The Native Iowan

… So, Dance, Dance, Dance!!!

For what its worth, for what ever the reason a date change is meaningful, its here, the New Year is here…

It shall be as fleeting and ephemeral as the last. You know you only get one chance,

So, Dance, Dance, Dance.

Big smiles

More to come in 2024…

Where I am, central Queensland, it’s a clear, crisp, sparkling morning. 712am, 23c/ 72f outside. It was chilly over night. Still chilly this morn. Stormy weather yesterday. Overcast, blustery, not hot at all. A good load of rain fell. Cleared the air. Scrubbed the atmosphere. If this is “summer”, I’ll sure take it.

So 2023 is all but done…

What a year its been… So many changes. So many material changes to the fabric of our society. Not all happened in the past year. The cumulative effects of past choices and polices build up, take effect. Like aging, you dont notice it early on, the knee lagging behind, the hip grinding, the lower back feeling rusty… Society, global society, is being effected long term by many factors…

Covid changed our society. The effects of the regulations and restrictions and lock downs are, to me, very evident. The omissions in learning and education are very noticeable. The “stay home” policy has resulted in many industries failing utterly to run business as usual. Then I hear folks say stuff about “getting back to normal”… Ive never known what “normal” is.

Of course the numerous “wars” taking place loom large in all and everything. From family and friends being directly effected, to the price of fuel rising, the effects of combat, strife, and suffering is felt by all.

Lets see where, on our globe, the wars are…

Damn, the better question is “where on the globe are there not any wars?”.

Let’s see, let’s see… looking for a few positives to end my 2023 writings…

Damn! Im trying, trying hard… positives… on the horizon…

Mendoza’s new best-buddy, Sika, is settling in pretty well. I think he’s a keeper. And a very lucky pup…

Also, in 2023 I successfully finished and shipped off 3x walking sticks. I have been whittling sticks for a number of years. I send them to friends in need. Friends that are aging and need a 3rd leg. My sticks are both orthopaedic aids as well as weapons. After sending one to my buddy, RW (friends since the 5th grade) he recommended I add a “flex-tip”. And I did and it was a game changer. The flex-tip is spring loaded and has great grip. All my future sticks shall get a flex-tip.

My next stick is two… The Hanging Judge of Gizo shall get both a “t” grip, gentleman’s style stick, plus a thuggish shillelagh. Suits The Judge…

A lot of dense, hard wood here to work with. More than enough for a two sticks.

You can see that such a large hunk of wood requires a huge amount of whittling to become a stick. I dont say I make or carve or create a stick. I whittle a stick… A couple examples of finished products…

If you are in need of a 3rd leg, give me a hoy.

And the beat goes on.

All the best to all and everyone in 2024.

More later

Another year crawls to a close. Complete, finished, over and done… January 2024 is a New Year. December 2023 soon to be a memory. Little time left of 2023. Like the cmas ornaments and decorations, ready to pack up, put in a box, tape closed, and put away until “required” next time”.

We always look forward to, hope of a “next time”.

I often ruminate on the base needs of mankind, the need to “manage time”. To control, stall, stay the inevitable. The insidious, creeping-crawling passing of time.

I am convinced it is a genetic “THING”. Something deep and old within ourselves. A whisper of a voice, a murmur of a clock ticking, a rumour of time passing. Our heart beats, counting the measure of life.

The internal clock ticks and measures and pushes and leads. None can withstand the ticking. None living. Only the dead are immune to the 1,2,3 of the heart beating. Counting. Measuring. 

For the male of the species it is a prodding to prove himself, to prove his strength, to prove ability to protect and provide. Social and cultural norms and mores dictate that proof is violence, ability, and trophies.

What is proof? The felling of a wild adversary. The eating of the first-kill, the drying of the pelt, then wearing the head-dress that proclaims the male as a MAN. 

For the female of the species it is a prodding to prove herself, to prove her fertility, to prove her worth. Social and cultural norms and mores dictate that proof is regeneration of the species.

What is proof? The birthing of offspring. The care for and understanding and providing for of the progeny. The rearing of such, teaching, instructing, training. It is the brood at her feet, instructed and reared to maturity that proclaims the female as a Woman.

And as years move, gain momentum, lengthen and wither. As the delicate skin of the maiden becomes the dry wrinkles of the ancient. As the hearty ability, the muscled limbs of the youth becomes the infirmed gait of the aged. 

