I'm late, I'm late....

The headline on this story reads :

Hugh Jackman hissy fit stops Broadway play

BUT, it should have read RUDE ARSEHOLE interrupts Broadway play.

Seriously who is SO important that they need to take their mobile into a freaking play. Geez people, no wonder there is so much rage everywhere you go, noone has time for relaxation and enjoyment any more. We're all too important to take time out.

If you MUST be *on* 24/7, at least put your phone on silent or vibrate, so the rest of us unwashed masses with manners can enjoy our down time. k? thx, bye.

I may be thick but...

WTH has smoking got to do with Superannuation? HUH? Has he mixed up Superannuation with Life Insurance? or is he talking about the Insurance [ Personal Income Loss etc] that you can buy from the funds? If that's it, then why are they adding products without authorisation from the owner of the Super Account? If not, how me paying for a future pension [ whether it's the Super guarantee or my own top ups] in an investment fund got to do with whether I die early or not?

Savings go up in smoke in secretive super rip-off

At Colonial's FirstChoice fund, for example, when an employee is moved out of his or her company's super plan into the personal option, fees increase by $475 a year.

In part, this is because insurance costs are based on the assumption they are smokers.

I know I promised no more swine flu jokes...

so how about a tshirt instead :D



you can buy one here

Helping Hands...

One of my blogger friends is a Melbourne artist, she has an ebay auction of one of her gorgeous artworks with all proceeds to go to the Bushfire Victims.

You can find the auction at Ebay

I have one of her paintings and you can also visit her blog

Daniel Sanger has also donated an artwork to be sold to benefit Bushfire Victims, you can find it here

Don't forget to visit the Toy Society for donations of handmade toys.

Fun4Paws are also looking for foster carers for dogs whose owners are homeless from the bushfires, if you can help please contact
Luke - 0415 104 044 contact@fun4paws.com.au
Lynne - 0428 844 810 or
lynne@fun4paws.com.au

and visit the linked image below to buy handamde items donated to raise money for bushfire victims.

Helping Bushfire Victims

If you want to help, here are some ways...

Humans:
-Donate Blood - There are a lot of burn victims who need blood. Contact your nearest Red Cross Blood Bank Ph 131 495
-Donate money to the Red Cross or Salvation Army Bushfire Appeals.
-Donate Clothes, blankets, towels etc can also be donated to Fire Victim Appeals through the Salvation Army and the Red Cross. [they are asking for money rather than actual items now, if you can't afford money & still looking to help, please consider donating blood instead]

- Donations to the Victorian Bushfire Relief Fund can be made at any National Australia Bank. BSB: 082 001 - Account: 860 046 797


Animals/Wildlife:
- You can donate at Wildlife Victoria or WIRES or Help for Wildlife
- Possum Pouches/Joey Pouches - you can either sew or knit* them. There is a downloadable pdf pattern on this page at Long Grass Nature Refuges Blog contact your local WIRES or Wildlife rescue shelter to donate these items.

* pure wool not manmade fibres.

They also need clean old sheets and towels etc but please contact your local wildlife rescue shelter to find out further info on what they need.

ABC Melbourne also have a How can I help messageboard to offer help and to find ways that you can help. There are links to various aid agency appeals and also ways to offer help for wildlife, small animals and agistment to help out fire affected animals.

Pip from Meet Me at Mikes has a lot of info & links for people who are crafty or would like to join the auctions the craft community members are starting. Pip is also accepting any handmade donations you want to make.

The Toy Society is also collecting handmade toys to be distributed to the children impacted by the fires.

Bushfires in the news...

We're all fine, the bushfires are a couple of kilometres away from us and luckily for us the wind did not fan it this way. Although our resident firebugs favourite spot just up the road was checked on several times by the Emergency Service vehicles.

