Wednesday, December 7
Tech Companies Must Pay for News in Australia
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s law forcing Google and Facebook to pay for news is ready to take effect, though the laws’ architect said it will take time for the digital giants to strike media deals.
The Parliament on Thursday passed the final amendments to the so-called News Media Bargaining Code agreed between Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday.
In return for the changes, Facebook agreed to lift a ban on Australians accessing and sharing news.
Rod Sims, the competition regulator who drafted the code, said he was happy that the amended legislation would address the market imbalance between Australian news publishers and the two gateways to the internet.
“All signs are good,” Sims said.
“The purpose of the code is to address the market power that clearly Google and Facebook have. Google and Facebook need media, but they don’t need any particular media company, and that meant media companies couldn’t do commercial deals,” the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair added.
The rest of the law had passed in Parliament earlier, so it can now be implemented.
Google has already struck deals with major Australian news businesses in recent weeks including News Corp. and Seven West Media.
Frydenberg said he was pleased to see progress by Google and more recently Facebook in reaching commercial deals with Australian news businesses. READ MORE...
Kangaroos in Australia
No image of outback Australia is complete without a mob of kangaroos hopping across the horizon. Kangaroos belong to the Macropodidae family, meaning ‘big foot’ in Latin (a reference to their large back feet).
These include the Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus), Eastern Grey Kangaroo (M. giganteus), Western Grey Kangaroo (M. fuliginosus), Antilopine Kangaroo (M. antilopinus), Common Wallaroo (or Euro) (M. robustus) and the Black Wallaroo (M. bernadus).
The word kangaroo derives from ‘Gangurru’, the name given to Eastern Grey Kangaroos by the Guuga Yimithirr people of Far North Queensland. Kangaroos are of cultural and spiritual significance to Aboriginal people across Australia. Plus, their meat was, and continues to be, a staple protein source; pelts were used for clothing and rugs; and their skin crafted into water bags.
Kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupials. A Red Kangaroo can weigh 90kg and can grow two metres tall. Black Wallaroos, at around 20kg, are the smallest species (their name a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo).
All kangaroos have short hair, powerful hind legs, small forelimbs, big feet and a long tail. They have excellent hearing and keen eyesight. Depending on the species, their fur coat can be red, grey or light to dark brown.
Their muscular tail is used for balance when hopping, and as another limb when moving about. They also use their tail when swimming; that’s right – kangaroos are good swimmers! They swim to avoid predators, and can use their forepaws to drown pursuers.
Kangaroos can’t hop backwards and are featured on the Australian coat of arms as a symbol of national progress: an animal that can only move forwards. READ MORE...
Aboriginal Culture in Australia
Australian Aboriginal peoples, one of the two distinct groups of Indigenous peoples of Australia, the other being the Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It has long been conventionally held that Australia is the only continent where the entire Indigenous population maintained a single kind of adaptation—hunting and gathering—into modern times. Some scholars now argue, however, that there is evidence of the early practice of both agriculture and aquaculture by Aboriginal peoples.
Prehistory
It is generally held that Australian Aboriginal peoples originally came from Asia via insular Southeast Asia (now Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines) and have been in Australia for at least 45,000–50,000 years. On the basis of research at the Nauwalabila I and Madjedbebe archaeological sites in the Northern Territory, however, some scientists have claimed that early humans arrived considerably sooner, perhaps as early as 65,000 to 80,000 years ago.
In either case, the first settlement would have occurred during an era of lowered sea levels, when there were more-coextensive land bridges between Asia and Australia. Watercraft must have been used for some passages, however, such as those between Bali and Lombok and between Timor and Greater Australia, because they entail distances greater than 120 miles (200 km).
What to see in Australia
There’s so much to see and do that these 15 recommendations are really just the start of your Aussie adventure; don’t be surprised if on the flight home, you’re already planning your next visit!
Lets explore the best places to visit in Australia:
Perhaps Australia’s best-known tourist destination, Sydney is the gateway city for many tourists, as well as being the largest city in Australia.
