Category: General Musings

Sunshine Coast lawn bowlers have closed ranks to protect an elderly man accused of killing a brown snake during a bowls tournament at the Kawana Waters club last week. Fifty percent of all deaths from snakebite in Australia involve the Brown snake. They have venom which can cause death to humans relatively quickly if left untreated. Brown snakes up to 2.3 metres have been recorded in Australia. Then there is the King Brown….yep, it’s a whole lot worse. I’m with the old guy. How times change. When I was young and on the farm, the arrival of a snake was a bugle call for all the men to gather, hunt it down and kill it. To the best of my memory all snakes in the south west of West Australia were poisonous, but even if they weren’t they were still hunted down. In the small timber and farming community of Pemberton the men reasoned any snake left alive could one day kill a woman or child and they just weren’t taking the risk. Years later I was an NCO instructor at the famous, or infamous (depending on whether you were an instructor or student) Jungle Training Centre at Canungra, Queensland, and when teaching patrolling would stop and kill any snake I came across, including Carpet snakes. I don’t discriminate..if your are long and legless, you’re dead! I recall telling my Captain about a Carpet snake I killed one particular day and he went off his head. Protected species…harmless to humans…I’ll charge you if you do it again. Hmm…city boy, I thought, as somewhat miffed, I hastily departed the scene . The next morning the local Courier Mail, with terrific timing, carried an article about a farmer in Far North Queensland who kept a carpet snake in his barn to keep the mice down. The snake had done such a good job that there were no mice left so he went further afield for food. To the homestead, in fact. The farmer was woken by the screams of his 6 year old son who was stressed out at seeing his leg being swallowed by the ten foot snake. I cut out the article, requested an audience with Captain City Boy, politely placed the evidence for the defence on his desk without comment…saluted smartly and withdrew. My Dad always said never smirk in front of the defeated foe.

Most readers would be aware that I don’t comment often but sometimes restraint dissolves and I feel compelled to throw in my two bobs worth. Bryan Law, Phil Moffat and Micheal De Angelos are the cause of said dissolution of restraint. I responded here and here They should all be hyperventialting by evening but alas, I have to forgo the pleasure and go do some work. I look forward to this evenings late read. UPDATE: Sigh! No one at Margo’s seemed to understand what I was saying. Never mind.

To follow up my thoughts that education is the key to the terrorist problem Maj K has a post on the problems of trying to teach the Iraq military how to soldier.

Iraq is a third world country. While this is not a surprising fact to most people, it seems as if this little fact is lost on too many people with access to microphones. It was a third world country before the 1991 Gulf War. It was a third world country before Saddam was removed from power. It will likely remain that way for some time to come. Evolving out of the “third world” category is not a rapid process. It involves much more than merely economics. It also involves, culture, rule of law and widespread education.

Go read and start to understand some of the problems. Read the comments – there is some wisdom there as well.

THE death of a 3-year-old boy, killed by a modified 4WD on an ordinary suburban street, has prompted calls from road safety experts for an immediate ban on the vehicles. The death is tragic and the News.com article stupid and misleading.

There is no suggestion the driver of the 4WD did anything wrong, police have laid no charges, and the boy ran in front of the traffic.

So the journalist leads with “Calls to ban ‘killer’ 4WDs”. This has no relevance until I read “Calls to ban Trucks” or “Calls to ban Holden utes” or “Calls to ban Camrys” after similar incidents. Doesn’t happen though. Road Safety Experts quoted turns out to be one Monash Uni Lecturer.

President of the Australasian College of Road Safety, Associate Professor Raphael Grzebieta, said driving a raised 4WD was akin to driving a small truck or piece of machinery.

The you should be calling for a ban on light trucks as well. Why don’t you, Raphael?

“You can’t see anyone underneath you when they are close to the vehicle and they have their blindspots like small trucks and machinery,” the Monash University civil engineering lecturer said.

So do some cars, mate. Raphael Grzebieta has a bee in his bonnet about 4WDs with jacked up suspension and the journalist, Lillian Saleh, has used this to get her article carried. Poor reporting in my book.

I recently posted on the To wear or not to wear a hijab and received a comment from a woman who does wear one. Her comments are from the coal face and thus worth reposting on this coal face.

