(Miscellaneous debris)

[redandblack]

Yes, good pick-up, Gozu.

Is Psyber perhaps a closet member of this 'radical left' group?

I suspect he might be intending to vote for Bob Britton

[Psyber]

They're all communists I can feel it in my bones! Hang on I thought "ALP front groups" would be reluctant to come out and criticise the Labor government and ALP policy? Which proves they're doctors with morals and ethics so a hat tip to them for having the balls to do so.

The AMA did check into this group some time ago when they emerged, and I was on an AMA committee. The bulk of their small group appeared to be ALP connected.
They make a noise disproportionate to their numbers, and their policies are clearly left of the ALP mainstream that determines the ALP's acceptability to the voting public.
So, it is not really a surprise they criticise the ALP too. I agree they act on their morals and ethics, but they are of a different kind from those of most of us.
They seem to be committed to free nationalised [and inevitably therefore rationed] health care rather than the best possible health care for each patient, which is the moral position of most medicos.
I had originally intended to remain in the public health system as a career, but walked mainly because I found it prevented me treating patients properly.
It was only later I discovered the joys of capitalism..

You may recall my post on this point some time ago.
It was about the chance of surviving an abdominal cancer being 70% in the US health system versus 30% in the free UK NHS.

It is true that the shunting around in the US to get into a hospital at all is appalling, but the key difference in survival is that, once you get to the private hospital contracted by the county to treat the uninsured in its area, you get the same investigation and treatment standards as the private patients. It is not a two tier system once you are through the admission to the correct hospital issue.
By contrast, in the NHS, when that was posted, you were not allowed an "expensive" MRI scan until an ordinary X-ray showed something that warranted the cost of an MRI.
In the case of an abdominal cancer that is often too late...

We have some of the same problem here.
There has been much unnecessary delay and medical complication caused by Medicare's policy of not paying for MRi scans of peoples injured backs until a certain period of incapacity has existed.
The problem is that this forces conservative treatment of all back injuries, in case of there being undetectable bone or disk damage, and as a result disuse atrophy of muscles occurs.
An early MRI would enable early mobilisation of those with only soft tissue injury and much quicker recovery.

Yes, good pick-up, Gozu.
Is Psyber perhaps a closet member of this 'radical left' group?
I suspect he might be intending to vote for Bob Britton

NOPE as you obviously expect.

[Gozu]

"Federal NT intervention will cause more harm than good-new report":

"Former PM Malcolm Fraser made some pertinent points at the Sydney launch of his memoirs on Wednesday night. Asked what would help achieve progress in indigenous affairs, he nominated “respect”. He also noted that the current government has the same bureaucratic advisers as the previous one."

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/12/fed ... ew-report/

[Gozu]

"News Limited's undecalared war on the Rudd Government":

http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2 ... nment.aspx

[Gozu]

"Beware the supermarket shopping asylum seekers":

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/29/theyre-heeeeeeeere/

[Squawk]

"News Limited's undecalared war on the Rudd Government":

http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2 ... nment.aspx

Well ironically or not, The Advertiser has endorsed a state Labor Govt for the last two elections that I know of.

[fish]

"Beware the supermarket shopping asylum seekers":

http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/29/theyre-heeeeeeeere/

Another right wing scare campaign - all spin and no substance

[Gozu]

"Will Caucus allow unproven, dangerous changes to income management?":

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/201 ... -opinions/

[Psyber]

Someone told me today that Mike Rann had announced a $5 each way toll on the Southern Expressway.
Does anyone know whether it is correct?

[DOC]

Someone told me today that Mike Rann had announced a $5 each way toll on the Southern Expressway.
Does anyone know whether it is correct?

Check the date

[Gozu]

A good read by the Sunshine Coast Atheists:

"The Catholic Church, for example, earns more than $15 billion dollars a year in revenue from various profit-making ventures but pays not a skerrick of tax. It owns more than $100 billion worth of property but pays no rates.

