by Kendall O’Connor
Osama bin Laden is dead.
But the news of bin Laden’s death did not stop there, each day details his of life are being unveiled to the public.
And to everyone’s surprise, it wasn’t exactly what you would expect from the leader of a militant Islamist group.
Living in a mansion in an affluent Pakistani suburb with a collection of pornography is not what you would expect from a man who prides himself on his strict devotion to Islam.
Since bin Laden’s death it seems the groups he affiliated himself with have further distanced themselves from their oppressive beliefs.
The Taliban, which has strong ties with Al Qaeda, has also utilised Twitter, in order to spread propaganda and attract followers.
So far they have been tweeting not only in Pashto (used in Afghanistan and Pakistan) but also in English, which could suggest they are looking beyond the Middle East for support.
But this is highly hypocritical, as it comes from a group that once shunned technology due to their fundamentalist beliefs.
How can they gather more followers if they keeps ignoring their own core beliefs?
There is also the question of how relevant bin Laden was on the international scene before his death.
The occasional video decrying the actions of the West has lost its punch due to repetition and the fact that so few attacks have happened on Western soil.
Also, as seen in Tunisia and Egypt, people living under oppressive regimes need not turn to violent terrorist groups to initiate change, they have utilised the power of non-violent protests.
Bin Laden and his violent followers have no place in a world that is turning to social media to affect change- Peaceful Revolution? ‘Like.’
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Money and Votes
by Kendall O’Connor
It has long been known that money equals votes and there is no other country that shows this quite like America.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Bloomberg and Barack Obama are classic examples of the fact that money can wield power and influence when it comes to polling time.
With President Obama planning to spend approximately one billion dollars on his 2012 campaign, this indicates that electoral spending shows no sign of decreasing.
But is all this extreme spending really worth it in the end?
It is highly likely that Arnie, Bloomberg and Obama would have succeeded in their campaigns if they spent a fraction amount of the money they had.
It is just as plausible that the personality traits we saw in speeches, interviews, public meetings and debates gave them the advantage over their opponents.
A study conducted by acclaimed economist Stephen Levitt shows two interesting facts.
First, that no matter how much money a highly unpopular candidate raises, they will inevitably still lose.
Secondly, front-runners can still win by spending less, and even if they have accumulated a significant amount of wealth for the campaign, they only use it when threatened by another candidate.
Looking back at the 2010 mid term elections, businesswoman Meg Whitman spent a record amount of her own personal wealth ($163 million) to gain a republican seat in the state of California.
However, she lost to Democrat Jerry Brown, who spent less than half of what Whitman spent. Approximately $25 million was utilised to support his campaign, while over $31 million was contributed by independent groups.
Furthermore, there is now the gift of social media and other networking platforms. This allows politicians to have their views presented at a minimal cost to a large audience, particularly among the younger voters.
At the end of the day, it is the personality of a candidate that wins the election, and this is something that money cannot buy.
It has long been known that money equals votes and there is no other country that shows this quite like America.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Bloomberg and Barack Obama are classic examples of the fact that money can wield power and influence when it comes to polling time.
With President Obama planning to spend approximately one billion dollars on his 2012 campaign, this indicates that electoral spending shows no sign of decreasing.
But is all this extreme spending really worth it in the end?
It is highly likely that Arnie, Bloomberg and Obama would have succeeded in their campaigns if they spent a fraction amount of the money they had.
It is just as plausible that the personality traits we saw in speeches, interviews, public meetings and debates gave them the advantage over their opponents.
A study conducted by acclaimed economist Stephen Levitt shows two interesting facts.
First, that no matter how much money a highly unpopular candidate raises, they will inevitably still lose.
Secondly, front-runners can still win by spending less, and even if they have accumulated a significant amount of wealth for the campaign, they only use it when threatened by another candidate.
Looking back at the 2010 mid term elections, businesswoman Meg Whitman spent a record amount of her own personal wealth ($163 million) to gain a republican seat in the state of California.
