On April 13 2006, Miranda Devine writes (tongue in cheek, I hope) an opinon piece in The Sydney Morning Herald:

Baby boomers' gyrating days are numbered ….. 

It's time to accept that youth culture is for the young, not the young at heart. 

From the ABC …..

Andrews moves to allay Easter sacking fears 

The Federal Government has moved
to reassure workers that they are protected from getting the sack if they
have reasonable grounds for not being able to work on public holidays over
Easter. 

Labor says Easter will be a test
for the new rules and say they are weighted in favour of the employer. 

Buzzflash on king george …..  

‘Okay, so let's get this
straight. 

Bush admits he selectively leaked
classified information that wasn't declassified until days after he and Cheney
had Scooter Libby leak it to Judith Miller, the pro-war megaphone for the New
York Times publication of Bush lies. Bush "authorizes" this leak at a
time that he is claiming that if he ever finds the leaker, he will basically
fire him, meaning himself. Then he continues a public and Department of Justice
vendetta against leakers, but not himself: the leaker-in-chief. 

Any regular reader of this blog will know that a population expansion of South Australia is a regularly recurring theme.  While the military expansion of the State is extolled by our government as a creator of jobs, it appears that we're looking elsewhere to find them.  Meanwhile new suburbs are created and plans are laid to house personnel required for the defence and mining booms.

 An article in today's Advertiser suggests that we're going to be battling to scrape together the required numbers to fill the defence jobs.

 [extract]

From the ABC …. 

IR changes hit Howard's standing

A new opinion poll shows a drop
in voter support for Prime Minister John Howard, following the start of
his Government's new industrial relations changes. 

From 4 Corners .….

FELICITY JOHNSTON, UNITED NATION OFFICE [customs enforcement]
OF THE IRAQ PROGRAMME (1999-2003):  

“It is true to say that it was
not their responsibility to carry out the pricing review. That said,
my sympathy only extends so far because every nation has
a responsibility, absolutely, under resolution 661, to ensure that
its nationals comply with the terms of that resolution. 

‘It’s been three years since the U.S. launched its war
against Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. Of course now
almost everybody knows there were no WMDs, and Saddam Hussein posed no threat
to the United States. 

Though some of our soldiers
serving in Iraq still believe they are there because Saddam Hussein was
involved in 9/11, even the administration now acknowledges there was no
connection. Indeed, no one can be absolutely certain why we invaded Iraq. The
current excuse, also given for staying in Iraq, is to make it a democratic
state, friendly to the United States. 

The Prime Minister of Australia has been requested to give a written statement to a Royal Commission.  He will be answering questions regarding possible negligence and corruption within his own Department.

Mr Howard's announcement follows the advance printing of an incriminating broadcast scheduled to be televised on the ABC tonight.  The UN Oil-For-Food program's Customs Officer says national governments are responsible for any bribes sent to Saddam.

Mr Howard has said in a media conference this morning that he will appear personally before the Cole Inquiry if requested to do so.

Selected quotes
from an
Interview: Iraqi blogger Riverbend

By Firas Al-Atraqchi

Sunday 09 April 2006, 11:41 Makka Time, 8:41 GMT

Riverbend's blog Baghdad Burning began to make waves in late 2003 and quickly became one of the most read Iraqi blogs. She offered an Iraqi woman's perspective on the US invasion and the first months after the fall of Baghdad.

Since then, her blog has been adapted into book form by UK-based publishers Marion Boyars and New York-based Feminist Press.

In March 2005, the blog was adapted into a play by a New York-based theatre production company.