What are you doing Sunday 21st March? How does a nice, easy morning walk with the family around the Sanctuary at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve sound? Perhaps follow this with a BYO lunch at their Discovery Playground, BBQ & Picnic Area? Autumn is a great season to get outdoors and experience the wonders of nature in our region. Put on your sneakers, pack a thermos or drink bottles, don’t forget the hats and sunscreen, get your body moving and breathe the fresh air! Show your kids how amazing nature can be, and bring the grandparents or neighbours too… our first Playdates for the Planet Weekend Family Outing!

Meet from 10:30am at the Sanctuary carpark, for an 11am start. The Sanctuary Loop Short trail, which is 1.1 km, takes about 1 hr, and is set at Easy Level 1. A series of interconnected habitat zones, linked by an informative and interesting walking trail that is wheelchair friendly. Discover wallaroos, platypuses, echidnas, birds, reptiles and insects in their natural habitats.

More information here: Playdates for the Planet
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If you have seven minutes, have a look at this Stateline clip about RSPCA in Canberra.

It is heartening to see that lost and unwanted animals are afforded as much time as they need to find a new home. Canberrans should be proud that their local animal shelter has put their foot down and said ‘no more killing’.

The ABC have this story on the ACT evicting Revolve from the Hume Resource Recovery Centre, the site they moved to after losing the resource recovery contract with the ACT govt, and now it appears a site they haven’t been paying rent on for the last 2 years.

Canberra’s junk business just keeps on going as last seen in this RiotACT story showing the long line of stories gone wrong. Hopefully Tiny with his E-bay policy and his charity days will do better, now he just needs to work on the website.

Well, ABC are reporting that our impressionable youngsters have caught up with the latest trend amongst stupid youngsters, Knives.  It seems that our kids are now sick of filming burnouts on you tube and have taken to stabbing eachother. 

Apparently a youngster was stabbed in an altercation outside Erindale College at lunch.

 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/03/09/2840857.htmare

Hmmm, was it Drugs?  Was he seeing someone elses ex?  Oh, the chinese whispers in my mind are going into overdrive.

[ED] Skidbladnir also sent this info in including the Police report below:
Apparently all is not well in the educational institutions of the Thuggeranong Badlands.
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The Canberra Multicultural Community Forum (CMCF) gives its full support to the relocation of the Islamic School of Canberra from Watson to a larger site at Weston Creek, Chair Sam Wong said today.

“I congratulate the Islamic Council of the ACT, the Council’s president, Mohammed Berjaoui, the Chair of the ACT Muslim Advisory Council, Ikebal Patel, and the ACT Government for bringing this project to a successful conclusion,” Mr Wong said.

“In the five years it has been operating the Islamic School of Canberra has demonstrated beyond doubt that it is a much-needed facility.

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I heard that there is a new school opening in Gungahlin in 2011? Does anyone know anything about it as I am looking for a school to send my daughter for year 11 & 12.

I’m thinking Merici College, if I don’t hear anymore about the Gunghalin school.

My wife and i were both woken by some very loud noises this morning in Ngunnawal between 2am and 3am, ive talked to the neighbours and they heard them too. Anyone know what it was? Hard to explain what it sounded like, but sort of like a few explosions or banging of some sorts. a few together at about 2 am and then some more at about 3.

The Canberra Airport flight paths are published at http://www.canberraairport.com.au/PDF/currentflightpaths.pdf. If this publication is accurate then why is it that I often hear the loud roar of aircraft at my house in Calwell? Has anyone else noticed this? The reality of flight paths in the Calwell area is far from the fantasy as published on the above web page.

Dear Canberra Residents

Canberra roads are chocker block full of noisy vehicles. If you agree and like me want to do something about this then it would be great if you could comment on this issue here. If I perceive that there is sufficient interest then I will set up a group of interested people with the intent of doing whatever is possible to reduce this problem in Canberra.

In the past I have lodged complaints about noisy motor vehicles with ACT Government agencies on several occasions to no effect. On more than one occasion I lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister. As a result it is clear to me that the ACT Government has no interest in this most important issue.

Unnecessary noise in our community has a grossly negative effect on our community in many ways including the following:
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Does anyone know when Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is due to arrive and depart Canberra? Security issues aside, it would be nice to know when to avoid having to travel past the airport as imagine security would be fairly tight. Apparently he will be going to Sydney too???

Playdates for the Planet, Canberra is a playgroup for families living in the Canberra region, who are trying to live lower impact lifestyles, or who are interested in finding out more! It aims to bring together local families with similar beliefs about protecting the planet we live on, and for those interested to find out more about local community groups and organisations that support environmentally friendly family lifestyles. Be sure to spread the word!
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If I was to take a photo of a car parked in a disabled  zone, with out a sticker/permit, where would I send it to, and would it be acted upon? Or would it be sent to the recycle bin?

I have had a gut full of people using the spots reserved for the needy. The other day there was an AS***E parked there with his feet up on the steering wheel, waiting for his 18yo bit of crumpet to return with his slab from woolies at Erindale.
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I am currently working in a temporary, non ongoing APS job which finishes at the end of this month. I am trying to find an ongoing APS job to work in. However I have always had problems with answering the selection criteria. Although I consider my writing skills (I am a Technical writer / IT support person) and qualifications to be quite good, I just don’t get interviews for APS jobs. I’m obviously doing something wrong when answering the selection criteria. I need help to answer then. I do answer honestly, and try to give examples which I think are good, but I am still not getting interviews. Mind you I have no problem getting private industry jobs and short term jobs.
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Finally!!!! I’m sick of him tearing up the local streets; and jumped for joy when I see he’s lost his license – but why did he have to cross the border to get caught – bring back speed cameras in the suburbs I say! I know I harp on about 50 km/hr/zones; but if everyone slowed down suburban noise would be reduced; pets & children would be safer, accidents would be less; and stress would go down

This guy thought the Hume Highway was his private raceway; so can you imagine what he thought he was allowed to do in his suburb!
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Passing by Mt Rogers Primary School this afternoon (Saturday 6th March) and I noticed a gathering of 20 or 30 young folk (late teens or young adults) assembling for  fight club of sorts. Two young men wearing gloves (hmmm…looked something like practice gloves to me – ouch). The ‘referee’ gave the word and off they went. It resembled nothing like an organised boxing match with trained opponents – taking more of a leaning towards club brawling, which some may find more entertaining.

Was this a modern duel? Had one young man stolen away the heart of his opponent’s beau? Should I have captured it on camera for upload to YouTube?

I’ll admit that I was a huge fan of the movie Fight Club. It touched something in me…a feeling that modern man is somehow smothered, removed too quickly from our ancient environment of hunting and surviving and protecting our tribe or family from a hostile world. But somehow this seemed a little too public. Distasteful. Do I really want my young son seeing this sort of thing, and developing an impression that such behaviour is normal? Surely he can wait for his night-clubbing years to witness such spectacles!

I’ll remain just mildly disturbed.