Drugged teenager dies tragically as drug pushers circumvent outlaw to continue selling

Popular and intelligent high school student Henry Kwan ended his young life with just a pop of a synthetic drug (LSD).

Whether the drug is legal, pure or tested are all immaterial. Narcotics should never be circulated and taken by kids or layman without doctors' prescription for recreational or self therapeutic reasons. LSD poses more risk than controlled medicine, not something that you could obtain at the school backyard or on the internet.

Different people respond and react differently to drugs especially those of unknown composition and sources. Ordinarily, the drug maker who is likely to be a high school student or amateur chemist hoped that the consumer would get high and the chemicals wear off and does little harm. However, there will a number, albeit a minority, who would react adversely to bogus drugs.  If not hallucination, psychosis, the effects could be respiratory difficulty or heart failure, as dangerous drugs are known for.

More will die and their distraught families will suffer for a long time if we hesitate to take strong action to stamp out the deadly malaise.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/nsw/distraught-father-tells-of-teenagers-tragic-last-moments-20130607-2nvjp.html

For those who are observant or are logged into the grapevine of suburban gossips, it is not uncommon to see children as young as 10 to 12 doing drugs at the cafes and shopping centres.

The poison has been allowed to spread for a long time.

Shocking but it is the reality we live with but prefer to ignore or do not know how to deal with. There is too much freedom, lack of supervision and availability of easy money from doting working parents or grandparents, and teenagers' salaries for weekend work.

We have been cavalier and negligent because we did not think it will happen to us or in our vicinity. It is already too late to undo a dependency that is destroying our students and young professionals.

Many can still remember that a neurosurgeon was sentenced for manslaughter for supplying excessive amount of cocaine to a prostitute. If a medically trained personnel can be callous and inaccurate in diagnosing the safe level of narcotics for human consumption, how do we expect drug users to know better?

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/court-reduces-jail-sentence-over-neurosurgeon-suresh-nairs-cocaine-fueled-sex-sessions/story-e6freuy9-1226623391995

When individuals and peer groups cannot think clearly, self discipline or protect themselves, families and the state should step in to impose stricter rules and enforce them.

I am appalled, deeply concerned and disappointed that some adult businesses want to protect their financial interest more than compassion for accidental loss of human life.

Eros, the national adult retail and entertainment association, will distribute hologram stickers to mark packets of drugs that have been scientifically tested, implement an industry-wide ''code of practice'' for selling synthetic drugs and mount a legal challenge to proposed legislative changes that make it harder to sell the drugs.

Synthetic drugs are products containing chemicals artificially developed to mimic the effects of cannabis, cocaine and methamphetamine. They exist in a grey legal area because manufacturers tweak their recipes to circumvent illegal drug classifications.

One new synthetic drug emerges on the European market every week and the two drugs believed to be involved in Henry Kwan's death, 25I-NBOMe and 25B-NBOMe, are among hundreds coming in to Australia.

Nearly one in 10 17-year-old boys and one in 20 17-year-old girls admitted to taking hallucinogens in the federal government's survey of secondary school students last year.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/legal-high-shops-mull-200m-campaign-20130607-2nvi9.html

While schools assured that students have been educated not to be experiment with unknown drugs, the message has not impressed upon those who need most. Contrary to common assumptions, drug dealing is not confined to the defiant and academically poorer students but everyone is vulnerable to the temptations.

The abuse has reached uncontrollable proportions with higher incidence of abuses, but more so because we don't know who would be the next innocent and unexpected victim. No compromise and excuses can delay measures to cut off supply of synthetic drugs. This is a worldwide problem which every government and citizen must take responsibility in eradicating.

http://health.syr.edu/education/synthetic-drugs.html

Think outside Cabramatta - modern upmarket Vietnamese food in the suburbs

Vietnamese cuisine which was the flavour of the 1980s-1990s has made a comeback.

This time, the management are not chefs who came in boats as refugees, but second generation well-educated youngsters who speak English better than their parents' lingo.

Besides Nguyen's Red Lantern, several small cosy eateries serving traditional Vietnamese fare with a modern twist in well decorated and modern premises is attracting a loyal following in several areas.

http://ausletters.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/red-lantern-vietnamese-modern-australian.html

Suburban folks who want a healthy, quick, hygienic meal can be assured of consistent delivery of good food, high quality ingredients and warm friendly service. While Cabramatta still win in terms of variety, options and price, the distance and perennial crowds thanks to the publicity may discourage some from taking that extra travelling time.

http://ausletters.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/moon-festival-in-sydney-southwest.html

Years ago, this business model might not have worked out, but discerning consumers now appreciate value and presentation.

In the northern districts, a handful of upmarket ethnic restaurants have emerged. The busyness speak volumes - let the customers tell the story. This one is at the Cherrybrook shopping village.

Pork Chop Rice (Top) : marinated but not overdone with lemongrass, evenly fried, not oily or fatty at all

The every popular spring roll with lettuce and mint leaves for the wrap

Spicy thick round rice noodles originated from but each Viet family has created their own interpretation of the spice and herb proportions. Chilli oil makes it a little spicy.

The pho is pretty good. The intensity of the soup depends on the length of time the beef bones have been stewed and the amount of dried spices used. Some like it mild and light.

The strong aroma of Vietnamese coffee is irresistible. On a hot summer day, pour over ice. It's heavenly!

Suicide of nurse who connected DJs to Princess Kate - an unexpected tragedy

Kate Middleton's nurse who took her own life has been referred more to her employment rather than her name Jacintha Saldanha. Apparently her existence  was owed more to the royalty she served.

