AUSTRALIAN parents are rolling out the welcome mat for paedophiles by allowing their children unfettered access to the internet, a parenting expert has warned.

The founder of the Generation Next parenting seminars Dr Ramesh Manocha said a recent survey by his organisation indicated one million Aussies aged four to 18 were allowed unsupervised internet access.Only one third of parents had internet filtering in place and 760,000 Aussie teens had computers in their rooms.Only 40 per cent restrict internet access to shared family areas, as experts advise, and the same amount never check the history of websites kids have visited.Dr Manocha, who works as a GP at Burwood, said the results were a major wake-up call.”There’s a growing gap between parents and children,” he said.”Our survey shows parents think they have the situation under control and they comprehend the nature of cyber safety but the reality is they don’t.”

via Expert warns against allowing children on computers | News.com.au.

Sahaja Yoga founded by Mata Nirmala Devi, that is gaining greater acceptance worldwide for calming the mind and busting stress, contributes to promoting mental and physical health, according to a new study conducted in Australia. The essence of Sahaja Yoga, described as mental silence, is much more than mere tranquillity, having several dimensions, including medically beneficial ones, Ramesh Manocha, senior lecturer of psychiatry at the University of Sydney Medical School, said.

via Sahaj Yoga promotes physical and mental health – The Times of India.

Scientists have called for aradical rethink of our relationship with the planet to head offwhat they warn could be economic and environmental catastrophe.In a report published on Thursday by the London-based RoyalSociety, an international group of 23 scientists chaired byNobel laureate Sir John Sulston called for a rebalancing ofconsumption in favour of poor countries coupled with increasedefforts to control population growth to lift the estimated 1.3billion people living on less than $1.25 a day out of poverty.”Over the next 30-40 years the confluence of the challengesdescribed in this report provides the opportunity to movetowards a sustainable economy and a better world for themajority of humanity, or alternatively the risk of social,economic and environmental failures and catastrophes on a scalenever imagined,” the scientists said.

via Scientists call for rethink on consumption, population | Reuters.

An independent alcohol advertising body should be administered by government and be mandatory. The code should also cover the sponsorship and other promotions of sport and events as well as point of sale promotions.

An additional measure to assist with reducing exposure of alcohol is to address the loophole in the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. Currently, alcohol advertising can be shown before 8:30pm on weekends and public holidays as an accompaniment to live sporting events. This is problematic because these are times when children and young people may be exposed to advertising and sponsorship.

In both 2011 and 2012, a vast majority of people agreed that alcohol advertising and promotion influences the behaviours of young people and supported a ban on alcohol advertising on television on weekend and weekdays before 8.30pm. This consistent finding demonstrates that Australians are largely supportive of such measures.

via Alcohol Advertising « FARE.

Found these slides on the web. While I didn’t put them here, or give permission to whoever put them here, they are a useful resource for those looking for a summary of the key findings from the Meditation Research Programme. They need to be updated with the latest citations but other than that they are accurate.

Click on the link to get to the webpage and then download if you want them. Please do remember to cite our research programme if you use them publicly or in any kind of journalism or academic writing!

* Meditation Research Programme slides 

MUST-TRY BURGERS

THE BURGER BISTROOPENED FIRST STORE: 2008       STORE LOCATIONS: Perth CBD, LeedervilleThe Brie-annbury ($15.50): Mt Barker free-range chicken breast, slices of brie, whole cranberry sauce, salad

BURGERFUELOPENED FIRST STORE: 1995         STORE LOCATIONS: Newtown, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, UAEBastard ($12.50): New Zealand beef, melted cheddar, bacon, beetroot, mango, avocado, salad, relish, aioli

BURGERLICIOUS OPENED FIRST STORE: 2003                                                     STORE LOCATIONS: Newtown, Sydney CBD, King’s CrossChilli diablo ($9.90): Angus beef, grilled onions, roasted capsicum, tomato, baby rocket, whole egg mayonnaise, voodoo chilli

BURGER URGE OPENED FIRST STORE: 2007                                                   STORE LOCATIONS: Fortitude Valley, West End, Uni of Queensland, St LuciaBlue Wagyu ($14.90): Australian-grown wagyu patty, crispy bacon, creamed blue cheese, homemade tomato chutney, whole egg mayonnaise, cos lettuce, tomato, white onion

GRILLD OPENED FIRST STORE: 2004                                                                 STORE LOCATIONS: Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, ACTKung Fu Fighter ($10.90): Lean beef, shredded carrot, coriander, satay sauce, salad and herbed mayonnaise

JUS BURGERS OPENED FIRST STORE: 2009                                                         STORE LOCATIONS: Leederville, Subiaco, Northbridge, FremantleRoo Burger ($13): Char-grilled Western Australian kangaroo meat with horseradish slaw and goan cuisine green chilli jam

MOO GOURMET BURGERS OPENED FIRST STORE: 2009                                 STORE LOCATIONS: Bondi, Coogee, Manly, Newtown Duck and Bacon Burger ($16.50): Free-range Muscovy duck patty, free-range bacon, tomato, home-made mayonnaise and orange jam

via Sizzle in the middle of the burger market | The Australian.

Youth aged 12 to 20 years drink 11 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States, and more than 90 percent of this is consumed in the form of binge drinking, according to the CDC.

via Mayo researchers study cost of underage drinking | Statewide | Minnesota Public Radio.

The most recent report in the Gallup poll “Wellbeing” series finds that highly religious individuals have the highest level of wellbeing, even after numerous demographic and geographic variables were controlled.

via ‘Very Religious’ People Have Highest Level of Wellbeing, Gallup Survey Finds, Christian News.

Two of Australian TV’s most high-profile actors have criticised commercial networks for failing to back shows that reflect the racial diversity of contemporary Australian society.

Firass Dirani, who stars in new ABC drama The Straits, yesterday told Fairfax that major networks did not create roles for people from a broad range of cultural backgrounds.

And that prompted New Zealand actor Jay Laga’aia, recently cut from the cast of long-running soap Home and Away, to rail against perceived racism in Australian television, making his rage known in three angry tweets that included an attack on Channel Seven.

via Home And Away Star Jay Laga’aia Blasts TV Racism | Home and Away.

‘Corporate paedophilia’ is a worrying global trend on the rise.

via Witchery New Line For Tween 8Fourteen | Corporate Paedophilia.