Cheney The Fanatic vs. Obama, the President

Ohhhh boy! I watched both speeches today by these two men.

Cheney came across as a whiner, trying to vindicate the abuse of not only the “detainees” but also the abuse of the very law that the U.S. Government signed! Then he bitterly complained about the use of euphemisms.  As far as I know, the use of “enemy combatant” is using that very thing to avoid being bound by the Geneva Convention and IS a euphemism for prisoner of war. Tough to have it both ways!!

I know the definition of fanatic: A person who will justify, excuse and attempt to dignify any means, no matter whether they are ethical, moral, or legal, to justify the end. Cheney is, as he most aptly proved himself, a fanatic.

He is quite happy to justify, to excuse and to attempt to dignify the torture of any “enemy combatant” to meet any ends. In fact, he stands by the use of torture, whether it is waterboarding (The Phillipines case stands here) and the Japanese use of this same thing was found to be illegal, amoral and completely against the laws of international war and conflict.

What Cheney has very conveniently forgotten is that he, Bush and every single member of Congress and the Senate are sworn to uphold the Constitution, the laws of the U.S. and to abide by those legal rights and responsibilities. They are bound by international legal agreements too. Bush, Cheney, Obama, or any other person are bound to live WITHIN the confines of the law, not outside it, beside it, or above it.

Torture is NOT allowed by international agreements that civilized countries signed, with the U.S. being one of the first to sign this very agreement! Yet, Cheney believe he is not bound by law or ethics? WRONG!

Obama has flatly banned, outlawed and put the period mark on any use of torture. Period. Q.E.D.

What came across with Cheney is that he is trying to run away from his own role, his own responsibility, and definitely his own idea that he and all those in the previous administration are allowed, by some means, to break, bend or abuse the laws of the Constitution, international law on war, and even the law of habeas corpus. He is a fanatic. Any means he wants to use is going to have to be used, and he is desperately trying to justify the end.

The irony is that he claims there are “highly skilled people who were experts” that provided the administration with information. Ummm hello??

Remember the “highly qualified expert on Iraq” who “advised Bush et al, that Iraq had and continued to deploy, develop and store Weapons of Mass Distruction? Yeah, well, that information was NOT independently verified, nor was it independently investigated, and guess what? That “highly qualified and credibly expert” was lying!

Cheney again and again and again pounded on the drum of 9/11 as if that event was the only event in recent history of any importance.

International opinion shortly after that happened was less than comforting, if the truth is to be understood.  The people who were killed were definitely mourned, the firefighters were definitely honoured, but the international role of the U.S. and the arrogance, the bullying and the whole attitude that “the only lives worth saving are American” lead to the feeling that it was about time someone gave the U.S. government a good slap upside the head. Bluntly put, the U.S. actions had created a very sour, very ugly atmosphere in the rest of the world.

So, forward to today. There is a new atmosphere internationally regarding the U.S. BECAUSE the new administration is DEMANDING that all actions by the agents such as the C.I.A, the F.B.I., and the military courts abide by the Constitution, the law, and provide the rights of a fair and legal trial.

Perhaps the most striking contrast between the two speeches is logic. Cheney whined about the feeling that history is being rewritten and he is the only person willing to stand up and vindicate the past administration. His logic is flawed, his reasoning is based on proving a negative, and the basis for his arguments don’t stand up in logic.

Obama used logic to take his points across. First of all, the laws of the U.S. and international law ARE binding on the President, the Vice President, and every single person who is acting on behalf of the government and MUST be held to the standards written in the U.S. constitution and the highest courts. Short version, everyone is bound by the law, without exception, including those who are members of the Armed Forces, the C.I.A, C.I.S.I.S and any other agency.

How this all works out remains to be seen, but when someone, anyone, flaunts the laws of their own country for expediency, convenience, or just to feel the power of their office, then that person needs to be reminded that they are bound and under the power of the same laws they demand others obey. Fanatics have existed for as long as terrorists have,  centuries before the Roman Empire existed. BUT a civilization requires the identification of fanatics just as much as it requires the identification of terrorists.

