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June 2016

Original video of the Chinese spanking incident at a bank training seminar

This is an amazing insight into the boundaries of what might be considered acceptable behaviour in contemporary corporate China.

Not just one person - but a room full of 200 Chinese bank employees thought this was OK.   Not one complained at the time.

 

 The video was posted a couple of days ago by China's People's Daily newpaper.  It shows a motivational trainer asking eight employees why they did not "exceed themselves" at training.
He then spanks them with what looks like a stick. Reports say he later also cut and shaved their hair.
Two executives at the bank have been suspended.
The incident took place at a training session for more than 200 employees at Changzhi Zhangze Rural Commercial Bank in northern China on Saturday.
The trainer, Jiang Yang, has issued an apology, saying the spanking was "a training model I have tried for years" and had not been instigated by executives at the bank.
'Hair cutting punishment'
The video, which first surfaced on Monday, appears to have been taken by someone in the audience on a smartphone.
Mr Jiang is seen reprimanding eight bank employees on stage, asking them why they received the lowest scores in a training exercise.
The employees give answers including "I did not exceed myself", "I did not co-ordinate with my team" and "I lacked courage".
Mr Jiang then says "get your butts ready" and proceeds to spank them with what appears to be a thick piece of wood.
It shows at least four rounds of spanking, with one woman recoiling each time, apparently in pain.
At one point, that women places her hands over her behind, but is told to "take your hand off".
The spanking was followed by a "hair cutting punishment", a statement (in Chinese) by the Changzhi local government said.
Chinese media reports said the men had their heads shaved, while the women had their hair cut.
'What sort of logic is this?'
According to the statement, the Shanxi Rural Credit Co-operatives Union, which regulates the bank, has set up a group to investigate the incident.
The bank's chairman and deputy governor had been suspended for "failing to strictly check the content of the course", the regulator said, while the bank would help the employees seek compensation from the training company.
Mr Jiang has issued a video apology, and said the spanking had "nothing to do" with the leaders at the bank. Such rumours "had severely harmed his clients and the leaders" at the bank, he added.
People online have been expressing outrage over the treatment of staff.
"Since when does beating employees become a way of raising performance?" one user asked on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog used in China.
Another user said he was dissatisfied because he felt Mr Jiang had focused on apologising to the banking executives.
"In his video apology, he kept emphasising that he had hurt the leadership at Changzhi Zhangze Rural Commercial Bank! He spanked the employees, but apologised to the leadership? What sort of logic is this?"
Eight employees of a rural bank in China have been publicly spanked for poor performance.


Dear Waleed Aly - does this 911 transcript of the Orlando shooter affect your moral response to his Islamic killings?

Thank God for the honesty of local police in Orlando Florida who told the truth about what the "Islamic Soldier" Omar Mateen said to police during his traditional Muslim killing spree.

Had that not been on the public record, the transcript of what he said to 911 operators may well have remained "redacted" in the interests of the Obama Administration's goals for good.

Up until a couple of days ago the Obama administration had enforced a redaction order on the FBI to omit references to Islam in transcripts of what the shooter said.

The administration has been ridiculed for that shocking decision.   Read the transcript in full below (taken from the FBI Florida branch office website) - and keep in mind that investigators are still keen to piece together the events and people who had a role in this traditional Muslim atrocity.

This news report with video of Obama and his Attorney General defending their redaction decision was put together prior to the unredacted release (which you can read below).

President Obama asks what good comes from identifying the group behind this and other killings.

Does he seriously think no good comes from it.

Would law enforcement agencies be better off not knowing?

Is the situation improved by members of the public not getting about information about the suspect groups police are interested in hearing about?  Including members of the public with information to pass on?

I'd reverse the position President Obama (and the same goes for our Chairman Mal) - you tell us why we shouldn't know who did this and why.

 

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Investigative Update Regarding Pulse Nightclub Shooting 
Text of Press Release Provided in Both English and Spanish

FBI TampaJune 20, 2016
  • Tampa Press Office(813) 253-1000
 

ORLANDO—In order to provide an update on the progress of the investigation into the Pulse nightclub shooting, the FBI is releasing an excerpt from the timeline of events inside the Pulse nightclub during the early morning hours of Sunday, June 12, 2016. Out of respect for the victims of this horrific tragedy, law enforcement will not be releasing audio of the shooter’s 911 calls at this time, nor will law enforcement be releasing audio or transcripts of the calls made by victims at the Pulse nightclub during the incident. (See joint statement from DOJ.)

