Faults on Telstra? You must be mad

Telstra considered having a customer psychiatrically assessed after he kept complaining about faults with his business phone.

When its in-house psychiatrist refused to go along with the plan, Telstra had the customer, Kenneth Ivory, arrested and he almost spent Christmas in jail.

The corporation then hired a private investigator who watched Mr Ivory's house and reported on incoming phone calls.

But while Telstra tried to silence Mr Ivory, its own staff admitted that he was probably right about his phone problems.

A political storm erupted over Telstra last week when it was revealed that the corporation had bugged the phone of a Casualty of Telstra (COT) member and misled a court and Federal Parliament about faults.

Communications Minister Richard Alston has ordered an inquiry into claims that Telstra secretly corrected the problems.

Details of Mr Ivory's more recent case may fuel calls for a wider investigation.

Mr Ivory's complaint relates to the transition of his business, Solarmesh, from the 008 prefix to a 1800 number in September 1993.

After the move to 1800, Mr Ivory's business suffered. In May 1994 a Yellow Pages salesperson told him that his 1800 number was dead. Telstra refused to admit there was a problem.

It consulted a psychiatrist in December 1996 to test Mr Ivory's mental state on the grounds that he had threatened its staff over the phone. Mr Ivory denies making threats.

On November 29, 1996 - the same day a Telstra memo under the file name "Ivory" suggested a "psych assessment" - a Telstra lawyer listed the options for dealing with Mr Ivory: "Letter? Restraining order? Police? Psychiatrist? Security? Phones - PI [private investigator]?"

A Telstra spokesman said on Friday that the corporation had been seeking advice on how to deal with Mr Ivory.

Within a month, Telstra laid a complaint against Mr Ivory with Brisbane police and he was arrested on December 23.

When the police discovered that Mr Ivory needed a life-support machine because of sleep apnoea they released him on bail.

smh 10 Nov 2002

Corporate bulling ???

Message in a bottle: How much do you pay for SMS?

Fascinating comparison from Nigel Bannister at Leicester University (via ShinyShiny)

Text messaging costs four times as much as receiving information from Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope.

It cost £85 to obtain a megabyte of data from Hubble, 595km (370 miles) from Earth, as opposed to sending a 5p text, which works out at about £375 per megabyte.

Scientist Nigel Bannister, of Leicester University, said: ‘Hubble is by no means a cheap mission – but the mobile phone text costs were pretty astronomical.’

tapology.com

In Australia, we have Telstra, Optus and Vodafone and Hutchison as Network providers, and a growing list MVNO's.

In Australia a standard sms text is of 160 characters, which costs $0.25.
1024 characters = 1Kbytes * (lets be generous to the Telcos) = $1.60
1 Mb = 1024 Kbytes, therefore $1.60 x 1024 = $1638.40 (per megabyte).

In Australia it costs a whopping $1638.40 per megabyte of data to be sent via SMS !!!

Mobile communications messages are currently 100% profit to the Telcos.

At the current conversion rate 375 GBP = 773 AUD

Australian Telcos are charging over 200% the amount that their British equivalents are.

I hear someone say "BUT WAIT!!! there's a perfect explanation for this.."
It's called GOUGING !!!


(*definition can vary - kilobyte )

Victoria Beckham can't concentrate in flat shoes

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has revealed why she seems to be permanently propped up on high heels.

"I just can't concentrate in flats," she said during an interview on Europe's GMTV.

She also blamed her inability to find harmony with the footwear for hindering her exercise regime.

"I could go to the gym if I wore flats, I'd love to go to the gym," she said.

But the 34-year-old admitted she wore "flip flops" at home.

"When I'm at home with David and the kids, I'm always in a pair of flip flops," she said.

. Blah

. Blah Blah

. More nonsense that anyone can possibly digest !!

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ninemsn 16 May 2008

Newsfalsh !! Stop the World Press !!! Brainless Twit can't concentrate in flat shoes. Newsworthy front page information !!
Beckingham Palace ??? Should be renamed Belchingham Palace. Still trash, but with lots of $$$

Grey matter OPTIONAL, Subject: Caitlin Upton

EVENT: Miss South Carolina Teen
SCANDAL: Asked, 'why do you think Americans can't locate the US on a world map?' ...

Answer : "I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don't have maps...

and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here...

... uh, in the U.S... should help the U.S, uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future."


aca 15 May 2008

Miss Universe Australia crowned

A 21-year-old university student has been crowned Miss Universe Australia after proposing people should use less hairspray to help the environment.

Laura Dundovic, a third-year psychology student from Sydney, received the honour in Melbourne last night.

"It would be great to reach the success of my predecessors, but at the moment I am the over the moon to be here," The Herald Sun quoted her as saying.