It is indeed a tragedy of the worse kind in recent times. From middle aged on, most of us would have received surprising news of deaths from causes other than terminal illnesses. Accidents and suicides that extinguish young lives are the a lot harder to accept, more so if the victims still have many good years ahead, have families who love them dearly and dependents who have most to lose with their departure. 

While it is cruel to crucify Australian DJs who are merely "doing their job" and had no intention of killing an innocent person with their pranks, they cannot totally escape indirect blame. Neither is it cool or magnanimous to absolve the two DJs from any responsibility. 

Some people are more fragile than others. Although majority may be able to sail through trials and tribulations, a minority may have complex personal issues. Setbacks could spiral into depression and resort to extreme and drastic actions to resolve their dilemma.

It cannot be denied that the victims' weak constitution, pressure of their professional pride and society's expectations are all partly to be blamed. Unfortunately, a coincidence of external events can trigger unexpected outcomes. Just because most people have the capacity and tolerance to survive pranks, bullying and backstabbing, does not mean that these actions are excusable. 

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/a-tragedy-but-who-is-at-fault-20121208-2b29q.html

It is unlikely that the case will be pursued further than the internet debate. From the legal perspective, how would the prank gone wrong be judged fairly? 


The eggshell skull rule is a legal doctrine that says the wrongdoer takes the victim in the condition he/she finds him. There is no allowance for an already weakened state of the injured party. If a defendant negligently injures someone, the defendant is responsible for all the consequences, whether they were foreseeable or not.The rule is applied in tort and criminal cases involving a plaintiff in a vulnerable, weakened state or suffering from a medical condition.

A rebuttal to the eggshell skull rule is the crumbling skull rule. This rule argues that the harm suffered by the victim was inevitable and the defendant's acts only had a minimal effect upon the already deteriorating circumstances.

http://definitions.uslegal.com/e/eggshell-skull/

In real life, incidents cannot be measured in legal terms. Human viewpoints influenced by individuals' values and experiences would continue to shout across cyberspace. These noises are unlikely to help the victims' families. Given our short memories and inability to reconcile differences, these incidents will make a mark but sadly may not help us to avoid similar tragedies in future.

The Iron Chef - Cabramatta : diverse and versatile

Famous for yum cha - dim sum offerings, the Iron Chef has done well with Sichuan (central China) hot and spicy cuisine during the special promotion. Kitchen and stage performers were specially flown in for the month long celebration of the moon festival. 

In the face of more competition with the opening of similar restaurants which offer seafood and Cantonese cuisine, it is no wonder that even the renowned Iron Chef must innovate and reinvent its image and expand its repertoire to capture more customers from a saturated market. 

Double cooked pork - 3/4 fried in oil, and returned to finish off with spicy sauce with garlic, shallot and leek

Two flavoured / dishes of coral trout :
(1) stir fried with snow peas in light sauce and ginger garlic chive toppings - above picture
(2) steam fish with soy and sesame sauce + shallot greens and coriander garnish

Kung-po (gong bao) meaning palace treasure is the basic and key foundation to spicy Sichuan cuisine.
Compared to most make belief and adulterated versions available in most restaurants in the city and suburbs of Australian towns (forget about the country), this is perhaps closest to the original and authentic. It is a bit short of chilli hot, overpowered by peppery taste. But still good.

Postscript: Our good first impression was cracked (not shattered) with subsequent visits during the busy weekend. The staff were grumpy and the kitchen could not cope, sending out food that is lukewarm and dishes that have not been properly cooked.

Bullying at tertiary education institutions? Power moves

Australia is a civilised society. Bullying in whatever forms cannot be tolerated. Bullying at university comes as a surprise not because we didn't know it has always existed but the degree of distress caused. 

We have heard of cyber bullying and school ground bullying. But senior academics, not just students, suffering mental distress from colleagues and seniors is difficult to grasp and comprehend. Has there been a real increase at the aggressors' initiative or victims are more open to air their grievances nowadays? 

If the university's best response is that it happens in all large organisations, this is not good enough. No attempt is made to investigate or improve work conditions. No wonder the reputation of UNSW and other organisations with similar culture of sweeping the dust under the carpet will be tarnished in the long run. Why do some top management look at worse examples to cite in order to make themselves look better. 

When the bullies take out on their victims for self gratification, they don't realise the distress and potential mental harm it may cause. Not every individual has the strength and opportunities to seek recourse and overcome the bad patch. It is not an exaggeration to extrapolate that bullying can drive the victims to illness or even deaths. This will no longer be a joke and it will be too late to 

On the other hand, there may be a small number of fragile students and academics who are more susceptible to melting and depression. What they need is counselling. In such cases, escalation and penalty imposed on those those who want to get their work done may not achieve the desired goals.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/sydney-news/university-of-hard-knocks/story-e6freuzi-1226429497231

A submission to the inquiry prepared by the National Tertiary Education Union said a confidential survey of more than 550 UNSW staff uncovered complaints about "unfair treatment, public humiliation, arbitrary misuse of power and repeated shouting, swearing and threatening behaviour in their work units".

Almost 40 respondents said they received or witnessed "unwanted sexual attention" while others reported "illegal discriminatory activity, pressure to retire and demeaning and discriminatory jokes".

One senior staff member was heard to comment on a colleague, saying she looked like "Princess Diana after the accident with the steering wheel through her face".

The submission said: "This was reported to senior management in the workplace but the respondent was unaware of any action taken.

