ολυμπιακους, και αλλοι τετοιοι αγωνες δεν εχουν ξαναγινοι, αλλα και ουτε προκειται να ξαναγινουν ποτε!!!!)

Παντως χρειαζονται τετοια πραγματα για να μας κανουν να νιωθουμε τι ειδος ανθρωποι ειμαστε!

Αυτα.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ ΠΕΚΙΝΟΥ

Οι Αυστραλοί αθλητές στίβου είπαν «όχι» στην τελετή έναρξης του Πεκίνου

Οι υπεύθυνοι της κινεζικής Επιτροπής Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων εξέφρασαν την βαθιά απογοήτευσή τους για την απόφαση της αυστραλιανής ομάδας στίβου να μην λάβει μέρος στην τελετή έναρξη των Αγώνων, στις 8 Αυγούστου, επικαλούμενη την ρύπανση του αέρα του Πεκίνο.

Σύμφωνα με την απόφαση της Αυστραλιανής Ομοσπονδίας Στίβου, οι αθλητές θα παραμένουν στην βάση τους, στο Χονγκ Κονγκ, κατά την διάρκεια της έναρξης των Ολυμπιακών Αγώνων, όπου λαμβάνουν παραδοσιακά μέρος οι αθλητές όλων των αγωνισμάτων, προκειμένου να συνεχίσουν το πρόγραμμα της προετοιμασίας τους.

Παρά το γεγονός ότι αθλητές και από άλλες χώρες αποφάσισαν μεμονωμένα να μην λάβουν μέρος στην τελετή έναρξης, αυτή ήταν η πρώτη επίσημη αθλητική ομοσπονδία που πήρε απόφαση να μην λάβουν μέρος οι αθλητές της στην έναρξη.

Το γεγονός αυτό ανησύχησε σοβαρά τους Κινέζους διοργανωτές που έχουν καταβάλλει υπεράνθρωπες προσπάθειες, φιλοδοξώντας να σημειώσουν μεγάλη επιτυχία οι Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες του Πεκίνου.

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Μπορεί να "έχουν καταβάλλει υπεράνθρωπες προσπάθειες", παρ' όλα αυτά όμως, οι Κινέζοι αντιμετωπίζουν τεράστια προβλήματα...
Αφού είναι τόσο δύσκολο να αναπνέει ο κόσμος....πώς θα τρέξουν οι αθλητές....
Ίσως να κουβαλάνε μαζί τους και μπουκάλι οξυγόνου.... ποιος ξέρει.

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Η ιστορία αυτή άρχισε όταν ένας Αυστραλός αθλητής, επιστρέφοντας από το Πεκίνο όπου είχε λάβει μέρος σε φιλικούς αθλητικούς αγώνες στο κεντρικό Ολυμπιακό στάδιο, πριν ένα μήνα, παραπονέθηκε για την ατμοσφαιρική ρύπανση και σταμάτησε να προπονείται μία βδομάδα λόγω αναπνευστικού προβλήματος.

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Ας περιμένουμε λοιπόν μια κάποια λύση....

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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Monkeys control robots

I came across the following story while reading the newspaper today. I found it to be quite impressive indeed. Its seems to me that if more people had the ability to act in a similar fashion to the hero of the story then the world would be a much better place.
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Monkeys control robots with brain power

May 29, 2008 - 9:41AM

Scientists have trained monkeys to manipulate a robotic arm solely with brain power and could soon help amputees and paralysed stroke victims do the same.

Immobilised monkeys with electrode filaments inserted into their cerebral cortext learned within days to reach out with the free-standing prosthesis, pluck a tasty morsel with a pincer-like claw and pop it in their mouths.

When the path of the arm, positioned next to the shoulder, was deliberately blocked, the animals simply willed it around the obstacle with their minds.

Details of the research are published in the Nature journal.

AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/monkeys-show-brain-power/2008/05/29/1211654171158.html