"Possessing opinions is like possessing fish, assuming one has a fish pond. One has to go fishing and needs some luck - then one has one's own fish, one's own opinions. I am speaking of live opinions, of live fish. Others are satisfied if they own a cabinet of fossils - and in their heads, "convictions". - Friedrich Nietzsche
An academic who expects zero interest rates within two years and a 40 per cent drop in house prices has promised to walk from Canberra to the top of Australia's highest mountain if he's wrong.
University of Western Sydney associate professor of economics and finance STEVE KEEN made the bet with Macquarie Group interest rate strategist RORY ROBERTSON.
Police chase stolen car 250km from Wagga to Canberra
20 Jan 2009 12:21 PM
CANBERRA, Jan 20 AAP - Police have arrested a 26-year-old man in Canberra following a 250km high-speed car chase that started in south-western NSW.
NSW police started pursuing the stolen car in Wagga Wagga on Tuesday morning and ACT Policing took up the chase when the driver crossed the border into the territory.
BRISBANE, Dec 31 AAP - Queensland police have caught a man with an alleged blood alcohol reading more than six times the legal limit.
A 28-year-old man from Peak Crossing was stopped overnight for a random breath test in the nearby town of Boonah, south-west of Brisbane, and allegedly blew .303 per cent.
SYDNEY, Dec 20 AAP - The drivers of a Porsche and two motorcycles have had their vehicles confiscated after reaching speeds of more than 220km/h in an alleged road race.
Police say the three men were racing along a 100km/h zone of the Pacific Highway on the far north NSW coast on Saturday about 10.40am (AEST).
MELBOURNE, Dec 15 AAP - Two young men accused of drag racing before a crash that killed a 15-year-old boy will stand trial.
Mitchell Cairnduff, of Wheelers Hill, died when a turbo-charged Mitsubishi Lancer driven by Jarrod Rooke hit a taxi at 120km/h, the Melbourne Magistrates Court heard.
MELBOURNE, Jan 6 AAP - A 78-year-old hoon caught speeding at 170km/h on a narrow country road on New Year's Day told police he was a skilled race driver.
Victorian Premier John Brumby, however, was not impressed with John Belfield's claims, labelling Australia's oldest hoon driver an "idiot", while police said he was toying with death.i
Heralding the arrival of a new publication from The Weird House, the first edition of House Harris, a news publication that should provide a window into current affairs in Australia with articles from the Australian Associated Press who should be credited and duly paid their royalties.
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Feature Story
WHO declares flu pandemic
All House Harris News Articles are individually selected by The Editor
Main Feature Story
Don't worry, it's just a pandemic
By Richard Ingham
12 Jun 2009 2:45 AM
PARIS, June 11 AFP - Now it's official: we have a flu pandemic. But what does it mean?
For many, the term may be tinged with fear. It evokes folk memories of three influenza pandemics that erupted last century and claimed tens of millions of lives.
The worst was the 1918-19 "Spanish flu".
The greatest plague of the 20th century killed as many as 50 million people, particularly the young and healthy, who could be dispatched to their grave in just a few days, their ravaged lungs filled with blood.
But health experts are keen to defuse any "we're all going to die" reflex after the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday announced a flu pandemic was under way.
For one thing, "pandemic" is only a technical term that indicates the geographical spread of a disease.
Despite its scary connotations, the word is no indication as to how contagious or lethal the disease is.
Regularly Updated News As It Arrives From The Editor
House Harris News
US: FBI, police probe deadly US museum shooting
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2009 (AFP) - The Holocaust Memorial Museum here flew its flags at half mast on Thursday mourning the death of a security guard killed in an attack by an elderly white supremacist, as police probed the shooting. More...
Vic: US travel ban over bar mat theft
MELBOURNE, June 12 AAP - A Melbourne woman convicted of stealing a bar mat in Thailand says she cannot take her children on a dream holiday to Disneyland because the US government has refused her visa application. More...
SA: Lower limits still the key to cutting road deaths
Researchers say driving slower and using new technology could help to reduce deaths and severe injuries on Australian roads. More...