A democracy is, actually, one of the very best tools to reduce the number of fanatics, religious or political, because there is the freedom to speak out against fanaticism, the freedom to argue the points that fanatics attempt to use to create fear and distrust.

A democracy also is one of the best tools to deny the abuse of law, person and rights, if , and only if, there is the freedom to demand that everyone, regardles of status, rank or political sway abides by the laws of that land. Democracy begins to fall apart when those freedoms are curtailed, broken or even denied to everyone, regardless of status, race, religion, sex, or political stance.

Cheney and every single person who works within, for, and around the political realms would be very wise to remember this.

President Obama reiterated that the courts, the laws and the decisions of the courts ARE binding on him and everyone in the administration. He pointed out that each “detainee” should be given the legal and fair trial they deserve under international and U.S. law, and that the law of habeas corpus and hearsay evidence is to be kept to the same stringent standards as in any other court of the American judicial system.

That is logic.

Integrity In Life Creates More Than Is Known.

What with all the fiascos in banking, government, even personal life, there is one theme I have noticed. A serious lack of personal integrity.

There is the old story of porkbarrelling in politics, and that goes to even the city or village level. When someone in an office is more interested in buying friends and buying influence than becoming a good leader, the whole of society suffers. Add to that secrecy and you have a very volatile mix.

The most obvious examples are those of Idi Amin, George Bush, and many others who abused the office of leader. What most everyone forgets is that there are really NO secrets that will remain secret. The truth will always come out, somehow, somewhere. Perhaps it is revealed from simple, honest, and wondering curiousity, perhaps it comes from wanting to find that very truth.

There have been people who have lived openly, honestly, with few, if any secrets, and they find that integrity is easy, almost automatic. What most people who keep things secret find out is that telling someone, even a stranger, of the secret, will take away the power, the condemnation that the secret holder fears. Try it! When you reveal a secret, most of the time people will shrug, maybe be surprised, but there is also a feeling of release of the power of the secret to bind us up, make us fearful.

The contrast between two people can be very stark. We instinctively know when someone is NOT telling us the entire story, the real truth, and we become suspicious, less trusting and definitely want to know the truth. When we try to keep something secret, we develop a habit of keeping more and more of those secrets. Yes, we can do this from very good intentions, to avoid hurting someone we love, to avoid revealing the whereabouts of someone who can be killed (think of the Holocaust and Schindler) and sometimes those secrets have to be kept. BUT, unless there is a literal life and death situation, secrets can cause more problems than just being honest enough to reveal what we know.

Integrity means taking these chances, taking the risk that someone may just understand and learn a lot by us being honest enough, strong enough, to allow someone to know what we may THINK is the worst of us. Again, think of Schindler. After the war, his story was revealed, the truth did come out. So, again, the secrets do become revealed.

Now, think of someone like O.J. Simpson. The evidence, for me, gives compelling truth that he did kill. He may have been found, in a court, to be innocent, but the underlying instinct we all use makes us want to avoid him, to question every word he utters. Our instincts may be far more accurate than any jury, court, or other official institution.

Integrity is part of our human heritage. We rely on it when we go to buy a new car, find a flawed product and expect to have the product either taken back or replaced. We rely on integrity to form a basis of our personal relationships. So where do things to haywire? When we try too hard to please, perhaps our parents, or our bosses and let our own integrity fail. When it comes to things like politics and business, integrity is often ruined, denied, and the outcome is that we find out the truth and feel betrayed.

This may be the one lesson that the world needs right now. That huge, deep, painful sense of being betrayed by Wall Street hogs, presidential secrecy in several countries, and above all the betrayal of the very people we choose to stand up for us in our elections has become pandemic, or so it seems.

Leaders are rare, it seems. Leaders will be honest enough to tell what we need to know, even if it shows our own failings, or our own successes. Leaders will be the ones who LISTEN more than talk, and actually want to understand the situation from all points of view, then take the path of BEST choice, not necessarily the most expedient, the easiest, or even the most profitable.

Business needs LEADERS, people who work and demand integrity within and from those who work with them. The plumber who is known by the locals as being the best, the honest person, is often the busiest, yet we will wait. The food server who is good, honest, and works to the goals of doing the best they know how, with honesty and integrity, are the ones we ask for. The business man who stands by his company, who works to improve not only the bottom line, but the working conditions, the spirit of his company, the integrity that will be his own bottom line, we all want to work for. Why? Because THEY LISTEN! They grow and learn!

