These people believe that they are immune to the repercussions of their actions because they are part of a pack or a group or in this case a riot. The senseless nature of this and other pack or group crimes must be dealt with and punished at levels beyond that of just the destruction of property.

They must be dealt with and punished for the long term damage that they do to the psyche of our youth and for the escalating levels of future actions that will no doubt come from this. The “one-up-manship” that exists today in many of the youth of this country mean’s that the next moronic incident will only be bigger and more damaging.

It is time for the government, the police and media to join forces to expose and publicly shame the people involved in these types of crimes. The punishment must go beyond that of the normal judicial process. It is time to fight fire with fire.

The internet is the greatest communication invention of all time. But it can also be a powerful weapon in the fight against and the punishment of criminals. It is time for a national “Online Social Protection Network” that allows people to assist in the identification and exposure of individuals who commit these acts against society.

It is time for an Online Community Name and Shame network!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qooQOrNfPjU

That is according to CommSec’s economics team who broke down percentages of what Australians spent their money on last year.

They spent less on newspapers and books to compensate but more on going out for takeway, alcohol and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

CommSec chief economist Craig James told The Age  that there was clear evidence that a ”cocooning effect” took hold during 2009 due to heightened money and job concerns.

”When there’s bad times around, you cocoon yourself at home and you buy takeaway and liquor rather than going out on the town,” he says.

He said Australians “came out of their burrows” towards the end of the year when the financial side of things started looking better.

And it’s likely to continue into 2010 with the economy still at fragile heights.

At least however, Australia’s unemployment rate has been stable and hasn’t risen too much.

KPMG demographer Bernard Salt told The Age many of the spending trends of 2009 will continue.

”It’s quite clear that we got ourselves through this recession by binging on drinks, drugs and burgers,” he says.

”The amount spent at pharmacies has been on the up for a while, reflecting not only our ageing population but our lifestyle shift towards wellness and wellbeing.”

Well that is just the predicament that cricket is in at the moment.

One Day Internationals have become mundane to even the biggest cricket enthusiast.

Sporting fans are pleading for more 20-20 cricket matches. But then again, how long will that last for.

People want faster and more vibrant games such as football. With pure speed and skill rather than watching a four being hit every 20 or so balls.

Cricket is in strife in Australia.

Although the money is in the Indian Premier League, it could drop off in domestic cricket once the popularity disappears in 20-20 cricket.

20-20 cricket is keeping the game alive. But how long for?

Will fans be after 10-10 cricket in another five years.

Cricket at an international scale must re-develop a way on how to make the game more attractive to the viewer.

Sporting fans are much more impatient now than what they were 20 or 50 years ago.

They want action and they want it all the time.

Hence why the remote control is pushed to channel seven and ten rather than nine.

NAB Cup football is exciting but not as exciting as the main season.

But footy fans want to see the top players. The new ones running around.

That’s a hell of a lot more attractive than a boring ODI.

You talk of some of the great Australian ironman legends – Ky Hurst would be at the top if not one of the most impeccable over time.

At 28, he has amazing surf skills and showed his best on Sunday on the Sunshine Coast to come from last in the semi final of round three of the Nutri Grain Ironman contest to finish first.

Again in the final, he came and conquered and was well behind after falling off the ski. He was last again.

He needed a big swim and there he was – albeit with the luck of a giant wave that sucked in most of the competitors ahead of him – Hurst fell to the lead in what was one of his biggest performances yet.

He has won four Australian Ironman titles and is currently in second place on the road to another.

These reports suggest that the majority of the 52 most prone places for fire in Victoria have dismissed the guidelines and recommendations from the bushfires royal commission.

It’s amazing how after last year’s Black Saturday events – not even 12 months since the event – that people are still taking this for granted.

News Limited papers said the reports, compiled by the Country Fire Authority, Emergency Services Commissioner and RMIT University, revealed almost half of people in the state’s highest fire risk areas would not leave their home on a catastrophic, or code red, fire danger day.

They show only 15 per cent had changed their bushfire survival plans after Black Saturday and almost one third did not understand the national warning system introduced last year.

One quarter of those surveyed would stay in their homes on code red days and only leave if they saw fire, while 78 per cent who stayed to defend their homes on Black Saturday said they would do it again.

People in these areas have seen the effects of last year’s disaster. It gained world recognition.

