Melbourne Cup Party

My winning hat
The winning lady's hat
More hats
My wifes hat

The early morning promised a fine sunny day for staging of the Melbourne Cup before a change from a cool southerly breeze. Bookmakers breathed a collective sign of relief to see Japanese winner Delta Blue @16/1 win by a short nose from its more favoured stable mate Pop Rock, with the Australian horse (aptly named Maybe Better) running a distant 3rd. The $5.3 million Melbourne Cup enters a new era with renewed interest from Japan.

Race day stops a nation. Wherever you are everyone stops to listen to the great race. Maybe next year it will stop 2 nations. Although the spring racing carnival attracts record crowds, 130,000 this year at "Derby Day" and another 107,000 for the Melbourne Cup, most folk like me watch the races from TV. This year we watched the great race from the comfort of a friend’s house where they hosted a Melbourne Cup party.

We enjoyed wonderful hospitality and our hosts added prizes for the best ladies and men’s hats. Yours truly won the best men's hat which was designed by my wife. I have included pictures of the winning lady's hat along with my wife and friends, dressed in sartorial splendour!!

Howard’s wayward way.

Over the past 10 years the Federal Government under Prime Minister John Howard and respective State Labour premiers have largely ignored warnings on global climatic warming. Although numerous comprehensive reports warned of the impending consequences (more particularly to Australia, the driest continent on earth) few initatives have been undertaken as the authors conclusions have been largely dismissed as scaremongering.

It has been disappointing and frustrating for our eminent Scientists working at the Government funded Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to realise their reports were ignored by the government. In fact it was reported pressure was applied in the form of the possible loss of goverment research funding should they pursue unpopular conclusions on the threat of global warming. click here to visit.

The Government sided with our ally the USA, with both countries refusing to sign the Kyoto protocol, arguing any mandated reductions would harm their respective economies. Howard appears to have recently softened his hard nosed approach, when announcing assistance for several solar and carbon capturing initiatives. The Victorian Premier recently also confirmed financial assistance for a wind farming project.

However these projects will not have any major impact in the near future and we are a long way away from an integrated sustainable clean energy solution. In the bigger picture I dont think much has changed as political scepticism remains.

I think a carbon trading system is vital to ensure we have an immediate large scale industry response to reduce emissions. The imposition of a tax on carbon emissions creates an immeadite cost to industry and trading emissions allows polluters to purchase credits from others who have surplus requirements. Because of the increased cost to industry of emissions you stimulate conservation and investment in technologies to reduce emissions. Alternative cleaner energy sources previously too costly become viable. This will also have a substantial effect on farming, towards sustainability. Emission trading was recommended in the recent Stern Report commissioned by the UK government.

Howard was quick to warn we should not place too much faith in the findings of the Stern Report, rejecting the idea of an emissions trading system on the basis it will harm our industries unless all countries sign up concurrently.

In the Financial Review of the 2nd November 2006 Professor Warwick McKibbin was reported as saying “You need to start at the national level and move out from there”. And he disputed Mr Howard’s central argument that establishing a national emissions trading scheme in the absence of a global agreement including all major emitters would force investment jobs off shore. Professor McKibbin said his own national emissions trading model would make Australia a very attractive investment destination.

Click here for his website.

We are light years away from the UK economy which at least has made a start with large scale targeted emission reductions. Australia remains a laggard and pro rata to population one of the heaviest polluters in the world, apart from the USA. Once again it seems likely we will do nothing, under the leadership of our conservative government.

A fair day’s work for a fair days pay.

I think it’s somewhat refreshing that the newly formed “Australian Fair Pay Commission” decided to increase the minimum wage by 5.65% or $27.36 per week for the 1 million lowest paid employees in Australia, those employees who earn less than $700 per week.

The Australian Fair Pay Commission was recently established to set and maintain a federal minimum wage that will promote the economic prosperity of the people of Australia under the Workplace Relations Amendment (Work Choices) Act 2005.

