After nearly four years in the opposition leader's job, John Robertson has been denied at the last minute the opportunity to contest an election. Photo: David Porter

The final seeds of the destruction of John Robertson's leadership of the NSW ALP were sown in the middle of the week before last.

It was then that the opposition leader was handed the 2011 letter of request he signed for a man who had only days earlier taken his place as one of the most reviled figures in Australian history Lindt cafe siege gunman Man Haron Monis.

The office knew the discovery of the letter he signed for Monis in relation to a child custody matter believed to be by a member of his Blacktown electorate staff was political dynamite.

The contenders: Michael Daley and Luke Foley. Photo: Jonathan Carroll, Dallas Kilponen

Robertson's instinct was for immediate full public disclosure a view no doubt given weight by the fear the letter could surface with disastrous consequences during the election campaign in early 2015.

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His staff also knew that because the letter was sent to the Department of Community Services, the government would eventually become aware of its existence. There really was no choice, they argued.

Besides, releasing the letter would allow Robertson to get on the front foot and announce its existence while explaining what he believed was the entirely routine nature of the document; that it was no more than a local MP's basic courtesy for a constituent. Or so the thinking went.

Kerry Chikarovski and Peter Collins. Chikarovski replaced Collins as Liberal leader three months out from the 1999 election. Photo: Robert Pearce

Original post:
The downfall of John Robertson: What's next for NSW Labor?

COLUMBIA, MS (WDAM) -

This is a news release from Pearl River Valley Electric Association

Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association (PRVEPA) crews were out in force this morning responding to outages caused by a tornado that struck the Columbia area yesterday. The storm caused significant damage to primary power lines along Highway 98, as well as to the Lakeview subdivision and East Marion High School areas. Damage was also sustained in a few areas in Lamar County.

As of 8:00 a.m., approximately 2,100 member-consumers were without service in the two counties, down from a peak of 4,100 last night. Line crews from the Association's district offices in Hattiesburg, Purvis and Wiggins worked with Columbia crews well into the night assessing damage and beginning restoration. This morning, additional line crews from outside the area and tree timming crews arrived to help with the effort. Overall, more than 150 linemen began work at daylight today.

There are more than 100 poles that will need to be replaced, and that number may go up as we continue to assess the damage, said Randy Wallace, PRVEPA's general manager. Many of the lines affected along Highway 98 are large, double circuit lines that carry heavy loads. Those lines are more difficult to rebuild, but at least they are accessible. We know we also have lines down in more wooded, rural areas, which is why we have called in the tree trimmers to clear the way. We plan to make as much progress to full restoration as we can today.

Pearl River Valley Electric Power Association serves more than 47,000 member-consumers in parts of 12 counties in south Mississippi. The Association's headquarters is in Columbia, with district offices located in Hattiesburg, Purvis and Wiggins. Storm-related information can be found at http://www.PRVEPA.com.

SAFETY/PRECAUTIONS

Anyone who sees a broken or burning wire should stay away and call Pearl River Valley Electric or local authorities. Warn others to keep clear of the fallen line and avoid contact with trees, fences or anything else the line may be touching.

PORTABLE GENERATORS

During extended outages, some members may use portable generators at their homes or businesses. It's very important to use all generators correctly. Do not use an extension cord to plug a generator into a household outlet. This can cause serious injury to you and/or restoration crews. Instead, only connect appliances directly to the generator. If you have any questions about the use of a generator, visit http://www.PRVEPA.com or call PRVEPA and ask for generator assistance.

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Pearl River Valley Electric continues restoration from Columbia tornado

During the holiday season, many people look for worthy causes to which they can contribute. The following list is of many area organizations, and items, donations or volunteers they need, which could use donations not just during this season, but all year round.

CAMP NEW HOPE: Performance: Individual or group (dance, music, theatre, magic, puppets etc.); volunteers (www.cnhinc.org/volunteer/); current (2013-14) PG or PG-13 DVDs; cage ball (like used in schools). We are also seeking any monetary donations to sponsor a camper, financially in need, so that they may attend camp. You may visit our website wish list at any time: http://www.cnhinc.org/wish-list/.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES: Catholic Charities of Coles, Douglas, & Edgar Counties: Money is always good, but volunteers are GREAT! Also needed is food, new baby clothes, and diapers. Volunteers are ALWAYS needed to: sort clothes and other donations, check electrical and battery-operated items, straighten items in store, clean up outside area, help with special events, general maintenance work and assist with special projects. Phone: 217-235-0420.