A vibrant metropolis of over 4 million, Sydney is famous for its excellent cuisine, nightlife, shopping, and cultural attractions; and, of course, the Sydney Opera House! You’ll want to spend at least a few days here, but if you’re in a rush, some of the best inner-city attractions are the Powerhouse Museum, Manly, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, Paddington Markets, Taronga Zoo, and the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Or catch the hop-on, hop-off bus – with 34 designated stops, and insightful commentary, you’ll see some of Sydney’s most popular sites and have a great time!
2. Canberra
3. Brisbane
4. Byron Bay and Nimbin
5. Gold Coast
6. Cairns and Port Douglas
7. Perth
8. Coral Bay
9. Uluru/Ayer’s Rock
10. Kakadu National Park
11. Melbourne
12. Great Ocean Road
13. Adelaide and the Barossa Valley
14. Hobart
15. Cradle Mountain
All About Australia
Australia, the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia’s capital is Canberra, located in the southeast between the larger and more important economic and cultural centres of Sydney and Melbourne.
The Australian mainland extends from west to east for nearly 2,500 miles (4,000 km) and from Cape York Peninsula in the northeast to Wilsons Promontory in the southeast for nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km). To the south, Australian jurisdiction extends a further 310 miles (500 km) to the southern extremity of the island of Tasmania, and in the north it extends to the southern shores of Papua New Guinea.
Australia has been called “the Oldest Continent,” “the Last of Lands,” and “the Last Frontier.” Those descriptions typify the world’s fascination with Australia, but they are somewhat unsatisfactory. In simple physical terms, the age of much of the continent is certainly impressive—most of the rocks providing the foundation of Australian landforms were formed during Precambrian and Paleozoic time (some 4.6 billion to 252 million years ago)—but the ages of the cores of all the continents are approximately the same.
Tuesday, December 6
Snowden Receives Russian Passport
MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. Former NSA (National Security Agency) employee Edward Snowden took an oath and was granted a Russian passport, his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena told TASS on Friday.
"Yes, he received a passport. He took the oath," Kucherena said in a response to a question as to whether Snowden has been given a Russian passport, adding that he personally met with Snowden yesterday.
The lawyer also said that Snowden’s spouse is currently submitting the required documents for Russian citizenship as well. Snowden and American acrobat and blogger Lindsay Mills married in Moscow in 2017.
Snowden’s US passport was annulled in 2013, but the White House explained back then that it was a routine legal procedure following the issuance of an arrest warrant and his citizenship status remained unchanged.
In late September, a Russian presidential decree was published stating that Snowden was eligible to be granted the Russian citizenship.
In 2013, Snowden leaked information on the electronic surveillance methods used by American intelligence services, including illegally eavesdropping on foreign leaders’ conversations.
Fleeing punitive consequences from US federal authorities, Snowden sent requests for asylum to several countries, including Russia. On August 1, 2014, he obtained a temporary Russian residence permit and later was granted an open-ended residency permit.
Back in the United States, Snowden is facing two counts of violating the Espionage Act, and he risks up to ten years in prison on each count. READ MORE...
Russian Vodka
There are few brands in Russia as widely recognized and held in as high regard as Russian Standard Vodka. It is possibly the most beloved liquor in the country.
The story of how this brand came to be is a unique one. The company is founded by billionaire oligarch Roustam Tariko. Legend has it that Tariko grew Russian Standard Vodka with a clever marketing scheme designed around a separate banking company.
Tariko named a developing bank of his, “Russkij Standart,” in an effort to get around television broadcast guidelines and advertise vodka legally. Consumers would hear commercials promoting the Russkij Standart Bank and subconsciously be thinking about Russkij Standart Vodka.
However, there is some controversy over whether this account is true. Originally, this tale was brought forth by a marketing instructor named Max Lenderman, who authored the book “Brand new World: How Paupers, Pirates and Oligarchs are Reshaping Business.”
Lenderman claims that Tariko intentionally started the Russian Standard Bank as a way of avoiding Russian censorship laws. This story was cemented into the legacy of the brand once Lenderman was featured on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio show, “Under The Influence.”
Regardless of Tariko’s true intentions, one thing is for certain: he created an absolute powerhouse of a vodka brand. As suggested by its name, Russian Standard Vodka has truly become the customary vodka of the country.