The event's director, Deborah Miller, said the standard of competition was one of the highest ever, with all contestants having "charisma, beauty, and intelligence".

Tact was perhaps a little less evident in some of the beauty queen hopefuls. One contestant said the lives of homeless people could be improved if more of them used helplines.

Ms Dundovic beat 28 other young women to the title, which was the start of great things for Jennifer Hawkins, who won in 2004.

Ms Hawkins went on to win the international title, Miss Universe. A multi-million-dollar contract as the face of Myer and a job in television followed.

Ms Dundovic will represent Australia in the international final in Vietnam in July.

ninemsn 15 May 2008

With external 'beauty', brains are generally optional. The conundrum needs to be asked : Can a home made lasagna be made by a homeless person?

China quake toll soars as full horror emerges

The full horror of the devastating China earthquake began to emerge as rescuers discovered whole towns all but wiped off the map, pushing the death toll well above 20,000.

Military and police teams punched into the heart of the disaster zone, with 100 troops parachuting into a county that was previously cut off while planes and helicopters air-dropped emergency supplies.
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China welcomed the offers but said conditions were "not yet ripe" to allow in foreign rescue teams, citing damage to transport links.

A Japanese foreign ministry official in charge of emergency aid said Japan offered rescue teams with sniffer dogs, but China had made no request.

US President George W. Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao discussed the disaster by telephone, with Washington offering half a million dollars in initial disaster aid.

AFP 14 May 2008


Although not local news, but still a tragedy that needs to be mentioned.
The disturbing part is the the U.S. of A was prepared to give 1/2 million, whereas it gives $16 million per day elsewhere.

Dead gunman from shootout named

A man shot dead by police in central Melbourne overnight has been named as 25-year-old Samir Ograzden, from Essendon, police say.

The shooting occurred after a car carrying three men was intercepted by police in South Melbourne at 11.40pm yesterday.

Police say they seized drugs and a gun from the car but Ograzden fled on foot. He exchanged shots with two police officers before being shot dead.

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This morning the dead man's distraught girlfriend went to the scene of the shooting, Channel Ten reports.

"He was the most wonderful person, he'd do anything for anyone," she told Ten.

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Ms Nolan said Ograzden had an extensive criminal history. (minor details, he's a wonderful person, really !!)

"[He had] four outstanding warrants of apprehension. Those warrants revolve around drugs and violence."

Assistant commissioner Nolan said the car was stopped after it made an illegal turn. Police found drugs and weapons during a search of the car.

ninemsn 14 May 2008

Great character reference !! wonderful person = sell you drugs and beat you up for not paying?? What's a wonderful person doing with drugs and weapons ???

An untimely* death. Thank goodness the taxpayers don't have to spend money defending him, in costly court cases. A job for Legal Aid Victoria to tackle if I ever saw one.

Legal Aid Victoria has a policy to defend criminals, but not persecuted employees.

(* not soon enough)

LPG Rip off – ACCC Useless

LPG is a byproduct from the oil refining process, aswell as occurring naturally. Currently it is exported from Australia to the overseas market at approximately 3 cents per litre.

The price of LPG currently varies at the pump from 59.9 cents per litre to 65.9 cents per litre. This practice according to the ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Comission) is part of something called petrol discounting, and condones this practice.

Motorists have been warned for a very long time to fill up before the Australian Holiday periods as the price is artificially inflated, by the petrol companies. This is plain and blatant fraud, yet, the ACCC chooses to ignore this long established fact. Could it also indicate that the Corporate Boys are part of another exclusive club?

During Christmas of 2006, a CEO of a Petrochemical company was approached to be interviewed, but ram off without any real comments. This clearly indicated a rat with its tail between its legs.

No one cannot logically explain a 10% price difference in the same product from the same company outlet. A practice that that ACCC will never stop, to the detriment of the motorists.

Stockbroker accused of falsifying accounts in lead-up to collapse

THE head of failed stockbroking firm Opes Prime, Lirim "Laurie" Emini, told his staff to falsify the accounts of six rich clients, covering them for losses of up to $200 million, as the value of their shares collapsed, a court has been told.

The explosive allegations of fraud and manipulation leading up to last week's failure of the Melbourne-based broking house have come to light in evidence to the Federal Court by an Australian Securities and Investments Commission investigator.

According to ASIC, initial investigations indicated that Mr Emini engineered a "round robin" of assets - borrowing shares from some clients' accounts to prop up the six wealthy clients in an increasingly desperate bid to ensure they did not lose their money.

One of the six clients was shielded from sharemarket losses amounting to $145 million.

Yesterday, as Mr Emini reportedly remained holed up in his Templestowe home, and as receivers combed through the wreckage of his firm's accounts, it emerged that the stockbroker had links to two businessmen who have ties to the business empire of convicted drugs boss Tony Mokbel.