Once admired, coveted, the smooth skin, the muscled frame, youthful and full of life. Ready to create life, take on life, challenge life. Now dry and slow. Only the babes lay their cheeks to the old withered cheeks’. Only the dutiful and respectful assist the old frail movements. 

Their season has come and gone,. Their time passing swiftly. After years of slow passing, time gains momentum. Instead of counting in years and decades, it is days weeks, even hours and minutes.

Mankind has a tenacious grasp on life. Too, a fear of the end. A fear of the unknown. A fear of “what comes next”.

Those content with life find it easier to pass. Those less selfish with life struggle less to release their grasp. While some, many, struggle and fight to the last possible breath. Hold on even as the spark fades

Which indeed is the norm. To be selfish with life, to struggle against, resist the inevitable. 

It is in our DNA, in our life long lessens, all our learning. We are genetically designed to fight to survive. To serve our species by surviving, procreating, passing on our genetic memories to the next generation. Our replacements. 

Time is short… for 2023…

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-fire-rome/

On July 18, 64 C.E., a fire started in Rome. When the fire was extinguished six days later, more than 70% of the city was in ruins.

On December 28, 2023 M.E., a fire had been burning in the US for almost 2 years. With 6million illegal immigrants entering the country through 2023, the nation was in ruins.

Biden and the Burning of America

???

Going to be a blistering hot day. I think Summer is finally here. At least for the next few days.

Ive bragged about the climate here. Bragged about the benign temps. As I complained about the floods and storms and winds.

Had a tree go down the other day…

A nice Acacia. Gong to be a bunch of good sticks in there. I’ll cut it all up and put it in storage for a few years. Dry it up then turn it into something cool, and useful.

Put a couple of neat, dense, iron hard old lumps of timber on my table yesterday… Ive got 2x sticks to make for my old friend, colleague and drinking buddy, The Hanging Judge of Gizo. I asked him if I make a standard “t” handle stick like a gentleman would use, or a shillelagh style stick like a thug would use. His answer was “yes please”. So he gets two.

These are hard, ancient, and shall be reasonably difficult to work. And the end result will be stunning.

What we see here is the remnant of an ancient tree. The floods eroded it out of its tomb. Now I get to whittle and wok and sand and shape.

These old, excavated hunks of hard wood are cool because they have been reduced to their bare core. All sap wood and soft wood that would rot and deteriorate is long gone. All that remains is hard, dense, condensed timber.

I see a couple amazing sticks here-in.

If you look closely you’ll see how the softer heart of the tree is long gone. This means I will need to cut thinner strips of wood and laminate them back into the shape I want. First though I will clean things up, start turning the whole thing into a composite by pouring a bunch of epoxy into and on the piece. I’ll zip tie all the loose bits tight, wrap and tape, mix and pour. Fill the voids with epoxy. Then cut it up and glue it all back together. Laminated sticks are insanely strong. The Judge is going to love both his sticks.

I have been saying lately “wood not war”.

I ordered a brand, the kind you heat and burn into. For my future sticks. It’ll state “whittled by mike”. Suggested recently by DB. Shoulda done this ages ago. I apologise to the folks Ive previously made unsigned sticks for.

Mendoza has a new friend… meet Seker.

All boys need a dog of their own. All dogs need a boy that is their own.

Life is good

more later

Like a post-apocalyptic sunrise, The Day After is slow and tired and a bit wobbly. Unsure, uneasy, even afraid.

The front room is trashed. The once beautiful tree now appears to have been mugged by a gang of San Fran street people. Wrappings, debris, and some presents, presents not for immediate play and destruction, litter the room.

The house smells of cinnamon and ham.

Its 840am. It is hot outside. 82f/ 28c. The sun is bright. The skies are blue. The wind is brisk and warm. It’s going to heat up soon. Going to push the mercury up. I think I’ll stay in with the aircon. Might even stay in my pyjamas all day.

As a grand-daddy (in my house I am a “Papa”) I very much enjoy the wild, frantic fun that unwrapping 1,289 gifts in less than 10minutes brings. Its is a race, a battle, a war… And, I do know what I am speaking of here… little girls cause more trouble grief tears noise and confusion that little boys. Boys just break stuff. Girls scream and holler and cry as they break stuff.

The 2yrold was wide-eyed and hyper. the 2x 7yrolds bouncing off the walls and ceilings. The 2x 9yrolds making noises and confusion commensurate with their size. It was like the cartoon of the Tasmanian devil. A moving tornado of destruction spinning around the room. I sat in a chair, smiling, watching.