This brand and its products have a deep-rooted history that goes back hundreds of years. Today, we’re going to be examining how this brand was able to beat the odds and become the face of vodka in Russia. Continue reading with Saucey to learn more.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF RUSSIAN VODKA?
In Russia, drinking vodka is a popular part of the culture. In fact, vodka is generally considered to have been invented in Russia and is designated as the country’s national drink. There’s some contest over whether vodka originated in Poland or Russia, but either way, we know that it’s been around in both countries for a very long time, possibly as early as the eighth or ninth century.
There’s even a myth that this age-long drink was actually invented by the same person who invented the Periodic Table of Elements: Professor Dmitri Mendeleev. When he first created the principles of creating vodka in 1854, Mendeleev was working as a lowly professor at the University of St.Petersburg.
While he didn’t actually invent vodka, his contribution to the world of vodka is unmatched. His work can best be described by this formal statement by Russian Standard Vodka: “Professor Mendeleev’s philosophy on equilibrium and natural order led to the identification of the perfect balance between water and alcohol, which underpinned the original Russian Empire Standard set by Tsar Alexander III in 1894.”
WHERE IS RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA MADE?
The company headquarters are located in Moscow, but the original distillery can still be found in St. Petersburg.
Over the years, vodka has been modified and modernized extensively. Brands like Russian Standard Vodka have completely revolutionized the industry, creating the highest possible production standards for their vodka.
HOW RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA IS MADE?
The brand claims to employ Professor Dmitri Mendeleev’s original recipe but with a modern spin.
The most profound aspect of their production process is their distillation. All of their vodka passes through the distillation process over 200 times to filter out any impurities. This tedious process ensures the cleanest consistency possible.
The filtering process includes Russian birch charcoal filters, Urals Mountains quartz crystal filters, and silver filters. By using a variety of filters, the final product ends up with a smooth, subtle taste rather than a sour, bitter one.
After the vodka is distilled, every bottle is labeled with a Certificate of Origin. These certificates are issued by the Russian government. This certificate guarantees that the quality of the product is high and that it is an authentic Russian product.
Few other vodka companies go to such lengths to ensure a clean texture in their products. This intense distillation process is one of the many reasons why Russian Standard Vodka is considered the top drink in Russia. READ MORE...
What is Russia Famous For?
Not sure what Russia is famous for? Then you’re certainly in the right place because this guide covers all the things that the Russian Republic, the largest country in the world, is known for internationally!
Russia is famous for the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg as well its leader, Vladimir Putin. Of course, people also know Russia for its Vodka, Russian Dolls, and many other things.
They’re featured on this list, but we’ve also got lots of other things that are popular about the country, for a total of 21 things that make Russia famous all over the world!
Russia is best known for Moscow, its stunning capital city on the Moskva River in Western Russia. The city is home to many of Russia’s famous landmarks, including the Red Square, the Bolshoi Theater, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Kremlin, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, and many others.
The stunning city is both the largest and the most populated city in Russia, as well as the fourth city in the world by the number of billionaires who reside there. The Moscow metro system is also an impressive engineering feat and is huge at 325.4 km. in total length. Moscow metro is also famous worldwide because of the stunning architecture of many of the metro stations.
Russia is famous for Vladimir Putin, the president who has been in office for what seems like an eternity. He’s been the president of the country since 1999, only stepping down for one term in 2008 because the law required him to do so. Recently he signed legislation that would allow him to stay in office until 2036, so it’s unlikely that he’ll be stepping down again any time soon. READ MORE...
Best Places in Russia to Visit
MOSCOW |
Russia, once the largest and most powerful member of the former USSR, nonetheless remains a fascinating country to visit. It is a country of contrasts, from great subtropical beaches to bitterly cold winter regions in the north. The east may have fewer people, but its lovely cities are among the most popular places to visit in Russia and can hold their own against the west.
Russia is steeped in history everywhere a traveler goes, from vicious battles to great classical music and literature. And almost everywhere visitors can see examples of magnificent art, not only in museums but also in its churches.