The following is based on Orlando Police Department (OPD) radio communication (times are approximate):

  • 2:02 a.m.: OPD call transmitted multiple shots fired at Pulse nightclub.
  • 2:04 a.m.: Additional OPD officers arrived on scene.
  • 2:08 a.m.: Officers from various law enforcement agencies made entrance to Pulse and engaged the shooter.
  • 2:18 a.m.: OPD SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) initiated a full call-out.
  • 2:35 a.m.: Shooter contacted a 911 operator from inside Pulse. The call lasted approximately 50 seconds, the details of which are set out below:

Orlando Police Dispatcher (OD)
Omar Mateen (OM)

OD: Emergency 911, this is being recorded.
OM: In the name of God the Merciful, the beneficent [Arabic]
OD: What?
OM: Praise be to God, and prayers as well as peace be upon the prophet of God [Arabic]. I wanna let you know, I’m in Orlando and I did the shootings.
OD: What’s your name?
OM: My name is I pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State.
OD: Ok, What’s your name?
OM: I pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may God protect him [Arabic], on behalf of the Islamic State.
OD: Alright, where are you at?
OM: In Orlando.
OD: Where in Orlando?
[End of call.]

(Shortly thereafter, the shooter engaged in three conversations with OPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team.)

  • 2:48 a.m.: First crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately nine minutes.
  • 3:03 a.m.: Second crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately 16 minutes.
  • 3:24 a.m.: Third crisis negotiation call occurred lasting approximately three minutes.

In these calls, the shooter, who identified himself as an Islamic soldier, told the crisis negotiator that he was the person who pledged his allegiance to [omitted], and told the negotiator to tell America to stop bombing Syria and Iraq and that is why he was “out here right now.” When the crisis negotiator asked the shooter what he had done, the shooter stated, “No, you already know what I did.” The shooter continued, stating, “There is some vehicle outside that has some bombs, just to let you know. You people are gonna get it, and I’m gonna ignite it if they try to do anything stupid.” Later in the call with the crisis negotiator, the shooter stated that he had a vest, and further described it as the kind they “used in France.” The shooter later stated, “In the next few days, you’re going to see more of this type of action going on.” The shooter hung up and multiple attempts to get in touch with him were unsuccessful.

  • 4:21 a.m.: OPD pulled an air conditioning unit out of a Pulse dressing room window for victims to evacuate.

(While the FBI will not be releasing transcripts of OPD communication with victims, significant information obtained from those victims allowed OPD to gain knowledge of the situation inside Pulse.)

  • 4:29 a.m.: As victims were being rescued, they told OPD the shooter said he was going to put four vests with bombs on victims within 15 minutes.

(An immediate search of the shooter’s vehicle on scene and inside Pulse ultimately revealed no vest or improvised explosive device.)

  • 5:02 a.m.: OPD SWAT and OCSO Hazardous Device Team began to breach wall with explosive charge and armored vehicle to make entry.
  • 5:14 a.m.: OPD radio communication stated that shots were fired.
  • 5:15 a.m.: OPD radio communication stated that OPD engaged the suspect and the suspect was reported down.

Based on OPD radio communications, there were no reports of shots being fired inside Pulse between the initial exchange of gunfire between responding officers and shooter, and the time of the final breach. During this time, the shooter communicated with an OPD 911 operator and an OPD crisis negotiator, and OPD radio communications reported that victims were being rescued.

The FBI urges the public to provide information about the shooter and any contact they may have had with him. Since the release of the FBI’s Seeking Information poster, the FBI has received thousands of tips. The FBI will investigate every tip.

To provide a tip, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI or visit tips.fbi.gov.

 

PS - from MPS - note that the word Allah is changed to God in the transcripts and God with a Capital G.



4 Australians taken hostage by around 30 armed "militants" in Nigeria, Africa. Their driver was shot and killed in the attack.

