New Years Eve 2005

Another year almost gone again makes you wonder where the year went to; me I just want to slow things down a bit. The usual round of parties will go on I guess like they always have; me well I stopped going years ago really but I am not a wowser by any means, question of finance and health I guess. I guess Buck junior will have a few grogs or take his missus out for a feed. Most likely get stuck into some Vino with the tucker. I don't know about my daughter but I have just got off the phone to her. I haven't been to well lately got a crook foot and I am only just starting to get the right treatment after a good ten days of being messed around. Just had an e-mail from my youngest sister in the old Dart coming out here for a visit AGAIN she's always here; still it will be good to see her again and her husband, who in my opinion is a top bloke. They are coming to visit our Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, a beaut place but expensive to get to. And the Whitsunday Islands, so I will drive up for a couple of days; oh yes her Daughter who lives in Sydney is coming up so it should be good. Am going to try get some shut eye so I just phoned the two of my children who live near me and wished them an early Happy New Year well, it was only 90 minutes early. And a very happy and prosperous New Year to my readers

MORE WARTIME MEMORIES

I am now recalling those buzz Bombs,they made a weird kind of droning noise most unusual and we were instructed in School if we heard or saw one to lay on our stomachs in the gutter with our stomachs raised; I know why so someone obviously asked, it was in case it detonated close by to prevent the stomach from the shock wave or something like that. Dad went to the far East towards the end of 1941 I guess and got out of Singapore the day before she fell to the enemy; I can now vaguely recall him at times but I am finding it hard, some things I can recall quite easily and others not so well. I have just recalled having a brother born in 1942 and I had to lug him around in a fully enclosed Gas mask, . apparently we had been threatened with gas attacks; I now recall mine it was a Micky Mouse one, mother just had a normal one. We actually had to do drills with the thing; I often wondered why I had to carry My Brother around so as you can most likely guess I was always late home. Big surprise mother took me and brother to the Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station Dad was back it seems from some hospital in Cairo Egypt on the way back from the far East his first words to me were I have a present for you; he certainly did it was a huge Jar of sweets; he had forgotten my brother, name of Tony course mother made me share; I was not happy about that; one year later the war would be over but I don"t think I had thought that far ahead. I now recall this other weapon the Enemy used;the V2 which so I have read in later years was a proper Rocket. These were apparently targeted at London and I vaguely overheard Mother and Dad talking about them as he had to go to London to a Medical board. He told me some yarns I tell you I believed them at the time but not now lol. some were true as he did get a job after the war with the aircraft company that put the first British Jet Fighter into service with the R.A.F and it seems these aircraft used to fly up to these buzzbombs and tilt their wings and send them back from where they came from; but usually shot them down. These other things were not that easily dealt with he said, here is a shot of the Aircraft; I actually got a ride in one some time after the war when I was in the Air Cadets; I got a ride in a two seat trainer, I think I was 14 years old then so an exciting experience. As more things come into my head I shall record them, I guess it would be nice for them to be in sequence but life is not like that; enjoy what there is; I do hope my children read them properly.

