Aussie Wildfires

The Kilmore East-Murrindindi South Complex has been beaten down after threatening the towns of Warburton, Healesville and many other communities in the Yarra Valley since the February 7 inferno which claimed at least 210 lives.

The efforts of firefighters to put in containment lines combined with rain overnight and throughout today enabled the CFA to finally list the fire, which had burnt out 86,000 hectares, as contained.

"It's a really significant step and a great morale booster for firefighters and the community," CFA spokesman Mike Goode said. - News.com.au

Puckin' eh, miss.

Eat 'Roo...Yeah, Okay.

Switching from beef to kangaroo burgers could significantly help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says an Australian scientist.

The methane gas produced by sheep and cows through belching and flatulence is more potent than carbon dioxide in the damage it can cause to the environment.

But kangaroos produce virtually no methane because their digestive systems are different.

Dr George Wilson, of the Australian Wildlife Services, urges farming them. - BBC News

I'm staying with regular beef burgers, why thank you.

Adult Stem Cells Accel Bone Growth

MELBOURNE, August 8, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Adult stem cells have helped to accelerate the healing of severe leg fractures in Australian trials. The trial involved five men and four women who had suffered the worst type of compound bone fractures in serious road accidents, some of whom still could not walk up to 41 months after their accidents.

One man who suffered a compound fracture and was still using crutches a year later, regained the use of his leg the day after the procedure and is now fully recovered, pain free and regularly runs and plays football. Eight of the ten patients experienced full bone regrowth. One man broke both his tibia and femur but only the tibia re-grew. Another patient required further surgery.

The technique was developed by Dr. Richard de Steiger, director of orthopaedic surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, who told media that his team hopes it can be applied to hip replacement procedures as well as accidental injuries. The technology was developed by the hospital's regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast, which has the worldwide licence to commercialise. Dr. de Steiger said it is between three and five years away from being used in hospitals.

This would have come in clutch for my sister, but thank God she is not in the situation as described above: still on crutches 41 months after her accident. For those wondering, she has started walking without any kind of assistance!

Rudd Inserted As Prime Minister Of Austrailia

Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd was sworn into prime ministry in Australia on Monday. Rudd is pretty much the man; his radical center economic policies combined with his conservative social attitudes should help out Australia greatly. He has been criticized for mixing politics and religion. Anyone who doesn't make decisions based on faith and morals should be the ones who are criticized.

Ha Ha Ha! Merry Christmas

SYDNEY (AFP) - Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

I hesitate to call this being politically correct. I don't really know what to call it. The modern day Santa Claus needs to be abolished. I guess making him say "ha ha ha" is really no different than "ho ho ho." What makes me wonder is why this issue has come up in 2007 and not before?