I made the “usual” Cmas breakfast of cinnamon rolls. I started midday – the day before – in order to allow my flour to rise and be fluffy and rich. I knead and rise 3 full times. I like to allow the dough to be the best it can be. I had cut and put the rolls in their pans in the eve. At 4am I popped them in the oven. Everyone wakes to that glorious smell of fresh baked goodness…

The house we live in is good for old granddaddies, Papas like me. The downstairs is big, the walls are concrete, the TV fixed to the wall, the floor carpeted, and I can chase the little ones down stairs, close the door and keep the noise from encroaching into my upstairs living area. I also growl and bark when they get too close. Doesn’t do much good though.

We had a family meeting to discuss what and where. Our’s is a family with a Family Business.

I started the biz in 1987.

After the better part of 40years we’re still going good, have expanded in a couple fields, have a bunch of things going on – all the time – thus an annual meeting is good, needed, required. Im pleased and proud my 2nd generation is doing so, so good.

As a kid growing up in a big family I learned early on that Cmas was not about presents. And thats OK but… BUT… presents are good.

I received a great one yesterday…

My family knows me well!

more later

big smiles

The day before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was sniffling, and coughing, sick with the flu…

So it’s 834am and Im preparing for all n everything and everyone at once… when they get here.

The flu-bug has grabbed everyone. Varying degrees and varying levels of flu-eyness. Someone said “maybe its Covid”… my response was “isn’t Covid the flu?”.

It’s funny that a single word “covid” can supposedly mean sooo much. From lock downs and threats of a lonely death and countries and states closed, cities darkened, people living locked-in, afraid, fearful, longing to see family and friend that were similarly locked down… To… yea, covid is just the flu.

I always called covid the Kung-Flu. I got in trouble a couple times for spreading false info. But, now, after a couple years, we learn that I was right. Though they “THEY” will never fess-up, it did come out of the Wuhan lab where the studies therein were funded by the US… and get this… because the research on “gain of function” was too dangerous to carry out in the US.

Thanks a bunch Obama, Fauci and Co.

Looking forward, into a bright, new, glittering future… well, in the US…

We get 6million+ new emigrants in 2023, a State called CA that legalises criminal behaviour and taxes law abiding citizens into leaving, and a NY City Mayor that blames the border crisis on the TX Governor.

Here in Aus… we get a jet setting PM that spends .001% of GDP on travel, two – count them- TWO State Premiers resign because they have doing “such a great job”, and the globe’s primary store of land locked energy being traded away so we can “go green”… noting energy prices have doubled in recent years. And I just bought a new, bigger genset for then next power-outage…

In the Solos… Our dear, great, all seeing leader (he is turning Chinese) has postponed the last election so he could host the Pacific Mini Olympics, has (with the help of friends) made use of millions of dollars for personal enrichment, while (I hear) many, many of the service providers to the Games will not get paid what they are owed. Word is the budget is shot. No moa saleni. Sore hola, boko!

So, with all the good news out of the way allow me to discuss the darker, sadder side of things…

The indigenous people of the “Middle East”, The Palestinians, have been attacked and killed in the thousands, by their loathsome and terrible neighbours, The Zionists.

The poor Palestinians have been quietly leading their lives as nomads and shepherds and loving family members since the dawn of time. Never causing a problem, always humble and respectful. Their dearly departed prophet and 20th century leader, Yasser Arafat (much loved and adored by all), established the path of enlightened resistance and peaceful struggle. In his footsteps they walk…

His efforts have been trampled upon by the vile Zionists… Zionists who rape, plunder, murder, enslave and worse…

Oh, what’s that… OK, you sure… Hmmm… Ive got it wrong? Other way around…

How can that be? I heard it all on CNN!

Closer to home… Premier Xi supposedly told Saintly Uncle Joe that he was indeed going to “unify” China. What that means is he grabs Taiwan by force. Just what we need! Another expansionist war.

We have kinda forgotten about Ukraine. Not much in the bluez anymore. The atrocities of the Zionist Colonials and Trump on trial is better cover than Russia v Ukraine.

Yes, shall we note that that despicable undemocratic, would be tyrant DJTrump is getting his just-desserts… after being terrible and red for too long, he shall go down. The system shall mobilise all its resources so he, the evil red guy, cannot ever again threaten our US democracy.

