G20 has come and gone and they all had a good chat, pledged Billions of dollars american ( should have been Euro's) and passed the buck to the IMF. Dear friends I have never moved in those circles so cannot really comment from direct xperience. Thought of course is a different matter as I am not certain the IMF is the right organisation to channel through , will have to wait and see if actual funds are forthcoming .
Sorry to see images of the Italian Prime Minister behaving rather 'silly' again,he seems to be getting worse, doesn't he. His family must be getting quite concerned, also Italy in general and as we older folk men in particular certainly know about and have to guard against. Its an aging thing as far as I am concerned particularly in the presence of young ladies, but also social ocassions. I do hope someone has a word with him, the best ones usually our wifes who know us best.
The next big one, I suppose is the Climate Conference in Holland, where the Worlds top climate ananlyts will battle it out with the polititions on targets and timings, in an effort to get agreement on how to get the best results for the future. I published my ideas to the G20 in my essay Think- A Proposal for a major change within the financial systemand matters relating. In the matters relating section.
I just cannot help smiling when the Iranian President, gets on the front foot and accuses Isreal of , was it , being 'Cruel and Racial' , he's certainly a man who puts his head above the parapit, thats for sure. True or false , its up to the individual to decide. He was talking about Isreal and not the jewry in general, certainly the phospurus showers were real on the UN compound as well as palestinian targets. In the past we are told ,Isreal and Iran did some clandestine trade and a book was published on that period ,I wonder if they are still in business.
As we know a lot of candidate walked out of the room at the Presidents remarks at the Racial Distrimination conference in a herd instinct then walked back in again, what a lot of overpaid over got ,lot they were. To there credit they carried and completed the conference with a lack lustre communique. Thats enough of the serious stuff.
During April out eldest Grandson Oscar 14 visited and of course enjoyed his time with our soccer playing Great Dane 'Binx' plus driving lessons with his Grandad, thats me.We went driving around this forest property in the old Susuki four by four , all noise anf no speed in four wheel low. Of course I set a rarther difficult route around trees and undergrowth and dear granson repeatedly hit a almost hidden log head on. Oscar now knows what its like to be stopped dead by something heavy and non negotiable, it is now known as Oscar Folly. He is doing just fine on his own, great fun.
Always enjoy local festivals, Patricia myself and 'Binx' went to a local seaside event and entered Binx in the pet show in 'the most glamarour section' . With a garland of tinsel he came third . First of course was a little girl in her fairy dress and to dogs with ballerina skirts, we have not told mix that that spray painted pig came second and he third . The pig quickly put back in the van has it had caught the eye of Binx and a couple of Siberian Huskies, no doubt at all they had lunch in mind.
In May I will be reminising on my life in the Motor industry and its players,with some home truths for all of us .
Bye for now-------=-=Malcolm Mason
Book – Profits of War by Ben Menashie --- Allen and Unwin 1992.
Book – Under Five Shahs by General ----------- and there I have no further detail.
I purchased the book at a market stall at a fete in the Blue Mountains west of
Sydney some twenty or more years agoe. It was a facinating read , more so as it was signed and a note inside which said that the writer had met the author during his time in Iran. It seemed that the writer was Canadian, probably at the Canadian Embassy or whatever to his wifes mum. Anyway silly me sent it off to the Canadian High Commission in Canberra as maybe they could return it to the sender. Never heard anything since, I damned if I can find further reference on either the author or the publisher.
My interest in this well educated country was twofold as I had once been involved in tendering for
the truck supply for a n update of their abbatior network in the last days of the Shah and worked with the chap who played a large part in the establishment of their motor industry- remember the Hillman from the then Rootes group, propably still going as taxis .
Fin.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Words – True and Perceive
Now that the United States President Mr Barack Obama has settled in to the White House, it was time to write to him on my thoughts on his Presidency and his immediate past incumberant plus copies of my two essays; Think – An Essay on Governance and Think – A Proposal for a major change within the world financial system and matters relating.
I hope that he or and his advisors read them and thay help in some way. He may not like some of the commentry , either in the letter or my February blog – Truth tell hard facts. Mr President does not appear to like spending time in his office, something he will learn in time, so it is probably up to vice President Mr Viden to attent to running the White House and possibly hear about my letter.