IT'S ALMOST THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN FOLKS

But not quite; still where I hang my Hat it happens before the rest of most of my friends; except one smarty who lives in New Zealand; we are the best of mates and always will be. A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU. So I thought well we need a little laughter in our lives; so I have decided that I shall call this post FRIDAY"S HUMOUR. I received most of them from a friend in the USA who indeed put the idea into my head; amongst other ideas for which I am grateful even if I don't show it at times. So enjoy please I know I did. There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed a desire to Become a "great" writer. When asked to define "great" he said "I want to write Stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional Level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, wail, and howl in pain, desperation, and anger!" He now works for Microsoft writing error messages. Lost: small apricot poodle. Reward. Neutered. Like one of the family. Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00. For sale: an antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers . Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too. Wanted: Unmarried girls to pick fresh fruit and produce at night. No matter what your topcoat is made of, this miracle spray will make it really repellent. For Sale -- Eight puppies from a German Shepherd and an Alaskan Hussy. Great Dames for sale. Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children. Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it! If you think you've seen everything in Paris, visit the Pere Lachasis Cemetery. It boasts such immortals as Moliere and Chopin. Mt. Kilimanjaro, the breathtaking backdrop for the Serena Lodge. Swim in the lovely pool while you drink it all in. Sheer stockings. Designed for fancy dress, but so serviceable that lots of women wear nothing else. Stock up and save. Limit: one. Save regularly in our bank. You'll never regret it. Man, honest. Will take anything. Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first! Modular Sofas. Only $299. For rest or fore play. Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included. Our bikinis are exciting. They are simply the tops. Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere else again. Wanted: Preparer of food. Must be dependable, like the food business, and be willing to get hands dirty. Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting-off-head illusion. Blue Cross and salary. Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating. Mother's helper--peasant working conditions. Semi-Annual after-Christmas Sale. And now, the Superstore--unequaled in size, unmatched in variety, unrivaled inconvenience; and finally the last one for this Friday. "What are you selling, young man," he asked. "I'm not selling anything, sir." the young man replied. "I'm the Census Taker." "A what?" the man asked. "A Census Taker. We are trying to find out how many people are in the United States." "Well," the man answered. "You're wasting your time with me, I have no idea." ____________

LENNOX HEAD

Lennox head is a beautiful spot that lies between Ballina and Byron Bay; in fact there are many beaut spots there that at one time I had considered moving to Lennox head instead of the Sunshine Coast in Queensnland and the distance is not far really about 350 kilometres or 400 whatever. It also has a variety of small shops; Restaurants; Couple of milk bars; and yes don't panic it has a pub and a licensed club as well for those who feel like imbibing. oh yes a Doctor's surgery all in all a great little place. For more variety in your shopping the best place would be Byron Bay itself as it has the larger chain stores; but I found on my trips there that Ballina was good too and boasted clubs and a Pub. one will usually find a watering hole wherever one goes in this land and not just to sell Alcohol now but soft drinks by the score. Cape Byron is the most easterly point of Australia by the way and if one is a casual person then it is definitely for you not the cape so much as the town and the beach. And a beaut beach as well; all our beaches are beaut lol just had to ram that home. so come on over why don't you I will be here for a while yet I hope.

HOLIDAYS WILL THEY INCREASE

Have you ever noticed with the holidays we have each year how they seem to get more and more; how each one gets more elaborate as every year goes by. We here in Australia seem to get lots of public holidays, now I’m not against them per se but have you noticed how commercalised they get each year. How some occur on different dates depending on the state one lives in; I have listed the states and territories here for roaming Bloggers to cast their critical eyes at. Holidays in Australia National Queensland New Years Day January 1 Labour Day May 7 Valentines day February 14 RNA Show Day (Brisbane Only) August 16 Australia Day Holiday (except Victoria) January 26 Good Friday April 13 Easter Monday April 16 Western Australia Anzac Day April 25 Labour Day March 5 Queen's Birthday except WA June 11 Foundation Day June 4 Christmas Day December 25 Queen's Birthday October 1 Australian Capital Territory Tasmania Canberra Day March 19 Regatta Day February 13 Bank Holiday Devenport Cup Day January 3 Labour Day October 1 Devenport Show Day November 3 New South Wales Burnie Show Day October 5 Bank Holiday Launceston Show Day October 11 Labour Day October 1 Hobart Show Day October 25 Recreation Day November 5 Victoria Northern Territory Labour Day March 12 Labour Day May 7 Alice Springs Show Day July 6 Melbourne Cup Day November 6 Tennant Creek Show Day July 13 South Australia Katherine Show Day July 13 Adelaide Cup Day May 21 Darwin Show Day July 27 Labour Day October 1 Picnic Day August 6 Proclamation Day Holiday Then of course there are those little extra days that whilst I for one do not mind it always seems to end up with extra cash that most cannot afford being spent. Days like say Mother’s day a deserving thing and then Father’s day bobbed in. Ok so Dad wanted a look in but I think you are getting the drift. If you are in your sixties well did you have an Easter Bunny I think not; still I don’t mind that one and I see you chuckle but my wife and I always gave our grandchildren bunnies as soon as they burst on the scene ( no not the kids the bunnies) as we discovered that our grandchildren did not get their Chocolate eggs we bought them; their own parents were scoffing them. I myself am now waiting a senior citizen’s day twice yearly naturally as apparently we forget days to remember lol