This is Foreign Affairs Minister  Julie Bishop's statement just released.

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The 4 Australians (one is a New Zealander with Australian residency) were kidnapped yesterday in Nigeria. Around 30 gunmen described locally as  "militants" hit as they drove across a bridge on the outskirts of the city of Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, at about 5.30am on Wednesday, local time. Their driver was shot and killed.  

He was just taking them to work.

The men are contractors working for the Australian mining giant Macmahon Holdings.  

Two of the group, including one Australian, were able to escape.  I hope his family knows.

Local media report the kidnappers escaped with the hostages in a boat.

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Armed groups in Nigeria

The two main areas of unrest are in the north where Boko Haram has been fighting for an Islamic state and in the Niger Delta where rebels steal oil and attack infrastructure

Boko Haram
• Islamic militants based in the north who have killed, kidnapped and displaced millions of people for seven years.

Niger Delta Avengers
• Emerged in February and is the most active group in the south, sabotaging Nigeria's oil infrastructure for months with bombings of pipelines and facilities. Wants a fairer share of oil revenues for the impoverished and polluted southern region. Targeted Shell and Chevron in May. Matthew Bey, an Africa energy analyst at Stratfor, told ABC News: "It seems to be a new generation of militant groups."

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
• Wreaked havoc in the creeks and rivers of the delta from 2006 to 2009, costing the nation roughly one-third of its oil production. The rebels were bought off in a government-brokered amnesty deal in 2009. A prominent leader of the group was Tompolo, real name Government Ekpemupolo, who was declared wanted on multi-million-dollar corruption charges. The Niger Delta Avengers group is thought to involve Tompolo's supporters. But Tompolo has previously said he is not part of the group. Mend condemned Avengers attacks in May.

Red Egbesu Water Lions
• A new group, according to ABC News, with similar aims to Niger Delta Avengers

Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force
• A new group. Said it would hit "all those infrastructures that were built with our oil and gas monies in this country".


Ross Eastgate's mess-talk taboos, sex, religion and politics. Today's transgender mardi-gras Muslim hijab-flash-gear diversity Twitter campaigners wouldn't know what him 'em.

AOTY and fluid gender promoter David Morrison must have left his copy of this trendy must have book on the ADF bosses coffee table. 

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Ross Eastgate OAM is cut from much more traditional cloth than a Morrison kaftan.

Ross sent me this column earlier today - I remember the 3 taboos very well!

....there were three taboo subjects in military social conversation; sex, politics and religion.

Now apparently it is appropriate to wrap your sexual politics in uniform while marching in the Sydney LGBTIQ mardi-gras with a two-star officer leading.

There’s some ambiguity about religion because it’s apparently OK for a Muslim female wearing religious attire in uniform but not a male wrapping his Christian beliefs in the same uniform.

As for politics, forget it.

Dare run for political office today for any party showing yourself in uniform and you run the risk of being sacked or having to resign on the advice of the dysfunctional defence PR organisation which believes such actions damage the ADF reputation.

It must be them because the senior uniformed hierarchy would not be so stupid as to attempt bullying future parliamentarians, possibly ministers.

Would they?

Politics out of uniform

AFGHANISTAN veteran Winston Churchill shamelessly exploited his military service to pursue his political ambitions.

It was at Westminster not Canberra but after serving in India, Sudan, South Africa and a stint as an accredited observer in Cuba, Winston campaigned using lantern slides of his service to convince Oldham voters to elect him in 1900.

It wasn’t exactly PowerPoint, but Winston knew tales of his derring-do would do his political aspirations no harm.

While serving with Britain’s Territorial (reserve) Army, he took leave of parliament to command a battalion on France’s western front in 1916 after the Gallipoli disaster, for which as First Lord of the Admiralty – the term then used to describe the navy minister – he held considerable responsibility.

He held the same role when World War II was declared and then as prime minister never shirked appearing in uniform of each of three services in which he held honorary appointments while visiting troops in the field and observing combat close hand.

Churchill’s example was mirrored by generations of Australian politicians with distinguished war service. Colonel Neville House who earned Australia’s first VC in South Africa and commanded medical services at Rabaul, Gallipoli and in France had a distinguished parliamentary career and was federal minister for defence, health and repatriation.