NTEU branch president at UNSW Dr Sarah Gregson said in the submission she feared bullying was becoming an unacknowledged but deeply corrosive aspect of campus life: "The evidence we gathered suggested that, although UNSW has a bullying policy and other guidelines that outline acceptable workplace conduct, these policies are routinely ignored and harmful behaviour is often excused."

Calm Returns to Colourful Harris Park - Billu, Spice Grocer, Sweeland, ...

It has been more than three years since the attacks on Indian students returning from part-time shift work made headlines. Both the community leaders and police downplayed racism and denied that was the reason behind the violence. Apparently, the more established Middle Eastern delinquents found easy targets among the helpless new arrivals. Nonetheless, crime does not preclude the presence of intolerance, discrimination and sadistic elements to exclude those who are different. Ironically, this sort of bullying behaviour has been accepted by a significant portion of the population whatever their origins and denial has been the convenient recourse.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/harris-park-violence-going-on-for-years-20090610-c2z0.html

Others before had checked out Harris Park and confirmed that calm has returned. In fact the place seemed rather deserted, when a group of us turned up on a weekend. Indian friends have recommended Billu's. It's probably one of the better restaurants in this "Indian enclave"?

Chicken and lamb dishes are all great hot favourites by the locals' standards. An entree for newbies to this area and their cuisine. Nan is a  tad softer and less crispy than what we are used to. Since I have very good dal and aloo recipes, we decided to give these a miss - quite pricey considering the ease at which you could whip up such vegetarian dishes. There is even daily set lunch for those who wish to sample a bit of most things. It is served on a not-so-nice metal dish but who cares because that is  is a good introduction to unfamiliar dishes, and you won't end up ordering too much of what you may not like. 


Service at Billu's was efficient and pleasant. The hygiene standard is impressive. The bathrooms are clean too. Considering they do massive catering for big family events and weddings, a high standard is expected. 


Was that a calm before the storm? Indeed, no sooner after we had our fill of a spicy sumptuous lunch, a heavy downpour washed our worries away. 


North Indian sweets even by admission of their own people, are overly sweet. So we decided to dash for the Middle Eastern / Mediterranean /or specifically Lebanese sweets. The much touted Sweetland was just at the strategic corner, an excuse to wander while sheltering from the rains. Despite rave reviews, I beg to differ, well, as far as the cakes are concerned. The famous black and white forest cakes are not as good as some say. The cake base lacks substance, probably made from flour mixes with enhancers added. 


As the saying goes, you must judge their skills by their speciality. The Middle Eastern offerings are better but not the best available in Sydney metro area. With so many types and quantity made each day, you kind of wonder how quickly the turnover would be to ensure freshness. In this respect, no one could beat the French confectioners.  
  
http://theadventuresofmisspiggy.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/sweet-land-harris-park.html

http://gastronomousanonymous.com/2011/07/03/billus-and-sweetland-patisserie-harris-park/

We never got to find out who the Bollywood actor whose photos were put up outside most grocery store and restaurant. But the colours and architecture of this old estate a stone's throw from the busy Parramatta CBD can be quite charming. 

There are only two main streets Wigram and Marion. When there's instability strikes, the whole "suburb" and the vicinity are disrupted.  Hopefully, these mindless acts will not happen ever again. 

Fighting Home Grown Extremism

It is comforting to know that two highly educated Muslims (a university student and banker) have taken the time and effort to spread messages of peace. Too little, too late?

http://www.smh.com.au/national/peace-promoters-hope-to-nip-violent-ideologies-in-the-bud-20120205-1qzvd.html

Hopefully, more will come forward and this is not a one-off thing publicity stunt to appease Australians and quell apprehensions. These two heroes of the community must get strong community support and protection, not just in financial terms (counterterrorism funding). In the past, moderators have been afraid to be out the open for fear of being exposed to attacks by extremists. The rest of the community would be inclined along with whoever is more aggressive for fear of ostracism.

However, addressing dangers of home-grown terrorism is fraught with challenges and pitfalls. While promoting multiculturalism, certain individuals have abused their freedom. In a society governed by rule of law, under no circumstances should local tribal traditional practices prevail over secular authority and laws.
The recent trial of male family members killing four of their women folk in Canada is shocking. Sane and morally upright Muslims do not commit murders.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCATRE8140QP20120205

Those people, not just Muslims, who claim to be firm and true believers and use religion to justify suppression and killing of others will not be tolerated. No one should place themselves above the law in family disputes or commercial settlement, whatever their religion might be. It should be treated no differently or even more harshly as with cases of dysfunctional families, child abuse and bullying.

Ignorance perpetuates the myth that all Muslims are extremists. This must be altered through education for a terrorist is not born but groomed. The fact is that followers of Islam are a diverse group with different emphasis. Many are moderate and observe the cultural heritage, able to think and adapt to enhance peace living among communities of today. More importantly, poverty and social problems which are often the root causes of crimes and terrorism should be examined and redressed.

In the longer term, demonstrating that Australia sincerely adopts a level playing field in domestic and international arena would deprive home-grown of any excuses to destroy fellow human beings.

Australia Day - address by Dr Charlie Teo on racism and kindness to refugees

Advance Australia Fair - things we take for granted and thought everyone is equal and has a fair goal.

Discrimination - we thought this disappeared along with dumping of White Australia Policy.

Australia has progressed but still a long way for us to claim that we are truly multicultural.
Well, I guess only those from a minority race could tell you how it really feels to be discriminated.