Chairman Professor Ian Harper came to the Commission with very strong economic credentials, but also possessing equal doses of compassion and integrity. Together with his fellow Commissioners he has presided over a decision in stark contrast to the submissions from Government and Industry groups for a minimal increase. These submissions argued the increase recommended by the Australian Council of Trade Unions of $30 per week would be irresponsible, leading to widespread unemployment and inflation. Whilst the Commission acknowledge a nexus between wage rates and employment it nevertheless on balance rejected theses arguments and granted a $27 increase.
I agree with the Commission. Economic outcomes need to be balanced with principles of fairness and integrity by providing protection to lower paid workers. The idea that such decisions will lead to 300,000 job losses and widespread inflation is a highly fanciful notion based upon flawed economic analysis. It all boils down to common sense, that is to say a fair day’s work for a fair days pay for those of minimal bargaining power in a democracy.

Drought

Australia is currently in the grip of the worst drought ever faced. The current El Nino weather pattern ensures the dry conditions will continue as we experience much lower than normal rains. Longer term the prognosis remains clouded. Some assert this drought is a natural part of our landscape whilst others contend drier conditions represent the flow on effects of global warming.

Barry Hanstrom, NSW regional director of the Bureau of Meteorology is concerned: The evidence for climate change is compelling, in several examples of that across Australia. The fact is that south-west Western Australia since the 70s has dropped almost 20 per cent. The last 10 years in south-eastern Australia the rainfall's down 10 to 20 per cent. 2005 was the warmest year ever recorded in Australia, so there are strong indications, both with rainfall and temperature across Australia that the climate is changing.

The current position means crops like wheat and barley are likely to yield at most 30% of last year and the effect to country areas is devastating. Increased suicides and depression arise with Rural Councillors streched to the limit, but notwithstanding most remain focused to change what they can for the better, to stay positive and look forward to next years season.It’s also hard for city folk to imagine the devastation of a crippling drought in country towns.

The response of the Government was to announce an extra $350 million for farmers and to confirm they are considering a further $400 million, having already spent $1.25 billion on needy 50,000 farming families since 2001.

The basis of this relief is “exceptional circumstances” since normal drought is expected to be managed by farmers.

Water scientist Professor Peter Cullen, has been quoted has suggested such aid only prolongs producers struggling on land no longer sustainable. Clive Hamilton from the Australia Institute was quoted as saying “Farmers shouldn't be getting assistance; they should be leaving the land when it's like this?”

The debate has raged, as if fanned by our recent hot northerly winds, the familiar smell of smoke from earlier tham expected bush fires.

Our Prime Minister commented.

Well, I reject that completely. I reject it. I mean, the basis of his argument is that in some way the payments farmers receive under Exceptional Circumstances represent us paying people to stay on the land. I think that would come as a great surprise to farmers, who know that the Exceptional Circumstances gives them the equivalent of the dole and provides some interest rate subsidies. And that's hardly paying people to stay on the land. "It is, in many cases, paying people to put some food on the table. It's a very unrealistic attitude for people to take. We are not a country that pays people to stay on the land. We're a country that gives people who want to stay on the land support to survive through desperate drought circumstances, and that's what we're living through at the present time. So I reject completely the argument that this drought assistance is, quote, 'paying to keep people on the land', unquote.


It’s a complex situation but I feel the current position is not enhanced by the current aid programme. Consider the value of rural land in Australia and indeed in many parts of the western world and why it is is vastly overpriced. This is a consequence of continued income support to farmers over successive frequent droughts that ensures the price of land reamains unrealistically high. Overseas huge subsidies paid to farmers inflate the value of the land.

Rural land in Australia has appreciated in real terms around 5-6%, thats 5-6 % above the rate of inflation over the past 20 years, putting undue pressure to obtain a commensurate improved return.

I also think Australian farmers are the most efficient in the world and most are responsible environmentalists who do a magnificent job looking after the land for future generations. During dire times such as we are currently experiencing they immediately begin de stocking and mitigating the effect of drought,in other words caring for the land. Many are debt free 3rd generation farmers whose reserves and or alternative incomes tide then through these most difficult of times.