A search for the Thylacine or Tasmanian tiger

The tiger is believed to now be extinct but there have been many sightings; the supposedly last one died at Hobart zoo on the seventh of September 1936. It seems man as usual killed them off or did he? I prefer to think the animal lives on as do many Australians. There have been a number of searches for the animal. None of these searches have been successful in proving the continued existence of the animal. The results of a few of these searches are given below: 1937 - Sergeant Summers leads a search in the north-west of the state, recording many recent sightings by other persons in a large area between the Arthur and Pieman Rivers, although the party itself did not see any thylacines. He recommends a sanctuary in that area. 1945 - Well-known naturalist David Fleay searches the Jane River to Lake St Clair area, finding possible Thylacine footprints. 1959 - Eric Guiler leads a search in the far north-west, an area which produced many bounties and finds what appeared to be Thylacine footprints. 1963 - Eric Guiler leads a search in the Sandy Cape area but finds no evidence. 1968 - Jeremy Griffiths, James Malley and Bob Brown embark on a major search. Although they Collect reports of sightings, they find no evidence of the Thylacine. 1980 - Parks and Wildlife Officers, Steven Smith and Adrian Pyrke, search a wide area of the State using three automatic cameras. No evidence of thylacines is found. 1982-83 - Parks and Wildlife Officer, Nick Mooney, undertakes an extensive but unsuccessful search to confirm the 1982 sighting reported by Hans Naarding near the Arthur River in the State's north-west. 1984 - A search in Tasmania's highlands by Tasmanian Wildlife Park owner, Peter Wright, fails to turn up conclusive evidence. 1988-93 - Separate photographic searches by wildlife photographer, Dave Watts and Ned Terry fail to record a Thylacine If extinct it is the sole fault of the various Tasmanian governments who placed bounties on the tiger’s head. One I suppose could say well they never knew any better then and they are most likely correct but then the same can and has been said of the survivor’s of the joint British/Australian Atom bomb tests; these unfortunate non volunteers are or were having the devil’s own job trying to seek compensation. Folk tend to say ah it is just animal so what, but what it actually does is upsets the Ecology system and is a cause of concern. And a wild animal that made an appearance on our earth 4 million years ago died out a mere 69 years ago; in captivity and these unfortunate animals would not breed in captivity. The various Tasmanian governments placed bounties on these poor animal's heads and for what well I don't think we shall ever find out why. The human race certainly has a lot of bad marks against it's name and this is just one of them. what was that growl Mom? just a cat ok get back to bed.

WAR TIME MEMORIES AS A CHILD ONCE MORE

`AIRCRAFT SUCH AS THE TWO PICTURED SOMETIMES BUT NOT ALWAYS MADE AN APPEARANCE IN THE SKIES ABOVE WHERE I WAGGED SCHOOL AND IN GENERAL HAD FUN. As the war came to it's conclusion not that us kids really cared; we were given lectures on how to behave in a Flying Bomb attack I did find out a few years later they were Rockets and two types as well; I can recall being told I would know by the sound of one which type it was but I have honestly forgotten. I myself and all my mates were more interested in making money and on November 5 Guy Fawkes day I recall being at my spot on the Gosport Portsmouth Ferry wharf with a Wheel barrow and a huge model of a guy in it with a sign saying penny for the guy. with these earnings well supplemented by American silver Dollars we bought our Fireworks ; this was a joint effort between us lot. I never told Mother about that one. I can also recall coming back from Portsmouth on the ferry and it ran adrift on something so the Royal Navy came to our rescue and took most of us off the ferryboat but not Mother oh no, I am not climbing over that railing she said; we were listing badly so a burly Petty officer just picked her up and deposited her with the rest of us. That was the talk of the school for days so I had to attend; The ferry was then floated off of whatever it was she was aground on. . Course the enemy was after both places as I realised in later life as Portsmouth was and still is a huge Naval Dockyard and Gosport on the other side housed the Submarines, we could never get in there but I have been to the Dockyard in the School holidays on Navy Days but that was after the war. We really celebrated on V.E night as you can Imagine the adults closed the streets to what little traffic there was and set out tables and chairs, benches etc and it was a huge celebration and I mean huge; Beer, all sorts of Drinks and food that had been hoarded away came out, and celebrations went on for well simply ages, Days I guess. we built a huge bonfire and had a guy made up to look like old Hitler hanging with a rope around his neck; and there were fireworks galore; I recall being hit in the leg by a rocket that didn't go up like it should and whooshed along at ground level untill it hit me. Well thats it for tonight as I remember more I will post it

