Preferences Deal

I don't like this political action even it might increase the Senate representative seats for Greens. This action gave a message that Green Party endorses Labor Party's policies.

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Labor, Greens seal preferences deal (updated Monday Jul 19, 2010 12:11pm AEST)

The Greens have confirmed that they have struck a preferences deal with Labor, which will affect the Senate and some key House of Representatives seats in the upcoming federal election.

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Labor Greens preference deal (wiki inf)

The Greens struck a preferences deal with Labor. Labor will direct its Senate preferences to the Greens, while the Greens will direct preferences to the ALP in more than 50 key/marginal Lower House seats. Six marginal seats have been excluded from the deal: Blair, Dawson, Gilmore, Herbert, Lindsay and Sturt.
Julia Gillard and Bob Brown both stated they were not directly involved in the deal. Bob Brown also stated that people had the right to vote as they wished, and described preference arrangements as a "necessary evil".
Senator Fiona Nash from the National Party criticised the preference deal, stating that "the Greens will be running the country if the party wins the balance of power in the Senate".

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關於澳洲大選，其實在 7 月 18 日，澳洲綠黨就已經和工黨達成合作的協議了，動作非常迅速。雖然因為澳洲的選舉制度，綠黨這樣做或許可以增加席次，但是我對於這樣為工黨政策背書的舉動，還是有所遲疑。

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Roundup Ready Canola

Today's Landline is talking about Roundup Ready canola, i.e. GM canola. I am a little bit surprise to know that there are so many Roundup Ready canola growing in Australia including NSW, VIC and WA. South Australia still bans it and I didn't find information about Queensland. This makes me wonder if most canola oils selling in supermarket are made from GM canola and if they will label GM and GM-free on the bottle. I think it will make farmers in South Australia very difficult to maintain their GM-free canola especially those farmland next to NSW, VIC and WA.

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Farmers take up GM canola (Posted Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:40am AEST) (ABC)

The Agriculture Minister Terry Redman says the Government's decision to lift the ban on genetically modified canola has been vindicated.

Bio-tech company Monsanto says more than 70,000 hectares of Roundup Ready canola had so far been planted in WA, more than double original estimates.

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Roundup Ready® Canola (Monsanto)

Roundup Ready canola is the most profitable weed control system, so get ready to see more yellow.

Higher yield and oil content

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Monsanto's GM Roundup Ready canola (09 February 2005)
Industry avoid the truth about GM segregation problems (09 November 2009)
Agronomics and Economics of GM Canola (29 January 2009)

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Roundup (herbicide) (from wiki)

Roundup is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum herbicide produced by the U.S. company Monsanto, and contains the active ingredient glyphosate. Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in the USA, and Roundup has been the number one selling herbicide worldwide since at least 1980.

The main active ingredient of Roundup is the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. Another important ingredient of Roundup is the surfactant POEA (polyethoxylated tallow amine), which is known for its toxicity in wildlife. It increases herbicide penetration in plant and animal cells.

Several weed species, known as superweeds, have developed Roundup resistance largely because of repeated exposure.

Monsanto also produces seeds which grow into plants genetically engineered to be tolerant to glyphosate, which are known as Roundup Ready crops. The genes contained in these seeds are patented. Such crops allow farmers to use glyphosate as a post-emergence herbicide against most broadleaf and cereal weeds.

Genetically modified crops
In 1996, genetically modified Roundup Ready soybeans resistant to Roundup became commercially available, followed by Roundup Ready corn in 1998. Roundup Ready soybeans patent is due to expire in 2014. Current Roundup Ready crops include soy, maize (corn), canola, sugar beet and cotton, with wheat and alfalfa still under development. As of 2005, 87% of U.S. soybean fields were planted with glyphosate resistant varieties.

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Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

We are watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution (inf on wiki) on TV channel 10. The description of this show is "Jamie Oliver wants to start a food revolution! The impassioned chef and best-selling author is determined to take on the high statistics of obesity, heart disease and diabetes in the US."

It is amazing to see how those American parents feed their children at home and in school. So gross.

Good for Jamie Oliver's food revolution. I hope he will succeed in the future.

It is "Masterchef Australia" before "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" on TV channel 10 tonight. Well, those dishes and desserts made in Masterchef look very delicious, but they are so fat and unhealthy. No wonder that American and Australian are obese counties.

