In a move that mimics the notorious Nigerian spam emails which claim you have won a large sum of money, scammers have now turned to SMS. The ACCC has issued a warning to all Australians about the scam SMS's which claim you have won 3rd prize in a lucky door prize at a press conference at Melbourne's Rialto Tower. Recipients of the scam SMS's are given what seems to be a Melbourne based phone number, but is actually routed overseas.

For those whom go as far as calling the number to 'claim' their 'prize', the ACCC has advised that the scammers have been asking for personal information such as full name, address, date of birth, drivers license number and bank details. These details can then be used as part of a larger identity theft scam later.

According to the ACCC the scammers are requesting people pay $2000 to the scammers which they claim is 20% of the "winnings tax" in Macao. Reportedly once the scammers have your details they become quite insistent that you pay them the $2000, allegedly calling often demanding the money be paid.

Two examples of the Scam emails have been provided by the ACCC which state;

Last notice: Your mobile phone No. has won the 3rd prize in our activity, the cert No.:L6501, please contact our company asap, and your right will be cancel if it overdue or without cert No.,GSCI hotline:03-9001593

Last Notice: Your mobile No. has won 3rd prize in our activities with cert No.J4192,pls contact us ASAP, or else your award will be cancel. GSCI company:03-90105706

Given the closeness in tact of the scam to the Nigerian email scams I am truly surprised anyone has been caught up in this scam. It really throws me that someone can get a text message like the ones above, which have obvious short hand and grammatical errors in them and yet still reply to it? But the thing that really gets me is how anyone can think they won 3rd prize in the lucky door prize at a fictional press conference they never attended.

Indeed unless they actually work for the press, and thus attend press conferences, why would you think for a moment you'd won anything? It's really easy to see these are a scam, one the ACCC says originates in China. Perhaps we should all use a little more common sense when it comes to things of this nature. For those of us whom refuse to use common sense and involve themselves in obvious scams, it is perhaps their own fault.

Links;

ACCC's warning

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has his sights dead set on having an emissions trading scheme in place before the Copenhagen conference on climate change later this year. Like a kid who wants to have a toy before the other kids, Mr. Rudd is pressuring the federal opposition to pass the proposed emissions trading scheme. But all non-government senators have blocked the bill, and with good reason.

While there are a few countries in the western world considering an emissions trading scheme, and even a couple ready to implement one they are doomed to fail on both an economy and environment front. Economically, as Australian steel manufacturer OneSteel points out, an emissions trading scheme will cost jobs. The rise in costs will cause companies to do business off sure in countries which do not enact such trading schemes. With the relaxed laws it will be business as usual, smog and all.

This leads us to the simple fact that without global consensus on an emissions trading scheme, then you end up with mighty large holes in your trading scheme. If some countries, regardless of how small fail to enact an emissions trading scheme they stand to gain from increased business flowing into the region.

With a global economy which is already in the toilet, can we really afford to lose our major industry to smaller, less environmentally friendly countries? I mean it's all good and well to think of the environment, but only as long as you can afford to feed yourself. We have painted ourselves into a corner so to speak. On one hand we love our capitalist society which equates the ability to survive to how much money you can manage to earn. On the other hand we have to transition to an environmentally society.

At some point we in the west need to realise that the time for nationalism has passed, as has the time for such extreme capitalist society. We must now find a way to work together as global partners, not just with the large nations, but the small developing ones too. We must now find a way to benefit our selves, our countries and our neighbors, while not harming the environment. It is a harsh lesson we have been set, but one that is much overdue.

Links;

ABC news story on OneSteel

Australia's annual water report card has warned water prices will rise in all of Australia's capital cities over the next 5 years. This comes as a result of strategy change for civil water from dams to waste water systems and desalination plants.

In dams we had a relatively cheap source of water, fed by rain; the power required was minimal compared with these newer sources. Desalination plants have been traditionally expensive to run, and not a lot has changed now. This is due to the enormous amounts of energy required to strip sodium from sea water.

As we find ourselves in a position where electricity prices are rising, and will consider to do so dramatically over the next decade, we can expect water prices to follow. We have set ourselves into this position through a society of pollution and ignorance toward the environment, and not much has changed.

As climate change continues to have an effect on our country, and thus our water supply we can further expect prices to rise. And in the rising price of water we can of course expect a flow on effect into all products which require water. Yep, your grocery bill just got higher...

Links;

ABC News story

In the evening of Monday the 17th of August 2009, a passer-by to my house randomly opened my gate for seemingly no reason. In this action, the passer-by became a murder; for it lead to the death of my friend Diesel. The thing you have to know about my house is it is situated on a busy, somewhat main road. For this reason we see a constant flow of traffic by our house, much of which doing considerably higher than the speed limit.

When Diesel realised the gate was open, he simply went running into the road. Diesel was a cattle dog, a beloved family pet and more over my friend. No matter what was happening in the world, he was always there for a hug and a chat. When things got bad, he was always there to pick me up and move me onward and upward. He was very smart, so smart that you couldn't even play fetch with him, because after the first throw and return, he'd expect you to retrieve the second throw.

That was my Diesel all over though, he didn't realise there was a difference in species. He just looked at us as family, as equals. He was incredibly strong too, only days earlier snapping a steal chain like if it were as brittle as plastic. In running out into the road he was struck by a car traveling at approximate 75kmph, but this didn't kill him. Indeed when I got across the other side of the road he was still alive. Happy to see me, but in obvious pain and shock. It was shock however that proved a killer.

He died in the back of our car, in front of the veterinary surgery whilst we waited for the on call vet to arrive. Simply giving out, his heart and breathing ceasing while I held him.

Diesel, we love you and you have left a hole in our lives and our heart which will remain eternally. You were a brilliant dog, indeed one of our family and my friend.

I was thinking this morning about the idiots who stand outside abortion clinics shouting about the babies right to life. I was wondering if they're hypocrites or if they truly believe that all creatures have a right to life.

See being that these people are usually hardcore scripture bashers, I was thinking that perhaps they believe only humans have a right to life? I mean I'm sure some of them will contribute to help save fluffy cute animals, but what about the rest of them? How about bugs? I mean these people stand outside abortion clinics all day shouting about life, but if they see a cockroach or a spider what do they do?

If they were suddenly confronted by a snake or a crocodile, perhaps a hyena, what then? Indeed, what do these people eat? Last time I checked beef, pork, chicken, fish and lamb all come from living things.. but this is the big thing. If everything that is living has a right to life, then you can't eat plants either. Plants are living. Yep, your salad died for you!

What about vego's and animal rights advocates, how do they feel about these things? If these people are so passionate about the right to life, why don't they picket supermarkets? Manufactures of mouse traps or bug spray? Heck, the military kill people and other animals alike, why don't right to lifers picket military bases?

I'd love to hear from some right to lifers about where they stand on these things. I think it'd be interesting. So if there are any right to lifers who have pulled themselves away from the abortion clinic picket long enough to read my blog, comment me and let me know how things are from your side.

Oh and for the record, I don't agree with abortion, I think it's murder. But on the same accord I neither picket people, trying to ram my judgments down their throat nor am I hypocritical about it. I believe all life has a right to live, so I don't kill anything. Including bugs.