Very Bittersweet Irony - Boat People Tragedy

Australia has a bit of a problem with asylum seekers arriving by boat, otherwise known as boat people, to the tune of about 1500 per year. That pales in comparison with some refugee numbers in European countries but it is considered to be a big deal in this country. Nobody says too much about some two hundred thousand odd people a year who have arrived in the country legally and have come on planes, usually overstaying a visa and/or living/working illegally. You would have thought that it would be much simpler to keep an eye on these people and deport them once they've overstayed their welcome as you know who they are, when they are supposed to be leaving and would have a fair idea of where they are staying.

Back to the boat people. They can stay for years in detention centres waiting to be identified and granted asylum. Of course this leads to unrest, protest and violence as you can expect from people locked up for great lengths of time when they have come here for a better life.

Last week, on December 15th, a boat was smashed on the coastline of Christmas Island. The search for survivors has now been called off but those who did survive will be called upon to identify the bodies. I heard a report on the ABC news this morning that half of the 30 people known to have perished have been identified.

How very bittersweet. Instead of taking years to identify people in detention who are alive we can identify dead people within a week. What does this say about our processing of asylum seekers? We can do a much better job if we really want to. Maybe we haven't proven who they are though so it's not quite the same and they wouldn't be in a position to be granted asylum and released into the community if they were alive.

Why Would Cops Bother With Tasers?

So many reports about cops assaulting criminals with tasers these days. I think that I've just found out why we should not be arming our law enforcement agencies with tasers, batons, capsicum spray, etc. They are obviously wasted instruments for controlling non law-abiding citizens. The gun is the best, and probably only required, tool for a police officer.

The news article this morning was - Man shot dead by police in pub robbery officers only armed with guns

Notice how by this evening it has changed to Surveillance operation turns deadly: plainclothes officers shoot robber? Even the link is redirected.

Maybe somebody considered that the headline wasn't too intelligent and required change. Perhaps the police union had something to say. It wasn't the best bit of journalism.

I was surprised that the news article made much regarding the fact that the police officers
didn't carry any weapon other than a gun. They dealt with three robbers armed with a machete.
Does anybody, in their right mind, honestly think that capsicum spray would be good enough to subdue the criminals? Gotta say, cops armed with guns and not afraid to use them is probaby the best deterrent. What other weapon would have been useful in this situation? And didn't the cops, off-duty cops too, do their job properly?

Surely we should be commending these fine officers for carrying out their duty efficiently and protecting innocent citizens. We shouldn't even be trying to enter into a debate about what weapons the police should be carrying. Unless we're talking about getting rid of the rest and arming them with guns only. What business has anybody running around and assaulting/robbing people with a machete?

Police 1 : Crims 0

Black Box Flight Recorder Inventor Dies

The inventor of the black box flight data recorder, David Warren AO, has died. Would it have been too ironic for him to die in a plane crash rather than quietly in a nursing home?

Ants versus Crickets

Another video in the series of Ants vs .....

Looks like there is going to be more than one or two deaths from the pet ants with the introduction of three crickets into the ecosphere. And to think that I was worried about being bitten by a grasshopper. These crickets can be lethal. They might also be a bit amorous when it comes to ants. Check out the close-up.


Ants versus Crickets

Not Long For This World

I read, aghast, a report today that if you have a baby face then you are more likely to live to a ripe old age. If that truly is the case then I don't have long on this planet.

I remember working as a 22 year-old in London at one stage and the foreman asked me how old I was. His guess was 36. Another bloke thought that I was 35 and about the closest was 30-odd. Obviously I didn't have a baby face back then and things haven't gotten any better. People were surprised at my age and the comment, "Gee, you must have had a hard life," was mentioned on a few occasions.

Actually, I don't think I look much older than just after finishing high school. And I was pretty gawky looking at school. Can't get over some of the old photos of me.

Don’t Worry About Wearing Clean Underpants

Didn't your mum tell you to wear clean underpants just in case you got hit by a bus? You didn't want to be embarrassed when the people saving your life noticed that your jocks weren't clean, did you? I always thought that that was a bit strange because if a bus was heading straight for me I don't think my underdacks would be all that clean for much longer anyway.

Well, I think that it is more important to keep your room clean in case you have a heart attack. Those paramedics in Britain are a discerning mob. Did you hear about Barry Baker who had a heart attack, called 999 for assistance and then collapsed? The paramedics arrived minutes later and took a look at his place and made the comment that, "He's not worth saving." Unfortunately for them the phone call was still connected to the emergency services line. The local papers name the guys too. They were arrested on suspicion of wilful neglect of duty.

The guys' place was a mess. Has the British National Health Service, NHS, come to a point in funding whereby they train their paramedics to be discretionary with who they bother to save? I understand that ambulances are used almost as a taxi service by many people in Britain. I don't blame them for making the comment but they let the guy die which wasn't their call. Their job was to save his life and he was still alive when they arrived.

Yhe moral of the story - Keep your house tidy people because you are more likely to have a heart attack than to be hit by a bus.

My Grandma - What A Great Lady

This morning I received an early phone call. It was one that I knew was coming. My grandma died early in the morning. It has come as a shock to some people and was expected by many others. After reading an email from my Auntie late in the evening I knew what to expect. Deep down I realised that the time had come.

I wrote earlier in the year about how my family visited her in January following a stroke in October. It was quite a shock to see how her health had deteriorated. Even writing a get well card had taken me a month or so to complete such was the feeling, and perhaps non-acceptance, brought about by her condition.

I'd been kept up to date with her situation by family members who have visited on a regular basis. For that I am very grateful.

It was my grandma's 84th birthday a couple of months ago. Miky bought a card, not a birthday card, for her but I couldn't find the courage to write in it. I stared at the card every few days or so but couldn't bring myself to write in it. Last night it hit me that I had to write it. In it I wrote about how much my grandma meant to me and how much we loved her. It took a long time to write. Part of my heart was written into it. It gave me the opportunity to say goodbye - something that I wouldn't have the chance to do in person. Writing that word, goodbye, was very difficult.

Then the phone call came this morning. I felt guilty for taking two months to write in the card and that my grandma wouldn't get to read it. But I've said what I wanted to say and feel much better for it. I still felt the need to post it even though she wouldn't receive it.

I'm sure that the funeral will be large and well attended. One thing not in grandma's favour is the age that she reached as many of her friends, if still alive, won't be able to attend due to probable ill-health or lack of mobility but she has a great many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a bit of a trailblazer and went bush to be a deputy principal in 1982. She went to China and I get the feeling that she did that around 1980. I still have the dragon that she bought me as a souvenir. A very well educated women she spoke French and German and was even studying for her doctorate until late in her 70s. She was a very inspiring woman. Can't wait until someone writes a book about her.

I've been asked to be a pall bearer at her funeral and I consider this a great honour and a great way to pay respect to a great lady. I hope that she is farewelled in style. At least I'll have another chance to farewell her, if not in person. I need to pay my respects. Someone needs to video the funeral service as I feel that I'll be overcome with emotion and unable to take everything in. They'll be a lot about her that I don't know and I'd love the opportunity to review that at my leisure.

"He Died Doing What He Loved."

"He died doing what he loved." That's rather an odd saying, isn't it? This line is usually reserved for someone who dies whilst undertaking a dangerous sport and/or occupation such as; racing car driver, mountaineer, hot air balloonist, etc.

Strangely enough you never hear the phrase used in for following professions:

Commercial airline pilot
School bus drivers
Taxi drivers
Teachers