Sadly, 50 homes are apparently gone here in Bendigo along with the Spotlight store, Clark Rubber and a Motorbike shop that was next to them. Also, a primary school at California Gully and a badminton/leisure centre and one of the local pubs :-( Edited : From what I can gather without going to look, these structures are still standing but have been smoke/water damaged. They believe the fire was started by someone throwing a lit cigarette butt from a vehicle :-(

As the area the fire went through has a lot of natural bushland many native animals will also be injured or dead. Apparently there have been humans injured here as well. I don't know for sure how this fire started but I hope it wasn't lit deliberately.

Hubby wasn't home until late tonight and so I was a bit worried when the sky was full of dust and smoke from the fires and I couldn't work out exactly how far away they were. The house we are in atm is surrounded by bush and grass so it would not have taken much for it to get going. Kids and cats in the car and I would have been off. [ I'm not a panicky person but don't know the area well enough yet to judge the level of danger]

I'm used to cyclones and flooding. It's much worse with bushfires because at least you get warning with cyclones and floods, bushfires come from nowhere and take you by surprise.

I'm feeling sad tonight for all the people who lost their lives and their families and loved one's, along with all the devastation of losing homes and businesses especially with the economic climate.

Other area's have also been hit hard, some worse than here with a greater loss of life :-(

Hugs everyone. Stay safe. Send thanks & grateful vibes to those who are standing guard all night to protect us.

What a load of manure!

Can you believe this freaking BS? The horses that survive Hendra virus get put down anyway! Why not put them down when they are sick then? Why wait for them to recover at all? Why put them through it all? If they're serious about the human risk, would that not be more logical to reduce it? The practical cynical side of my brain is also wondering who pays the astronomical vet fee's incurred while treating the horse?

I can't articulate the rage I feel for this complete and utter BS.


Hendra virus claims $200k racehorse Tamworth
The two-year-old gelding is being put down despite surviving the deadly Hendra virus that claimed four other horses at Queensland's Redlands Veterinary Clinic.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24182088-1248,00.html


I know I haven't posted much. I swear I am really, really busy. Apart from the pneumonia putting me a month behind, I am also working on new stuff. Good news is that I am being weaned back off medication and can start excercising again.YAY. Plus, 2 pro photographers in the house, you'd think I'd be able to get photo's of artwork and stuff. no. not so much. They are busy too LOL

Help? Where? Rhetoric over action strikes again!

Sooooo, the crisis people can't even find them a caravan or 2 to go where the house/garage was?

ROFLMAO. And people accuse me of being cynical. What a freaking joke.

Yes, I am a big fan of self reliance and responsibility, however, sometimes the help on offer is useless. Giving them a caravan and hooking it up on site and organising for the family to take part in an owner builder relationship to rebuild would be practical. Finding a civic minded builder to help would have been more practical, or even nominating them for one of the shows on tv, instead of a garden makeover they have a whole block they could make over. 3 years dumped into crisis accomodation where they have to pay rent and utilities does not help a family recover from losing everything.

And, the council waits till winter? Yes, that's practical help.

I'm not a fan of just doing everything for people, but putting forward other options other than short term crisis help needs to be incorporated. Practical help, not looks good on paper and pat me on the back help.

A CRANBOURNE family of eight is out in the cold after bulldozers moved in on their makeshift home.

Shortly before 10.30am on Thursday, two police cars arrived at the Darcy Court property to remove Vince Grant, his pregnant partner Karen Dyball, their four children aged 12 and under and Mr Grant's 76-year-old mother, Patricia.

By lunchtime, the garage they had been living in was demolished. Hours later, Ms Dyball went into labour a week early and was taken to Frankston Hospital where she gave birth to a healthy son David Bradley. Read more

HMAS Sydney (II) Discovered - Latest Search Reports

 

HMAS Sydney (II) Discovered - Latest Search Reports

Fair Dinkum Citizenship Test

I found the following citizenship test at

The Age in an article by Catherine Deveny.

She does have a point about the new citizenship test. You could test 99% of Australia's high school students on it and they'd fail miserably. Although I'd hope her last paragraph before the test part is meant tongue in cheek, although it doesn't come across that way. If not, then I guess I know which recently resurrected jailbird she'd vote for.