Fed: Federal police to enforce greenhouse law without extra help
MELBOURNE, June 12 AAP - The thin blue line of the federal police will soon be stretched to breaking point as the force begins to prosecute climate change offences, a union has warned. More...
NSW: Nurses most honest and ethical, car salesman not, survey
Australians rate nurses as the most ethical and honest professionals .. but car salesmen .. newspaper journalists .. and advertising people are still on the nose. More...
NSW: Rudd takes another swipe at Chaser team
The Chaser TV comedy team have been told by the prime minister .. it's about time they picked on someone their own size. More...
Qld: Australia's worst air crash to be remembered in US
The American victims of a World War Two air disaster in Australia will be remembered in a ceremony in the United States early today our time. More...
NT: Grog bans creating a culture of indigenous resistance
Health research has revealed alcohol bans in Alice Springs have fostered a culture of resistance in some Aboriginal people .. and driven a wedge between black and white. More...
EUR: Don't worry, it's just a pandemic
PARIS, June 11 AFP - Now it's official: we have a flu pandemic. But what does it mean? More...
EUR: WHO declares flu pandemic
GENEVA, June 11 AFP - The swine flu crisis has escalated into the world's first influenza pandemic in 40 years, the World Health Organisation has declared, after infecting tens of thousands of people in 74 countries. More...
ASIA: Seven powers reach deal on UN NKorea sanctions
UNITED NATIONS, June 10 AFP - Major powers on Wednesday agreed on a package of expanded sanctions, including tougher cargo inspections and a tighter arms embargo, to punish North Korea for its recent nuclear test and missile firings. More...
US: Two wounded in Washington Holocaust museum shooting
WASHINGTON, June 10 AFP - A gunman opened fire at the Holocaust museum here on Wednesday, hitting a security guard before being wounded himself, sparking panic in Washington's tourist area, officials and witnesses said. More...
NSW: Zero degree morning forecast for nth-west Sydney
Sydneysiders are waking up to icy temperatures this morning .. with some parts of the city dropping below zero degrees. More...
EUR: Earth-Venus smash-up possible in 3.5 billion years: study
PARIS, June 10 AFP - A force known as orbital chaos may cause our solar system to go haywire, leading to a possible collision between earth and Venus or Mars, according to a study released on Wednesday. More...
EUR: Gaddafi 'turns page on past' with visit to Italy
ROME, June 10 AFP - Italy rolled out the red carpet on Wednesday for Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi who said he has "turned the page on the past" after arriving for a landmark visit. More...
Fed:Upbeat consumers could still end in tears
We'll find out today how much the global economic crises has really hit the country .. when the latest unemployment figures are published. More...
Fed: Jobs figures expected to show rise in unemployment
CANBERRA, June 11 AAP - Economists are expecting Thursday's official job figures for May to show a sharp jump in the unemployment rate. More...
Vic: Five with swine flu in intensive care
MELBOURNE, June 11 AAP - Five people with swine flu have been placed in intensive care in Victoria and residents at three nursing homes are being tested for the potentially deadly virus. More...
EUR: World edges towards official swine flu pandemic
GENEVA, June 10 AFP - Health authorities edged towards global swine flu pandemic status on Wednesday as the virus wreaked havoc with Australian sports scheduling and Colombia reported its first death. More...
US: US proposes law to control corporate pay
WASHINGTON, June 10 AFP - US President Barack Obama's administration unveiled plans on Wednesday for legislation to give authorities and shareholders the means to control bonus payments to executives of listed firms. More...
EUR: 'George W. Aso' savaged by greens at UN climate talks
BONN, Germany, June 10 AFP - Green groups at the UN climate talks blasted Japan on Wednesday for setting what they called pitifully low targets for curbing its emissions of greenhouse gases. More...
EUR: Russia might abandon nukes if others do
MOSCOW, June 10 AP - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia is willing to abandon nuclear weapons, if the United States and all other countries that have them do the same. More...
EUR: Australia spike may push swine flu level to pandemic: WHO
GENEVA, June 9 AP - The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. More...