More of my Wartime memories

I suddenly recalled a dogfight in the sky and the crashed Aircraft landed in a sports field very near Fort Brockhurst; an enemy aircraft I most likely cheered but I really cannot recall that. I do know we were hounded out of the area by Military and Police and the enemy Pilot who parachuted down was met with a mob of Hostile ladies; whether Mother was with them I cannot recall but I do know he knew the way to the nearest Police Station. On the map now seeing it after all these years has made me recall the street where the school was Elson road. Getting back to the soldiers they were in a fort and I know you will laugh but it was complete with a moat.to be frank I never thought I would obtain a picture of the Fort but yes I found them on As kids we were cunning and put 44 gallon oil drums in the moat to sneak in as they had an abundance of horse chestnut trees in the fort, we used these in contests at school or anywhere; we called them conkers, a hole was drilled through one and a piece of string or twine was put through the hole and knotted and we played games with these things. The aircraft incident must have set this off as I recall a load of us crossing the moat, scaling the ramparts; security was sure lax as we got in ok; and as bold as brass strolled out the main gate then of course it was on; I can’t recall if I evaded them but it seems so funny now after all these years; Mother may have had a visit from the boys in blue, I know she had a few over me funny now I guess. it was Fort Brockhurst I have just recalled A really big event was when the school was bombed flat; thank goodness we were not in it (it happened on a night raid) no school we thought great; sadly it was not to be and we were all marched off to the Church hall I think we all offered up prayers for the Church hall to be bombed; it never happened of course and school life proceeded, we were sent to other schools in the area We had coupons for everything in those days; especially food, clothing as well and what the Brits call sweets Americans call candy and Aussies call lollies. So as a kid I suffered without those goodies, two ounces a week I think and that was it, we had to buy them as well; Bread was rationed but in the beginning cream buns were not and cost a whole penny a vast sum to a child then; without warning cream buns went the same way; so some sad times but fun times as well. I still can vividly recall the baker's horse yes horse drawn as petrol was severely rationed and dyed red to stop the sale of it on the blackmarket; the poor old baker was involved in a freak accident and the horse was alive but the Police brought out a vet who had to put him down; I guess us kids were sad a little I mean I always liked animals but who was going to bring me my penny cream bun; I have been in the area a few years ago but never thought to get a picture of it. Will post more as I recall things