However, she lost to Democrat Jerry Brown, who spent less than half of what Whitman spent. Approximately $25 million was utilised to support his campaign, while over $31 million was contributed by independent groups.
Furthermore, there is now the gift of social media and other networking platforms. This allows politicians to have their views presented at a minimal cost to a large audience, particularly among the younger voters.
At the end of the day, it is the personality of a candidate that wins the election, and this is something that money cannot buy.
Concern for Carnaby Cockatoos
by Ellen O'Brien 24 March, 2011
The City of Stirling is starting a conservation project that aims to raise the population of the Carnaby Cockatoo.
Jess Bridge, Environmental Officer, initiated the project in February and is calling on local volunteers to help her collect data in the Stirling Area.
Miss Bridge already has regional data from Birds Australia and The WA Museum, but says she needs to hone in on specific sites.
Volunteers need to record the time of the sighting, the location and the activity of the birds, all of which will help Miss Bridge carry out improvements to foraging and breeding habitats.
“I’m trying to fill in the gaps by getting the community involved and getting their observations.
"Once I get all the data back from this, I’ll be prioritising sites based on Carnaby behaviour,” said Miss Bridge.
Miss Bridge needs the data to be as specific as possible.
“It’s no good someone telling me ‘I saw a Carnaby in the reserve'. Where in the reserve? I need to know what the vegetation type was, what the tree species was, down to that sort of detail,” said Miss Bridge.
Miss Bridge will be collecting data until the end of April, when the Carnaby Cockatoos return to the wheat belt region to breed.
“This is prime time- when they’re feeding in the Perth area,” said Miss Bridge.
The decline of the Carnaby Cockatoo is largely due to loss of habitat, and in the Perth area lots of vegetation is being lost to residential development.
“That’s going to result in more decline in the species, but we are hoping to maintain what we have, and maybe boost numbers over time,” said Miss Bridge.
Clearing in the wheat belt region has made it difficult for Carnaby Cockatoos to reproduce.
“Carnabys are special- they need to have suitable foraging habitat within one kilometre of where they breed.
“Obviously that is not the case in the wheat belt, so we are noticing the population declining as a result of no younger individuals coming through,” said Miss Bridge.
Ted Hardey, a North Beach resident for more than 70 years, has noticed a marked decline in Carnaby numbers.
“When we first moved out here there weren’t many houses, behind us there was only bush and dairy farms.
“They’d come in droves, and you could hear them squawking their heads off down in Star Swamp.
“The only place you see them now is up at Yanchep, and very occasionally I see one or two fly across the intersection of North Beach Road and Marmion Avenue.”
“There are historical records of the birds being in flocks that cover the sun,” said Miss Bridge.
Since those days the population has plummeted.
“The numbers are going down big time,” said Miss Bridge.
“To be considered an endangered population the numbers need to have declined by 50 per cent in 49 years.
"Now you only see flocks of 50 to 100, and sometimes you just see the three flying together,” said Miss Bridge.
The City of Stirling is starting a conservation project that aims to raise the population of the Carnaby Cockatoo.
Jess Bridge, Environmental Officer, initiated the project in February and is calling on local volunteers to help her collect data in the Stirling Area.
Miss Bridge already has regional data from Birds Australia and The WA Museum, but says she needs to hone in on specific sites.
Volunteers need to record the time of the sighting, the location and the activity of the birds, all of which will help Miss Bridge carry out improvements to foraging and breeding habitats.
“I’m trying to fill in the gaps by getting the community involved and getting their observations.
"Once I get all the data back from this, I’ll be prioritising sites based on Carnaby behaviour,” said Miss Bridge.
Miss Bridge needs the data to be as specific as possible.
“It’s no good someone telling me ‘I saw a Carnaby in the reserve'. Where in the reserve? I need to know what the vegetation type was, what the tree species was, down to that sort of detail,” said Miss Bridge.
Miss Bridge will be collecting data until the end of April, when the Carnaby Cockatoos return to the wheat belt region to breed.