Really, don't we wonder how many immigrants, refugees and local born Australians could hope to come close to being a Charlie Teo in terms of getting the recognition they deserve.  Sharing the hard truth in a frank and transparent manner, the speech has inspired and moved more Australians than random criticisms from detractors.

Indeed, the lucky country is not all rosy except for those who only see things in rose-tinted glasses. While calling for equal treatment, Teo clarified that all Australian migrants must embrace the values (positive aspects we assume) of the adopted country.  Fair enough and not much to ask to enjoy the privileges and reciprocity. Celebrate this Australian day with a bang!

QUOTE :  Dr Charles Teo

It was time we had an in-depth conversation about our future. It went like this: Genevieve to Charlie..."I’m going back to Australia. Are you coming?"

It was a done deal. We decided to return to Australia for lifestyle reasons and for our children’s heritage. We both wished for our children to be Australian and to grow up in Australia. 

Our reasoning was as simple as that. The decision was made not because we didn’t like Americans, or that we didn’t like living in America. 

On the contrary, I found Americans to be gracious, diligent, positive and charitable people for whom a meritocratic workplace had paid generous dividends. 

My personality was not dissimilar to my American colleagues and I found my inquisitive nature and my challenging of neurosurgical dogma was encouraged and nurtured. I did express to Genevieve one note of caution. 

Did she understand that the academic road back in Australia would have its challenges and might be rocky?

So on a very simplistic level, what is it about Australia that makes it the greatest place on earth to live? 

Those of you who have lived overseas for any length of time will recall that it is very easy to reflect on your homeland with rose-coloured glasses. 

When in the US, I would recall Australia’s magnificent beaches and national parks and sunny summer days with flawless blue skies. 

I would reminisce on the irreverent humour of Doug Mulray, the natural beauty of Australian girls, the fresh and bountiful seafood, my friends from childhood and university days with whom I could be at total ease and the relaxed quintessential Australian way of life. 

I conveniently forgot about the Sydney traffic, the tall-poppy-syndrome, the flies in summer, the geographical isolation and the hidden and sometimes overt racism.

My parents arrived in Australia in the early 1950s, my father to pursue a medical career and my mother a nursing one. 

They were given a warm welcome by many Aussies who adopted them into their families, giving them financial and emotional support. 

I was born in 1957 in a rented apartment in Mosman and soon moved to Picnic Point into the house in which I would live on and off for the next 20 years. 

Although both parents were Buddhists, my parents felt strongly that immigrants should assimilate with the local culture, adopt the local traditions, and be cognisant that we were "guests" and as such we should always be on our best behaviour. 

If a Chinese person were to fall on the wrong side of the law, it would be to the detriment of the entire Chinese community. 

It always made sense to me that if a country was attractive enough to uproot your family, leave your loved ones and friends, learn a new language, travel for weeks on a boat across an ocean, then why would you wish to change anything about the local culture. 

You would embrace everything about that new country because every aspect surely might contribute to the very timbre of what you found so attractive in the first place. Consequently, Easter and Christmas were fun events. 

Every year at Easter, without fail, we would spend the day and night at my Italian God-mother’s family farm in Leppington. 

The air was filled with the sound of a piano accordion, countless elderly men would chat to me in heavy Italian accents, and all the elderly women would squeeze my cheeks so hard they would be bruised by night’s end. 

The food was fantastic and the feeling of "family" was overwhelming. At Christmas, joss sticks would sit alongside the Christmas tree, my dad would throw an extravagant party, and our Chinese family accountant would dress up as Santa....not a little confusing.... and hand out the best gifts ever to all the kids.

Racism was rife in those days. I can’t remember a day that I wouldn’t be jeered or mocked by some group of kids anytime I ventured into a public space. 

It made a child tough. In my case, not as tough as I should have been, given my sister, diminutive but ferocious, would take on the toughest lads and I would be left enthusiastically backing her up. 

My father was a rigid disciplinarian. I was beaten to a pulp by a school bully and returned home that afternoon in the hope I would get some sympathy from my parents. 

Instead my dad castigated me for not fighting back. I was instructed to return the next day to reciprocate. 

Australia has become multicultural and racism has certainly diminished over the last 50 years but it still disturbs me when I hear some of our politicians reassuring overseas governments that it doesn’t exist at all. 

I have not experienced overt racism since returning 11 years ago from the USA, but one of my visiting Indian neurosurgeons was spat on by an adult male who drove past him as he waited at a traffic light. 

It is incorrect and naive to say that there is no anti-Arab or no anti-Indian sentiment, just ask someone of Middle Eastern or Indian appearance. 

Unfortunately, racism still exists in Australian culture today. But if you think it’s bad, you would’ve cringed if you had heard some of the things my mum said about you "white devils". 

In my case, the lessons I learnt as a child, to never give-in without a fight, the strength that I gained in order to overcome the insecurity of being in a minority, and the overwhelming sense of fairness I acquired by experiencing such unfairness, would influence how I would react to similar challenges in my professional life years later.

After an acrimonious divorce in 1969, my mum sacrificed any semblance of luxury in her own life to give me every opportunity to make mine better. 

I was schooled at the Scots College, travelled to Edinburgh to perform in the military tattoo, played rugby and cricket (...very poorly), debated and made lifelong friends. 

My mother made me work every school break and I have since found out, would ask the employer to reduce my pay to make me appreciate the value of money. 

I was paid $2.20 a day as a bowser boy and my lunch of a hamburger and soft drink would cost $1.65...it may explain why I was so conscientious with my studies! 

My father provided no financial assistance, but I applied for and received assistance from the government to attend medical school at the University of New South Wales. 