Hi Kev, Just a minor correction: the spelling is “Muslim� for a believing servant who follows the religion of Islam. Also, please note that the majority of terrorist attacks are performed by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Tamil Tigers are certainly not Muslim yet are generally Hindu. In relation to the wearing of the headscarf, people can perceive it as they like. When I leave the house wearing my ‘hijab’ (and yes I choose to wear it!), I am letting everyone know that “hey I am a Muslim�. Nothing more, nothing less. People can draw their own opinions on me, discuss how they feel sorry for me, discuss how “hot� I must get in summer, etc. The bottom line is Kev, it is a requirement in our religion, and despite all secondary reasons about modesty, we believe as Muslims, that God has requested this for all pious women. Don’t forget that Orthodox Jewish women cover their hair (often donning wigs instead), and also Christian nuns wear head coverings. Mary mother of Jesus also covered her hair (just look at any painting or statue!). I recently travelled to Europe and viewed first hand many old paintings by which women wear covering their hair. And sure, as you said, people often change and “assimilate� after generations. In Australia, with the rush of Muslim migrants, you can already note that many Muslims are losing their religion (hence many women are no longer are wearing the hijab that identifies them as Muslims). But they are still Muslim. We all want to live together in peace. It is just a small group of so-called Muslims that make it hard for the rest of us. And Kev, I do despise the actions of some of my extremist brethren. They are disgusting. They should never associate their actions with Islam or being a so-called Muslim. VN

I replied

VN Thanks for commenting. Muslem was a typo as I spelt it correctly eight times in the body of the post. Still, it’s bad editing and I apologize. You’re right about not all terrorism being instigated by muslims. The Tamil Tigers are still active but an unfortunate fact of life is that as they don’t attack us they slip below the radar. I do have a friend who is the last of her line courtesy the Tamils. Her parents and brother were slaughtered on the alter of extremism. On your wearing the hijab. It is your choice and I have no problem with that but while it becomes a public debate then some thought and comment from people outside the religion is reasonable. I’m not sure that the muslim woman who decide not to wear the hijab are neccessarily losing their religion. I’m of the opinion that religion needs to move with the times to reflect changing society and maybe they are simply adjusting their dress standards for this reason. It is common for people coming into a new society to change to the dominant norms. When in Rome…. You quote Nuns and Mary, mother of Jesus, as doing similar but the Nuns, in Australia at least, no longer wear habit, let alone a veil and I suggest if Mary were alive today her dress may be more in tune with todays society than one that prevailed two thousand years ago. I was closely involved with the arrival of Greek and Italian peoples coming to Australia after WW2 – my parents even sponsored some. Their matriarchs dressed as they had for centuries in the rural areas of Italy and Greece but view thier grand daughters today…little Miss Aussies all of them. You are obviously educated and confident so do as you believe and do so with my blessing (as if that matters) but watch your daughters and their daughters and tell me in years hence that it isn’t so. Having said all that I still believe there are woman who wear the hijab, not for the most noble of reasons, but for the most ignoble – subjugation. I note that you despise the actions of some of your extremist brethren and can only suggest you do more of what you have done here. Say it often in a public arena and tell your friends to do like wise. It is calming on a troubled day. God bless

PRINCE ANDREW was stopped from boarding a Qantas jet to New Zealand after refusing to be screened by security guards at Melbourne Airport. After a tense stand-off, the Duke of York reluctantly agreed to be searched with a hand-held detector.

Airport and security officials were surprised at Prince Andrew’s actions last Wednesday, believing he would have understood the importance of security in the wake of the London bombings.

I am never surprised by the arrogance of those “born to rule” by an accident of birth.

Terrorists strike again in Bali with Australian dead. Reuters Alert net say at least 12 dead from various countries and 41 injured ABC News reports;

Indonesian authorities have begun investigating three bomb blasts that ripped through crowded restaurants on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, which killed 25 people including at least one Australian.

A DFAT Travel notice has been issued at 03:12:52 AEST Sunday, 02 October 2005. I include that information for the fools who are currently working out how to blame Howard and Downer for the blast. More from DFAT

* One Australian is confirmed dead and nine Australians have been injured, some seriously * Consulate-General staff are at the scene and the Ambassador and other staff from the Embassy in Jakarta are travelling to Bali. * Emergency medical evacuations are being arranged for the most seriously injured * Embassy and Consulate officials are working with Indonesian authorities to establish what other assistance is required.

For an Indonesian perspective go read the Jakarta Post

A POST mortem examination has confirmed a British snorkeller was killed by a crocodile off a remote Northern Territory island.

Russell Harris, 37, is thought to have been killed by a four-metre saltwater crocodile as he snorkelled at a popular swimming spot off Groote Eylandt, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, on Saturday.