“This is prime time- when they’re feeding in the Perth area,” said Miss Bridge.
The decline of the Carnaby Cockatoo is largely due to loss of habitat, and in the Perth area lots of vegetation is being lost to residential development.
“That’s going to result in more decline in the species, but we are hoping to maintain what we have, and maybe boost numbers over time,” said Miss Bridge.
Clearing in the wheat belt region has made it difficult for Carnaby Cockatoos to reproduce.
“Carnabys are special- they need to have suitable foraging habitat within one kilometre of where they breed.
“Obviously that is not the case in the wheat belt, so we are noticing the population declining as a result of no younger individuals coming through,” said Miss Bridge.
Ted Hardey, a North Beach resident for more than 70 years, has noticed a marked decline in Carnaby numbers.
“When we first moved out here there weren’t many houses, behind us there was only bush and dairy farms.
“They’d come in droves, and you could hear them squawking their heads off down in Star Swamp.
“The only place you see them now is up at Yanchep, and very occasionally I see one or two fly across the intersection of North Beach Road and Marmion Avenue.”
“There are historical records of the birds being in flocks that cover the sun,” said Miss Bridge.
Since those days the population has plummeted.
“The numbers are going down big time,” said Miss Bridge.
“To be considered an endangered population the numbers need to have declined by 50 per cent in 49 years.
"Now you only see flocks of 50 to 100, and sometimes you just see the three flying together,” said Miss Bridge.
Sass and Bide swap teams
by Amy Altamura: 7 May, 2011
The department store Myer, has signed a new partnership with Sass & Bide designers’, Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, for $42.25 million bidding higher than rival department store, David Jones.
The deal gives Myer a significant 65 percent stake in the label, allowing them to claim exclusive rights.
Fashion Team Leader at Myer Garden City, Kirsten Dyson, said that a dramatic increase in fashion sales and a new look with ‘exclusive stand-alone’ brands, are just some of many predicted benefits to come from Sass & Bide.
“Myer hopes to gain more market share in the industry by including Sass & Bide in their regular markdown sales,” said Mrs. Dyson.
Myer customer, Kelly Thomson, said that although regular customers will continue to shop at Myer, this move would also attract a crowd with a different sense of style then that of the usual Myer customer.
“Sass & Bide has a certain ‘cult status’, which draws people in,” she said.
Over the past two years Sass & Bide sales grew by 50 percent, reaching $37 million last year.
“This will definitely make Myer a more challenging competitor, although David Jones says the brand will be replaced, regular Sass & Bide customers will now purchase from our store if they cannot easily access it at David Jones,” said Mrs. Dyson.
Miss. Thomson, who does not like online shopping due to the high chance of wrong fit and sizing, said she used to shop at David Jones for Sass & Bide clothing.
“I am happy that I can now gain more ‘Myer One’ points and receive better customer service on the brand I love, in comparison to David Jones,” she said.
Other brands acquired by Myer, such as Charlie Brown, hope to relish in the Sass & Bide success of attracting more loyal customers.
“At Charlie Brown we have discovered that ‘loyal Myer One customers’ will always come back for more, which is a very positive attraction for a brand to join Myer,” said Charlie Brown Manager at Myer Garden City, Lara Parry.
The department store Myer, has signed a new partnership with Sass & Bide designers’, Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton, for $42.25 million bidding higher than rival department store, David Jones.
The deal gives Myer a significant 65 percent stake in the label, allowing them to claim exclusive rights.
Fashion Team Leader at Myer Garden City, Kirsten Dyson, said that a dramatic increase in fashion sales and a new look with ‘exclusive stand-alone’ brands, are just some of many predicted benefits to come from Sass & Bide.
“Myer hopes to gain more market share in the industry by including Sass & Bide in their regular markdown sales,” said Mrs. Dyson.
Myer customer, Kelly Thomson, said that although regular customers will continue to shop at Myer, this move would also attract a crowd with a different sense of style then that of the usual Myer customer.