Now, to the dark side of this. Torture, no matter where or who does it, violates all of us in some way. It violates our sense of integrity, our sense of human being. When someone like Cheney or Bush or Idi Amin or anyone else chooses to use their power to try to keep things like this secret, we find out, one way or another. The ripples of this DO go out, tarnishing the countries, the people, and, like each individual in any relationship, we feel betrayed, soiled, and the instincts of others around the world become suspicious, mistrusting and the entire population of whatever country has tortured is lessened in integrity. Not fair, maybe, but that is the price of living with a democracy, with elected officials. Idi Amin being the exception here.

The dark side is less obvious when it comes to business, because we don’t elect those people, but rely on them to be honest. But the ripples STILL go out. We all mistrust a company that will pollute then keep that a secret. We feel betrayed by companies that will hide dangerous practices, such as hiding the dangerous chemicals they use on our food, our land and put into our water.

So, for each individual, no matter whether you are president, prime minister, premier, or the local farmer, truck driver, student, teacher or business owner, take the time to check on your integrity. Are we living up to the goal of being honest and open? Are we listening and learning?

We WANT to have the farmer who will NOT use hormones that screw up our health, we WANT the teacher who demands the best from themselves and us, we WANT the business owner to have a decent company that we can trust, we WANT leaders to be open with us, to LEAD, not be bought out because of some monetary rewards or status. we WANT integrity.

2010 Winter Olympics Could be a Total Flop For Tourists

There is an attitude in Vancouver that the only real fun must, absolutely must, cost you something. Free entertainment is only found when you go to certain areas and listen to some of the buskers.

I lived in Calgary when the Olympics were there, and finding free entertainment was far too easy. Go to most areas and someone was there, busking, playing for free, or just playing with others, jamming jazz, country, rock, you name it. Painters, writers, film makers, virtually any art form was on display and easy to find. I have yet to hear of any kind of artistic shows, displays or even events during the 2010 Winter Olympics yet. Ummm hey! Where are the venues  for the designers, film makers, writers, painters, sculptors and others? Vancouver is NOT going to be that kind of place next year. Unless there is money, and lots of it, to be made, the entertainment will not show up. This is a city with huge musical roots, artistic roots that have produced some remarkable artists, written and otherwise.

If anyone wants to come for the Olympics and does not already have rooms booked, well….. you may find that you are travelling on roads packed with daily commuters because you will have to find accommodations in the nearby cities. Money talks here, which is why the rest of the country calls this place “Bring Cash”. The sponsors have booked rooms in virtually every hotel in Vancouver, the teams that are competing have also rooms, which is good, and the media have all booked rooms.

Back to Calgary for a second here. The media were housed in the media village, a complex built to house them for the Olympics, with access to virtually all venues easy and relatively fast. After the Olympics, that complex became housing for other people. No hotel hogging from the media, and no over-priced room costs either.

So, if you are looking for more of an experience in Vancouver next year, you may just be out of luck. There is talk of shutting down more sites for entertainment because the MONEY is not appearing as quickly to “sponsor” the sites.

Personally, I am not likely to get out much to the Olympic celebrations, mostly because I WANT to enjoy myself without going broke. Unless there is a change in thinking here, then if you are coming. BRING CASH! Lots of it.

American Citizens Need to Give a Swift Kick to Louisiana State Government

Brad Pitt is working hard to get families back home, this is the site, click here.

This week there is a show on the television that shows how much the Louisiana State Government has neglected something long standing, and frankly an embarrassment to the entire country. Mike Holmes, a Canadian contractor and television personality, was asked by Brad Pitt to go and do something about this. While I know that Mike is one very excellent contractor, it begs the question, why?

There is FEMA monies sitting, waiting, in Louisiana to build or repair the homes in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, yet the State of Louisiana has done NOTHING to get those monies to those who really need it. The point here? If the United States wants to have an image of a “do something” country that can solve some of the problems around the world, what better place to showcase this than New Orleans?