10. Yekaterinburg
9. Sochi
8. Veliky Novgorod
7. Vladivostok
6. Nizhny Novgorod
5. Irkutsk
4. Kazan
3. Golden Ring
2. Saint Petersburg
1. Moscow
All About Russia
Russia, country that stretches over a vast expanse of eastern Europe and northern Asia. Once the preeminent republic of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union), Russia became an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.
Russia
Russia is a land of superlatives. By far the world’s largest country, it covers nearly twice the territory of Canada, the second largest. It extends across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of Europe, spanning 11 time zones and incorporating a great range of environments and landforms, from deserts to semiarid steppes to deep forests and Arctic tundra. Russia contains Europe’s longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga. Russia also is home to the world’s deepest lake, Baikal, and the country recorded the world’s lowest temperature outside the North and South poles.
St. Petersburg
Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, St. Petersburg, Russia
The inhabitants of Russia are quite diverse. Most are ethnic Russians, but there also are more than 120 other ethnic groups present, speaking many languages and following disparate religious and cultural traditions. Most of the Russian population is concentrated in the European portion of the country, especially in the fertile region surrounding Moscow, the capital. Moscow and St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) are the two most important cultural and financial centres in Russia and are among the most picturesque cities in the world. Russians are also populous in Asia, however; beginning in the 17th century, and particularly pronounced throughout much of the 20th century, a steady flow of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people moved eastward into Siberia, where cities such as Vladivostok and Irkutsk now flourish. SOURCE: Britannica
Monday, December 5
Money Drives Everything
Politicians also remind me of Plant Managers, CEOs, and others who may be in charge of something... and I make this association because LEADERS tend to withhold information away from the workforce, especially if it is bad news... Bad news is always delivered to the workforce on a Friday afternoon right before they go home for the weekend or right before a holiday begins.
This issue should also be focused on the lawyers who advise the leaders to behave in this manner in order to prevent of mitigate legal action being taken against the company.
The final area of the problem rests with the shareholders who DEMAND that they be paid a dividend of a specific amount every 90 days. As a result of this demand, companies no longer take action regarding what is in the best interest of the company or its employees or even the customer, but what is in the best interest of the stockholders... and PROFITS.
- Money drives politicians
- Money drives business leaders
- Money drives the economy
- Money drives the legal system
- Money drives societies
And, it is not just money that drives... but how much money you actually have...
If you are just a millionaire you have less influence than a multimillionaire would have and a multimillionaire would have less influence than a billionaire would have and a billionaire would have less influence than a multibillionaire would have.
This reminds me of the shit that goes on in education at our colleges and universities... No one believes you or has confidence in your opinion unless you have a PhD... And, those who have PhDs are ranked in order of when they got their damn PhD... in other words, if I got my PhD before you did, then my opinion is and will always be more valuable than your opinion.
How long do you think societies will last if their society is based or predicated upon bullshit like this???
Canada: More Nurses Needed
Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé tells reporters the province could use thousands more nurses to answer its tele-health line, which is supposed to free up emergency rooms. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press)
The province's health minister is pleading with qualified nurses, asking them to sign up and lend a hand to the 811 service, saying the province's telehealth staff are overwhelmed with an increase in calls.
On Thursday, Christian Dubé said the province is looking for retired nurses, those working in the private sector and nursing students. He said they can sign up on the province's recruitment website called Je contribue — French for "I pitch in" — that was launched at the start of the pandemic.
Dubé said the province needs 3,000 qualified people to step up but added Quebec "could take up to 5,000 nurses to answer the phones."
"If there are nurses that want to help us over the coming weeks, there are good schedules. It's work that can be done part time."
When Quebecers call 811, the first option on the menu is for Info-Santé, where nurses assess a caller's symptoms and offer medical advice. The second option is for parents of sick children, under the age of 18.
Those two services received 5,000 calls each on Wednesday, according to the health minister, and it's a volume of calls that's too high for current staff levels.
The service now lets callers know how long the waiting times are, Dubé said. He said the province wants to create a virtual waiting room, allowing callers to leave their number and have 811 staff call them back instead of waiting on the line.
"But to do that, I have to be certain that a nurse will be able to call back the patient," Dubé said, implying that without more staff, it would be difficult for nurses to take care of callbacks.