I supplemented the government assistance by working as a barman and then, after offering assistance to the hotel manager during an altercation with a drunken patron, as a bouncer, which gave me a substantial boost in my salary. 

I am proud of the many jobs I had before neurosurgery, milk-run boy, bowser boy, gardener, apprentice mechanic, barman, bouncer, electrician’s assistant. 

It was in fact during these times that I was exposed to and fell in love with the quintessential Aussie. 

In those days, my view of an Aussie was someone who was hard working, unaffected, genuine, affable, relaxed, egalitarian, irreverent and charitable. I still believe most Aussies share these appealing qualities, although I am saddened by the increasing incidents of rage in our society. 

Once there was only road rage but now it seems to have spread into the workplace, the malls and even the last bastion of the laid-back, free spirited Aussie, the surf! 

I don’t wish to trivialise the adversities of everyday life, but when a mother has just lost her son to brain cancer, or a husband his wife, or a daughter her father, and I see this 7 days a week, 365 days of the year, it makes the driver who overtakes on the left or the surfer who cuts in on your wave, seem so inconsequential. 

I am sure, if you are one of those angry people, if you could spend a day in my shoes, you would rapidly attain a more realistic perspective that the most important determinant of happiness is our health and the health of our loved ones. 

Brain cancer kills more children than any other cancer, more women under the age of 35 than any other cancer and more men under the age of 44 than any other cancer. 

It is totally indiscriminate and accounts for more person years lost than any other cancer. 

I am forced to deal with these statistics on a very human level every day. But quite separate to giving me a balanced perspective on life, I am in awe of the dignity and courage that my patients consistently demonstrate in their struggle with cancer. 

Not that my overseas patients are that much different, but the Aussie spirit is as impressive in the living as it is in the dying. 

To raise money for my Foundation, the Cure for Life Foundation, I have had the honour of talking to people from many walks of life, from miners in Muswellbrook, to fisherman in Hervey Bay. 

I am constantly overwhelmed by the generosity of my fellow Australians who dig deep when made aware of the worth and importance of this cause.

My university years were full of fond memories. I was lucky enough to be financially secure with my job as a bouncer at Centrepoint Tavern and later the New Chevron Hotel. 

Dealing with the intoxicated Aussie wasn’t quite the positive experience I had doing the milk run but once again, the trials of working in the service industry was a priceless lesson in life. 

I acquired a newfound respect for police officers. They have had and will always have my unconditional support. 

Indeed, the real heroes of our society are those who work diligently behind the scenes. I have also had the pleasure and honour of working closely with the tireless and self-sacrificing individuals in the medical world. 

They are the nurses, without whom I would be unable to offer my patients such quality care, the paramedics who are at the emotionally taxing coal-face, the hospital volunteers who are truly selfless and my fellow doctors, most of whom dedicate their lives to the betterment of their fellow man. 

The nobility of our profession is unparalleled. 

I never cease to be amazed by the trust that my patients place in me, a total stranger, at a time when they are most vulnerable. 

The privilege of operating on the very organ that defines the essence of that person, their mobility, comprehension, communication, vision, motivation, sensations and even their vital functions is unique and humbling.

Spending 9 years in the USA was an enlightening experience. 

Before I went to America I had an unresolved internal conflict on the issue of immigration. 

My parents were immigrants, my Godparents were immigrants and many of their friends were immigrants. 

As a child growing up amongst immigrants and die-hard, true-blue Aussies in blue-collar Picnic Point, I feel I am somewhat qualified to offer comment on the issue of refugees. I was proud that Chinese never featured in the tabloids or the evening news. 

I wanted it to stay that way and I thought that limiting the number of Chinese entering the country would ensure the bad ones would be excluded. 

I felt Australia was such a great place to live, in no small part as a result of its isolation, not despite it. 

We appeared to be immune from World Wars, border conflicts and dwindling natural resources. 

Why would you ruin this blissful isolation by allowing "queue jumpers", potential criminals, into our Utopia? 

My time in the USA made me reflect on how a country that was not that much older or bigger than ours had achieved such a standing on the world stage. 

In general, Americans were not more intelligent, diligent or talented than Australians. 

They have natural resources, so do we. 

Their pioneers did it tough, so did ours. They had a national pride, so do we. 

Speak to most Americans and they will be the first to concede the dependence of their economy on the hard-working and fiercely loyal Mexicans. 

Speak to almost any taxi driver anywhere in the 50 states and you will be inspired by a story of tragedy and conflict followed by hope and opportunity and concluded by a statement of national pride...in America NOT their country of birth. 

I don’t know for sure, and I don’t think anyone knows for sure, but, having lived in the USA for 10 years, I would be hopeful that our country would benefit from immigration of peoples from countries of conflict, or those subjected to political persecution, who are simply seeking refuge from violence and a better life for their children. 

I believe Australia has a moral and social obligation to demonstrate a higher level of kindness to and acceptance of refugees. 

I don’t know how this may be achieved but I certainly know that both sides of the political fence are floundering. 

I would humbly suggest that a bi-partisan approach would be one step closer to a solution and we need it now!

The USA does one other thing very well....it encourages scientific curiosity and innovation. 

After I completed my fellowship in paediatric neurosurgery and before I ended up in Arkansas, I wanted to return to my homeland. 

I wrote to every senior neurosurgeon in Australia whilst I was working in the USA in the hope that by sharing my dreams and relaying the magnificent experience I was getting in the USA, they would offer me a job back in Australia. 

