Fashion clothing company, Cotton On, is being sued by Australia’s competition watchdog, the ACCC.

Cotton On recalled a range of sleepwear in November 2010 after the ACCC discovered the products weren’t up to fire safety standards — despite carrying a “low fire danger” label.

Cotton On continued selling the pyjamas into 2011, according to an ACCC statement lodged in the Federal Court.

* * *

Last year, Cotton On was marketing hip flasks to under-drinking-age teens.

Making the makings of an alcohol binge into a fashion accessory . . . .

Suitable for concealing in one’s jacket pocket or inside one’s shirt . . . .

In fashion colours — hot pink snakeskin, blue or pink floral, graffiti and denim . . . .

Professor of Health Psychology, Dr John Toumbourou, condemned this venture, wanting the flasks withdrawn from sale, being “contrary to public health interests”.

Cotton On did eventually start labelling the flasks as not for sale to people under 18.

* * *

Cotton On seems willing to sell ANYTHING that will make a dollar.

No good waiting for their consciences to make them do the right thing.

It would be nice if the younger set decided to boycott Cotton On and put them out of business.

On October 15, a group calling themselves Occupy Melbourne moved into the City Square, set up 40-odd tents and announced that they were staying indefinitely.

Each day, they marched through the streets, obstructing intersections and holding protest meetings outside buildings of which they disapproved (the Serco office, the Melbourne Club, the Stock Exchange).

They were warned by the Council and Police to vacate the Square by 9am October 21.

Instead, they texted and twittered friends and acquaintances to come and swell their numbers.

It took 400 police officers to move them up Swanston Street and into Carlton.

It took 5 Council trucks to remove the rubbish they left behind.

* * *

There is, of course, a place for disobeying the law of the land — if a black -and-white moral issue is at stake.

But these occupiers could point to no such clear-cut justification.

They claim to represent the “99 percent” on modest incomes and condemn the “1 percent” who get excessive incomes (e.g. corporate CEO’s on millions per year).

OK. But this is not sufficient issue to justify defiance, disobedience and attempts to obstruct the police.

If those of us who believe in justice will live by our faith — putting first God and the needs of the disadvantaged among his children — we can create a better world.

If laws exist which would prevent us living by our faith, then disobey by all means.

Otherwise don’t.

October 17 is United Nations’ Anti-Poverty Day.

October 16 to 22 is designated by some as Anti-Poverty Week.

A Brisbane group calling itself Micah Projects – government-funded, but with churchly connections — has unearthed some relevant statistics:

e.g. in the Brisbane area:
* 14.8% of households have a weekly income under $500;
* over 10,000 jobless households with children aged under 15 years;
* 3,741 Domestic Violence Protection Order applications made in 2010.

* * *

Poverty Week participating groups will include ACOSS, ACTU, Anglicare, Australian Red Cross, Australian Services Union, Catholic Social Services of Australia, Jobs Australia, Mission Australia, Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, The Benevolent Society and UnitingCare.

Most of these groups are have Christian backgrounds.

Secretary of Micah Projects is Brisbane priest, Father Terry Fitzpatrick — not only a Catholic priest, but a Catholic priest defiant against his bishop, and attached to a group no longer using the approved liturgies and Sacramental rites of the Catholic religion.

* * *

Is poverty always bad?

Saint Mary of the Cross (Mother Mary MacKillop) said that when young, “I longed for a religious life, one in which I could serve God and his poor neglected ones in poverty and disregard of the world and its fleeting opinions . . . I looked for poverty more like that practised in the early religious orders of the Church . . . .”

Jesus told his disciples that, “Foxes have dens and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Yes, we must try to alleviate materialistic poverty where it is extreme.

We must, with at least as much enthusiasm, seek to eradicate spiritual poverty.

If we do that whole-heartedly, we’ll probably get no government funding.

A report entitled, “Caring for our Australian Alps Catchments: Summary Report for Policy Makers” was released by Mr Greg Combet, Minister for Climate Change, last Monday, 10 October 2011.

It says that about 1000 gigalitres of water – 30 percent of total Murray-Darling flow – come from Australian Alps catchments, and are worth $9.6 billion per year to the nation.

It also says that, of these 235 catchments, 60 percent are in “substandard” condition.

Mr Combet then goes on to claim that, because of this, it is necessary that Australia reduce its output of what he insists on calling “greenhouse gases”.

And that the right way to do that is to press on with “putting a price on carbon”.

Yawn.

* * *

The irrigated region using all this water is Australia’s largest producer of WINE GRAPES.

Much of that wine is exported – but nearly half goes down the throats of citizens of Australia.

Sales of alcoholic drinks in Australia in 2007 were estimated at 2.7 BILLION litres.

Alcohol drinking is Australia’s biggest health problem — and its biggest social problem, crime-wise.

If we are so short of water, why not, as a first step in saving some, stop WASTING it producing wine grapes?

Geelong won the Australian Football League grand final yesterday.

Which in many ways is unimportant. Basically AFL football is one bunch of businessmen versus another.

Most sport in Australia is now dominated by big business.

Which means that the war that matters is being lost.

The war against money-worship.

* * *

Are the above observations too negative? Too pessimistic?

Perhaps so.

There IS something a little bit good about Geelong.

Geelong Football Club deserves congratulations for its recent stand supporting the Federal Government’s proposed poker machine reforms — stepping out of line with the AFL and other clubs.

Their stand is a pretty half-hearted one . . . they aren’t proposing capping all poker machines . . . they certainly aren’t talking about banning all pokies.

BUT they are less immoral and corrupt over this subject than all other clubs appear to be.

“The only issue at stake is the high intensity machines where gamblers can churn through up to $1000 an hour,” said Geelong president Colin Carter.

“They should set a loss limit before they start, and I struggle to see how that is necessarily a bad thing.”

Well said.

* * *

This blog, like all deep-thinking blogs, has, since childhood, supported Carlton Football Club in the AFL/VFL.

But one may rethink that.

Carlton has always been disgustingly pro-alcohol.

Now it is too compromised to take the rather minor step of siding with Geelong in resisting the addictive scourge of poker machines.

A friend of a friend of mine recently bought a motor vehicle.

On the back it says “Suzuki”, “Trekker”, “V6”, “Grand”, “Vitara” and “Prestige”.

All those words!

Translated into normal English, do they not mean “Status Symbol”, “Status Symbol”, “V6”, “Status Symbol”, “Status Symbol”, “Status Symbol”? 

* * *

There’s a saying, “Live simply so that others may simply live”.

Many kind-hearted people sponsor poor children in overseas countries.

Excellent. We should probably do more of it.

We should want to give until it starts affecting our lifestyle — even our car-style.

* * *

This is a basic of the Christian faith.

Jesus said to one enquirer who claimed to have kept all of God’s commandments: “If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you possess, and give to the poor. Then you will have treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me . . . .”

The gospel records that “when the young man heard those words, he went away sad, for he had great possessions . . . .”

Sounds as though the possessions had him . . . .

Another time, Jesus said: “When you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it (your left hand must not know what your right hand is doing). Then it will be a private matter: and your Father in heaven, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.”

Inspiring words.

Pray to God to show you how he wishes you to apply them in your life.