I came to thinking about the Swat Valley and my indications in 2004 in the essay and letter to President Bush about the possible where a bouts of Bin Laden and his brothers in arms The Taliban and El Queda – it all came true didn't it and seen at last. Its all to do with advisors who pass on the messages or shred them. In the Clinton era Mr Clinton somehow found time to attend to correspondence, always the British Prime minister of the day including Mr Browns office now and my own Australian PM, although not so good as his predecessor plus a number of others who search and are interested in the word 'True'. Hopefully I am doing my bit for a better world.
Perceive, is a world of its own, as we and I have seen, a few examples come to mind. The detainees at Guantanamo Bay or camp delta is good for starters, in that following the paymen t of about one thousanUS dolars to 'bounty hunters' in Pakistan and Afghanistan etc, the Bush administration really did 'perceive' the detainees to be Enamy Combatants . I supported Australias Mr David Hicks ; Mr Mossam Begg of the UK plus another Australia Mamoud Habbib . In Mr Habbibs case I wrote Mr Bush informing him that some time agoe I helped a young man out of Saudi Arabia who was in trouble with the countries authorities politically I think and so Mr Bush owned me one. A few weeks later he was released, coincidence or not we will never know of course. Anyway David Hicks is slowly recovering from the awful treatment he received in Camp Delta and so is Mr Habbib . Mossam Begg wrote a very intelligent book of his experiences , I wrote to him explaining some matters he got wrong concerning the UK visitors he had, he didn't respond as I think he got a little above himself. Now we have the lad ,'UK again telling his story it is ongoing so will come back to it later.
Still on the word 'Perceive' , I am thinkin g of the Brazilian man shot dead on the London underground last year - perceived to be a terrorist and dangerous, shot by a left handed policeman, I believe one eye witness said, just once on radio but not repeated. Londons Chief of police tried to excusse, by saying , police caught up in the moment and under stress make mistakes – rubbish anti- terrorist operatives are trained to be indifferent to stress of the moment as are police horses , SAS soldiers and the like. As always I wrote to the fello of the day of my thoughts.
Back to 'True' and some good thoughts and news in my families lives. A year agoe my sisters grand daughter and colleage won the World championship in France for Body Painting, the images are quite stunning and its on again this european summer no dought. Whow and behold , my sister Joyce in Kent has sent me a newspaper cutting annoucing that a couson one Douglas Birch has been awarde the MBE this year for services to his community and the old mining industry (coal).I last met him when I was about ten, goodness me there is a likeness,well he is my late mother brothers son.
The Birch's are or were a well known coal mining family in the English midlands and here in Australia/NSW, where a number are buried in Bulli, 80 klms south of Sydney. Way back the late 1800's it was others went to India and I have photograghs taken in Bombay 1897 0f my mums mothers sister and her husband and another sister. Its very frustrating not to be able to post pictures yet,but its all coming folks, please hang on.
A true little story to finish off a Pakistan story – I was walking down the maun street of my local town of Batemans Bay, not unlike any town in the UK or US, anywhere really. An Indian lady was sitting at an outside cafe with her young daughter. As I passed she looked at me a smiled, good morning I smiled back. I went to the post office and saw her again and she said may I speak to you, certainly went the reply, well I saw you walking down the street and you so reminded me of my father ,same colour clothes small old breif case and even brown shoes.
Ah, my memories of Pakistan , so I told her that I had always felt at home in Pakistan,when on business there, to which she replied that although she comes from India the family left at the toime of partition. So I said to the good lady that the place I really felt at home with was Pesawar and to our amazment she smiled again and said , yes thats where our family came from. I have kicked myself so many times for not getting her name and address, for it was only weeks later that I received the photograghs taken in 1879. Intrigue, of course.
Thats it for March.
Recommended book for people interested in fiction based on possible fact and inbuilt pyhcy of security operatives ' At Risk' by Stella Rimington – former head of M15 Arrow books, Random House.
Bye for now
Malcolm Mason.
I hope that he or and his advisors read them and thay help in some way. He may not like some of the commentry , either in the letter or my February blog – Truth tell hard facts. Mr President does not appear to like spending time in his office, something he will learn in time, so it is probably up to vice President Mr Viden to attent to running the White House and possibly hear about my letter.