Alas, the story was the same, only the names changed.....".....I am so pleased you are enjoying your time in Dallas. Unfortunately there are no opportunities now or in the foreseeable future. It would be better for you to make your future over there. Kindest regards". 

I was reassured that if I published at least 3 peer-reviewed articles every year, I would be so well qualified academically, they would be obliged to give me a job. 

So I worked tirelessly for the next 9 years. I published 79 papers, wrote 27 book chapters, made over 200 presentations and pioneered minimally invasive neurosurgical approaches. 

I was courted by industry as well as many of the finest universities in the USA. I became a consultant for a German company that produces over 70 per cent of the world’s surgical instruments who encouraged and rewarded my adaptation of precision technology to keyhole approaches. 

For my hard work I was promoted to Associate Professor and interviewed for "Chairman" positions at 2 acclaimed institutions. 

A senior Australian neurosurgeon, Dr Bernie Kwok, a man of rare vision and integrity, visited me in Little Rock and was impressed with what he saw. 

He suggested I return to Australia with his blessing and support. 

However, it became rapidly obvious that others would not share his vision for Australian neurosurgery. 

Maybe it was the tall poppy syndrome, maybe it was the conservatism of the profession. 

When I was the only applicant for positions at two of the Children’s hospitals in both Melbourne and Sydney, the positions were withdrawn. 

Since returning I have had obstacles placed in my way, but that hasn’t lessened my resolve to offer the Australian public the latest and most innovative cancer treatment in the world. 

Don’t get me wrong. The vast majority of doctors are caring and skilled, giving their patients the best treatments available. 

They are and should be held in high esteem. 

Unfortunately, a small number of doctors have forgotten the nobility of our profession, more concerned with their own empire building than patient care, confronted and insulted when patients request an explanation or a second opinion, unwilling to adapt to change and new treatment regimens and failing to continue self-education. 

This should never be allowed to happen. A selection system that identifies a caring nature and good communication and inter personal skills in medical school applicants would be one step in the right direction. 

This would be difficult but we shouldn’t give up finding a better way of selecting doctors and then nurturing their compassionate side.

I am at an enviable stage of my professional life. With my international reputation I am fortunate enough to be invited to lecture, operate, direct courses and spend time in foreign neurosurgical programs as visiting professor.

I see it as an opportunity to keep abreast of current trends in clinical medicine and basic science research and in so doing, ensure that Australian patients with neurosurgical conditions are getting the very best the world has to offer. 

An unexpected consequence is that it exposes me firsthand to the enormous disparity in scientific funding between Australia and the USA, Japan, Germany, Sweden and many of the other OECD countries. 

My good friend and colleague, Prof. Mitch Berger was recently awarded a SPORE grant of $50 million a year for 5 years to be spent on brain cancer research only. He was so impressed with the volume and quality of work I was doing in Sydney, he sent his chief resident to spend 6 months learning my minimally invasive techniques. 

When he asked how much funding I received from my government, I was ashamed to say only $150,000 over three years. 

He was totally shocked. The USA and California specifically has shown tremendous foresight in their approach to scientific research. 

A recent meeting I attended in California on stem cell research was the perfect illustration of this disparate approach to scientific excellence. 

I was impressed that the Australian scientists at the meeting could hold their own when it came to innovative ideas and universal knowledge of stem cell therapeutics.

I was equally disappointed to hear that our funding of stem cell research, although not as dismal as brain cancer research, was poor. 

One of the greatest gifts given to humanity by a few socially responsible corporations and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, maybe not on the same level as "I’ll be back", was a $3 billion grant for stem cell research. 

Australia has a perfect opportunity to ensure our children and their children will see a bright future. 

The wealth generated by the current mining boom should be seen as an opportunity to build the foundations of the next boom, the mind boom. 

We have the scientists. We have some of the most inquisitive minds in the world. We clearly have the resources. 

All we need is the insight and foresight to put our resources to good use. Of course this has long term benefits in sustaining and growing our economy. 

As they say, you don’t need to be a brain surgeon to know these things.

Since returning to Australia I have had the privilege of collaborating with some of the best scientific minds in the world. 

Dr Kerrie McDonald, who heads the brain cancer wing of the Lowy Cancer Institute, Professor Phil Hogg at the University of New South Wales, and many others, lead the world in their innovation and curiosity. 

They do so at times at the expense of their personal lives, with few accolades or acknowledgments and poor funding and remuneration. 

Many have left for greener pastures; many have been culled through lack of funding. These are the unsung heroes. 

These are the minds that will take Australia from being the greatest place to live, to being, simultaneously, the greatest place to work. 

We have a history of being able to identify talent, nurture it and reward it. 

We have done it so well in the sporting arena, there is no reason we can’t do it in the scientific arena. 

Steve Waugh is an iconic Australian. 

At an early stage his skills were identified and nurtured. 

He was rewarded by the Australian public as Australian of the Year and as an officer of the Order of Australia. 

He has inspired generations of Australian children and has given back to the world, through his charities, in innumerable ways. 

He is, on top of all of that, an incredibly humble man. He would be the first to acknowledge that he is no better an Australian than Kerrie McDonald or Phil Hogg. 

If we take this winning template that we use for talented sportsmen, and translate it to our talented scientists, Australians will benefit immeasurably now and in the future. 

One day we might have two AIS, one for sport and one for science. 

Indeed, with diminishing resources and a technological revolution, it may not simply be good for our country, it may be necessary for our country. 

And medicine is only one field in which Australians may lead the world. 

Recently I have had the good fortune of being involved with Voiceless, an organisation that is campaigning to have animals treated with respect and compassion. 

