Month: October 2007

ALP worried

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Vote now to end the PM’s obscene waste says Mike Steketee while every other pro ALP journalist and the ALP themselves make an issue over Howard taking his time to announce the election date. He is taking his time in the interpretation of his detractors but in fact he is doing what every PM has ever done -reserving the right to call the election at a time that suits him.

The ALP and supporters want it over with before Rudd blows it and Howard wants to give Rudd every chance to blow it.

That’s politics.

Politics

Digger lost

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AUSTRALIANS would continue to support troops in Afghanistan despite the death of a soldier and serious wounding of another in an attack, says the chief of the Australian Defence Force.

What led ADF chief Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston to make that statement. Had someone suggested that Australian’s wouldn’t support the troops?

Short answer – yes, At a media conference at 6:00 am today the question of Australians support for the war was raised by a journalist and the ADF Chief’s answer became the byline.

So the journalsts spin on the death of an Australian soldier has been all about politics – thanks bastard!

After having made his political point that he/she believes the war in Afghanistan to be unpopular and intimating the death is pointless we are finally given some detail.

He (The ADF Cheif) said the pair were part of a team protecting engineers undertaking reconstruction work in the province and the wounded soldier’s injuries were not life-threatening.

“He is likely to make a full recovery and return to work in the near future,” he said.

An improvised explosive device (IED) detonated next to the soldiers’ military vehicle in Afghanistan’s Oruzgan province yesterday, six kilometres from their base at Tarin Kowt. The deceased soldier had been driving the vehicle.

I phoned Defence Media Liason to see if they knew the soldiers unit as 7RAR has some troops in the theatre but that fact hadn’t been announced yet.

General Musings

Iran still dangerous

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Letter writer Mike Puleston votes to nuke Israel

THE US is preparing to attack Iran (“US shifts focus in Iran from nuclear sites to key troops”, 2/10). It has been planning to do so for a long time but recently preparations have intensified. President Bush wants to get in one last hit before he goes.

However, talk of “surgical strikes” is nonsense because thousands of ordinary Iranians would die. The repressive Iranian government would be strengthened by a US attack which would solidify popular support behind it. US aggression against Iran would make Iraq look like a sideshow, especially if Pakistan were pulled in.

Let us hear John Howard and Kevin Rudd say—unequivocally—that they would condemn an attack on Iran and would not cooperate with the US in any way in this mad scheme.

Mike Puleston
Brunswick, Vic

A lot of what Mike says could be true but he omits one possible result of a surgical anti-nuclear strike against Iran and that is, Israel would continue to exist.

The Iranian President doesn’t do ‘Diplomacy’ as us westerners understand it. He is more of a Mao disciple believing ‘Diplomacy comes from the barrel of a gun’ or missile, and while his statement that he would nuke Israel is still on the books then I don’t know what other options the civilized world has.

Whatever the case, I can assure you that if Iran gets close to having a bomb Israel will strike; it won’t be telegraphed and they won’t cry over the ‘Peace at any Price’ brigade and their outcries.

We will read about it in the morning press – done deal! Iran has lost the ability to turn Tel Aviv into a parking lot courtesy of the IDF

I doubt if Mike’s thousands of ordinary Iranians would die, more like hundreds but whatever, it would be better than millions of dead in Tel Aviv.

War on Terror

Rudd, the only one in step

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A LABOR government would attempt to bring Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, before the International Court of Justice to face charges of “inciting genocide” in an effort to force the rogue Middle East leader to justify his attacks on Israel.

How brilliant! More brilliant in the face of the fact that no one else in the Western World has thought of such a simple plan. No one! Not the UN, Britain. the US Democrats, France, Germany nor Israel,

I wonder why?

Downer offers a clue, stating;

….that countries only could be taken to the ICJ. Individuals such as Mr Ahmadinejad can only be taken to the International Criminal Court.

“To take an individual to the ICC the relevant country has to be a party to the statute of the ICC, but Iran, Zimbabwe and Burma are not. You can only take them to the ICC if the country is not a party and if all five members of the UN Security Council agree,” Mr Downer said.

So, it’s not going to happen but some voters will still believe that Rudd has the answers and in a way they are right.

But does he have any correct answers – ones that will actually work?

Haven’t seen much evidence of that yet but let’s wait for the campaign proper.

Politics

Boys and their Toys

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Over the last year or two I’ve been checking out nav systems for the 4WD trips I undertake, waiting patiently for a system that would aid navigation in, say, the Simpson Desert and also take me to an address in the city.

Tom Tom, Garmin, Navman, Uniden and the like do the city thing well but not both, thus the surge of in-car nav systems is no good to me once I’ve left the bitumen…”Turn right after 750 kilometers”, no matter how sexy the voice, doesn’t cut it.

I’ve had Oziexplorer loaded on my Laptop for years which allows me to navigate in the bush but whenever my wife comes along she is less than impressed with the invasion of her space. “Well, don’t come then!” wasn’t an option and besides the companionship, there are kitchen duty considerations. Laptop holders are still too intrusive on space so I needed something smaller.

I reasoned the best answer was to find a tablet computer; load it with Oziexplorer and a city navigation software package and secure it on the dash.

On to eBay. I found a FUJITSU Stylistic TABLET PC LT C-500 that seemed to fit the bill but at $999 was a bit pricey for this little pensioner so I Googled and found them in the US for US$275 ($AUD309) plus $70 Airfreight at J&K Sales Inc

Ordered straight away and waited with baited breath for the system to work. I opted for a US Post email tracking system that dutifully told me where my package was at specific times during it’s travels;

Enroute JAMAICA NY 11499 09/21/07 1:24pm

Enroute LOUISVILLE KY 40231 09/20/07 7:02pm

Enroute CAMPTON KY 41301 09/20/07 5:39pm

Electronic Shipping CAMPTON KY 41301 09/19/07 11:25am
Info Received

I wonder if the Aust PO offers such service? Doubt it!

The package arrived on the 23rd within the five days promised and is as advertised!

Stylistic LT C-500

With inbuilt wireless I had the tablet on the web in minutes on my home network. This will allow me to post with regularity when I’m on the road. Being a computer and not just a specific-to-purpose navigation toy I have a full range of options. Email, music, pics and movies. The touch screen eliminates having to carry a mouse and the tablet comes with a wireless keyboard.

All I need now is a good city navigation software package…..any tips?

Otherwise, I’m on a roll and ready for my next trip bush

General Musings
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