It is also believed that two financial services businessmen with links to other underworld identities had been left severely exposed by their investments with Opes Prime Stockbroking.

Opes Prime was put into receivership and administration last Thursday, owing more than $1 billion to secured creditors including ANZ Bank and Merrill Lynch, and leaving about 1200 investor clients facing potential losses totalling hundreds of millions of dollars.

ANZ appointed receiver Deloitte to recover the $650 million it is owed, while Opes directors appointed Ferrier Hodgson to protect the interest of unsecured creditors, includ- ing staff and broking clients.

Among the biggest investor clients of the firm was flamboyant Sydney criminal lawyer Chris Murphy, who remained tight-lipped yesterday about his rumoured loss of up to $200 million. He said he had little idea what was going on "apart from the fact that I'm losing money".

He also denied he had been subject to any margin calls on his share portfolio, which would involve a lender demanding repayment when share prices fall. "I'm just a customer of Opes and I don't know what they've done with my portfolio," he said.

Another prominent Opes client, Melbourne businessman Leo Khouri, is planning to launch a class action against the company in a bid to win back control over his frozen share portfolio. Mr Khouri and his associates are believed to have invested about $50 million through Opes before its collapse.

The Age 1 Apr 2008

Campbell Page withholds customer concessions

During this new era of globalisation, it is the policy to outsource a lot of tasks.

There are many benefits, and one of the most important ones is that if fraud occurs, it is difficult to establish, whether the source or the management company is to Blame.

One such instance will be examined in this article. The government outsources the services of job providing externally. One such company under this program is Campbell Page. During this process a LOT of money is exchanged. Jobseekers under the programs are entitled to fare allowance, and petrol vouchers to interviews.

A consultant, lets call him Mark, enrolled six participants into a course that allows the job seekers to get skills required to obtain a job. During this process, it was stated that fare allowance would be given to the participants. Upon an interview with all the participants, NONE were given travel allowance for that entire week.

In another instance, a customer was hurried to a prospective employer. Upon return to Campbell Page the candidate asked for a petrol voucher, and parking expenses. Mark then replied it was too late, and reimbursement will not be given.

In the above mentioned instances, Campbell Page held onto the allocated funds given to the individuals. Questions beckoned are:

• is this an isolated incident,

• does this happen on a regular occurrence,

• did the consultant hold the funds.

Since government services have been outsourced, in any event the lodging of a complaint will be fruitless.

Water cost to increase

Water costs are about to rise again, with the cost expected to rise even more over the next couple of years.

ninemsn 12 May 2008

After the privitisation of Melbourne’s water, there has been no upgrade of the infrastructure, as previously done whilst in the government’s hands.

It is a direct fault of every government of the day in power that has lead to the current water shortage that we have.

Each government has neglected to take on the task of a desalination plant, as it would be taken from it’s budget, but in the scheme of the order of the new world, subcontracting these services is the norm, under the excuse that the government has not the financial capacity to do so, which is utterly incorrect.

The government is now expecting to delay the current plans to build a desalination plant, as there are reports that there will be water abundance in approximately 5 years.

No doubt that in the near future drinking water will not be available from the tap as it is currently, Melbourne’s water is touted as one of the world’s best (straight from the tap).

Those days will be long gone soon, and the monopoly of water sales will be in the hands of a Corporate Giant.

The end result being that the general public will be robbed of their money for a resource that has been deliberately deteriorated by each and every government in power.

Lets just blame the drought - Australia has ALWAYS had a drought !!! - Just ask Burke and Wills

Melbourne gunman pleads guilty to murder

Hells Angel bikie Christopher Wayne Hudson kept shooting at good Samaritan Brendan Keilar as he lay wounded and dying at a busy intersection in central Melbourne.

Mr Keilar was gunned down after he went to the aid of former model Kaera Douglas, who later told police Hudson was a violent drug user who was "psychotic" at the time of the shooting.

Hudson, 31, pleaded guilty in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Monday to murdering Mr Keilar and to attempting to murder Ms Douglas and Dutch backpacker Paul de Waard during the morning peak hour on June 18 last year.

Hudson opened fire on Mr de Waard and 43-year-old Mr Keilar, a city lawyer and father-of-three, as they tried to stop him assaulting Ms Douglas, who he was dragging away from a taxi by her hair.

Court documents reveal Hudson took a gun from his pants, opened fire and continued shooting at Mr Keilar and de Waard even after he had felled them both.

Hudson fired three shots into Mr Keilar, who died on the road watched by stunned city workers at the intersection of William Street and Flinders Lane.

Mr de Waard, then 25, was shot twice and Ms Douglas, then 24, was hit once at close range.

Both were critically injured, but have recovered.