Inspired by the passion of the Sherman family, Voiceless is working to ensure that animal protection is the next great social justice movement.

A few years ago, Barry Kelly, another Australian icon, one of the first RAAF fighter pilots ever to be invited to train at the Top Gun academy, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. 

Facing deadly forays was part of his daily routine but, with 3 beautiful young children and an unknown enemy, he was about to face his deadliest encounter. 

Supported by his wife Jill, he rejected the grim prognosis given to him by his doctors and asked if I could remove the tumour. 

Courageously, he chose the path less trod, had the tumour removed and is alive and tumour free today. 

In true Aussie spirit, not one to take and not give back, he has made the largest personal donation to the Cure for Life Foundation and continues to support brain cancer research passionately. 

But I am most indebted to Barry for asking me to join him in walking the Kokoda track. I

nitially I saw it as an exercise in male-bonding and a physical challenge. But having walked the track with Charlie Lynn who explains the military history and significance of the track, I honestly believe it is a necessary part of being Australian. 

Kokoda serves as a cogent reminder of our responsibility to fellow Australians and fellow human beings. 

Our forefathers sacrificed their lives for our current way of life. Young boys lied about their age to fight for this country. 

The track is full of stories that illustrate the sacrifice, courage, endurance and mateship that contributed to the success of the campaign and the freedoms that we enjoy today.

Australia is a great country. Although my professional career might have been smoother in the USA, my roots are here, the people with whom I relate best are here and my future is here. 

Generations of Aussies before gave us the foundations onto which we may construct an even greater nation. 

One that is both culturally and socially sensitive and tolerant, one that acknowledges a responsibility to our own people as well as our near and distant neighbours who are less fortunate than us and one that identifies, nurtures and rewards scientific, economic, technological and environmental curiosity and innovation. 

We have the potential to reverse the preconception that one needs to go elsewhere for the best medical care. 

I have had the privilege of teaching neurosurgeons from all over the world, including the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and Johns Hopkins University, Stanford University and UCSF in America. 

Patients fly in from every continent to get the most minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures and I am able to disseminate that knowledge to surgeons from developing countries. 

I hope that I may serve as an example of what Australians may achieve with the support of fellow Australians. 

I reassure you that if we give our scientists the same support, emotionally and financially, Australia and the world will reap the benefits. 

I would like to see this Australia Day as a turning point. 

I want my fellow Australians, those who were born here and those who have immigrated here, to pause and think of the lives that have been sacrificed for what we take for granted today. 

I want everyone who finds themselves angry and intolerant to think first about the misfortunes of those who are less fortunate...such as those with cancer. 

I want anyone who has come from another country to embrace the Australian way of life, it has served us well. 

I want all Australians to see how immigrants have contributed to our nation and to appreciate that a rich and prosperous country such as ours has a moral and global responsibility to share our resources. 

Finally, I want to thank Australians for giving me professional and personal fulfilment, for believing in me when some of my colleagues didn’t, for seeing a Chinaman as an Aussie, not as a foreigner and for this wonderful opportunity to address the greatest nation in the world.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/australia-day-address-by-dr-charlie-teo/story-e6freuy9-1226251661625

How a good business idea could have fail outcome - the soap drama of food safe spray and wipe

Vanilla Scented "spray and wipe" came to mind because it only takes using to draw a simple conclusion that  the product has failed the functionality test.

Promised to be "food safe" and pleasantly scented with vanilla, it is an attractive idea in a world full of surprising chronic allergies and terminal illnesses coming out very so often.

However, the problem lies in two area :

(1) doubts about its efficacy as a cleaning agent - there is an apparent incompatibility between cleaning power and safety to human inhalation and consumption. Most people using "spray and wipe" detergent, do not feel the need to rinse the cloth and wipe over a second time.

(2) the after effect : the scent is so sweet and nice that it attracts ants and other insects and creepy crawlies. It has to do with the first assessment stated above. Had it been effective, it would not leave any residue from the food stains and add on food for insects on the cleaned surface. That's what waiters do in the restaurants anyway and we have been living with it without really knowing the long-term effects on health.

There may not be an appropriate returns policy nor was there any feedback regarding the new product.
But I do know that many who have used it and unsatisfied with the product would just shun it and go for something more effective despite their absence of food safe claims.

Occupy : not a big thing in Australia, not yet, unless the economy takes further dive

2011 has been a tough year. Times are bad and may be looking worse in the year ahead. The in-thing is to blame the filthy rich bankers and industrialists who have been profiting from innocent workers, won a taxpayers' bailout and not sharing their ill-gotten wealth. While Australia is not shielded from the negative effects reeling from the global financial crisis, the economy has slowed down and jobs are becoming scarcer. Will OCCUPY get us far? Only if rich capitalists are moved to create more jobs instead of splurging on affluence and luxuries for themselves. 

In early September, members of the media were barely paying attention to the vague, lefty Hooverville-campout thingy called Occupy Wall Street. 


By early October, its protesters had coalesced around a theme: "We Are the 99%" (who disapprove of greed, corruption and the disproportional power held by the richest 1%). 


And the movement spread from Manhattan: seemingly overnight, there were Occupy Boston, Occupy Los Angeles and Occupy Chicago. And then Occupy London and Occupy Hong Kong. 