EUR: WHO chief: flu pandemic appears to be happening
GENEVA, June 9 AP - The head of the World Health Organisation says the swine flu outbreak appears to have reached pandemic proportions. More...
US: First Gitmo detainee arrives in US for trial
WASHINGTON, June 9 AP - US authorities have brought the first Guantanamo Bay detainee to the United States, flying him into New York to face trial for bombing US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, the Justice Department said on Tuesday. More...
UK: UFO-obsessed British hacker fights extradition to US
LONDON, June 9 AFP - A Briton accused of hacking into NASA computers should not be extradited to the US due to his mental health, a lawyer said on Tuesday, adding that he was eccentric and "passionate" about UFOs. More...
Fed: Axe falls on generous solar rebate
The renewable energy industry is up in arms after federal government abruptly axed its eight-thousand dollar rebate for solar panels yesterday. More...
NSW: Two arrests as Indian students protest for second night
SYDNEY, June 10 AAP - Indian students have taken to the streets of western Sydney for a second night in protest at a series of attacks they claim are racially motivated. More...
MED: Computer injuries on rise, youths most at risk: study
Blurry vision and wrist pain are among the well-known health perils of computer use .. but a new study shows a rise in previously overlooked injuries due to computer equipment falling over. More...
Fed: Economy offers 'rational basis for confidence': Rudd
MELBOURNE, June 9 AAP - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says Australia's strong economic fundamentals offer a glimmer of hope the nation will escape the worst effects of the global recession. More...
Unemployment on the rise despite more positive signs, Rudd
CANBERRA, June 9 AAP - A more modest fall in job advertising and a jump in business confidence won't prevent the jobless rate climbing, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has warned. More...
NSW: Woman denies trying to hasten daughter's starvation
EAST MAITLAND, NSW, June 9 AAP - A woman on trial for murder has denied deliberately hastening her daughter's starvation death by feeding her foods with a laxative effect. More...
Fed: HMAS Toowoomba departs for Middle East
CANBERRA, June 9 AAP - HMAS Toowoomba has set sail for a six-month tour of duty in the Middle East. More...
Vic: "Out of control" teen attacks police dog
MELBOURNE, June 9 AAP - An "out of control" teenager has indicated he is likely to plead guilty to attacking a veteran police dog. More...
Qld: Police officer named Queenslander of the Year
BRISBANE, June 9 AAP - Police officer Jim Bellos has been named Queenslander of the Year as the state marks its 150th year of independence. More...
US: Obama speeds up stimulus spending
WASHINGTON, June 8 AFP - US President Barack Obama announced on Monday he would ramp up economic stimulus spending over the next three months in a bid to save or create 600,000 jobs through summer youth programs, schools and public works. More...
US: Obama 'deeply concerned' by sentencing of journalists
WASHINGTON, June 8 AFP - US President Barack Obama is "deeply concerned" over the sentencing of two US journalists by North Korea and is using "all possible channels" to obtain their release, The White House said on Monday. More...
Fed: Fielding wants Labor to consider alternate climate change theory
CANBERRA, June 8 AAP - Family First senator Steve Fielding wants to debate the cause of global warming with government scientists before he votes on Labor's climate change legislation. More...
US: Palin accused of lifting from Gingrich article
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, June 7 AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been accused of paraphrasing at length from an article co-written by Newt Gingrich when she gave a speech, but her lawyer says proper credit was given to the former House of Representatives speaker. More...
EUR: Conservatives hand centre-left painful defeat in EU vote
BRUSSELS, June 8 AFP - Conservatives decisively beat Socialists in EU Parliament elections marred by a record low turnout, results showed on Monday, after the centre-left failed to capitalise on concern over the recession. More...
ASIA: Korea jails US journalists for 12 years
SEOUL, June 8 AFP - The United States is "deeply concerned" by North Korea's sentencing of two American journalists to 12 years in a labour camp, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said on Monday. More...
US: Clinton says interdiction possible for NKorea
The Obama administration is working with US allies to develop ways to cut off North Korean shipments .. that may be carrying nuclear technology or other weapons. More...
Seeking writer to do opinion