Anyway....

It's time for a real test that requires real Australian qualities.

LANGUAGE

1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of, the term "died in the arse"?

2. What is a mole?

3. Are these terms related: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?

4. Explain the following passage: "In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of biffo."

CUSTOMS

1. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?

2. Complete the following sentences: a) "If the van's rockin' don't bother � b) You're going home in the back of a �

c) Fair suck of the �

3. I've had a gutful and I can't be fagged. Discuss

4. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?

5. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard "up on blocks"? Is his name Keith and does he have a wife called Cheryl?

FOOD

1. Does your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either chow mein, chop suey or kai see ming?

2. What are the ingredients in a rissole?

3. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.

4. Do you have an Aunty Myrna who is famous for her tuna mornay and other dishes involving a can of cream of celery soup?

5. In any two-hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two serves of pav washed down with someone else's beer that has been nicked from a bath full of ice?

6. When you go to a bring- your-own-meat barbie can you eat other people's meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?

7. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter "b" is required by law to be included in a hamburger with the lot?

CULTURE

1. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or Ugg boots?

2. Is it possible to "prang a car" while doing "circle work"?

3. Who would you like to crack on to?

4. Who is the most Australian: Kevin "Bloody" Wilson, John "True Blue" Williamson, Kylie Minogue or Warnie?

5. Is there someone you are only mates with because

they own a trailer or have a pool?

6. Would you love to have a beer with Duncan?

The people to be granted citizenship are the ones who call it a crock and cheat.

 

Someone should turn it into a meme and tag all Aussies ROFLMAO

Great.

Prexige [Lumiracoxib] has just  been recalled, urgently even. If you've been on it, I'd suggest you ask for a blood test for liver function from your Dr and take the stuff to chemist for disposal.

TWO people are dead and two others have undergone liver transplants from a drug, used by 60,000 people in Australia, which was urgently recalled today by the Federal Government.

This is the 3rd time a drug the Dr's  prescribed me have been recalled. Each time they've told me they are more effective and safer than older drugs. And they snort if you ask about natural treatments.

Who is not doing their job properly?

And, Why not?

Wot tha?

I just read this in The Times Online:

For the first time China has given the Government the power to ensure that no new living Buddha can be identified, sounding a possible death knell to a mystical system that dates back at least as far as the 12th century.

Read More  China tells living Buddhas to obtain permission before they reincarnate

 

Hearin' -  Reckless : Australian Crawl

 

Not really a political post...

but has anyone noticed how the *age* word has been bandied around again? As in, too old, not up with the times etc and all those other buzz phrases?  A mere few months ago  we were being told by the media that people over 50ish could still work and had valuable contributions that shouldn't be tarnished by a number. You know, so we don't become a future drain on the young one's pockets.

So... how come the same media are now saying the PM is too old to run?

What about issues? or can't they be bothered to write a real story with facts other than his age? and why are we now suddenly ageing after aging for a really long time? I can think of plenty of things other than his age to complain about.

The recent return to age bashing is getting old [no pun intended] We spend years getting old enough to do stuff, only to miss out because we're too old!  Happens in sport too, I personally think if you still want to do stuff and are still capable, then it's put up or shut up to all the too old comments that are going on. 

Wait your turn Whippersnappers, we nearly oldies ain't done yet and if someone tries to jump my queue, they'll get smacked with my walking stick!

I obviously am not young enough to know it all, nor old enough to have forgotten it all.

Hugs Bugs!

 

 

Hearin' : Just a song about Ping Pong : Operator Please

Readin' : Life Expectancy : Dean Koontz

A Sporting Chance

As I said before, I totally agree with the cost of kids sport. I am not the only one and now the media is onto it as well. Hopefully it will be looked at by someone who can do something. It may not sound so bad if you look at one child, but add in another and we're away in costs. As a general rule if one kid in the family wants to play a sport, siblings generally want to have a go too.
We used to use the school playgrounds and sports fields as our *clubhouse* to train and play rather than an actual clubhouse or specialised sports ground. Why not go back to that?