FACT OR FICTION

THERE ARE MANY STORIES ABOUT THIS Some say and indeed proof has been unearthed of this Mythical King that he had his Kingdom in Wales; some say the West of England; and early Bronze Age. There is no archaeological support that Merlin supposedly Aurthur's Magician constructed Stonehenge. To the contrary, the last building event at Stonehenge was completed at least 1000 years before Arthur's time. There are no mass burials at Stonehenge, and no abbey ever stood near the ruins. Part of the legend is that Caliburn, the sword the young Arthur pulled from the stone, was forged from a sarcen that came from Stonehenge or Avebury. Avebury is roughly contemporaneous with Stonehenge and has an impressive (and typical) bank and ditch perimeter with 100 sarcen stones arranged in an inner circle. The town of Avebury was built inside the stone circle. The sarcen stone used to forge Caliburn may have had magical significance to the Celts. The final Battle of Camlann, in which Arthur was mortally wounded, is located by some historians as being fought on the Salisbury Plain. Excalibur may have been thrown into the confluence of the Avon, Bourne and Nadder at the site of present-day Salisbury. Other legends suggest that Excalibur was thrown into Loe Pool in southern Cornwall. Giving offerings to water deities was a common Celtic practice. Anyone who believes in Excalibur must surely still believe in the tooth Fairy lol still I always like the story of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere,and there may be some truth to Arthur who can tell for certain Arthur was supposedly born here in Tintagel Cornwall Getting back to the Henge which has been described as a stone age Computing device; the stones at Avebury must have been put there for a reason also and there has to be a link I think; I mself have seen these stones as I had a girl friend who lived in the village so we often went walking to the stones no snickering thoughts please? yes ok you got it right I was only 16 years of age at the time.oh to be 16 again, AND then not now; and you know something if my Family do not read this post they never will know about that young lady either, LOL Surrounding the Outer Circle is a ditch and bank which is close to a mile in circumference forming a henge. No that I was really interested at the time lol. Gosh they used miles not roods or perches lol Within the Outer Circle are two Inner Circles, Northern and Southern. The Northern Inner Circle still boasts the impressive remains of a cove and is thought to represent the female aspect (see photograph of the cove stones below) . The Southern Inner Circle used to have a large obelisk at its centre and is thought to represent the male aspect.I reckon it was self explanatory but there you go. regarding Stonehenge they did have some ceremony once a year and I have been But the last time on a visit it had been walled off and a charge was levied to enter; it had been desecrated by mindless souls just to get a laugh I guess. I shall not post tomorrow as it is Christmas Day where I hang my hat; in fact in two hours time it will be . and maybe not on the 26th either as we have a holiday left over from our former British Masters called Boxing Day. An enjoyable Christmas with Your Family and friends to all of my reader's and enjoy your Turkey or whatever you eat at this time of the year.

Some of my memories as a youngster in Wartime Portsmouth UK

Sadly I cannot recall seeing my Father until he returned home just before the war’s end; he was around of course but he was in the Royal Air Force long term he joined long before I was a twinkle in his eye; I recall him coming home just before the war ended from Burma yes I do believe he had it a tad rough; I never asked; and yet I was four or five when he went overseas again; I just cannot recollect seeing him; well not yet but I hope to; he must have been on a Military base somewhere. The bombings were bad but we never thought that to us kids an adventure was what it was; in fact one morning I recall a terrible banging on the door and it was my grandfather apparently we were the only house standing in the street not the first time that as I vaguely recall getting off a Double Decker bus in the blackout before then and there was my Grandfather lying in the gutter like a drunk; he was not drunk although he did love his grog he had been bombed out by a landmine and was coming to warn mother and me; Grandmother was ok though and I recall taking her to the local drinking hole as a young soldier on leave; she loved her Whisky until I introduced her to Irish Whiskey, she then switched allegiances from Scotch to Irish. And I must of given Mother hell as a child at school well I know I did; I never went to school at all in the summer of 1944 when school holidays finished I just never went back, I was to busy trying to earn a few Bob (cash) and the Americans as always were generous; my own countrymen were to a point but they never received as much pay as the Americans did; I never understood that then of course but later in life I understood why only to well. They were never called that of course we all called them Yanks still do even here in the land down under. I do vividly recall the convoys in our street awaiting June sixth D Day and I earned as I said quite a bit which Mother always had quite a lot of from me not by choice either I might add; I found out on my journey through life why as well and now understand why but as a child well I did not; like most kids I guess One night I arrived home very late oh boy I thought I am in deep doo doo now and I was, but not for being late so much as failing to tell my Mother I had been with the soldiers to a concert by George Formby. I always remembered afterwards as you can guess. One time I got a roasting for allowing the soldiers to use our facilities and was bluntly told only allow Officers Son; I just ignored that; those guys actually paid to use it by paying me for the silly jobs I did for them. The day they all left really stuck in my throat; as they all went to invade France and ultimately Germany and to a man they all threw their money at us kids Dollar coins and the like and yelling out we don’t need it where we are going; How right they were; our own troops did not as they had been paid in some British Army And Forces special script and were not being mean although as kids we all thought that at the time . I am going to post this in installments So that is the first post on the subject I have to wait until I recall more or my memory is jogged.