CHARLESTON SOUP STOP: We serve a hot lunch (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) to anyone who is hungry. Individual fruit cups (include some sugar-free), individual servings of microwaveable mac and cheese, individual pudding cups (some sugar-free), powdered lemonade drink mix, powdered fruit punch drink mix. Website: http://www.soupstop.org.

CTF ILLINOIS: CTF Illinois is an Illinois, not-for-profit agency providing residential and vocational services for adults with developmental disabilities. For our 9 Muses Art Gallery where individuals with disabilities create original art for sale, the individuals wish for any art supplies that can be spared. CTF Illinois is in the process of opening a new craft program where individuals will create original crafts for sale. We wish for a dye cut machine, paper maker, silk screen equipment and any other craft supplies. Individuals receive all money earned from sales of their arts and crafts. CTF Illinois is developing a powerlifting team to compete in Special Olympics Powerlifting events. We wish for a weightlifting bench, metal or rubber weights, mens or womens barbell, and a squat rack. CTF Illinois will also receive donations of coats, hats and gloves. We would also work with anyone willing to donate cars. http://www.ctfillinois.org.

DOUGLAS-HART NATURE CENTER: The center is a local 501 C 3 nonprofit organization, and through responsible stewardship and Helen Douglas-Harts gifts, the Douglas-Hart Foundation will be a leader in promoting the appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation of our natural resources by providing quality programs for all ages. The nature center is always looking for educational supplies, wildlife needs, conservation needs and everyday amenity items. WILDLIFE NEEDS: Black sunflower and other bird seed, mixed bird seed, ears of corn, suet cakes, aspen or reptile bedding, or rabbit feed. CONSERVATION NEEDS: Forb seeds, Pro Mix 900/902 Soil, 14-14-14 Osmocote fertilizer, native trees, native shrubs, prescribed burn equipment, tulip bulbs, o rwagons/carts/carryalls. EVERYDAY AMENITY ITEMS: Copy paper (all colors), cardstock (all colors), other basic office supplies, Paper towels, toilet paper, trash and lawn bags, napkins, beverages (e.g. soda, hot chocolate packets), condiments (e.g. sugar packets), or gift cards for professional services (electrician, plumbing, etc.) EDUCATIONAL NEEDS: Binoculars, basic craft supplies (glue, paint, felt, foam, etc.), nature themed games, Spooky Halloween decorations, I PAD/ Tablet, or 12 passenger van. Phone: 217-235-4644. Website: http://www.dhnature.org.

ILLINOIS COALITION FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES -- $5-$10 Wal-Mart Gift Cards; $5-$10 gas cards; Canned and Boxed Food Items; Diapers All Sizes; Baby Food; Toilet Paper; Toiletry Items such as Shampoo, Conditioner, Toothbrushes and Toothpaste, Bar Soap, Razors, etc.; White Copy Paper; Colored Copy Paper; Legal Pads; Paper Clips/Binder Clips (all sizes); Standard Staples; Batteries (AA & AAA); Sharpie Markers; Colored Pencils; Paper Plates; Any Art Supplies. Phone: 217-549-2987.

LIFELINKS: LifeLinks mission is to provide high quality, cost effective, outpatient behavioral health services which meet the needs of consumers and the community. Last year we served 2,719 individuals including more than 800 children. Our wish list includes heavy duty all weather furniture for private outdoor areas used by our consumers, mobile play therapy kits to use with our young and very young clients, iPADs to use with adolescents and adults as an adjunct to therapy, or monetary donations to cover the cost of any of these items or to buy gas cards for parents who wish to visit their children who are psychiatrically hospitalized out of town. Any local business or community member who would like to make an end of the year donation to our future building fund can donate $50 and join or 50 for 50 Club! Contact our Executive Director, Lynette Ashmore, or our Compliance Officer, Debby Cook, at 217-238-5700 to donate.