PARENTS are forking out hundreds of dollars each year for their children to play junior sport – and the costs are only going to rise.
Sport memberships can cost almost $200 a season while leagues are charging weekly game fees as high as $8.
Frustrated parents are also being charged just to watch their children play.
But sporting clubs have argued increasing costs such as electricity and maintenance force the increases. Read the rest of the story

Not only are we paying through the nose for children to play, we also have to fork out to watch them to raise money to repair vandalism. Wonder if the vandalism was caused by kids who play sports or whether they're vandalising stuff because they're bored because their parents can't afford for them to play sport?

When she arrived at his game at the weekend she had to fork out $12.10, which covered the cost of two adults, one child and the $6.70 junior game fee. Read the rest of the story


And this guy misses the point completely. Parents who can't afford to pay the fee's obviously will not be "encouraging and supportive" of the sport their child chooses. So, the kid misses out altogether. Then again, with the amount of money he earns, I guess his kids won't miss out because Mum & Dad's budget is about to rupture.

A LEADING sporting expert has argued reducing junior sport fees won't make any difference to the childhood obesity epidemic. Read the rest of the story

Happy little vegemites :-)

new ad with the vegemite song is being put out by Kraft. Just in case you forgot the words [ riiiiiiight] here they are :


We're happy little Vegemites
As bright as bright can be
We all enjoy our Vegemite
For breakfast, lunch and tea
Our mummies say we're growing stronger
Every single week,
Because we love our Vegemite
We all adore our Vegemite
It puts a rose in every cheek.

Want to get lucky? Clean the toilet

Well. Obviously I better get cleaning then, I haven't polished the toilet floor enough.


Want to get lucky? Clean the toilet
From correspondents in Tokyo
March 01, 2007 01:09pm
Article from: ReutersFont size: + -
Send this article: Print Email
CLEANLINESS has long been next to godliness for the hygiene-conscious Japanese, but fortune-tellers are now advising those who want to succeed in life to start by scrubbing the smallest room.

Cleaning the toilet to attract luck published this month is the latest in a series of books advising readers on how to attract good fortune using a brush and an array of cleaning fluids.

"Don't just wipe the floor, polish it," the book instructs.

"It's important to maintain a positive mood while cleaning."

ffs

Hmmm, I guess for the money we pay, we didn't get monkeys working for peanuts, we got Great Apes instead.

Let's see, would I rather my tax dollars were spent on
a/ Politicians given a blanket $175 - $190 per night, no matter how much the actual cost to stay in Canberrra. Public Servants get $209 - $333 per night.

or

b/ Tell a family whose son is blind from cancer surgery she should only be paid $7 per day and she'll have to work at night then be up all day with her son while hubby works to support the family.

I'd say they were claiming from Centrelink already, so why the Government car pickup to take them to the Dr's appt? Can we say media hype from Centrelink? Look!!! They are really good, they Care! They should have donated the money it cost for the show pony car to the family.

Politicians seem to have lost sight of the fact that they work for us, the great unwashed masses. We don't work for them.

Help an Aussie farmer fight the drought

I thought I'd repost this as Alice now has a blog as well where you can keep up with what's happening at the farm. She's also appeared in the media now and you can read her story here

http://www.rangersdrought.blogspot.com/


Please buy a photo if you can, everything helps. As I said, I don't know her personally but you have to give her credit for not sitting around waiting.

Help an Aussie in the drought

I don't know the Seller, I just saw her auctions on Ebay. I thought we could all help out by buying one [or more] of her photo's to help her save her farm until it rains.

http://search.ebay.com.au/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZaws803

If I've stuffed up the link, her sellers id is aws803

Update:
Alice now also has a blog at http://www.rangersdrought.blogspot.com/

How Sad...

Belinda Emmett died in Sydney today.