But it is we atheists who are now accused of being ‘morally bankrupt’. Yes, we godless infidels who argue for freedom of speech, freedom from religion as well as freedom of religion, equality – regardless of gender, sexual orientation or religious affiliation (or lack thereof), the right of children to grow up without religious indoctrination and the right of women and the terminally ill to have dominion over their own bodies – we are accused of having no values."

http://www.sunshinecoastatheists.com/20 ... -the-fire/

[Psyber]

I tend to agree with the case put, Gozu, so long as Atheism isn't compulsory either.
I think all religious groups should be taxed just as the rest of us in the community are, and that their charitable works should then be deductible.
We can't sustain semidisestablishmentarianism...

[wycbloods]

I tend to agree with the case put, Gozu, so long as Atheism isn't compulsory either.
I think all religious groups should be taxed just as the rest of us in the community are, and that their charitable works should then be deductible.
We can't sustain semidisestablishmentarianism...

Is that the largest word ever used on this site??????????????????????

[GWW]

I'd love that word on Scrabble.

[Psyber]

I tend to agree with the case put, Gozu, so long as Atheism isn't compulsory either.
I think all religious groups should be taxed just as the rest of us in the community are, and that their charitable works should then be deductible.
We can't sustain semidisestablishmentarianism...

Is that the largest word ever used on this site??????????????????????

I'm not sure it isn't a neologism and never used before - in which case I claim copyright!

I think "antidisestablishmentarianism" is the declared longest English word, but in this case I needed a word that covered the 5 bob each way style in which we currently approach Christianity - it is not an established official state religion, but is not disestablished and treated like any other business.

[Wedgie]

I tend to agree with the case put, Gozu, so long as Atheism isn't compulsory either.
I think all religious groups should be taxed just as the rest of us in the community are, and that their charitable works should then be deductible.
We can't sustain semidisestablishmentarianism...

Is that the largest word ever used on this site??????????????????????

Nup, Centrals fans have beaten it a few times with wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof.

[wycbloods]

I tend to agree with the case put, Gozu, so long as Atheism isn't compulsory either.
I think all religious groups should be taxed just as the rest of us in the community are, and that their charitable works should then be deductible.
We can't sustain semidisestablishmentarianism...

Is that the largest word ever used on this site??????????????????????

Nup, Centrals fans have beaten it a few times with wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooof.

LMFAO how could i forget.

[Gozu]

"Predator priests shuffled around globe":

In an investigation spanning 21 countries across six continents, The Associated Press found 30 cases of priests accused of abuse who were transferred or moved abroad. Some escaped police investigations. Many had access to children in another country, and some abused again.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... AD9F35MMO1

[dedja]

Oh no ... she's back.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5854971985

FAILED Federal Labor Party candidate Nicole Cornes has been appointed to a key advisory role in the Rann Government.
The 40-year-old's experience as a mother and "proud South Australian" as well as being a wife were cited by the Government as among the qualifications leading to her appointment.

Ms Cornes, who failed to win the marginal Liberal seat of Boothby in Adelaide's south in the 2007 federal election, will begin work this week as adviser to minister Paul Holloway, whose portfolios include Mining Resource Development, Urban Development and Planning and Industrial Relations

[Psyber]

Oh no ... she's back.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 5854971985

FAILED Federal Labor Party candidate Nicole Cornes has been appointed to a key advisory role in the Rann Government.
The 40-year-old's experience as a mother and "proud South Australian" as well as being a wife were cited by the Government as among the qualifications leading to her appointment.

Ms Cornes, who failed to win the marginal Liberal seat of Boothby in Adelaide's south in the 2007 federal election, will begin work this week as adviser to minister Paul Holloway, whose portfolios include Mining Resource Development, Urban Development and Planning and Industrial Relations

Should I assume she has expertise in these areas...
Or is it jobs for the boys.. er girls... er hacks....