“Sass & Bide has a certain ‘cult status’, which draws people in,” she said.
Over the past two years Sass & Bide sales grew by 50 percent, reaching $37 million last year.
“This will definitely make Myer a more challenging competitor, although David Jones says the brand will be replaced, regular Sass & Bide customers will now purchase from our store if they cannot easily access it at David Jones,” said Mrs. Dyson.
Miss. Thomson, who does not like online shopping due to the high chance of wrong fit and sizing, said she used to shop at David Jones for Sass & Bide clothing.
“I am happy that I can now gain more ‘Myer One’ points and receive better customer service on the brand I love, in comparison to David Jones,” she said.
Other brands acquired by Myer, such as Charlie Brown, hope to relish in the Sass & Bide success of attracting more loyal customers.
“At Charlie Brown we have discovered that ‘loyal Myer One customers’ will always come back for more, which is a very positive attraction for a brand to join Myer,” said Charlie Brown Manager at Myer Garden City, Lara Parry.
72-string player wins DJ contest
by Jayden McDonald 13 May, 2011
A 23-year-old Iranian university student has won the first Murdoch Electronic Music Society Disc Jockey competition using a traditional Iranian instrument.
Sobhan Esfahani used a Santur during his 45 minute set last Friday at Murdoch Tavern.
Santur, which means 100 strings in Persian, is a 72-string hammered instrument.
Three judges chose Mr Esfahani as the winner out of the final five contestants.
The three judges consisted of two disc jockeys from the popular radio website, Sub.FM and a local event organiser who has experience working with many international acts.
Mr Esfahani was taught the Santur by his father who also played the Santur when he was young.
“Besides the Santur, I’ve been disc jockeying for four years now and interested in music since my father taught me how to play the Santur,” he said.
Event organiser, Patrick Hay, a Murdoch university student, said he was very impressed with how smoothly the event ran and did not have to deal with any issues throughout the day.
“The Murdoch Electronic Music Society Disc Jockey competition’s first place prize includes a DJ set at a Northbridge nightclub which matches their genre,” said Mr Hay.
“Murdoch Electronic Music Society is in the process of arranging a suitable club night, we will do our best to connect him with a night that suits him and he will obviously have the choice to play or not play.”
“I have not really thought much about it but I want to play at Ambar nightclub in Perth,” said Mr Esfahani.
Ambar nightclub is considered one of Australia’s best nightclubs after being the only Australian nightclub in DJMag’s Top 100 Clubs.
Mr Hay said the Murdoch Electronic Music Society has more events planned for the second semester of this year.
“We are planning to host another one next semester and more than likely it will become a second semester event as the National Campus Disc Jockey Competition is held then so we would like to enter Sobhan into that.”
The National Campus Disc Jockey Competition involves over 40 universities and TAFE student unions throughout Australia.
Disc jockeys will be given 10 minutes to perform during this competition, which takes place in September.
The winner of the competition will be given a $500 voucher from DJ Warehouse.
A 23-year-old Iranian university student has won the first Murdoch Electronic Music Society Disc Jockey competition using a traditional Iranian instrument.
Sobhan Esfahani used a Santur during his 45 minute set last Friday at Murdoch Tavern.
Santur, which means 100 strings in Persian, is a 72-string hammered instrument.
Three judges chose Mr Esfahani as the winner out of the final five contestants.
The three judges consisted of two disc jockeys from the popular radio website, Sub.FM and a local event organiser who has experience working with many international acts.
Mr Esfahani was taught the Santur by his father who also played the Santur when he was young.
“Besides the Santur, I’ve been disc jockeying for four years now and interested in music since my father taught me how to play the Santur,” he said.
Event organiser, Patrick Hay, a Murdoch university student, said he was very impressed with how smoothly the event ran and did not have to deal with any issues throughout the day.
“The Murdoch Electronic Music Society Disc Jockey competition’s first place prize includes a DJ set at a Northbridge nightclub which matches their genre,” said Mr Hay.