7000 families are STILL in trailers, waiting after so many years, for their homes again. Why the hell is the State sitting on these monies? Time is running out here. If the monies are not used within this year, FEMA will take it back.

It is long overdue that some of the people living in the US call, annoy, insist, be persistent, and generally give the State of Louisiana a swift kick in the butt to get moving! These people are your national neighbours, with kids who need to get to schools, reaquaint themselves with friends, and begin to have some semblance of normalcy. Maybe, just maybe, if enough people email, call, visit, and make this point to the people in the state powers, some small things just might get done.

Mike Holmes went from Canada to build a home, a renewal for one family, and he was appalled at the situation people STILL have to deal with. I agree! This is appalling.

What the people of New Orleans do NOT need is some scammers coming in. Those people have suffered more than I probably ever will.There is a woman in Bernard Parish who has managed to repair 200 houses, with volunteers, and if she can get this many people moved back into their homes, then what the hell is the problem with the State here?

I am proud of Brad Pitt for taking this on. He did not have to, had nothing, really to gain, and yet he did call in INTERNATIONAL help to get some housing built. Why the hell do other countries have to go there to get this done when there are people within the US that can do this well, do it with integrity, and those same people are sitting around waiting, just like the families of New Orleans?

A question here for those in the government of Louisiana. Do you need people to come from Australia, Germany, England, Canada, Brazil, Egypt, India, Japan or any other place to come to New Orleans and get this done? If so, then put out the damn call and we will be there.

The City of New Orleans and the utility companies are sitting around instead of getting the utilities restored. What in hell is it going to take to get this done? Again, do you need some people from foreign countries to come and get this done?

I strongly suggest everyone get in touch with your federal representatives, Congressmen and Congresswomen, Senators, and raise hell until this state gets moving. This is a national sore that is still festering. Put some pressure on the State of Louisiana, the Federal Government, and the City of New Orleans to get moving! Time to heal New Orleans. If you need to have countries bring in people to do the job, then damn well call out for them.

Again, it is long overdue time to heal, repair and make New Orleans livable again for those families who went through hell.

Living Free of Conficker C. Computer Worm. Love it!

Microsoft is used by a lot of people to run computer systems, and the makers of trojans, worms and other malware know it. The latest worm, Conficker C, is supposed to hit and use the Microsoft holes in their systems to get to many other computers. Mine won’t be one of them, ever!

No, I don’t have malware protection here. No, I don’t use virus protection either. But, the worms can’t get me! Theoretically I could add in all the anti-viral, bot checkers, and whatnot, but because MOST of the malware is designed for Microsoft operating systems, I don’t have to.

Here is the information on Conficker C:

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has issued a warning about the latest version of the Conficker worm, which could potentially have infected any computers running a Microsoft operating system.

CIRA, which manages Canada’s dot-ca (.ca) domain name registry, says that the worm will force infected computers to connect randomly to about 50,000 web URLs a day beginning April 1.

But what could happen when those computers reach those websites is anyone’s guess. Files on the websites could instruct the worm to do anything from steal passwords or banking information, to delete a person’s hard drive to simply sending spam messages.

Experts say that anywhere from three to 12 million computers may be infected.

CTV’s technology expert Kris Abel said that most users with up-to-date anti-virus software should be fine and the biggest threat is towards computers that have been inactive for the last six months or so.

Davis recommended that Canadian computer users make sure their Microsoft Windows update is working and that their anti-virus software is up to date.

He said that on April 1, when the worm goes live, the average user wouldn’t notice it operating on their computer as it will run hidden.

CIRA says it is registering and isolating unregistered dot-ca domain names that are expected to be generated by the Conficker worm.

Abel says that there are tools online that will search and destroy the worm if you think your computer is infected.

What is Conficker and how does it work?
Conficker is a worm, also known as Kido or Downadup, that cropped up in November. It exploits a vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft patched in October.

Conficker.B, detected in February, added the ability to spread through network shares and via removable storage devices, like USB drives, through the AutoRun function in Windows.

