MALL SEIGE NAIROBI KENYA

Thankfully the siege that has been going on for days at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi has now come to an end.
This senseless waste of life and its associated trauma. grief and sadness all done in the name of religion. Religious extremism and ultra nationalism are the two greatest evils that exist in our world today. To the greater majority of people of every religion what has happened in Kenya is abhorrent. Yet a small percentage of people, mostly of the Muslim religion, believe that such acts are not only acceptable but to be praised and that those committing these sort of acts will be rewarded in the after life.
It is time for Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and members or believers in all the worlds religions to stand up and say, 'Enough is Enough.' We the peoples of the world just want to live in peace and security and in an atmosphere where are children will grow up without hatred and fear.

SYRIA CHEMICAL WEAPONS AND US INTERVENTION>

The use of chemical weapons against anyone is to be absolutely condemned. The outrage about their use in Syria appears to be because of the indiscriminate killing of civilians and especially children. However the use of tanks, artillery, helicopter gunships and air force bombers has killed many thousands more civilians than have been killed by chemical weapons. Why the selective outrage and calls for reprisals.
Any involvement, directly or indirectly, by any western powers will only bring wider grief and expansion of the conflict and incite a Muslim backlash.
It is up to the United Nations to act.

THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT CABINET

I do not understand the sudden out burst of criticism of the Coalition Cabinet as announced yesterday by Tony Abbott.
For at least the last 3 years Abbott has been saying that he will carry forward the members of his opposition shadow ministry into government if he wins the election. One female member of that group will probably fail to be re-elected. So Abbott has done exactly what he said he would. So why now the outcry about it.
The Labor Party has crowed that they have had more female members of parliament than the coalition. This is a direct result of candidates being parachuted into seats by the federal branch regardless of the local branch's opinion and regardless of experience or qualifications.
The over-riding reason to choose members of the cabinet must and should be by experience and suitability not just on gender.
Please remember that the people from the Labor Party that are now offering this criticism are the ones who shafted a sitting FEMALE Prime Minister.

COCKATOOS

These are Gang Gang Cockatoos. They are from the eastern parts of Australia. Here they are at our bird feeder in our yard in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.
The ones with the red heads and ruffle are the males.
Their call sounds like a creaky door opening.
they are very sociable birds and usually unafraid of humans.

BUSH FIRES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS

It has already been very hot and it is only early Spring. We also have had very little rain. the conditions are just right for a bad fire season.
Please clear leaves out of your gutters. Put firewood away from your house. Clear, as much as possible, any leaf, twig and dead wood litter from nearby bush. Check your hoses, sprinklers etc.
Above all DO NOT LIGHT OUTDOOR WOOD bbqs or any open fires.
Report all suspicious activity IMMEDIATELY.

THE CARBON TAX

The abolition of the carbon tax was one of the main policies of the Australian Liberal National Coalition leading up to the election. The people of Australia voted overwhelmingly in favour of this and the other policies of the coalition.
The Labor party who opposed the abolition of the tax received their lowest primary vote ever.
Last night an ex minister in the Labor party was asked if they would acknowledge the mandate given to the coalition and not block the abolition of this tax in the Senate.
She replied that just over 30% of the population had voted for its retention therefore the Labor Party would not support a vote in the Senate for its abolition.
To me this is hypocritical sour grapes. Nearly 70% of the people of Australia do not want your tax. You are going against the express will of the people.
To the Labor Party. You lost. The people voted against you. Accept it change and move on.

TONY ABBOTT. AUSTRALIA'S NEW PRIME MINISTER

The people of Australia have decided in a fairly emphatic way. the Labor Government has ben swept from power and the Liberal, National Coalition is the new Government.
Tony Abbott is our new Prime Minister.
The time for division is now over. It is time to unite behind our new government that has been put into power by the vast majority of Australians.

AUSTRALIA VOTES

Today Australia votes in possibly one of the most important elections in a generation.
Please make your vote count. Do NOT be distracted by one of the minor parties or independents. They do not and will not have the power to make and implement the decisions that are important for our country.

THE FEDERAL ELECTION AND YOUR VOTE

I believe that the Coalition deserves to win tomorrow. I also hope that is a decisive win.
If you are undecided as to who to vote for please carefully check the policies of any fringe party/independent before casting a protest vote for them. We do not need another hung parliament where minor parties or independents hold power out of all proportion to the number of people who voted for them. Consider carefully before wasting your precious vote on them.

MY TWO E-BOOKS

Just a reminder that my two e-books are available to be purchased.
You will find the link on the right hand side of this page.
THE FIRST MAN is a scifi story of adventure, romance and mystery.
MY PATCH is a collection of stories about a policeman who lives in a small village in England in the first half of the 20th century.
I am sure that you would enjoy them.
A starving poor (lol) writer thanks you.

KEVIN RUDD and THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

I have one question that puzzles me.
Kevin Rudd was rejected by his own party when he was the elected prime Minister of Australia. Members of his own Cabinet called him a psychopath, dysfunctional, a control freak and the majority of them considered him not fit to be Prime Minister.
SO why do they now expect us to accept him for that very role for which they rejected him and said he was not suitable for? Why?
Has he suddenly been reborn and is no longer any of the above things?

AMERICAN INVOLVMENT IN SYRIAN CONFLICT

It is my opinion that America should not get directly involved in this conflict.
If the government of Syria has used chemical weapons against its own people that is a terrible crime. However I fail to see that this is any worse than the constant indiscriminate shelling of suburban areas. Both kill innocent victims including children. The people committing these atrocities, and I am sure both sides are guilty, should be correctly tried in a court of law.
If America decides to take action, no matter how limited or targeted, innocent people will also die. It is also inevitable that certain sections of the Muslim world will see this as aggression against them.
Terrible acts of inhumanity deserve to be punished but it must be done in a legal way.To punish indiscriminate killing of people by more of the same is, I believe, not justifiable.
If one wishes the end of the Assad regime be very sure about what is likely to replace it.

THE AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY CAMPAIGN LAUNCH

This morning was the Labor Party of Australia launch of their campaign to retain office in the upcoming elections on the 7th of Sept.
These are my observations.
Therese, Kevin Rudd's wife, introduced him and I am afraid that her speech lacked warmth and was rather repetitious. Many times she said, 'Let me introduce etc etc.
Rudd's speech was really in two main parts.
Firstly about the achievements of past Labor governments.
Secondly the usual negative and personal attacks on Tony Abbott.
The main thing that it lacked was a real vision of what he as a possible Prime Minister for the next three years had for the future of the country.
At times his speech was full of bluster and one could not help feeling it was a plea to, 'Please Love Me.'
His attacks on the Coalition were the usual (now mostly discredited) ones about 70billion worth of cuts cuts cuts.
I do not believe that this will re-energise the Labor campaign.
I again stress that I am not a member of any political party.