People were even "occupying" Antarctica, and late-night talk-show hosts cashed in on occupy jokes. ("Earlier this week, a protester at Occupy Wall Street proposed to his girlfriend," Conan O'Brien said. "His exact words were, 'Will you occupy my parents' basement with me until I get a job?' ") 


That sort of nationally broadcast mockery was a sign of just how big the movement had gotten. In 2011, occupy became this generation's sit-in, a word connoting peaceful but uncompromising objections to the status quo.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2100571_2100572,00.html #ixzz1h7QX2l00

Little known and control over fraud and corruption in Australian bureaucracy

Greed is the common denominator for corruption. Strong institutions, checks and balances, integrity of individuals serving the public are important factors that contribute to fair and clean governance.

While poverty and low salaries have often been cited as pretext for pilfering from public coffers and extracting from the community what does not belong to oneself, they are lame excuses for rampant corruption in developing countries. It is an endemic systematic failure that needs a holistic and comprehensive approach to redress and find solutions.

Though widely held as effective, the lack of public scrutiny has not helped to expose fraud and corruption in the Australian public sector.

The fact that it exists on a scale higher than what we have perceived shows that corruption is not a disease that is limited to the Third World. It has little has to do with stereotype cultural factors as well. Despite our proud institutions, democratic tradition and rule of law, some humans are fallible and susceptible to greed and run foul of the law.

As I have suggested time and again, whistleblowers should not be ostracised and punished. While teamwork and stability should be valued, some wrongs have to be exposed appropriately and righted. That is the meaning of accountability to the public.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/reserve-officials-in-evidence-coverup-20111004-1l7dr.html

http://www.anao.gov.au/uploads/documents/Fraud_Control_in_Australian_Government_Agencies.pdf

Feasibility of cherry picking selected sharia laws for economic gains?

Australia is a secular country and the law of the state is fair, just and unprejudiced, and presumably all-encompassing and capable of taking care of interests of citizens and foreigners regardless of religions, cultures and political affiliations.

Common law originated in England and comprises statutes (legislation) and precedence of judge-made laws. Other than the moral basis of Christianity and Anglo-Saxon cultural tenets, the courts are given much flexibility interpret and adapt laws to new circumstances. It is progressive unlike certain static laws that are non-negotiable.

It is difficult to conceive how minorities in the country and the world could justify imposing their religious laws unless there is siginificant historical and social meaning, such as Aboriginal land rights.

The bizzare incident of a single crazy Muslim taking Sharia law into his own hands and defying the rules of the land has not found supporters even among majority of the educated moderate Muslim Australians nor the Islamic authorities.

While the originators of Sharia law expect the legal system to be taken in totality, it has been limited to family law in countries that have adopted some aspects of it. Since the ancient expectation of holistic application of Sharia is not feasible or realistic in the modern world, it is difficult to fathom how much Sharia could undermine the existing legal framework with the ground rule that where contradictions exist, the state laws prevail.

Moreover, the strong resistance from other conservative religious quarters who see any concession as capitulation would likely limit the influence of Sharia in years to come.

However, investor dollars are luring academics and governments to make compromises and exceptions. How the authorities could balance economic interests with fair protection and cultural chauvinism tendencies would be quite a challenge.

Laws are evolving. Civil law systems are learning from common law. The World Trade Organisation adopts a rule-based formula similar to civil law.

Intelligent and wise legislature and judicary probably matter more than mere prescriptions.

QUOTES

It's doubtful that sharia specifies the use of electrical cables in this sort of retribution, but that might not be the worst of it. Suggestions have emerged "from one local Auburn source" that the victim may have owed money to a number of people. If so, this could be a normal bit of roughing-up to speed the return of outstanding funds – not unknown in Australia or other common law countries as a method of settling debts.

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Clearly, the government is keen for Australia to dip into $1.6 trillion worth of Islamic investment.

As academics Ann Black and Kerrie Sadiq write in the University of NSW Law Journal, finance is part of "good sharia law", which has an emphasis on profit sharing instead of charging interest and excluding investment in things contrary to Islamic principles.

If we can made a quid out of adapting our principles to include Islamic methods of finance and investment, then sharia has a welcome place in our system.

On the other hand (a phrase with a special meaning in parts of the Muslim world) Black and Sadiq point to Islamic family law, such as the recognition of polygamy and Muslim divorce, which is regarded as "bad sharia law".

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The hudud punishments of hand severing, stoning to death and beating with cables are confined to a few countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Iran. As far as we know there is no credible proposal that they be allowed to function in parallel with the Australian legal system, although you wonder when you see Australians screeching at accused persons as they are driven away in police vehicles.

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The vast majority of Muslim countries and Muslims have moved on from the middle ages. It was interesting to see a number of Islamic organisations condemn the alcohol-tippling/debt-recovery punishment. Sheikh Taj el-Din al Hilaly, of the Lakemba Mosque, said the attackers should be "assessed for a mental disorder" and those found guilty deported. Guilty of a mental disorder takes our law into uncharted waters, so maybe it's best to say no more about it.

In Britain there are close to 100 sharia tribunals that deal with matters such as domestic relations and inheritance, with appeals to the civil courts.
In Australia, law reform commissions have recommended that aspects of Aboriginal customary law be permitted to function alongside white man's law. The Law Council of Australia welcomes that and, indeed, it has been recognised in the Northern Territory.

Our system of laws is not immune from the the imprecations of Christian fundamentalism, either. For instance, the Reverend Fred Nile is forever trying to impose some sort of Christian sharia on his flock, the people of NSW. Maybe he should be allowed to have his own courts to impose special punishments on prostitutes, gays, and students who skive off from scripture classes.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/why-good-sharia-is-championed-in-some-surprising-quarters-20110721-1hqy0.html#ixzz1SywuRirw