Conficker.C, which surfaced earlier this month, shuts down security services, blocks computers from connecting to security Web sites, and downloads a Trojan. It also reaches out to other infected computers via peer-to-peer networking and includes a list of 50,000 different domains, of which 500 will be contacted by the infected computer on April 1 to receive updated copies or other malware or instructions. Previous Conficker variants were written to connect to 250 domains a day.

CIRA said Tuesday that it is taking a number of steps to stop the Conficker worm, also known as the Downandup worm, from using the .ca domain to perform malicious actions on behalf of those who control it.

The worm has been spreading through the internet since the fall, and a group of internet groups and businesses led by Microsoft has offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

The latest variant of the worm, Conficker C, which was noticed in early March, is expected to launch its attack once the system date on an infected machine is on or after April 1, 2009.

At that time, copies of the malicious code on infected computers will try to generate and connect to 50,000 web URLs a day from 110 domains around the world, including .ca while trying to reach a “command and control” domain for further instructions.

“They’ll try to create a smoke screen of many, many thousands of domains that are being communicated to, among which that single or very small limited number of command and control domains will be hidden,” Holland told CBCNews.ca Tuesday.

If you are running Windows, make sure you have all your updates done! Leaving a computer without all the hundreds (if not thousands by now) of patches over patches will leave your computer open.

If you want to ensure you are keeping your computer out of this malicious loop, I suggest you install AVG

AVG Anti-Virus

It is free and did use it when I had the Windows system.

To get a firewall for your computer (yes, even when you are working on an intranet set-up) you can also get a free one from Zone Alarm

free firewall to protect your computer

I don’t need either of these, nor the patches, nor Norton products, nor any other malware products.

What I also don’t need to do is restart my computer every time I install a new program, add an update, or even change my settings. I love this! The “to complete the installation of this program (or whatever) you need to restart” annoyed the hell out of me! Add in the fact that half the time the program or whatever was not recognized the first time I did a restart and had to do it all over again, and I got severely annoyed, almost to the point of wanting to take the computer and throw it vigorously at the Microsoft buildings in Redmond, Washington.

Now I have none of this! I don’t have to pay for a “license” to run an operating system, I don’t have to constantly watch for malware hitting my computer, and I DON’T need to restart, basically, ever again!

Yeah, ok, your patience is running low here. Why am I free of all this? Simple, free, and believe it or not, I am using the same thing that Windows programmers are using for beta development! Linux, or in my case, Ubuntu, is the FREE operating system that never, ever, needs to restart when I install something.

I can do any word processing, use Firefox for browsing, install Google Earth, use and install Flash, as well as a ton of eye candy and other goodies!

Best of all, there are NO worms, NO trojans, NO malware that can hit me, and they PAY to ship the disks too! Or, if I somehow mess up, I can just download it free too.Or, as I did before I changed computers, run the system right off the disk and not even feel any strain on your own computer.

Ubuntu, the totally free and up-to-date operating system you can use on virtually all computers

When did I become aware of the Ubuntu? After I got a TROJAN from a chat room, of all places. I ended up damn near losing the computer and my mind trying to get rid of that. I also got damn tired of having my Windows stutter, refuse to acknowledge it’s own updates, and generally make my life miserable.

The computer I am using now can use the free operating system, and, if I choose to, virtualize Windows.

Freedom!

Obama and Justice Department Release Secret Bush Memos

Looks like Mr.’s Cheney and Bush have an exercise in temper control now that the Obama administration has chosen to release some very damaging documents!

Memos written for or by the previous administration and president.

What is here is totally revealing for the way the abuse of American civil rights are seen as totally acceptable, as well as the deliberate flouting of virtually all international laws regarding war, those captured, and any possible “terrorist” activities. This is totally sickening when you realize just how much abuse the government and some of the agencies used, could use, and that every single person living in the U.S. was under threat from being arrested WITHOUT any warrant!

The so-called “legal” opinions are outrageous! More to come later.

One Place With No Bank Failures, Few Foreclosures, and Still Working

I am totally amazed at knowing this, but there is only ONE country in all of the developed group of nations that is not facing any bank crises, closures, or banking bailouts, as well as few mortgage foreclosures or personal bankruptcies. ONE

This country has strong legislation on banks that demands a much higher ratio to loans vs. deposits, so the money within the system is higher. In fact, these banks are posting profits, albeit lower than previous years.