There’s a long list of parliamentarians at state and federal level who used their military reputations for political advantage.

Queenslanders General Sir William Glasgow, premier Sir Frank Nicklin who was awarded a Military Medal in France in WWI, South Australian Premiers Playford and Corcoran, WWII Changi POWs Major Reg (later Sir Reginald) Schwartz and Tom Uren, prime ministers Stanley Bruce, John Gorton and Gough Whitlam were among myriad parliamentarians of all persuasions who were happy to mention their military service.

 

Then considered an advantage it is now apparently taboo.

Their real service was a far cry from images of some of Australia’s contemporary politicians making fly-in quickly fly-out visits to ADF operational deployments, decked out in layers of personal protection equipment.

Nor do they apparently understand military convention. Once upon a time (WARNING: Boring old soldier statement to follow) there were three taboo subjects in military, off-duty, social conversation; sex, politics and religion.

Now apparently it is entirely appropriate to wrap your sexual politics in uniform while marching in the Sydney LGBTIQ mardi-gras with a two-star officer leading.

There’s some ambiguity about religion because it’s apparently OK for a Muslim female wearing religious attire in uniform but not a male wrapping his Christian beliefs in the same uniform.

As for politics, forget it.

Winston had neither PowerPoint nor corflutes and billboards.

Dare run for political office today for any party showing yourself in uniform using either and you run the risk of being sacked or having to resign on the advice of the dysfunctional defence PR organisation which believes such actions damage the ADF reputation.

It must be them because the senior uniformed hierarchy would not be so stupid as to attempt bullying future parliamentarians, possibly ministers.

Would they?


Colonel Ray Martin (RL) continues to serve in the finest traditions of the Australian Army. Lest We Forget.

This message comes from the ADSO.

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Many veterans feel they have been forgotten by successive Governments.

Another Australian Election is upon us, on 2 Jul 16 ...

On ANZAC Day and in the lead up to every election, Australia's leaders have spoken about the sacrifice of those that have been killed on service and that 'we will never forget' veterans, particularly wounded or injured veterans, who have returned from various operations abroad and at home.

They have all acknowledged the incredible debt owed to the 'fallen' and to veterans and their families, many of whom now suffer and in some cases struggle to survive ...

All of our leaders deliver very fine words ...

 

Veterans, disabled diggers, widows and their families want to see those words turned into Policy, proper funding, and ongoing support ...

Lest We Forget’

This video was produced by Colonel Ray Martin (Retd) ADSO's Townsville representative and member of ADSO's Advisory Group.
20th June 2016

 

 

ACTU plans for unionised surf lifesavers, meals on wheels, St John Ambulance - CFA first step in ACTU's "radical thinking" to boost union membership

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Thanks to Seeker of Truth for this tip - and also to the Australian Workplace Express website.  Here's the original Seeker;

The media has overlooked that it is the intention of the ACTU and its unions to unionise volunteer community organisations. The unions are now modifying their rules to take in this section of the community with amendments to their rules coming before the Fair Work Commission.

Unions change structures to foster community power base

The NUW and MEAA are among the first unions to change their rules to accept no or low-fee community and associate members since the ACTU's call to transform their membership models by adopting "radical thinking. " 1 June 2016 FWC -

http://www.workplaceexpress.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=2&selkey=54551&hlc=2&hlw=

 

The UFU's attempted take over of the CFA is the first move on a big organisation; next it will be Meals on Wheels, then the P&Cs then the footie clubs and so on. The AMWU has already made inroads into the Pensioners' Association in Victoria.

http://www.amwu.org.au/retired_members_rally_slams_coalition_cuts

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Turnbull is playing catch up.   He now apparently believes this is the biggest thing since sliced bread.   That is until the next big wagon comes along to which he can hitch his star.

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Turnbull's incompetence is one thing - but Shorten's scheming and blatant dishonesty in cahoots with his ACTU mates (although in targetting volunteerism the Lance Boyle variant is more apt) is frightening.

Volunteering is at the heart of our country's character.

The ACTU can shove their plans thank you very much.

