Good Morning

Australia's fires and skies of orange.

I'm pretty sad for Australia and all the animals that have died. I'm heart broken for the people who have lost families, homes and lives. Yesterday the skies were orange from the smoke that swept across the ocean to us here in New Zealand.

There are some pictures under the cut.

( Read more... )

It was a pretty scary sight and even dare say beautiful, but knowing what caused it had my heart aching pretty badly. I wish there was something I could do.

I've seen the videos of the animals and the ones that are left are so scared. I hope the fires can be stopped soon .

/George.

Monday Musings

Whilst I did do one sandwich shop here in Faversham today, it was not the major thought that I have in this old head of mine. No, it is the continuing tragedy of the bush fires that have ravaged the landscape of Australia. It is so heartbreaking to hear of the unique animals of the continent that have lost their lives, and the fact that many are endangered in the first place. I also feel sad for the loss of life of people who got trapped and firefighters who tried to curb this unfolding armageddon. But I am also aghast at the perfunctory attention and sheer bloodymindedness of the government that seem enthralled to the love of fossil fuels as their salvation. According to waitingman this has been a tragedy that started years ago. (See his comment on my bros' journal coming42).

I just hope that soon they can gain control over this tragic event as I am concerned about all my LJ friends who live there such as waitingman and kabuldur as well my Quiz Planet playing colleague Jennifer Preston.

Spyfall Part 1 & 2

I just watched the two parts of the new Doctor Who series which started on New Year's Day. I waited for the second part to see the whole two episodes in one sitting. I was enthralled and bowled over. These are the best two episodes since Jody has taken over. It had pace, thrills, cool gadgets, a cameo part by Stephen Fry, and the Master is back regenerated into a less white skin!

After the rather lacklustre previous season, which was a consensus by many, this bang of a starter actually bodes well for this season.

Need I Say More?

Probably, but for now, I sometimes wish more people read my Journal... for all its rantings about global stupidity, interspersed with the occasional pretty picture (IMHO, anyway), I try to be at least factual, if not unbiased

So after my many posts about our current bushfires & the politics behind them - or the failure of politics behind them, you could be forgiven for thinking I'm a bit prejudiced against the current government & surely I'm overstating the case when I say it's full of coal-enriched, blinkered, greedy, fat shits...

Step forward, Craig Kelly MP... I'll hold your beer while you shoot yourself & your government in the foot... with an F88 automatic rifle

To have this ignoramus described on international television as a "senior Australian politician" is as laughable as it is, thankfully, inaccurate. The guy is not a Minister, thankfully, he's a back-bencher with no portfolio responsibility, thankfully. But he is, unfortunately, a member of the Liberal Party's right-wing faction & an enthusiastic spokesman (until the current PM tried to muzzle him - unsuccessfully, it turns out) on Sky News' evening smorgasbord of proto-fascists, for what's been called the Coal-ition - members of Parliament who are so pro-coal, they've been known to bring it into work with them, to spruik its merits. And yes - that's the current Prime Minister who actually did that... Craig Kelly is, unfortunately, also one of the movers & shakers in the back-room who brought down the last Prime Minister, because he didn't love coal enough

I don't often, in fact I pretty much never, find myself in agreement with Piers Morgan, but if even that idiot can see the connection between carbon emissions, climate change & the worst bushfires we've seen in Australia, then could he please emigrate & then run for office in Craig Kelly's electorate at the next election. Anything to get another one of those aforementioned blinkered fat shits out of office...

The Problem With Our Prime Minister...

Can be explained by reading these 2 articles...

Our Current Climate Policy Will Protect You says PM

23 Fire Experts Snubbed By PM 6 Months Before Fire Disaster

Is it any wonder the insensitive, greedy, blinkered, fat shit was abused & virtually run out of town when he visited a fire-affected area yesterday?

His defence of a woefully inadequate climate policy is as incredible as his blinkered focus on getting the budget "back in the black", while presiding over a stagnant economy which every qualified expert is telling him needs infrastructure spending to get it going, but he just sits there, clutching at his balance sheet, squawking about how responsible economic management is all about clearing national debt at all costs & repairing the'damage' the Labor Party did when it was in power... 8 years ago... I think that paltry excuse for political point-scoring has reached its expiry date, Scott

And may I remind you, Scott, that's not your money you're sitting on... it's ours. Some of it even belongs to the experts you refuse to listen to. It's the height of arrogance to think that, just because you were Federal Treasurer for 5 minutes, you know better than people who have spent years... decades... both studying & working in both the national & global economies & are trying to HELP your sorry excuse of a government do the job we mistakenly elected you for...

Just Wondering

What is one thing you cook that you never use a recipe for?

What is one thing you cook that you always use a recipe for?

what the favourite thing your mum used to make for dinner/supper?

Threnody

This is music for our times and perhaps relevant to what is happening now with climate change and esp. the apocalyptic flames in Australia.

Penderecki - Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima

Good Night