My first Christmas present for 2005

My daughter took me on a cruise for a Christmas gift this year unusual I thought. But simply great, well as we say here beaut. The food seafood naturally was simply superb. Air-conditioned comfort although it was pleasant up top with a breeze Now the menu fantastic Natural Oysters, huge Prawns Mud Crabs, Moreton bay Bugs, with fruit them bugs tasted far better than Lobster I thought. And astern (rear to landlubbers) of the boat the main course was fresh Barbecued Red Fin Fish I had thirds I was greedy but it was offered to me so I just tucked in and Calamari which as a rule I don’t like but this tasted well….yummy BYO and Tea/Coffee and a great desert completed the cruise so I was lucky to get the pictures I got except the last one which our charming host took for my Daughter and me All in all a fantastic Day still that’s Queensland for you. Thank you Georgina for a great day and a unique Christmas Present.

A DO IT YOUSELF GUIDE FOR THE NOVICE ON HOW TO INSTALL A NEW HARD DRIVE

Intro and Powering Down Difficulty: Relatively Simple Time Required: 5-10 minutes Tools needed: Philips screwdriver This guide was developed to instruct readers on the proper procedures for installing a Serial ATA hard drive into a desktop computer system. It includes step-by-step instructions for the physical installation of the drive into the computer case and properly connecting it into the computer motherboard. Please refer to the documentation included with the hard drive for some of the items listed in this guide. Before working on the inside of any computer system, it is important to power down the computer. Shutdown the computer from the operating system Once the system has safely shutdown, turn off the power to the internal component by flipping the switch on the back of the computer and removing the AC power cord. Open Up the Computer Case Opening up the computer case will vary depending upon how the case was manufactured. Most new cases will use either a side panel or door while older models require the whole cover be removed. Remove any screws used to fasten the cover to the case and set them aside in a safe place. Install the Hard Drive to the Drive Cage Most computer system use a standard drive cage to install a hard drive but some newer cases use a form of tray or rails. Here are the instructions for the two most common methods: Install the Hard Drive to the Drive Cage Most computer system use a standard drive cage to install a hard drive but some newer cases use a form of tray or rails. Here are the instructions for the two most common methods: Tray or Rails: Remove the tray or rails from the system and align the tray or rails to match the mounting holes on the drive. Fasten the drive to the tray or rails using screws. Once the drive is affixed, slide the tray or drive into the appropriate slot until it is secure. Plug the Serial ATA Cable to the Motherboard Connect the Serial ATA cable to the Primary or Secondary Serial ATA connector on the motherboard or PCI card. The drive can be plugged into either although if the drive is meant to be used as a boot drive, select the primary channel as this is the first drive to boot between the Serial ATA connectors. (Optional) Plug in Serial ATA Power Adapter Depending on the drive's power connectors and the power supply it may be necessary to use a 4-pin to SATA power adapter. If one is required, plug the adapter into the 4-pin Molex power connector from the power supply. Most new power supplies will come with a couple Serial ATA power connectors directly off the power supply Plug the Power to the Drive Attach the Serial ATA power connector to the connector on the hard drive. Note that the Serial ATA power connector is larger than the data cable connector. Close the Computer Case At this point, all of the interior work for the hard drive is completed. Replace the computer panel or cover to the case and fasten it with the screws that were previously removed when opening the computer case. Power Up the Computer All that is left to do now is power up the computer. Plug the AC power cord back into the computer system and flip the switch on the back to the ON position. Once these steps are taken, the hard drive should be physically installed into the computer for proper operation. The drive must be formatted for use with the operating system before it can be used. Please consult the documentation that came with your motherboard or computer for additional information. I admit it took me longer and I had an expert around the place and I practiced on and old case of my son's but I did it in the end. So when it was all over it looked it's normal self again Phew.