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Green Onion Bread

We did our first green onion bread (? pancake) on May 21, 2010 and did it several times after that. We love it and here is the receipt we use.

H2O 240 g
Flour 480 g
Yeast 1 tea spoon
Sugar 30-40 g (2 Table spoons)
Salt 8 g (4/3 tea spoon)
Oil 32 g (2 table spoons)

Use bread maker to make dough and rise 1 hour
Knead and cut to 8 pieces, wrap salty green onion inside
Bake 180 oC 12 min, then turn upside down and bake another 12 min

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Dairy on May 21, 2010:
這幾天突然開始懷念胡椒餅及蔥大餅，因為我們住的地方並沒有真正的抽油煙機，不想動油鍋，google 有查到用烤的，不知道用烤箱做出來的是否還是一樣好吃，如果在胡椒餅裡不加肉，不知道是否還是一樣的好吃。其實蔥燒餅看起來好像也蠻好吃的，或許我們可以都試試看，突然間覺得好像變得很愛吃的樣子，常常在想說要做好吃的食物來吃，這樣實在是不好啊，吃太多會變成小豬的。
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Dairy-free Chocolate Recipes

I am not quite sure if I have chronic milk allergy because I have been sick with breath problem for 10 years. No doctor figured out what's wrong with me. I read some articles talking about chronic food allergy, so I decided not to eat food contained milk product to test if I will feel better. There are so many commercial foods containing milk powder in their ingredient, so I decide to make my own dairy-free food. I can take milk out of my tea, coffee, and bread easily, but how about chocolate related food? Here are some recipes I found and I will try them sometime in the future.

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Our first test on Aug 7, 2010

Mix sugar 50g + cocoa powder 20g + Self-raising flour 70g together
-> Add canola oil 32g and water 40g, then mix
-> Separate to 15 bite-size pieces and bake 15 min at 180 oC

(note) It is very delicious with strong cocoa favor. We love it. I will suggest to use less sugar because I prefer to have a little bit bitter taste for chocolate related desert.

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My second test

Mix sugar 50g + canola oil 32g
-> Add cocoa powder 20g and mix
-> Add 1 egg and mix
-> Add self-raising flour 70g and salt 0.75g, then mix
-> Bake 10-15 min at 180 oC

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Dairy-free Chocolate Recipes

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies ( 35個 )
Ingredients:
A: 2 cups of sugar (380 g)... 3/4 cup of oil (180 cc = 144 g)...
B: 3/4 cup of cocoa powder (60 g)...
C: 4 eggs ... 2 teaspoon vanilla extract ...
D: 2 1/3 cups of flour (280 g)... 2 teaspoon baking soda (11 g) ... 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 g)...

Other:
E: Powdered sugar

作法:
{一}.. 將 A 打發後加入 B 攪拌均勻..再加入 C 至全部攪拌均勻 ...
{二}.. 材料 D 均過篩...加入作法{一}...
{三}.. 外沾用的糖粉E放在盤子裡 ...取少許的麵糰滾圓後(註2)..
再均勻的沾滾上糖粉...然後再稍稍搓圓放在鋪了烘焙紙的烤盤上...
{四}.. 烤箱預熱350度..烘烤10-12分即可...

註1 : 我覺得 2 杯糖的甜度剛剛好...
註2 : 我是用挖小球冰淇淋的scoop( 1T.) 整形的...
註3 : 整的越大.. 烘烤的時間就越久...
註4: 我通常會在烘焙的前一天先完成作法{二} ... 如此麵糰較易操作...
另外 .. 整的越小..糖粉就會用的越多...

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Chocolate Cookie

Material (approximately 15)
Cake flour 70g
Cocoa (unsweetened) 30g
Sugar 50g
Salad oil 2 tablespoons
Milk 2 tablespoons
Vanilla oil (if any) 2 to 3 drops
Powdered sugar Appropriate
◆ Beikingupauda 0.25 tsp (without OK)

Mix flour, cocoa powder and sugar together
-> Add oil & vanilla oil and mix
-> Add milk and mix to dough
-> Separate to 15 bite-size pieces and bake 180 oC for 15 min
-> Sprinkle some sugar powder

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