What I favour as an alternative to income support is government assistance in the form of interest free loans, made during such times but to be repaid during good seasons. I think most farmers would prefer a loan to income support schemes, which is nothing more than a handout.

I also think additionally its worth considering a heritage type annual payment, in recognition of the Farmer custodian role of looking the land, that's on on our behalf to preserve it for future generations.

On the longer terms I believe the current exceptional circumstances will not be so exceptional in years to come, but I also believe the Australians farmers will adapt and cotinine to preserve the land for future generations in a sustainable way. That means much more diversity for Farms, a sole farming income will be unsustainable, and other income streams will need to be added for it to be viable overall as we experience drier conditions. This is already occurring to a marked degree and will accelerate in the near future. In effect it will be engaging of country and the city, with new industries such as echo tourism, as it always could have been. The dichotomy or tension between country and city, farming and non framing and or industry need not exist at all as we are all co dependant upon one to another.

In fact I think it wil be true for most countries the world over. The pooling of skils and sharing between communities, that is between country and city, allows us us to learn together as to how to be sustainable, in partnership with nature. It's how we evolved and its how we will survive the future.

North Korea

We have reaffirmed our commitment to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. . . . The actions taken by North Korea are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response by the UN Security Council.” --President George Bush; following the detonation of North Korea’s first nuclear weapon.

North Korea has a population of 23 million, similar to Iraq, where I estimate about 700 billion has already been expended for an end result of near civil war. In North Korea, we have a country taking up a disproportionate slice of world attention, attention seeking to an extreme and provocative. Yet surely there could have been a more sensible line followed by the US and its allies.

I think this current crisis with North Korea could have been avoided given reasonable diplomatic skills and the use of psychology.

Bush has insisted North Korea was on the “Axis of Evil” list, and publicly announced that he “loathed” Kim Jung Il.

From North Korea's perspective they have no intention of being the next victim of Bush’s pre-emptive policy. Donald Rumsfield even boasted the US is capable of operating in 3 theatres of war simultaneously.

So Kim Jong-Il has built North Korea’s first nuclear bomb. By all accounts the first explosion was less than 1,000 tonnes, either a partial success or a partial failure, who knows! But tests in the past by other powers have been around the 10,000 tonnes, judged at that level to be a successful test of capability. Already he has vowed to continue testings if the US imposes sanctions.

It reminds me of the cold war, where we saw a continuance of a fear driven weaponry build up by the United States and Russia, both fed on a diet of incompetent intelligence. At the time the Russian economy was estimated to be three times its actual size, by the CIA and accepted as factual by a gullible eager Administration. So we continued on in this mindless exchange and build up of weaponry until the Soviet Union eventually collapsed inwards as it became unsustainable.

The current situation with North Korea I think could be much more easily resolved. So what is it they want or hope to achieve? The seeds of the current situation go back to 1994 as North Korea’s wants to go back to the original 1994 “Framework Agreement” originated by Clinton where food, fuel and two light water reactors were to be provided in exchange for North Korea’s abandoning its nuclear weapons programs. The North had agreed to these terms, but the United States has never honoured its obligations.

Time will tell, but it’s high time we had sensible foreign policy initiatives from the USA and its allies!, administrations that don’t regard compromise as a dirty word, and are willing to hold talks and consider alternatives.

Maybe the United Nations will be able to negotiate a way forward, but only with support from its previous most powerful critic, the USA.

Nuclear Madness

Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) – “North Korea will conduct a nuclear test, its Foreign Ministry said, a move Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said would be "unforgivable'' and require a severe response from the international community. “

"The DPRK will in the future conduct a nuclear test under the condition where safety is firmly guaranteed,'' the ministry said in a statement published on the country's official Korea Central News Agency. DPRK are the initials for the country's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea”

North Korea’s stance is unpredictable, but I think they would realise any engagement of nuclear weapons in warfare will only bring about annihilation, just as was realised by Mao and other consummate psychopaths even though they were willing to sacrifice millions of lives for a stated aim of world supremacy.

