A Day Too Long

When is a day too long,its when after weeks of atrociously hot days and everyone is exhausted from temperature trauma a nd readting ones home against possible fire storm. It happens and has happened in the state of Victoria on the Seventh of February 2009, a Saturday.

There were warnings of course and I guess most were prepared for the catastrophe that was about tofall from the sky on that fateful day.
The final tally of people killed is now reassessed as just under 200 , some 800 homes and or buildings. Of the animal population, domestic and wild, it will run into thousands.

At this day people are beginning to be allowed to return to their home,properties and businesses to assess their loss to come to terms with what lies ahead in their lives and of course to mourne those who did not survive the disaster

As the world knows, there were memorial services and visits to the area affected , by people in high places including HRH Princess Ann on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth. The World also knows and seen the images of Firefighters; State Emergency Services; Ambulance; Police et al. An incredibly effient and dedicated people they were shown to be. Brave to the extent of their training, even so cicunstances were too much and a number gave the ultimate sacifice.

The whole thing was the result of Fire Balls rising above the tree canopy, then with all the ground fuel , simply flew over and onto the towns; villiages; farms ; homes , a kind of hell from the sky. Where did all these Fire Balls come from and why, has been the avoided question by media politians and even enviromentalists. As a forest dweller, it is clear to me , it was from the National Parks opf Victoria the state in question, with Melbourne as its state capital.

ry Departments . Maybe they dont like getting their and boots dirty; are busy putting up barriers, closing fire trails and of course making and putting up signs keep them busy when they are not applying for ever more money to carry on their light duties.

Parks come under the department of the enviroment and sustainability which in its turn are report able to the State government of Victoria and its Premier.

It is clear to me that the very enviroment of fauna and flora, which they are supposed to protect,the N ational Parks neglected to the extent where disasters such as happened iin Victoria February seventh occur and animals both wild and domestic burn to death. Of the human side of things they have a lot to answer for and to the date are getting away with it . Hopefully the Royal Commission will raise the issue in due course.

Well now, having said that as my opinion, what about mliving in State Forest, yes a forest run by the NSW Forestry, this one known as the Shallow Crossing State Forest, a place where logging has taken place from time to time, hazard reduct by scrub clearance by fire and mechanical means plus all fire tracks kept open with no barriers, yes I can hear the contractor as I write this blog, dirty boots worn by very very hard working men both contractors and forestry personnel.

OK, during the Victoria disaster, we had a forest fire locally, about fire kilometres away over three hills . We were kept informed by local radio and of course the hazy sky and change of sunlight. Forestry simply controlled the logged area and hazard reduced (valley) until it was out - end of story.
As you know Patricia and I live here with our Great Dane Binx , Burmese cat Coco, Wombats ; Roo's ; Wallabies and assorted forest creatures, sorry must not omit Mr P our old Peacock once the head lad of a family of up to 11 birds, all moved on to the grest tree in the sky or new homes.

We have hazard reduced in the past and are always prepared for bush fires, here is what we do.

1. If we are in we stay in and if we are out we stay out.
2. Vehicles stay in open ground and all sun sails are removed.
3. As we we are on a river . The fire pump is there, always fully fueled; oiled and run regularly as it suplies our water.
4. The supply pipes are under ground .
5. The fire hose is always ready and is capable of reaching the whole house.
6. All areas around the house and buildings are mowed plus the underground pipe areas.
7. Our vehicle a Nissan Patrol is equiped with a fire blanket ( actually a bomb blabket from my business past).
8. Water tank on this property is steel, no plstic tanks on this proerty.

We must all fully appreciate , that to light a fire , there must be fuel and iit is clear to me that there was mssive amounts of ground fuel to cause the fire balls that occurred. In my opinion the reson for that was a lack of proper and continued Hazard reduction burns and general clearing, in the Victorian National Parks, through incompetant management and equally State Government Department of enviroment and sustainability or whatever its called.