MATTOON I HEAD START CENTER: Construction paper (all colors), glue sticks, watercolor paints, coats size for 3-5 year olds, boys underwear and socks 3-5 year olds. Phone 217-235-4362.

MATTOON PUBLIC LIBRARY: Children's Department: Crayloa Washable Markers, Glue Sticks, Construction paper (all colors), a roll of white butcher paper, Trains for a wooden train track, Duplo Legos; Teen Department: $15 Pizza gift cards for Teen Nights, Lego sets, Video Games (used okay) (they will be added to the collection), Wii and WiiU, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3 & 4; Adult Department: Golf Pencils, Ultra Fine Black Sharpies, Hand Sanitizer, Used eReaders and tablets for an upcoming project (accepted year round); Book Lovers for our Adopt-an-Author Program. If you adopt your favorite author, this is buying the book for the library at our discounted price. The best part is that you never have to put the book on hold, and you get first dibs and are never on a wait list. A list of suggested authors is available at the main library desk. http://www.mattoonlibrary.org.

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Area non-profit groups share their wish lists

Researchers have disclosed a serious vulnerability in standard web encryption software OpenSSL.

Millions of websites, online stores and social networks are operating with a major security hole in place, exposing user information and financial information to hackers.

That is because a core safety mechanism used to secure the internet has a flaw in it. Worse still, it has been in place for over two years and experts are unsure if it has been exploited for criminal or espionage purposes.

Late on Tuesday, the bombshell hit the web: a Google security engineer and some other researchers published information indicating they had discovered a serious flaw, dubbed "Heartbleed", in numerous but not all versions of the OpenSSL cryptographic software library, which is used to secure millions of websites.

Tech news website The Verge labelled it "the most dangerous security flaw on the web".

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"It is catastrophically bad," ICSI security researcher Nicholas Weaver told the website.

Anonymisation software service Tor put it more bluntly: "If you need strong anonymity or privacy on the internet, you might want to stay away from the internet entirely for the next few days "

"This might be a good day to call in sick and take some time to change your passwords everywhere especially your high-security services like email, file storage, and banking, which may have been compromised by this bug," Yahoo's Tumblr said.

"This ... means that the little lock icon (HTTPS) we all trusted to keep our passwords, personal emails, and credit cards safe, was actually making all that private information accessible to anyone who knew about the exploit."

Read the original post:
'Heartbleed': the web's biggest threat

Published: Friday, 12/19/2014 - Updated: 22 seconds ago

BY MARK ZABORNEY BLADE STAFF WRITER

TEMPERANCE Richard H. Boehme, Sr., a retired electrician at General Motors Toledo Transmission Plant and a former Bedford Township assistant fire chief whose high school athletic prowess won him a spot in the districts hall of fame, died Tuesday in Aspen Grove Village, an assisted living community. He was 84.

He had Alzheimers disease, his son Richard Boehme, Jr., said.

Mr. Boehme was a 2006 inductee to the Hall of Fame of the Bedford Public Schools Alumni Association.

He couldnt have been prouder. And if you would have given him a minute, he would have told you about it, said his son, adding, He would have been more proud of his kids and grandkids.

Mr. Boehme received varsity letters in football and basketball for four years; baseball for three years, and track for two years, one of only three seniors to get four varsity letters, according to the hall of fame Web site. The football team was undefeated his senior year and won a conference championship, and he was named to the all-star team.

Chuck Smith, a close friend the last 20 years, followed Mr. Boehmes athletic career as a child.

I was a little guy when he graduated, Mr. Smith, 71, said. He was very highly respected as an athlete and as a person too.

He was born Dec. 15, 1930, in Toledo to Edna and Henry Boehme. The family moved to Lambertville when he was young. He was a 1949 graduate of Bedford High and joined the Marine Corps Reserve afterward. About six weeks after boot camp, he was sent to Korea. He saw action during the war, but family heard the funny stories.

Read more from the original source:
Richard Boehme Sr.: 1930-2014; Assistant Bedford chief a famed district athlete

As I walked through New Calvary Cemetery outside Boston, I couldnt help but think about the young men who toiled in the trenches dug throughout Europes fields and forests a century ago. The whistle would sound, they would clamber over the top and make a mad dash across no mans land, getting caught up on barbed wire, slipping in the mud, as they were torn to pieces by artillery and machine-gun-fire or crippled by poison gas, with hand-to-hand combat being their reward if they made it across the field of battle.