Court documents reveal Ms Douglas had been in a casual but violent relationship with Hudson for just over two months.

They had taken amphetamines together and Hudson had given her black eyes and twice broken her nose.

Ms Douglas told police Hudson was a "terrible drunk" who used "a lot" of drugs.

"I believe that's why, that is the sole reason of what happened on William Street was ... he was drunk ... he's yeah, just a terrible, terrible drunk," she told police.

Earlier on the day of the shooting Hudson had been drinking at the King Street strip club Spearmint Rhino, before attending the Bar Code club next door.

Hudson assaulted Spearmint Rhino stripper Autumn Daly-Holt after seeing her perform a strip for a man at Bar Code, court documents show.

A club patron said Hudson appeared to be high on something, "possibly ice".

Hudson had lifted Ms Daly-Holt off the ground by pulling her hair, kicked her in the face and threw her onto the footpath outside Bar Code.

She was found lying unconscious with extensive facial injuries.

Ms Douglas then met Hudson nearby and he showed her the .40 calibre handgun in his pants.

She told police she was petrified as he made her walk with him down Flinders Lane and into an underground car park.

"It was horrid, it was psychotic," she told police.

"He was just completely out of his mind insane, just completely gone."

Hudson pinned Ms Douglas to a wall with a gun in his hand, then pointed it at a building manager who had come to investigate her screams.

Ms Douglas escaped and ran out onto the intersection of Williams Street and Flinders Lane, where Hudson caught up with her, attacked her and soon opened fire.

Hudson fled the scene but after a two-day hunt gave himself up to police at Wallan, north of Melbourne.

Wearing a dark grey suit, white shirt and purple tie, Hudson appeared sullen in Melbourne Magistrates court on Monday.

He pleaded guilty to one count of murder, two of attempted murder and one of intentionally causing serious injury.

He also pleaded guilty last week to a firearms charge over a separate shooting during a wild night out (as you do!!) with AFL player Alan Didak.

The Collingwood footballer was with Hudson six days before the city centre shooting when the confessed killer fired shots from his Mercedes as they drove through Melbourne.

Hudson was remanded in custody to appear in the Supreme Court in June and will be sentenced at a later date.

ninemsn 12 May 2008

Could this be a opening for the defence lawyers to get their client out of jail under the pretext of "he was not in charge of his actions"? Does this mean that he will be out in a couple of years?
Lets see how the Anglo-Masonic court system deals out justice to a person who was killed by a criminal. He should be in for life, but from past history this WILL NOT be the case.

Saxon first Big Brother live eviction victim

COUNCIL worker Saxon has been voted out of the Big Brother house in the TV show's first live eviction of 2008.

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The 22-year-old, who believes in aliens and UFOs, narrowly lost out to former cult member David and labourer Rory.

It was an all-male bottom three after Rebecca was saved by Travis thanks to the Friday night games twist.

news.com.au 12 May 2008


More mind stupefying news that deserves National coverage in an attempt to turn the Nation into Merino Sheep. Thankfully we can rely on Channel 10*, to deliver(not take out) the trash.
*Conrad Black's (Canada) CanWest Group owns Channel 10 (but uses a complicated corporate structure to avoid breaching foreign media ownership laws).

Bomb Squad

Will this guy :

a). Die of a heart attack,

b). Fill up his pants from the fright,

c). Smack the other fella out .

Made in China = FAT Profits

When we look at the retails clothing sector, we will notice that the majority of consumer clothing is made in China. Global economics has enabled trade to take place at an exponential rate.

(image Westfield Southland - Made in China)

Quite simply put the sheer mass of people has driven the price down for the manufacture of goods, as labour becomes more and more cheap. Realistically no one can compete with countries like the industry heavy weights, China and India for cheap labour.

When we associate with these places, we automatically think of our hip pocket, i.e. that the product made in China is a bargain at our doorstep. Clothing has one of the higher mark ups for consumer goods. Buying internally from a wholesaler, it is not uncommon to mark up the items by 300%. Therefore when the shops have a 50% reduction in price, there is still plenty of room for profit.

It is also not uncommon to have items landed in the country for $20, then sold at $80-$120, at a retail level. But what would one think of such a scenario, that if a clothing outlet lands an item, say kids jumper for $1.50, then retails it for just under $50 ??

Many years ago, Myer was under scrutiny for importing a shirt for $1 then retailing it for $10. Naturally, there was a perfectly legitimate reason (changed hands via few shelf companies) , as touted by Myer.

Bunnings sells cheap tools, GMC (acronym for Garbage Made in China?), for high profits.

Wal Mart is the largest (profit wise) retailer thanks to the help of China. This is explored in the video Is Wal Mart good for America

Profiteering or just plain Consumer Rip – Off??