Anyone wanting to know how to manage Woodlands and flora should check out the Forests department, the ones with the dirty boots. A bad month for Victoria.

I send my thoughts of healing ,to all those families affected by this disaster of 'A Day Too Long).

Sincerely

Malcolm E Mason

Transition 2008-2009

January in the southern hemisphere, particularly here in Australia is a time of temperature surges. Just midway through the month we had temperatures up to 45 C in southern New South Wales for a short period. Whew. A lovely 18 C this Sunday 18th and a life transition for our eldest granddaughter, Jiselle 20, when at 11.30 hours she took off from Sydney bound for Canada and Whistler free at last to be her own woman, holidaying with friends.

Transition, I'll say, from a warm Sydney to goodness knows what temperature in Whistler. Australia is in mid summer, Europe of course in mid winter and what a winter, we hear. Our neighbour and friend returned from a chilly Spain to south west France to find their caravan accommodation frozen inside and out plus no gas cylinder flow. Thankfully they have an alternative with friends in a village not too far away - Spring does come dear friends so hang on.

Patricia and I spent Christmas with our daughter Samantha, husband Neil and children Henry, Charlie and Lilly in Karangi back from the coast city of Coffs Harbour. The 89 acre property, part feed lot, is a little too noisy for us, 'over machined' I call it; three quad bikes, a macho mower and things like blower yard cleaners, planers, grinders, power saws. All this a far cry from brooms; hand saws; planes and gentle mowers of past and present... For the occasion our son Timothy, Jude and baby Leo joined us.

It was good company; good meals; good wines and a lovely setting of a large home on a hill, shaded by a magnificent and very mature Camphor Laurel plus others around and added to by a 'Cape Chestnut', 'Hong Kong orchid' and other unusual species, echoes of a South African occupancy in the past. Coffs Harbour is midway between Sydney and Brisbane, the 'Big Banana' they call it, with a world class botanic garden, good restaurants, beaches and Marina.

Transition in Coffs Harbour was, regretfully also a scene of tragedy at this holiday time. Something I must relate to you, as it is but another instance where the media does not get the full story, because of their own importance and egos. The scene was a beach on an ebbing tide. Myself, Patricia, daughter Samantha and children were enjoying the 'dog beach' hence the presence of our Great Dane 'Binx'. A lady started to shout 'help me, help me!', running up and down the foreshore. Someone was not visible and we all looked - Then the cry I will never forget and most certainly echoed around the World at times of impending tragedy -- God, come back to me. Two boys did but not a 36 year old friend or partner.

I looked around, no surfboarders with the ebbing tide and shallower water. Behind me was our daughter quietly talking on her mobile alerting Police, rescue crews etc. on 000, someone was running to the Surf Rescue position, some three hundred metres away. Only a few minutes later, it all happened - Police arrived plus ambulance and then from the Surf rescue end a jet ski at incredible speed came, went out to sea, lined up with the lady and zigzagged towards us, stopped lifted the man aboard and shot off to base and equipment and the arrival of a four wheel drive ambulance.

All to no avail, I regret. A story of a lady with two young sons and a partner - two boys and a man went to have fun, the man was caught in a rip or under current and drowned, the two boys returned - what a terrible transition for one family this January 2009.

N.B. I'm told always use a 'Buggy Board' in open sea and hang on.

Of the TV, press, yes they arrived running, did they get or endeavour to get the real story, of course not, all they wanted was a picture then make up a general story of beach safety. I can tell you, surf lifesaving, police and ambulance services were supreme, fast and efficient - Amen and our kindest thoughts go out to that lady and her family, as it does to all people who tragically loose a loved one.

Here in Australia in November 2007 ex President Bush's so called special friend, one Mr John Howard, was thrown out of office, not only losing the election but his own seat to an ex journalist. Just prior to Christmas 2008, for reasons beyond me, the 'abc' put on a short series entitled 'The Howard Years' a series of general gloating, even had George Bush say a few words. Ex President Bush has apparently awarded him some kind of freedom medal, probably for good behaviour in class. - Transition, gone like Mr Bush and out of view. Mind you, my little ideas around the word 'Perfidy' could be raised later and extended to Mr Tony Blair the ex UK Prime Minister, we will see.