“Murdoch Electronic Music Society is in the process of arranging a suitable club night, we will do our best to connect him with a night that suits him and he will obviously have the choice to play or not play.”
“I have not really thought much about it but I want to play at Ambar nightclub in Perth,” said Mr Esfahani.
Ambar nightclub is considered one of Australia’s best nightclubs after being the only Australian nightclub in DJMag’s Top 100 Clubs.
Mr Hay said the Murdoch Electronic Music Society has more events planned for the second semester of this year.
“We are planning to host another one next semester and more than likely it will become a second semester event as the National Campus Disc Jockey Competition is held then so we would like to enter Sobhan into that.”
The National Campus Disc Jockey Competition involves over 40 universities and TAFE student unions throughout Australia.
Disc jockeys will be given 10 minutes to perform during this competition, which takes place in September.
The winner of the competition will be given a $500 voucher from DJ Warehouse.
'Fathers and sons' night draws praise
by Chau Ho 16 April, 2011
Seventy-five dads and their children from Holy Rosary Primary School, Woodlands, spent a night camping on the playing field of the school last night.
The principal, Darryl Winsor, said that this event named “Dads and Kids Camp Out” encouraged dads’ involvement in their children’s education.
“We all gather together, spend time with the children, play a little bit of football or cricket or whatever they want, then set up the tents, and share dinner,” Mr Winsor said.
"We then put on movies for the kids, and when that is over, the children go to beds, dads can sit around and talk for a while,” he said.
Mothers didn’t take part in this event.
“Traditionally, dads are not as involved as moms in school from day to day with their children’s education.
“It’s a way to get dads involved and to build the community.
“They enjoy each others’ company, too,” said the principal.
Mr Winsor said that the event last night was unique to his school.
“It was unique to my last school.
“I brought the idea here. Now there are two schools doing it.
“And I have spoken to another principal who ran it for the first time last year as well,” said Mr Winsor.
Simon Dima, father of four-year-Joseph, said the evening was fantastic.
"The idea is to become socialised, to have a night away from home and to help kids become more independent as they are growing up,” Mr Dima said.
Another father, John Della, said the event is not for mothers because during the week mothers come to a lot of school functions, to attend assembles and so on.
“The camping night is held at the weekend so that the fathers can come, see the school and see all the other fathers as well.
“It’s good for kids to have fun and to meet up with friends outside school time,” Mr Della said.
“We’ve been playing a game, Zombie, and we’re trying to get the Zombie," said Joseph.
“But then Lucas went out and Zombie goes into the zoo, but then there is a word and it says ‘Eat!’, so the Zombie is eating the house,” Joseph said.
This event has been an annual activity for three years since Mr Winsor came to the school.
Seventy-five dads and their children from Holy Rosary Primary School, Woodlands, spent a night camping on the playing field of the school last night.
The principal, Darryl Winsor, said that this event named “Dads and Kids Camp Out” encouraged dads’ involvement in their children’s education.
“We all gather together, spend time with the children, play a little bit of football or cricket or whatever they want, then set up the tents, and share dinner,” Mr Winsor said.
"We then put on movies for the kids, and when that is over, the children go to beds, dads can sit around and talk for a while,” he said.
Mothers didn’t take part in this event.
“Traditionally, dads are not as involved as moms in school from day to day with their children’s education.
“It’s a way to get dads involved and to build the community.
“They enjoy each others’ company, too,” said the principal.
Mr Winsor said that the event last night was unique to his school.
“It was unique to my last school.
“I brought the idea here. Now there are two schools doing it.
“And I have spoken to another principal who ran it for the first time last year as well,” said Mr Winsor.
Simon Dima, father of four-year-Joseph, said the evening was fantastic.
"The idea is to become socialised, to have a night away from home and to help kids become more independent as they are growing up,” Mr Dima said.
Another father, John Della, said the event is not for mothers because during the week mothers come to a lot of school functions, to attend assembles and so on.
“The camping night is held at the weekend so that the fathers can come, see the school and see all the other fathers as well.