Still, some people believe they have more to worry about.

But what’s more important than protecting yourself and your family. Keep a look out particularly on total fire ban days.

Bernard Tomic, one of the sports’ rising stars, put up a brilliant performance in the second round against Croatia’s Maran Cilic, who made it all the way through to the semi-finals in the Open.

Tomic took Cilic to five sets and looked in control half way through the third set.

By his own admission, he didn’t like playing until 2am. As a 17 year old, that’s a fair statement.

It’s not an excuse, but it’s a statement that needs to be thought about by Open organisers next year.

Despite, Sam Stosur and Casey Dellacqua getting through an extra couple of rounds, Tomic was the real for star for me as far as the Aussies go.

It was sad that there was no Australians remaining on Australia Day with Lleyton Hewitt and Sam Stosur out on Australia Day eve.

Hewitt, perhaps his last ditch effort on home soil, was mediocre at best compared to Roger Federer in his fourth round match.

It was like a boy playing against a master. Federer was too good, too strong and too poised.

Tomic made his mark in Melbourne this January.

He is Australia’s greatest hope in the next few years.

Of course, Jelena Dokic, Stosur and Dellacqua will be there for the women. But the men have only lauded Hewitt in recent times in Australian ranks.

Thank god for Tomic.

But surely he is speaking from a generation or two ago when saying this.

The majority of the current generation like to experiment and that appears the overall view of Generation Y.

There is still the minority that don’t believe in sex before marriage.

Some live and die by the rule.

In a revealing interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Mr Abbott said women should try to stick to ”the rules” when considering sex before marriage.

When they cannot abstain, women should use contraception, the former Catholic seminarian says.

“Look, I was subjected to a one-hour grilling from the editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly, I was asked direct questions and I did my best to give an honest answer”, Mr Abbott told Radio 3AW today.

“I think all of us should act in ways that value ourselves. I’m trying not to be prescriptive here, I am trying not to be a preacher, but if someone asks my advice I would say don’t do anything you will live to regret if you can possibly help it.”

Asked to reveal his advice to his daughters, Mr Abbott told Neil Mitchell on 3AW: ” They shouldn’t give themselves away lightly.”

He said his advice to males was ”Much the same – treat people with respect and don’t act in ways that demean other people.”

Roads and Ports minister Tim Pallas has said that it will rival and look even better than Sydney’s Harbour Bridge – which makes the competition between the two cities even bigger.

For years, Melbourne and Sydney have been in competition within sporting grounds, facilities and shopping centres.

Now it appears the battle of the bridges will be the latest topic of conversation between the two rivals.

But it would have to extra special to rival the Harbour Bridge; one of Australia’s most renowned tourist attractions.

Right now, the West Gate Bridge doesn’t really attact the tourists’ eyes.

Mrs Pallas told The Age that the bridge would be wired with more than seven kilometres of light-emitting diodes (LED) that could enable multi-coloured displays to mark special occasions, such as Australia Day and New Year’s Eve.

Mr Pallas said the lights would transform the 30-year-old bridge.

It’s a staggering amount for those who want to buy houses as they prices continue to soar.

The Age reports that the median house price hit $540,500 in the three months to December, to be 15 per cent more expensive than the previous record of $470,000 set in the September quarter, according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. The median is the middle price of all house sales recorded in the quarter.

Price inflation was most dramatic in the middle market of between $500,000 and $900,000, a segment characterised by second-time home buyers and wealthy investors.

But if you’re a home owner, you would be thinking that you have just won tattslotto with the price of your property going up.

That’s the good thing about buying property – the only way is up.

Property, particularly in growing areas, is something that will always go up.

But party all you like as long as you don’t ruin it for others.

On the first day of action on Monday, several Croatian fans took it upon themselves to begin a fight with the Serbians before the opening match on court six.

And several were caught with weapons in their bags.

In the past three years, the two cultures have hit each other with plastic chairs, spat on each other and been in entrenched in massive fights that have seen a bloody affair.

Just two years a fight broke in a twilight match where I witnessed and sat just a couple of rows behind all the action.

The fighting between the two cultures broke out before police began spraying capsicum spray which landed in the eyes of innocent people like myself.

It was a fraccus that began vocally and ended in tears for many.

Something needs to be done in order to keep the Croats and Serbs away from each other.