This country has strong federal legislation over the ratio of down payments to the total mortgage amount, so that unless you have saved at least 20% of the purchase price of a house or condo, you cannot get it.  The lenders are NOT allowed to issue sub-prime mortgages, are NOT allowed to turn the mortgage papers over to others to be used in credit default swaps, and each bank must keep track of the mortgage within their books. Housing prices have dipped, not dropped, losing maybe 18% overall, with some markets remaining stable.

So, there is a solution for other countries to follow.

Add in the fact that this same country has a national health care system, and it is also one of the major trading nations in the G8 and the G20 and there is a huge number of people all over the world wondering how this one country managed to avoid the meltdown and crises affecting them.

Basically one country is a total anomaly to the whole financial mess. Weird but true. Yes, one or two of the banks within this country did get bitten by their transactions in the U.S., but only in a minor way and the deposits and other investments were more than enough to cover the losses.

Where is this place? Straight north of the U.S., Canada.

There are those who use the word “socialism” without knowing the truest meaning of that word, but for years Canada has been labelled as a socialistic society.  The government was seen as overbearing, intrusive, even too conservative to allow free markets to thrive. Taxes are only slightly higher in Canada than elsewhere.

If that is the picture of stability, then perhaps it is time some of the world governments and banks, investment houses and other agencies learned to be far more conservative, even boring.

So You Want to Renegotiate? Banks Hands May Be Tied.

There is a very clever hidden problem with trying to get banks and other financial agencies to renegotiate the debts for homes, businesses, and other borrowers. Behind the mortgage contracts, behind the lines of credit, and behind a lot of other debts there are contracts that are seldom revealed.

Why? Simple. The contract holders hidden behind these are BETTING on mortgages going into default, lines of credit and other loans also going into default, even the banks are being bet on to fail. Sound crazy? Crazy like a fox in the henhouse!

Take for example a simple mortgage on a house worth, say $200,000 and that mortgage is under water. Then the bank has separated itself from the mortgage by a contract to someone else, and that entity has use Credit Default Swaps to ensure they get something. The contract between the entity and the bank binds up any change in the mortgage, because the entity holding the contract WANT to see you lose, want to see the bank lose! That is where the entity makes more money from the default.

This same process is done with lines of credit for business, using the material wealth of the company for collateral.

Unless and until the entities who have these Credit Default Swaps are either put behind bars, investigated for forcing you and the banks to maintain a very unhealthy situation so the entity makes money, or the CDS contracts themselves are judged to be a hindrance to both you and the banks in renegotiations by the courts, you and the banks are going to stay in trouble.

Perhaps the smartest move here is to hire a lawyer, and take this to a court, using warrants to find out who holds the banks hostage to contracts like this. Unless and until the banks can get themselves out of these contracts by either using law or by the Federal Government outlawing Credit Default Swaps entirely, the economy cannot reasonably regain any stability.

When anyone bets on failure, and makes millions from the economic failure of banks, ordinary families, and businesses, then the whole of society has a huge problem.

The time has come to uncover these entities, reveal just how much damage has been created, and publish the terms of these very nasty contracts. The time is long overdue to find the roots of the problem and investigate just how much power some of the entities have over everyday lives.

So, if anyone is wondering why the banks are sweating and making things tough for renegotiation, then perhaps look behind the banks to the contracts betting on YOU going under, along with your banker, and the entity will be taking the money to another bank or hiding it for future abuse of others.

Credit Default Swaps took down Merrill Lynch, put many banks into such a mess they will take years, if they even survive, to get back on solid ground. My belief here is that, even now, someone is putting out Credit Default Swaps on the banks that do exist, the businesses, and even some of the major corporations like General Motors, Chrysler, and the casinos owned by Donald Trump.

Outlaw the damn things, now!

Credit Default Swaps are Insurance without Regulation, click here for fuller information

Australia Burning, Help!

I remember all too well the pictures of the animals that were forced to be abandoned in New Orleans, and a huge number of them died not knowing why. It still infuriates me to know this is how the rescue plan treated them.

