Monthly Archives: December 2009

Happy New Year – bring on the next decade!

Posted by Wendy on December 31, 2009 No comments

I would like to take this time to wish everyone who drops by here a very happy new year and, most importantly, a safe one. Just where on earth did 2009 go…just where on earth did the last ten years go!

When I was ringing in the new millenium – and for an old arguments sake I will say it began at 12.01 in the year 2000 – I had no idea I was standing at the beginning of a decade that would herald so many changes for myself, both personally and professionally. In the dying hours of December 31 1999 I seemed to feel that something special was going to happen for me in the new century and it most certainly did – in many different ways. Highs and lows, you name ‘em, they all happened and even though I am pretty sure I wont be here to ring in the next new century I feel lucky to have been here to see in century number 21. The world has gone through so many changes in the last ten years and events occurred that will shape the way we all live throughout the next ninety – but if you look back I would say that no century  has made it’s mark more on humankind than the twentieth century did. For the first time in human history we have an entire century on visual record – recorded via the wonderful medium of the camera, the television, radio and ultimately the internet.

I hope that as we all progress through the remarkable period that lies ahead and our lives are shaped and influenced by evolving technology, that we stay grounded by keeping in touch with the old values that seemed to make life so much simpler and nicer for generations past. As we take on newer ways of doing things I hope we all remember that many of the old ways were simple, tried and proven and they will never be out of date.

This is how they rang in 2010 in my hometown of Sydney, Australia – a hard act to beat but you can call me biased…

sydneynewyear

From me to all of you.

Copyright © 2007-2012 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.

I wonder what the kangaroos think of all this ice and snow…

Posted by Wendy on December 30, 2009 2 comments

I know I said this over several winters when we were living over in France but I have never known it to be so bloody cold!!! okay, I will concede that we do not have the misery of the howling blast of gale that troubled us for three months of each year in France, but it is still freezing nonetheless. I am not a cold weather person either I might add…

I have been wondering at the madness of those people who venture out in cars these days – without snow chains – and then get stuck. There are places here in rural areas where you simply cannot go unless you have a 4X4 and I also ponder the possibility of life insurance rates being raised at this time of year seeing as there are so many deaths on the roads in these conditions.

snowkangaroo

No, that’s not poor Skippy frozen solid in the above picture, but I have to feel sorry for those kangaroos who reside at the Belfast Zoo…they would not be used to snow and ice where they hail from! I wonder what they think of it and if the zookeepers actually take them inside during the winter months. Kangaroos don’t normally grow a winter coat but maybe those one’s here will follow evolution’s path and spawn a whole new breed of fluffy ‘roos. That would be interesting to see!

Copyright © 2007-2012 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.

Australia’s odious Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: ready with a smile for asylum seekers, arrogant and dismissive to his own countrymen.

Posted by Wendy on December 29, 2009 7 comments

I always thought that Paul Keating won hands down for being the most arrogant Prime Minister in Australian history, but that was until my fellow countrymen recently elected Kevin Rudd into office. I doubt a more odious, unpleasant and self-serving politician ever existed in my homeland. If you can actually track down PM Rudd in his own country then good luck to you because this hypocrite has clocked up more airmiles in his first couple of years in office conducting his campaign of international grandstanding than he has spent on Australian soil. ’747 Rudd’ they call him now and as he flies around the world posturing in front of his ‘Kyoto’ pals and harping on about carbon emissions, he seems to ignore the sizeable carbon footprint he is clocking up himself. In fact, I would like to see one big carbon footprint placed right on his sanctimonious backside…

PM Rudd is very eager to make his mark as a leader on the world stage and is willing to achieve this at the expense of his own people, those who misguidedly voted for him in the first place. As the 60th refugee boat for 2009 containing the dregs of southeast asia makes it’s way towards Australia he will no doubt be preparing to welcome these individuals with open arms, benefits forms, jobs and free housing. While home repossessions and homelessness is at an all time high among battling Australian’s, Crudd is handing out drinks and appetisers to these unwelcome party-crashers. While his own countrymen are languishing in uncertainty the only people who have any assurity of a future there at all are those who jump in a leaky boat and demand entry.

PM Crudd’s bad tempered arrogance is now being displayed in all it’s glory. If you recall a wonderful Australian film from the 90′s called ‘The Castle’ you will know the story of the Aussie battler Daryl Kerrigan. With the help of  small town solicitor Daryl staged a protest and took  to court a huge billion-dollar corporation who wanted to reclaim the land his small home stood on to extend an airport. No Govt official or dept would help him save his home so he took them to court…and eventually won on the grounds of a piece of legislation in the Australian Constitution known as ‘without due cause’. But can such a story happen in real life…?

spencer

As we speak Peter Spencer,  a Western Australia farmer, is into his 37th day of a hunger strike tied to a wind tower (above) in protest at Crudd’s agreement to ‘lock up’ vast tracts of farming land in Australia in order to satsify his Kyoto-mates. Peter Spencer’s farming land has been declared a ‘carbon sink’ and he has been effectively banned from clearing it to use for his livelihood. He has received NO COMPENSATION AT ALL and has been told he will not receive any in the future. That this Govt will confiscate viable privately owned agricultural land without any due compensation to the owners is nothing short of criminal. It is unAustralian, it is THEFT. Mr Spencer has claimed he will remain exactly where he is until the Prime Minister agrees to speak with him on the issue.

peterspencerprotest

What Mr Spencer needs is some native Australians to claim landrights on the land – in that case the consultations and committees will go into overdrive and the cash payments will be huge.  Mr Spencer cannot even get this to be heard in the courts – his land has been effectively stolen. But why should he have to go to court? the Australian Constitution states that the Government MUST compensate him for his stolen land. The Government is acting OUTSIDE of the Australian Constitution and therefore is a DE-FACTO Government and a Foreign power. Any Courts Peter takes this to will also be a de-facto court and NOT a part of Australia, relying purely upon civil law (the law of contract) instead of Common Law and Trial by Jury. The government and the courts are there to serve big businesses, banks and corporations, NOT the Constitutional Commonwealth of Australia which is the People.

This Kyoto-idiocy now dictates that Australians cannot clear their own land for development or even safety from bushfires – and the Australian Govt has now embarked on a policy of locking up land while refusing to pay compensation to the owners. Crudd will not meet with Mr Spencer and this is understandable; if it were a boat load of asylum seekers threatening to jump overboard he would be there in a second ensuring those at the UN were taking full notice of what a big man he is - but to help an ordinary Australian farmer simply get a fair deal…?

There’s no publicity in that is there mate…

 

Copyright © 2007-2012 Cultured Views. All rights reserved.