At the same time France Says Iran Must Halt Uranium Enrichment.

Oct. 3 (Bloomberg) -- France said Iran must suspend its uranium enrichment program before it makes further proposals on how to break a deadlock with the U.S. and other countries over its nuclear program.

Iran must first give an answer to an offer made by the five members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany that they would enter into negotiations with Iran and suspend the threat of sanctions if it halts enrichment, said Jean-Baptiste Mattei, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry.

Iran said earlier today that French nuclear company Areva SA could oversee uranium enrichment in Iran to guarantee that it was intended for peaceful purposes.

"Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran's nuclear agency, said in an interview with France Info radio that Iran's proposal to break the deadlock was to have Areva oversee enrichment in Iran."

When the cold war ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the East German wall, a renewed sense of optimism flourished.

Now we have different threats to world peace.

But it’s also true for the world at large, for it is madness for any country to have, keep or manufacture nuclear weapons. Forget about Star wars and other fanciful notions about defence systems blowing these missiles or bombs out of the sky.

Ultimately I think the only way foreword is a return to negotiation and mediation through a present feeble United Nations, which needs to be rebuilt, strengthened and re energised under a new Secreartary- General, almost certainty to be South Korea's Foreign Minister, Ban Ki-moon, maybe to give peace a chance.

Audio Welcome

Hi friends click here to hear my new "audio" hello (mp3 file)

Mud Glorious Mud

The above pictures are of my neighbour’s mud brick house, a common site where I live here in Eltham, Melbourne, Victoria, home to mud brick building in Australia. ‘Muddies” as that are called became popular in the mid fifties when Eltham was a remote small community and their champion was Alistair Knox.

It is axiomatic that mud bricks will be a fundamental element in the alternative social structure today,'' he wrote.

"The material itself is free. It costs a man his physical labour only, which is the same for both rich and poor. "The making can be a wholly natural activity. It has great therapeutic properties. Watching the earth dry and the varying characteristics of its physical structure, immerse us in poetic deliberations that unite our hearts, heads and hands.

Click here to read his story.

Using mud bricks as building materials is relatively straightforward; homes are generally cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Apart from ensuring they have slightly longer eaves, mud brick homes don’t require any special maintenance and will outlast those constructed of more conventional materials.

To day there are small pockets of homes in the older areas where most of the homes are made from mud bricks. If you’re interested in modern designs click here for pictures.

THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING

THE CROCODILES ARE CRYING
Rupert McCall, a Queensland poet.wrote this tribute to Steve Irwin...

Endless visions fill my head - this man - as large as life. And instantly my heart mourns for his angels and his wife. Because the way I see Steve Irwin - just put everything aside. It comes back to his family - it comes back to his pride.

His animals inclusive - Crikey - light the place with love! Shine his star with everything he fought to rise above. The crazy-man of Khaki from the day he left the pouch. Living out his dream and in that classic 'Stevo' crouch.

Exploding forth with character and redefining cheek. It's one thing to be honoured as a champion unique. It's one thing to have microphones and spotlight cameras shoved. It's another to be taken in and genuinely loved.

But that was where he had it right - I guess he always knew. From his fathers' modest reptile park and then Australia Zoo. We cringed at times and shook our heads - but true to natures call. There was something very Irwin in the make up of us all.

Yes the more I care to think of it - the more he had it right. If you're going to make a difference - make it big and make it bright!. Yes - he was a lunatic! Yes - he went head first! But he made the world feel happy with his energetic burst.

A world so large and loyal that it's hard to comprehend. I doubt we truly count the warmth until life meets an end .To count it now I say a prayer with words of inspiration. May the spotlight shine forever on his dream for conservation.

…My daughter broke the news to me - my six year old in tears. It was like she'd just turned old enough to show her honest fears. I tried to make some sense of it but whilst her Dad was trying .His little girl explained it best…she said "The crocodiles are crying"

Their best mate's up in heaven now - the crocs up there are smiling! And as sure as flowers, poems and cards and memories are piling. As sure as we'll continue with the trademarks of his spiel. Of all the tributes worthy - he was rough…but he was real.