In Australia, there are people who have died, but their animals are still alive, some of them in serious need of help. The people have shelters, communication, and means to move to safer havens, the animals don’t.

If you even have a couple of dollars to spare, donate to the Royal Australian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (raspca.org.au) or, if you can sew or knit, then make a Joey pouch! Even kids can make these and the volunteers use them for comforting animals, and giving them a place to feel held.

Donate today: Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We urgently need funds to continue our bush fire relief work. Please donate online. online or forward your cheque or money order (payable to the RSPCA Victoria) to:

Bushfire Appeal
RSPCA Victoria
3 Burwood Highway
Burwood East VIC 3151

Bank transfer can be made directed to our bank account:

RSPCA Bushfire Appeal
BSB 083-153
A/c 868326451
Please email accounts@rspcavic.org.au with your contact details (name, address, date & amount donated) to ensure we can issue a receipt.

This is the rspca in Victoria, where the fires are the worst. They are trying to provide shelter for animals that got lost, got burned, and have to be relocated.

Account Name: Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Account

Bank Name: Commonwealth Bank

BSB: 063 806

Account: 1007 7387

Also postal donations can be made to:

Jon Rowdon
President, Wildlife Victoria
Reply Paid 84688
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

Lets raise as much money as we can to help Wildlife Victoria buy food, bandages, blankets and medicine for all of the injured animals.

Making Possum/Joey Pouches

When juvenile possums/joeys come into care they need to be kept warm and quiet. Carers are always in need of suitable pouches. Many people who would like to help our wildlife but are unable to commit to rescue or care volunteering can help by making pouches and linings.

Pouches
Wool: 8 ply pure wool (unfortunately we are unable to use pouches made from
synthetic materials)
Knitting: Pouches should be knitted in plain stitch both sides
Needles: Size 8 needles
Dimensions: 25 cm wide by 22 cm long (finished size, but you can make larger ones for older animals)
Closed on three sides and open at the top.

Lining
Material: pure cotton washable material only, flannelette is perfect
Dimensions: 24 cm wide by 30 cm long
The lining should not be attached to the pouch as it will need to be changed regularly.
We generally require more linings than pouches to allow washing and regular changes.
The lining should be closed on three sides and open at the top.

All pouches need to be in natural fibres no acrylic. I am sure it will be fine to make them out of wool blankets and calico

Please post to PO Box 950 Helensvale QLD 4212. Also include a card or note with a few words of support for the volunteers and carers.

At this point, anything helps because there have been over 1,000,000 animals killed and thousands who are burned, have been affected by smoke, and some of the animal shelters were burned to the ground.

I have seen disasters before, and this will likely continue to be a real need for at least 6 months.

Humans can get out, rebuild, move to food and shelter, so please, help those who are helping the animals. Sam, the Koala is in one of these shelters and there have been hundreds of baby koala, kangaroos, and others found.

Stimulus, Jobs, Federal Governments, Change

The stimulus bills all over the world, not just in the Americas, all are done to put tax money, literally, to work. Now, the question is, does it work?

With the cities and states and provinces all dealing with dramatic falls in tax income, the bridges, roads, hospitals, and other public buildings are also falling way behind in repair. One bridge here had a wooden under structure, and when someone used a fire to keep warm (at least that is the assumption here) the bridge caught fire and put hundreds of thousands of commuters out of a means to get to work.

There are literally hundreds of other bridges all over the world that need to be either replaced or repaired, so governments are putting money into these projects to make jobs and to get the building done.

There are other things that have been left to basically fall down until someone got hurt. Minnesota had one situation where the bridge collapsed too.

This is where governments are all focusing their stimulus. But, there has to be an integrity, a sense of “doing the job well” and certainly the people need to understand that shoddy workmanship is no longer acceptable.

Counting on any government to get the entire society out of this mess is foolish, at best. So … what to do?

If  I make kitchen cabinets, for example, then I need to step up my craftsmanship to make the best cabinets I know how, to push myself to making cabinets that will last 20 or 30 years. A lot of places did build shoddy products, thinking that there would always be enough money in customer pockets to buy more shoddy but pretty cabinets. Today, that has come home to roost with those who built crappy stuff, because the customers just flat don’t have the money to keep buying crap.