 


Re-booting

A mate sent me this photo today - what a ripper.

There's an overhang much like the one this bloke's sitting on at King's Canyon, NT.   When I was last there the cliff face around it had a large expanse of recently exposed white rock - pretty good evidence that the process of weathering and erosion continues!  Which might have been news to the Scandinavians jumping up and down on the overhang daring it to collapse!

 

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The Kilmore Catholic parish in Victoria was served by Father Peter Rankin and a retired Jesuit Father Peter Dillon when I lived there up to 1996.   Father Dillon once gave a sermon which coincided with some compelling advice I'd just received from the old bush doctor.   Young and bulletproof, I was running Telstra's business with governments during the day, spending a couple of nights a week at Melbourne Uni doing an MBA and getting Indonesian language lessons at home preparing to move to Jakarta as CEO of a mobile telecoms business Telstra had invested in.  Our first child was on the way and the doctor quietly slipped the blood pressure cuff from my wife's arm onto mine.  After I'd answered his questions about our plans for the future he said, "Not with blood pressure like that you won't.   You'll end up lying in your own mess in a bed paralysed and unable to speak after your first stroke mate."

That week Father Dillon spoke from the pulpit in St Patrick's Kilmore.  St Pats is a beautiful bluestone cathedral with a carved solid rock baptismal font made famous for wetting the heads of one Ned Kelly and two little Smiths. "Australians today have forgotten the art of the bludge.    I see it every day I'm in Melbourne.  Racing here and there, too busy to stop and see what's going on around you.   Go and find a tree and sit under it for a while.   Have a bludge".

Great advice.  I wish I'd taken it.

The power went off in the little town I'm in the other day.  Unannounced at 8AM.  It stayed off until 5PM.  No computers, no lifts, no wifi, no ATMS.  No one died.  Everything waited until tomorrow.


Redoubtable Rowan Dean's plea to Islam - give us some radicals!

 

I missed this when it was first published.   It's a great column and really puts Turnbull's deals with the devils of traditional Islam like the shady Sheik, chosen for his traditional Islamic views.

Opinion: What we need is ‘radical’ Muslims – in the truest sense of the word

WERE there any “radical” Muslims invited to Malcolm Turnbull’s slap-up feast on Thursday to celebrate Ramadan at Kirribilli? It would be nice to think so, but I doubt it.

Now before you jump up and down and think I’ve gone completely bonkers, stop and think about it.

REGRETS: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull dines with hate preacher

The “radical” Muslims aren’t the crazies with the long beards and the mad staring eyes spouting medieval gibberish that they happen to believe to be the word of God (and who am I to say they are right or wrong?).

No, by the proper use of the word “radical”, they would be those who believe they can transform Islam, with all its traditional beliefs and vile prejudices, into a faith that’s compatible with modern, tolerant Australia. 

 
Readers of this column will be familiar with my pedantic approach to language, so let’s quickly get the definitions out of the way.

“Radical” has two meanings, which in some ways are contradictory but explain part of the Islamic dilemma. The first, “to the root of”, is derived from the Latin word for root and is used to describe fundamentalists who wish to return Islam to its origins.

By this definition, radical Islam is true Islam (which is why Barack Obama has such a problem with the word).

The second meaning is more common – a rebel, someone who seeks to break away from traditional, orthodox ways.

Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman didn’t get elected national president of the Australian National Imams Council because his Islamic views were anything but traditional.

The Oxford dictionary defines radical as “a departure from tradition; innovative or progressive”.

So when we talk about terrorist groups like ISIS being part of “radical” Islam, we are using it correctly in one sense (back to its roots), but incorrectly in the vernacular (rebellious).

Al-Qa’ida, Daesh, Boko Haram and the rest of these repulsive groups aren’t trying to “break away” or “depart” from the old, traditional teachings of Islam. On the contrary, they are returning to conservative ideas and beliefs that have been in place for centuries. They are sticklers for tradition. Hardly “radical”.

Their ideas may be regarded as “extreme” by those who weren’t brought up believing stoning adulteresses, raping slave girls, chopping off shoplifters’ hands, or executing gays is God’s will. But they aren’t “radical”. They are the opposite – traditional.