The health minister, who formed a crisis task force in late October to tackle the issue of overcrowded emergency rooms, said the issue is far from resolved, but there has been progress. READ MORE...
Canada: Soldiers and the Freedom Convoy
The internal communications are among thousands of documents submitted to the Public Order Emergency Commission, which is looking at the Liberal government's decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to end the demonstrations in February.
On Feb. 15, one day after the Emergencies Act was invoked, Defence Minister Anita Anand's press secretary, Daniel Minden, emailed fellow political staff in the offices of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.
"Please see this internal list of CAF members allegedly involved in the convoy so far," Minden wrote.
The email goes on to provide a "list of known members connected to protests," including five who are specifically named and two who are not. Those not named include a special forces soldier based in Ottawa and a civilian Defence Department employee.
The list also includes the individuals' location, the action the military was taking at the moment and the results of any actions that had already been taken.
The list appears to have sparked a strong reaction from Mendicino's director of communications, Alexander Cohen, who used an expletive in his response to Minden, saying: "How the f--- many soldiers are in the convoy?"
"7-8 that we know of," Minden replied.
Minden and Cohen did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
The email does not provide specifics about what those on the list were accused of doing or what rules they are alleged to have broken. READ MORE...
Canada: Hard to Catch Diary Cows
Montreal, Canada – Marie-Andree Cadorette was getting desperate.
After being punted between government, police and animal welfare agencies, each saying they couldn’t do anything to help, the general manager of the tiny Canadian village of Saint-Severe, Quebec – population 320 – needed reinforcements.
Eight cowboys on horseback answered her call, equipped with a drone and fencing. Their target? A group of young runaway cows that has been on the lam since the summer, wreaking havoc and causing tens of thousands of dollars in damages in the largely rural area.
“They succeeded in encircling them,” Cadorette said in an interview with Radio-Canada’s widely watched Sunday evening programme, Tout le monde en parle. “But unfortunately, the heifers passed by a field of corn that hadn’t been harvested yet, and they fled into the cornfield.
“And then there was nothing left to do.”
The tale of the approximately two dozen missing farm animals has captured media and public attention across the French-speaking province of Quebec, with the agricultural ministry calling the situation “complex and unprecedented”.
It even reached Canada’s Senate last week, as Senator Julie Miville-Dechene expressed her “amused admiration” for the young bovines, which she said had “recovered their freedom”. READ MORE...
Top 15 Places to Visit in Canada
Canada is a country chock-full of natural sites and urban delights, where visitors are equally as wowed by the wildlife and wilderness, as they are by the cultural and culinary offerings found in the cities that speckle the sprawling nation.
Peruse for polar bears on the open arctic tundra of Churchill or cruise Vancouver’s curvy coastline in a canoe while gawking at the city skyline. Feast on five-star fusion cuisine in Toronto, or take in a street-side jazz jam session in Montreal.
Whether you’re a first-time visitor or returning to experience something new, these are the 15 best places to see in Canada. But be sure to plan ahead, because as the world’s second-largest country, you just won’t be able to do it all in one trip.
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1. The Canadian Rockies
Best for mountain views
The sawtooth, white-topped mountains straddling the British Columbia–Alberta border inspire both awe and action. Five national parks – Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Waterton Lakes and Jasper – offer countless opportunities to delve into the lush wilderness, with ribbons of hiking trails, rushing white water and powdery ski slopes to satisfy travelers looking for mountain thrills.
This is one of the best places to visit in Canada in the winter, but outdoor adventures are aplenty during the summer months too.
2. Vancouver
Best for combining city and nature
Best for an iconic travel experience
4. Whistler
Best place to ski in Canada
5. Montréal Jazz Festival
Best place for music lovers
6. Old Québec City
Best place to visit in Canada for couples
7. Toronto
Best for multicultural experiences
8. Vancouver Island
Best for nature lovers
9. Rideau Canal
Best for ice skating
10. Manitoulin Island
Best place in Canada to celebrate First Nations culture
11. The Prairies
Best place for road trips
12. Bay of Fundy
Best place to spot whales
13. Drumheller
Best for dinosaur lovers
14. Churchill
The best place for polar bear encounters
15. Baffin
Best for Inuit art and incredible landscapes