After following a path to discover my family history in World War I, I ended up at the cemetery, pondering the indifference exhibited worldwide in regard to the war and the men who shed their blood in it. I was also searching for the unmarked grave of my great-grandfather, Pvt. Elmer Kenneth Gorham, a medic with the 101st Ambulance Company, 26th Yankee Division, Massachusetts Army National Guard.

Finding his final resting place amid the rows of headstones, obelisks and lawn level markers proved to be as difficult as locating his records in the U.S. government archives. The majority of Army personnel records from 1912 through 1959 were destroyed in a fire in 1973, according to researchers from the National Personnel Records Center, which holds one of the largest collections of federal records in the country, including military personnel records. Approximately 16 million to 18 million Army and Air Force files were lost.

As if that wasnt bad enough, the markers of these brave Americans have been swallowed by the earth in cemeteries across the nation. Roadside graves have been disturbed and desecrated across Europe by souvenir hunters and remains picked clean of identifying markers like dog tags, buttons and helmets. Sadly, many of those items wind up in makeshift home museums or auctioned on eBay.

It was a long hard road to find Pvt. Gorham.

According my family, Elmer Sr. had served in the Army during World War I, then in the Marine Corps. He fathered 10 children in the Boston suburbs, where he worked as a railroad electrician.

My grandfather, also named Elmer, was the oldest. He was 15 when his father died in 1939 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 41.

Elmer Jr., now in his 90s, had served in the Marine Corps during World War II and later the Korean conflict. He had few memories of his father, who worked nights and slept during the day.

I wanted to know more about the man who raised the man who had played a large role in raising me. So I visited the NPRC website in November 2013 and filled out and mailed in the form to make my request.

By February 2014, I had his Marine Corps file from after World War I and a note telling me that his Army records had burned.

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How I found the grave of Pvt. Elmer Kenneth Gorham, WWI medic

Dennis Taylor spent most of November setting up a Christmas light display with 73,000 bulbs outside his Port Stanley home.

Its an annual tradition for Taylor, an electrician at General Dynamics in London who uses the spectacle to gather donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a local food bank.

But the day before he was set to flip the switch, part of the system short-circuited and knocked out most of the lights in his front yard about 21,000 bulbs.

I decided that was it, said Taylor, who logged about 200 hours setting up the display with help from 14 friends, neighbours and family members.

I'm no longer going to do lights, he told himself. I'm going to find a new hobby. I'm not even turning them on.

By 3 a.m. he was awake and thinking about a fix. He soon had one, transforming the property into a familiar winter wonderland that attracts thousands of visitors each year.

It's going to be an expensive year coming up to try to replace and fix everything properly for next season, he said.

But I'm still going to keep doing it.

Taylor and his partner Raymie Jewell have used the display to gather more than $18,700 in the last four years for Make-A-Wish, a charity that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Theyve also gathered an estimated 7,000 pounds of food for the Port Stanley food bank.

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Port Stanley couple's Christmas display lights up the night

Ipaagi sa DOTA by : PANGZKIE of THE HANGALZ

A SIMPLE DOTA LOVE RAP FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOTA ADDICT (LIKE ME) SHOUT OUT TO #ALNIE #J-JHON #GMAX HOPE YOU LIKE IT AND FOLLOW ME ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pangzkie/220193004706996

ROTC Summer Camp Training Cl 13-13 "MAIGLAS" of 11th RCDG, Army Reserve Command, Davao City. The ROTC cadet officers in their Field Training Exercise and Pat...

DISGRASYA SA KARSADA ...@Porok7 Brgy.Tugbongan Consolacion Cebu kadaghan na gyud kini mahitabo dinhi niining dapita ultimo si lowe pwera hisgot lang nadasmag...

April 27, 2009. 10:00 AM. Imbayao, Malaybalay City. Namahulay mi sa ilawom sa kasagingan sa Dole kay init kaayo. Nagtan-aw ko didto sa nag-harvest ug mais. K...

sdsdsd.