CLAIMING ABUSE IN CUSTODY WHAT A SICK JOKE

This Cur in court had the hide to complain about his treatment as a Prisoner; accused the United States military;of being beaten in custody his secret Police never did such things did they? no of course not they were just Summarily executed without a trial; then they were just buried in the Desert; he at least is getting one; "I have been hit by the Americans and tortured," Saddam said towards the end of a hearing in which he was largely subdued. I don't think many people are sorry for him being beaten what sticks in my craw is the U.S.Marine who has been charged for allegedly killing a combatatant who played dead; he could be in the stockade now for all I know; here we have to sit and read of this mangy cur's allegations on his Gaoler's while another MAN who was laying his life on the line to get rid of scum like Saddamm Hussein; ACLU again was it? bunch of clowns. "I have been beaten on every place of my body, and the signs are all over my body." I am weeping; like hell I am. Saddam and seven co-defendants including Barzan are charged with crimes against humanity relating to the killing of 148 people from the mainly Shi'ite village of Dujail, north of Baghdad, in the 1980s. Prosecutors say Saddam ordered the killings in reprisal for a failed bid to assassinate him in the village in 1982. The first witness today, Ali Hassan al-Haidari, spoke calmly and coherently, saying Barzan had kicked him once as he lay in a hallway suffering from a fever. "He said to the guards 'Do not treat him, this family does not deserve to live'," Haidari said. There have of course been many incidents like this one so as we all know the dog is almost dead; I personally hope he is executed in public and he is abused first like they did in Merry Olde England when taken to the scaffold; like throwing rotten fruit at the Scum etc; A great shame in a way that the First military Man on the scene of his Hidy hole had not killed him but then I guess the world's press would be covering his trial; how Ironic. As a footnote the British and Americans kept this sick manic dog going long before 1991 just so as you all know; the reason, Oil!

WHY DO WHALES DO THIS

Volunteers refloat 115 stranded whales IT SEEMS EVERYTIME I READ A NEWS REPORT LATELY WHALES ARE BEACHING THEMSELVES AND THIS SEEMS TO HAPPEN ALL OVER THE WORLD. This time it is in New Zealand but it happens here and in the USA I believe even Canada has it's share. A weird phenomenon for sure something akin to Elephants and their reputed graveyards do you think? I am not so sure as animals have common sense just as we do.All the same there has to be a reason for it. I think people feel a very strong connection with the whales and are quite touched by their plight,an observer at the scene said. and ordinary people it seems seem glad to get involved New Zealand, which has 41 whale species in its waters, has a high rate of strandings because of its long coastline and sometimes shallow waters. the one on the right pictured here is the Orca more commonly known as the killer Whale Oh well see you all have to see how littly is doing with Dad

Computers To help track Indian Tigers

Kolkata - India will start counting tigers next month in the world's largest habitat for the big cats using specially-designed computer programs to avoid duplication in recording pugmarks, officials said on Tuesday.' To do this they intend to use computer technology The government was criticised by conservationists after reports in March said the entire tiger population at the Sariska tiger reserve, one of the most high profile, had been killed by poachers and that numbers across the country had dropped. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh formed a special tiger taskforce to suggest ways of saving the big cats. "They cannot be more than one hundred tigers in the Sunderbans and we are seeing tiger numbers are going down in almost all the sanctuaries," he said from New Delhi. A century ago there were about 40 000 tigers in India but now officials estimate there are about 3 700. Some environment groups say there are less than 2 000. Trade in tigers is illegal but poachers still operate with impunity because a single animal can fetch up to $50 000 (about R317 000) on the black market. Of course I have been told and read that the Chinese are the biggest buyers just like the Rhino horn or Elephant tusks; I know the Tiger bit quite well and one Chinese Billionaire whom folk mistakenly believe he was involved in this are mistaken I think, he had nothing to do with the poaching trade at all name of Aw Boon Haw Another story altogether that one, I have seen his Villa in Singapore called Aw Boon Haw Villa on Orchard Road many times. All in all of course food for thought looking at the numbers of Tigers left in the wild which some in India put as low as 2000.