I often travel to the Territory and my definition of popular swimming spots includes a quick crocodile risk assessment before I get anywhere near the water. Tourists need to know that some locals view these matters with a less than an intelligent outlook.

The death has sparked renewed debate about whether limited safari hunting of some of the NT’s 75,000 crocodiles should be allowed.

So with tens of thousands of the man-eaters swimming in popular swimming spots with locals and tourists, authorities in the Territory have decided to do something about it. Or have they?

The Federal Government is expected to make a decision soon on the NT government proposal, for the trophy hunting of 25 crocodiles a year.

25 a year! That wouldn’t keep one swiming spot safe. The article quotes a population of some 75,000 crocs but that could well be a bureaucratic SWAG (Scientific Wild-Arsed Guess). I would expect more after 30 plus years of ‘they can eat us but we can’t kill them’. The female Saltwater Croc (Crocodylus porosus) lays 40 to 60 eggs each year. Some of these will fall prey to other animals or human egg collectors, however, if even a tenth survive and only 20% of the female population are in breeding age, then the NT plan should make one, and maybe two popular swimming holes safe in ten years time. Bureaucrats and Greenie politicians; much more dangerous than crocs and they can’t even double as a tourist attraction. UPDATE: Another guy taken by a croc, this time at Coboug Peninsular.

The man and his companion were diving near Washon Head on Cobourg Peninsula when the saltie – measuring up to 5m – made its unprovoked attack. His friend surfaced and saw the crocodile before making a frantic phone call to police on a satellite phone about 11.30am.

The problem’s not going away. Maybe tourists need to be given a brochure and forced to read it before leaving the Darwin Airport about how swimming can be fatal in the Territory. Last July I was camped near Whason Head and when we woke in the morning saw crocodile tracks going from a pool past our camp to the beach. They were big and had an impact on our behaviour for the entire time we were in the Territory.

We rest one day and then go for a drive the next. Sand tracks on the beach of a huge crocodile underline the No Swimming rule but old habits die hard and I spend some time in the sea lifting oysters of rocks with my Ka-Bar. My wife panics and mutters something about no fear but I still keep a sharp look out. I understand her fear – I mean with me eaten how would she pack the tent each day. Brian joins me and I gather a dozen or so good size rock oysters from their home and we pig out. I’m here to tell you that if you think the oysters you get at the resturant at Double Bay, or wherever, are great then you haven’t taken them off a rock in a pristine bay and eaten them fresh. I mean 5 seconds fresh – that’s fresh!

Yes I did go in the water but I wasn’t swimming, I was vertical and kept a lookout for the time my feet were wet. I am aware, the tourists aren’t.

MARK Latham’s new life as a stay-at-home dad is being funded by a generous $66,000-a-year pension scheme that he slashed for the next generation of MPs.

But yesterday on 2UE radio in Sydney, the former Labor leader said if he had become a merchant banker he would be earning $300,000 a year.

Who on earth would pay Latham anything after his dummy spit? On reflection though, the country and the ALP would have been a lot better off if Latham had picked merchant banking as his career. Any commercial enterprise would have picked Latham as useless quicker than the time it takes to fracture his fragile ego with the result that he would never have occupied a responsible position in Merchant Banking or in politics. A definite win-win situation Lathams verdict: The system is sick Australia’s verdict: Latham is sick. Over at Silent Running a Kiwi has a message for Latham The post starts with this plain spoken message;

In the unlikely even I need some asshole comment about my countries apparently enviable pro-terrorist position we have plenty of home grown f**kwits already thanks.

Latham still has plenty of supporters though, and one of them comments on Anthony Lowenstein’s blog

I want to be able to vote for a party that is public in it’s mistrust of this American administration. I want candidates who assert the primacy of Australian sovereignty in matters of war, fo-po, trade, media law, etc. I want a party that will guarantee that ID won’t end up in our schools on their watch; that there will never be computer screen voting in this country; that someone like Scott Parkin would not have even been questioned by their government; that dares to call Israel on it’s sins.

I note he says …mistrust in this American administration to cover himself for the unlikely event that a left leaning Democrat gets to the White House. Glen just wants an anti-Bush/US party. You’re dead right Glen…don’t hold your breath. Australians think deeper than US evil…Bush dumb. I trust by now the Libs have all his most outlandish quotes databased on their laptops for quick reference in the House at question time. It’s going to be fun.