http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26532514-952,00.html

Dumbest criminals caught out

THEY may have broken the law but these offenders could never be called criminal masterminds.

Queensland Police have told The Courier-Mail about catching some of 2009's dumbest criminals.

June 11

A police officer noticed a vehicle following him while he drove around Clermont, 280km southwest of Mackay, about 11.45pm. The car followed the police vehicle into the police station's yard and the driver got out to discuss a relationship problem. The man appeared drunk and when tested blew a blood-alcohol reading of 0.26. The 35-year-old man was charged with drink-driving, fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.

June 19

A teenager was seen leaving the Harvey Norman store at Warwick, 80km south of Toowoomba, with two video games he had not paid for. Police went to the store to speak with the informant and get a description of the suspect. Instead, they were handed a very useful document. A staffer recalled the thief had visited the store earlier to seek employment and had given them his curriculum vitae. Police went to the address listed on the CV and charged the teenager with shoplifting.

August 18

A woman went to Cecil Plains police on the Darling Downs to report her mobile phone had been stolen the night before. She had left it on her dining room table when a 34-year-old man known to her visited. When he left, she realised her phone was missing. When police visited the man's address, he denied knowing anything about the missing phone. Police then rang the number and heard the woman's phone ringing in the man's bedroom. He gave the phone to police and was given a notice to appear in the Dalby Magistrates Court .

November 5

Two men who allegedly robbed a hotel at Gladstone, 100km southeast of Rockhampton, at knife point did so without the benefit of a getaway car. They were forced to hitchhike away from the scene and were about 30km from Rockhampton when they used a $50 note as bait to flag down a silver Toyota sedan. The vehicle pulled over and the men got in only to find they had been picked up by two plainclothes detectives. One man and one juvenile were charged with robbery while armed and will appear for sentencing on April 1.

Our daughter became engaged to her Scottish partner today. He is a fine young man, and we are very happy for them both. It is three years today since they met in Inverness, Scotland. They came to Toowoomba last April, and plan to make their future home here. We had planned a BBQ for tomorrow night. I wonder if her partner and I will be dancing together like we were at the wedding we attended in Manchester last year. Better not, I suppose. I don't want to make our daughter jealous...

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26512112-5003402,00.html

Books prove prayer can cure cancer, says archbishop

TERMINAL illness such as cancer can be cured by prayer, the head of the Catholic Church in Australia said.

Those of you who used to be on Whitepage may be interested to know that cc is back on Vox. She used to live in Sydney  but is in the bush now. You can catch up on her here. http://cc1804.vox.com/

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26506144-952,00.html

BIBLE classes should be compulsory so children have a fundamental understanding of Christianity on leaving school, federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

"I think everyone should have some familiarity with the great texts that are at the core of our civilisation," Mr Abbott told the Herald Sun.

"That includes, most importantly, the Bible.

"I think it would be impossible to have a good general education without at least some serious familiarity with the Bible and with the teachings of Christianity.

"That doesn't mean that people have to be believers."

But former Howard government Islamic advisor Dr Ameer Ali, said Mr Abbott's remarks were "over the top".

"It's one thing to say every child needs a good knowledge of history and geography or science," Dr Ali said.

"But it is something else to say all children should have a knowledge of the Bible. That might hurt other people who have their own holy scriptures," he said.

And the Australian Education Union's federal president, Angelo Gavrielatos, said that religion was not a priority for schools.

"There is a place for comparative studies of religion in the curriculum, but ultimately we consider it a private matter for parents and their children," he said.

Read more on the Herald Sun's website.

I thought long and hard about posting tonight. This is a time of year when I like to forget the crap of this world, I Iike to dwell on the good things in life. Those simple things we take for granted. Like good health, family, and the miracle of just being alive. But at this moment I am feeling rather despondent. For all his efforts, it seems that Obama will deliver a health system with cosmetic improvements. For all the efforts of a lot of good people, it seems that the Copenhagen talks will deliver a cosmetic "solution" to the climate change challenge that confronts us all. And I'll lay it on the line. Conservatives have brought us to this.

And I have to wonder why. All that Obama wanted to do was to make health care available to every American. I don't think that is unreasonable. After all, all other industrialised countries have provided for this basic necessity for their citizens decades ago.Yet, the richest country in the world refuses to do so. Instead, we are treated to a litany of lies and obfuscation that are really an insult to the intelligence of anyone with average intelligence. I really do feel for my many Vox friends who I know feel the way that I do. I do sincerely wish it was otherwise.

And it seems that the Copenhagen talks will be just that. Talks. And who will be celebrating the failure of the talks to deliver a plan to deliver the world from its folly? Why, those same conservatives who seem to think that so long as they resist change then that is all that necessary in this world. And it seems as though they have won. Only they haven't. We all lost.

Like I said, I'd sooner forget the crap. They sure make it hard, though. Maybe another whisky will help.

Charlie Hunter is back in town, with a quintet including two trombones, a trumpet and a drummer.