As sure as 'Crikey!' fills the sky I think we'll miss ya Steve…goodbye

Suicide Bombers & Violence

What brings Suicide Bombers to detonate themselves and cause loss of life to innocent bystanders? Is it a religious fervour, the fragrant perfume of promised paradise for martyrdom?

In Islam suicide is forbidden and its incidence is at a lower pro rata rate to population than the West. A taking of a life is only allowed by way of justice with the death penalty for murder, but it is also acknowledged that forgiveness is better. Harming innocent bystanders, even in war, is forbidden under the Qur’an. On a personal level Muslims are generally peaceful, honest, hard working, civic minded people, no different to any other societies. The profile of the Suicide Bombers is not as you would expect. About 50% have a university degree; the majority are aged 18-23 and indistinuisble from the general populace. The largest share doesn’t come from Bush's proclaimed axis of evil, but from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The crux of the matter and what brings fear to the mind is the term Jihad, which is to exert utmost effort, to strive, to struggle. Jihad has many different meanings, but it is simplistically attributed in non Islamic cultures to a “Religious War”. It has the same negative connotation in the West as “Crusade” has in the Islamic world, an association there with the Christen Crusaders who fought the Muslims for control of the Holy Land. The Link to a religious fervour as a precursor to violence is indeed a tenuous one. You might say Islamic fundamentalism is an enabler, rather than a motivator for theses acts of Terror. Violence and conflict in the region is largely a secular struggle, unconnected to religion. For example when Israel withdrew from 70% of it occupation of Gaza, captured mostly in the 7day war 40 years earlier, the number of suicide attacks by Hamas reduced by 90%. This type of example in the region is duplicated in every conflict. Dr Robert Pape from the University of Chicago sums up the position very well in my opinion: What nearly all suicide terrorist attacks actually have in common is specific secular and strategic goal: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from territory that the terrorists consider to be their homeland.

Religion is often used as a tool by terrorist organisations in recruiting and in seeking aid from abroad, but it is rarely the root cause.The general pattern in data supports these conclusions.
First, nearly all suicide terrorist attacks –301 of the 315 I studied –took place as part of organised political or military campaigns.

Second democracies are uniquely vulnerable to suicide terrorists: America, France, and India. Israel, Russia. Sri Lanka and Turkey have been the targets of almost every suicide attack of the past two decade.
Third suicide terrorist campaigns are directed toward a strategic objective from Lebanon to Israel to Sri Lanka to Kashmir to Chechnya. The sponsors of every campaign-18 organisations in all-are seeking to maintain political self determination.Before Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982 there was no Hezbollah suicide terrorist campaign against Israel; indeed Hezbollah came into existence only after this event. Before the Sri Lankan military began moving into Tamil homelands of the Island in 1987, the Tamil Tigers did not use suicide attacks. Before the increase in the Jewish settlers on the West bank in the 1980”s Palestinian groups did not use suicide terrorist, and true to form, there has never been documented suicide attack in Iraq until the American Invasion in 2003.

It is essential America stage a planned withdrawal from Iraq. In fact I believe this is already occurring to a mild degree, despite recent rhetoric to the contrary, as there are currently 3 less brigades in operation.

I am quite sure If America had understood better the nature of the true conflicts in the region, factions kept at bay by a brutal Dictator, it would not have invaded Iraq ion the first place. I also think behind the scenes in Washington there is a growing realisation the US must get out of Iraq in a staged manner. Keep your eyes on the numbers of brigades not the rhetoric in the months ahead.

I laso think ther idea being advanced by the US that if we don’t fight theses Terrorists in Iraq, they will come after you in the USA and elsewhere is a fanciful notion.

We all know the weapons of mass destruction were a complete furphy; and I think history will judge the decision to invade Iraq one of the worst ill conceived wars in modern day times. It will take along time for America to recover from is loss of credibility in the world stage, to be respected as genuine peacekeeper who is able to help make the world a better a place.