I came to thinking about the Swat Valley and my indications in 2004 in the essay and letter to President Bush about the possible where a bouts of Bin Laden and his brothers in arms The Taliban and El Queda – it all came true didn't it and seen at last. Its all to do with advisors who pass on the messages or shred them. In the Clinton era Mr Clinton somehow found time to attend to correspondence, always the British Prime minister of the day including Mr Browns office now and my own Australian PM, although not so good as his predecessor plus a number of others who search and are interested in the word 'True'. Hopefully I am doing my bit for a better world.
Perceive, is a world of its own, as we and I have seen, a few examples come to mind. The detainees at Guantanamo Bay or camp delta is good for starters, in that following the paymen t of about one thousanUS dolars to 'bounty hunters' in Pakistan and Afghanistan etc, the Bush administration really did 'perceive' the detainees to be Enamy Combatants . I supported Australias Mr David Hicks ; Mr Mossam Begg of the UK plus another Australia Mamoud Habbib . In Mr Habbibs case I wrote Mr Bush informing him that some time agoe I helped a young man out of Saudi Arabia who was in trouble with the countries authorities politically I think and so Mr Bush owned me one. A few weeks later he was released, coincidence or not we will never know of course. Anyway David Hicks is slowly recovering from the awful treatment he received in Camp Delta and so is Mr Habbib . Mossam Begg wrote a very intelligent book of his experiences , I wrote to him explaining some matters he got wrong concerning the UK visitors he had, he didn't respond as I think he got a little above himself. Now we have the lad ,'UK again telling his story it is ongoing so will come back to it later.
Still on the word 'Perceive' , I am thinkin g of the Brazilian man shot dead on the London underground last year - perceived to be a terrorist and dangerous, shot by a left handed policeman, I believe one eye witness said, just once on radio but not repeated. Londons Chief of police tried to excusse, by saying , police caught up in the moment and under stress make mistakes – rubbish anti- terrorist operatives are trained to be indifferent to stress of the moment as are police horses , SAS soldiers and the like. As always I wrote to the fello of the day of my thoughts.
Back to 'True' and some good thoughts and news in my families lives. A year agoe my sisters grand daughter and colleage won the World championship in France for Body Painting, the images are quite stunning and its on again this european summer no dought. Whow and behold , my sister Joyce in Kent has sent me a newspaper cutting annoucing that a couson one Douglas Birch has been awarde the MBE this year for services to his community and the old mining industry (coal).I last met him when I was about ten, goodness me there is a likeness,well he is my late mother brothers son.
The Birch's are or were a well known coal mining family in the English midlands and here in Australia/NSW, where a number are buried in Bulli, 80 klms south of Sydney. Way back the late 1800's it was others went to India and I have photograghs taken in Bombay 1897 0f my mums mothers sister and her husband and another sister. Its very frustrating not to be able to post pictures yet,but its all coming folks, please hang on.
A true little story to finish off a Pakistan story – I was walking down the maun street of my local town of Batemans Bay, not unlike any town in the UK or US, anywhere really. An Indian lady was sitting at an outside cafe with her young daughter. As I passed she looked at me a smiled, good morning I smiled back. I went to the post office and saw her again and she said may I speak to you, certainly went the reply, well I saw you walking down the street and you so reminded me of my father ,same colour clothes small old breif case and even brown shoes.
Ah, my memories of Pakistan , so I told her that I had always felt at home in Pakistan,when on business there, to which she replied that although she comes from India the family left at the toime of partition. So I said to the good lady that the place I really felt at home with was Pesawar and to our amazment she smiled again and said , yes thats where our family came from. I have kicked myself so many times for not getting her name and address, for it was only weeks later that I received the photograghs taken in 1879. Intrigue, of course.
Thats it for March.
Recommended book for people interested in fiction based on possible fact and inbuilt pyhcy of security operatives ' At Risk' by Stella Rimington – former head of M15 Arrow books, Random House.
Bye for now
Malcolm Mason.
Friday, February 27, 2009
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.
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
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.
- If we are in we stay in and if we are out we stay out.
- Vehicles stay in open ground and all sun sails are removed.
- As we we are on a river . The fire pump is there, always fully fueled; oiled and run regularly as it suplies our water.
- The supply pipes are under ground .
- The fire hose is always ready and is capable of reaching the whole house.
- All areas around the house and buildings are mowed plus the underground pipe areas.
- Our vehicle a Nissan Patrol is equiped with a fire blanket ( actually a bomb blabket from my business past).
- 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
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