“It’s good for kids to have fun and to meet up with friends outside school time,” Mr Della said.
“We’ve been playing a game, Zombie, and we’re trying to get the Zombie," said Joseph.
“But then Lucas went out and Zombie goes into the zoo, but then there is a word and it says ‘Eat!’, so the Zombie is eating the house,” Joseph said.
This event has been an annual activity for three years since Mr Winsor came to the school.
Big Blue Army pushes for marine conservation promise
by Bridget Thwaites 5 May, 2011
The 20,000-strong Big Blue Army is challenging the federal government to fulfill a 2010 election promises to conserve Western Australia’s southwest marine life.
The purpose of the Big Blue Army is to make sure the government carries out its promise to designate areas for bioregional marine planning in coastal regions across Australia.
The Big Blue Army’s campaign has been running for three years and is supported by Save Our Marine Life, an alliance of Australian and international conservation groups that have come together to seek the establishment of large marine sanctuaries.
“We should see some drafts for new marine sanctuaries in a few weeks time,” said Tim Nicol from The Conservation Council of Western Australia.
Currently less than one percent of W.A.’s marine life is protected.
The southwest region extends from the Eucla to Kalbarri with up to 90 percent of species unique to Western Australia.
“We are aiming to get a network of marine sanctuaries over about 1.4 million square kilometres which recognises the level of unique marine life in the area and shows that the southwest region is just as important as more well known sites such as Ningaloo or the Great Barrier Reef,” said Mr. Nicol.
Not everyone agrees with the proposal for marine sanctuaries.
“I think that fishing is becoming harder to enjoy with so many restrictions in place and a marine sanctuary would just be another issue for fishermen like me to deal with,” said recreational fisherman Mark Westlake.
“This is great, the more marine sanctuaries the better because they will help with the preservation of our precious marine life as well encourage tourism in the southwest region,” said supporter Isabella Borshoff.
A report released in 2009 by Save Our Marine Life, showed that 75 per cent of West Australians thought that a lack of conservation and marine sanctuaries could lead to local fish populations becoming endangered.
Tony Burke, the federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communications, proposed bioregional planning for five marine regions around Australia in the 2010 elections.
The marine regions include the southeast region, southwest region, northwest region and the north region.
The 20,000-strong Big Blue Army is challenging the federal government to fulfill a 2010 election promises to conserve Western Australia’s southwest marine life.
The purpose of the Big Blue Army is to make sure the government carries out its promise to designate areas for bioregional marine planning in coastal regions across Australia.
The Big Blue Army’s campaign has been running for three years and is supported by Save Our Marine Life, an alliance of Australian and international conservation groups that have come together to seek the establishment of large marine sanctuaries.
“We should see some drafts for new marine sanctuaries in a few weeks time,” said Tim Nicol from The Conservation Council of Western Australia.
Currently less than one percent of W.A.’s marine life is protected.
The southwest region extends from the Eucla to Kalbarri with up to 90 percent of species unique to Western Australia.
“We are aiming to get a network of marine sanctuaries over about 1.4 million square kilometres which recognises the level of unique marine life in the area and shows that the southwest region is just as important as more well known sites such as Ningaloo or the Great Barrier Reef,” said Mr. Nicol.
Not everyone agrees with the proposal for marine sanctuaries.
“I think that fishing is becoming harder to enjoy with so many restrictions in place and a marine sanctuary would just be another issue for fishermen like me to deal with,” said recreational fisherman Mark Westlake.
“This is great, the more marine sanctuaries the better because they will help with the preservation of our precious marine life as well encourage tourism in the southwest region,” said supporter Isabella Borshoff.
A report released in 2009 by Save Our Marine Life, showed that 75 per cent of West Australians thought that a lack of conservation and marine sanctuaries could lead to local fish populations becoming endangered.
Tony Burke, the federal Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communications, proposed bioregional planning for five marine regions around Australia in the 2010 elections.
The marine regions include the southeast region, southwest region, northwest region and the north region.
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