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.