Kung gusto namo ug hapsay nga pang gobyerno diri sa atong dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro, ibotar si Mayor Oscar "Oca" Moreno karong umaabot nga eleksyon sa Mayo....

Villaver nag personal atake migawas na sa tema nga krus, ug nangdaot na noon bahin sa ngalan sa Iglesia..ang balaod ani nga Debate ang mugawas sa tema isipon...

HUMAN NABALITA KAGAHAPON ANG PAG TURN- OVER NI S-P-O-2 ISAGANI CENIZA NGADTO KANG POLICE SENIOR SUPERINTENDENT NOLI ROMANA ANG BAG NGA DUNAY SUD KUWARTA NGA IYANG NAKIT-AN NIADTONG BIYERNES SUD SA TAXI... KAGANIHANG BUNTAG DALING NIADTO SA CEBU CITY POLICE OFFICE HEADQUARTERS ANG TAG-IYA NIINI UG GI-CLAIM ANG KWARTA. MISMO SI SPO2 CENIZA MAOY MIHATAG NIINI NGADTO SA TAG-IYA.

Wala matubag ni Lib Navarro kung kinsay nag order/mando sa Tinuy-an Pass Slip ang gamiton sa Entrance Fee ug Parking Fee, ang igong ebidensya misulte ang Accountant Officer sa Flag Ceremony mao nay Strong na basihanan ug gi Legislative Inquiry na ni sa City Council apan walay pulos tungod sa Memorandum Order No. 52 sa Mayor, pag Legislative Investigation nila dili mutambong ang involve nga mga empleyado bahin anang sa Tinuy-an Collection. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991(Collection of Revenues and other receipts)

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Kawani sa Cebu City Hall naatrasan

Poland's Nobel Peace Prize winner bedridden in hospital with broken leg Lech Walesa helped found the Solidarity trade union movement in 1980 He is being treated in the same hospital as an old communist nemesis General Czeslaw Kiszczak played a key role in imposing martial law in 1981 Hospital doctors are examining Kiszczak to see if he is fit to stand trial

By Corey Charlton for MailOnline

Published: 13:25 EST, 10 December 2014 | Updated: 14:10 EST, 10 December 2014

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Poland's former democracy leader Lech Walesa has broken his leg - and landed in a hospital where a fellow patient is a communist-era official involved in directing the 1981 crackdown that put him in prison.

Walesa, 71, the founder of the Solidarity trade union and a former president of Poland, broke his right leg on Tuesday while leaving a church in his hometown of Gdansk.

A photo he posted on his blog shows Walesa in his hospital bed with his broken leg raised and in a cast.

Lech Walesa, a former president of Poland and democracy campaigner during the 1980s, pictured in hospital with a broken leg

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Novel Peace Prize winner Lech Walesa pictured in Poland hospital

Malaysian in Singapore not only breaks mobile phone when caught, he even swallows memory card to destroy proof of his lewd act.

SINGAPORE: A 25-year-old Malaysian brought shame to himself, his family and his country when he was sentenced to three months jail in Singapore for taking an upskirt video of a woman while onboard a bus commuter.

According to a report on Today Online, district judge Hamidah Ibrahim said Koo Kiat Boons frantic decision, upon being caught, of destroying evidence by breaking the mobile phone and frantically swallowing the memory card was worse than the lewd act of taking an upskirt video of a female bus commuter.

Despite a much heavier sentence which he could have been dealt, Koo got off lightly and has been ordered to return to Malaysia after completing his sentence. He has also been suspended from work as an electrician.

In the 7pm incident on September 3, Koo, was on board the SBS Transits Service 170, heading towards the Woodlands Checkpoint, when he spotted a 28-year-old commuter whom he was attracted to.

Since the bus was crowded, Koo bent down and, stretching his hand under the victims skirt, started recording the scene using his mobile phone.

However, another commuter saw Koo doing this and upon realising he was caught, Koo frantically tried breaking the mobile phone by smashing it on the floor and in a desperate bid to lose the proof, swallowed the memory card.

Koo was nevertheless arrested by police officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint. The memory card was never retrieved.

Koo, who was with his mother, wife and two-year-old son in court yesterday, looked downcast as his sentence was read out.

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Msian gets 3 months jail in Spore for taking upskirt video