If I am a cook, then make damn good food, not just chemical soup, literally. Take the time to use food that is nutritious, tasty, and definitely far better quality.

I have worked in several industries, and the most valuable lesson I ever got was “go for the quality, do the absolute best you can” and you will learn to do it better and quicker. Too long have companies made things with built-in obsolescence and basically crappy products.

We don’t have the money or time to waste on these products any more. Would you rather buy furniture that you KNOW you can use for quite a while, that is made to be comfortable, and has covering that is easy to take care of, or junk that you buy every 3 to 5 years?

I have seen housing built that, within 3 years, needs to be repaired because the housing leaks badly. To me, that smells of a racket. I will not buy a house that is poorly constructed. Watching “Holmes on Homes” put that idea in my head when I saw the crappy workmanship and just flat out scamming that some “contractors” pulled. To hell with them!

Again, quality counts!

I worked in a furniture manufacturing facility where the boss insisted on speed over quality. Guess what? He is out of business, because the people working there were not interested in doing their jobs well, producing quality, and the furniture was rejected by the buyers!

If you are spending any money for goods that you need,  look for quality first. Yes, it probably means you spend a bit more for it, but when you look at how often you have to replace crappy stuff, then you actually do save money over time! Wal-Mart is NOT the place to buy durable goods, like furniture, appliances, clothing and especially goods you know MUST work when you need them.

The same principle goes when you are working, produce quality products. Even if your product is a haircut, waiting on tables, digging ditches, do it with quality and integrity.

Companies that ask us to make crap need a lesson too. To hell with companies that make poor quality products, so tell them with your wallet. Put the businesses that treat their employees like crap out of business, because there is a serious lack of integrity within the management there.

There have to be a lot of people out there that want to be their own bosses, want to do something they are good at, and want to make a real difference in their community. I am talking about those who are very good at dealing with people, dealing with machines or other goods like food.

Now may very well be the time for people who needed the time, to learn business procedures and to start making quality count. Go to the library, study on cash flow, tax law, business management and take that risk on you! Please, create businesses that are based on quality, integrity and best of all, create something worth buying!

If there is someone out there wanting to build housing, find out what it takes to make a home that is totally energy efficient! Learn about the innovations in hot water, solar heating and energy, windmills that produce power that can be used in residential housing, and about making houses that are high insulation value.  Build the houses with good quality and don’t buy crappy building products! People will put money into things they know are worth buying.

The most effective choices we can ever make is to do what we honestly enjoy doing, that just never does seem like work at all. Writers who get lost for hours writing, are working, but it is so much fun they never even notice the work in it! Woodworkers who spend hours in the shop, sanding, inspecting, sanding more and putting hours into polishing and finishing make furniture that draws awe from all of us, if we are lucky enough to see it. People who make simple clothing that fits, wears and washes like a dream are those who make the clothing because they enjoy the creation, the design, the feel of the fabric and love to see the clothing finished well.

No matter what you do in life, do it with quality. Push beyond mediocre and go for the best you can. We will spend our money, if you do that.

Producing goods with built-in obsolescence or that needs immediate repair is wasting more than just money, it shows us all contempt for the work we have to do to buy it, and ultimately shows just how little you value your own work.

President Obama may be one of the few international leaders that is showing the world that quality, integrity, and going that extra bit is worth doing. There are others out there, watch how they do what they do, then use those lessons to do your own best work.

I think it is high time those who were elected, all over the world, value our work, value our integrity, and above all, act with integrity, honesty, and value the position we elected them to. No more shoddy behaviour, no more “putting in the time for pension benefits” and certainly no more self-serving actions. Respect the neighbours and your international neighbours and the current mess will be one hell of a lot easier to live through. Do the opposite, create war and conflict and we all face a far more miserable future.

We need innovative thinking now, we need to have people who listen, who are willing to mentor those who have become lost, and we need people who make good decisions with honesty, integrity and above all, awareness that this planet is small, and choices ripple out to either raise the quality of life or swamp people and create disasters. Empathy is one of the most valuable assets we all have.