Mr. Bush was so accused during his visit to Australia through the American Embassy. Out of jurisdiction and of course diplomatic immunity. 'Perfidy' fits all three of them.

My major work for 2008 was my paper "Think - A proposal for a major change within the Worlds financial system and matters relating" is receiving positive responses in this transition period 2008-2009.

The summary was written as follows:


5 - Summary

A. Change from the $US dollar to the €Euro dollar for international trade of oil products; commodities and resources plus food including the bio sector.

B. Move the centre of international trade from the USA to Europe in line with the change of currency; location within the €Euro dollar area of the EU.

C. Establish a fair price for oil products, with long term availability in view. My thought is €Euro dollar 47 plus or minus 10% per barrel.

D. Cap outputs of oil to 2005 extraction quantities.

E. Caps on outputs and exports of commodities such as coal, iron, ore and minerals in general. Outputs 2005 extraction levels, with 2007 levels for bio products.

F. All our effort to use alternative sources of energy away from oil and coal products with a massive effort to develop nuclear fusion, with the interim of nuclear fission power plants as base load provision.


N.B. Interesting to note KOSOVO, not in the Euro zone, has the Euro as currency.

It is all beginning to happen and I believe a good thing is that the slowing World economy is backing us off the "Madness" of escalating untenable financial innovations like edge funds, private equity marketing, etc.

I believe Governments are now realising that we must conserve resources for the long run and so, again the 'madness' of everlasting ever escalating extraction of resources had to slow down and is. All good stuff for the long road ahead, in the 'Transition' to sustainable energy systems. OPEC commenced by limiting outputs for they also are realising that their reserves of Oil is finite.

As I have said before, if Banks had not cashed up themselves, over the hundred plus years of operation, then goodbye. Following a payback of all those big bonuses, first of course.

Ah, the United States of America President Barak Obama has commenced operations with some Presidential Orders. Guantanamo Bay to be closed in a year, very slow. A couple of 747's would do it in a week, prisoners and staff. Prisoners to their home countries, some secretly to locations of their choosing within their homeland and the USA staff to their US bases and others to their home offices. Some of the cost could be offset by demanding the return of the ransoms paid for those uncharged and unchargeable men.

The USA has numerous allies, of which Australia is one, however it is very disappointing to hear President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, very publicly succumb to Israeli lobbying, by making separate definitive statements, that Israel is a special case, 'The USA will support Israel come what may'. Not good words Mr President and Madam Secretary.

Whow and behold a week or so later Mr. President comes along and on strong, on lobbyists and says they will be controlled in his term. Regretfully the Israeli lobby had already achieved their aim of ensuring the US does what it is told, when it's told, anyway that's how it seems to me. Maybe one day America will understand Israelis are Israelis, who happen to be in the majority, of the Jewish faith and in some areas pretty fundamental at that.

Now we have Mr. President's Middle East envoy, one George Mitchell travelling to the Middle East, talking to Israel and Palestine. Not however Hamas in the Gaza strip. Where is all this 'I will talk to all, friends and foe'. Gaza is not a foe, and did not deserve the retribution Israel dished out with US armaments of devastating power, against what can only be described as advanced fireworks or items fired and used in live military training exercises.

I think President Obama is running too fast and I hope he is not going to be a disappointment. We will see how good he is when Iran comes up for talks. A few may remember before the invasion of Iraq, the now deceased President Saddam Hussein, publicly invited Mr. George W. Bush to a debate. Mr. Bush declined. I was one of the people advocating such a debate. I wrote to both of them. How about it Mr. President, pick up the phone and have a chat with President Ahmadinajad, man to man, and then eyeball to eyeball personally, in say Paris or Geneve. That ends my journal for January 2009.