Even at the risk of bringing the US democracy down, even by forgetting the rules and ethics of it all, the status quo of evil red guy must die is worth what ever to costs.

Oh, again, CNN is wrong? No, cant be… What, the US legal system, as driven by saintly Uncle Joe, is being used like a secret police force? Targeting individuals and groups for being too smart, too wise, too democratic… hmmm, damn! I hate being wrong!

So I’ll ignore the facts and merrily move on.

Red guy bad, Saintly Uncle Joe and Fauci good.

So where are we, really?

Normally I can be found, this time of year on a mower…

And life is good

more later

big smiles

A few months back a rather distant neighbour rang, asked if Id seen “a red cow”.

And I had. A smallish “Drought Master”. A good looking beast.

Was hanging around, following the herd of another neighbour. But was skittish to the point of being wild.

My first response to a stray cow on my property is always, and all ways, to secure it. Get it in a fenced area. Keep it secure. Figure out what is what after.

This one was too skittish to get close to. I tried herding it. Bribing it with nice green hay. It ran off, as swift as a deer.

Time passes.

I name the cow “Ruby”. Ruby has run off the property. Is well fed. Well watered. Looks great.

Ruby joins the herd of deer. The deer (two herds of deer) call this valley home.

My distant neighbour isn’t fussed about his missing cow…

I dont bother myself with the wild deer, so the wild cow, that identifies as a deer, receives the same respect.

Ruby is no longer a problem.

Makes me happy.

Smiles

I’m going to sing the praises of the weather where I live, here in Aus, on what is known as “The Sunshine Coast”. North of Brisbane, subtropical, and probably as good of a climate as I have ever experienced. Between the droughts and the floods and the hail and the fires… between it all, the blistering hot days to the mild n chilly morns, we have the best climate I know…

Ruminating as the World Spins…

I am perplexed by much. Confused by what I hear. Frightened by what I see. I need help to figger things out. Is it all as fucked up as I perceive? I sure as shit hope not!

In the world of politics, I fear that rhetoric is replacing policy. Or maybe, maybe, rhetoric HAS replaced policy. I dont see debates on policy anymore. Both sides say the same thing, from a different perspective. I see very little honest debate, and way too much BS name calling. Mud slinging.

World wide I see words and ideas and back-room deals getting weaker, stupider, less meaningful. From infrastructure to education to public safety to national security to… you get the idea. I do feel that rhetoric is replacing policy. Solid, long term, well thought out policy and planning may well be gone. But words, hallow, meaningless words fill the air…

Memes, bumper stickers, slogans… become policy… and it kinda frightens me…

A mindless mob frightens me…

“Defund The Police” is not policy. Lowering requirements in The Military or in Schools, is not policy. Opening the borders, flooding the US with homeless folks is not policy. Paying for the care and upkeep of said homeless folks is not policy. It is all rhetoric. Political ideas. Political rhetoric.

Has the entire population, world wide, been dumbed-down so severely that we have lost our knowledge of right and wrong. Our sense of history. Why we are, where we are, and who brought us to where we are? Or is history being rewritten? Instead of a “melting pot” we get division by skin colour, ethnicity, claimed gender, and more… Drugs are illegal, so we build injection rooms, hand out free needles. Damn!

I say DAMN!

Words n promises replace well planned outcomes.

History is filled with war, strife, starvation, confusion, pain, agony; and recovery from all, again and again. It was never “a good life”. An easy life.

“Life Ain’t Fair”, is what I have been taught.

I come from a long line of emigrants. A long line of peasants. A long line of down-trodden. They did not leave “where they were from” and move to “somewhere else” because they had a choice. It was because of war, strive, starvation, pestilence…. “Home” was not liveable any more, so they had to move, for what ever reason. My ancestors that emigrated to the US were refugees too. Not colonials.

Consider the Irish… they colonised the world as refugees.

And in the places all these folks, over all the ages, emigrated to, they found people already there. Everywhere always had someone who claimed the place as their own. All folks “came from somewhere”, looking for “something better”, displacing those who had come before them.

And became the indigenous peoples of that place.

So, the new folks arrive and there is conflict. There is always and all ways conflict.

He with the best weapons wins. Writes the history.

One of my sorta favourite “dumb-shit” ideas is this: “The Noble Savage”. So the myth goes…

Before the perfectly harmonious lifestyles of the numerous “indigenous” peoples of the world were disrupted and polluted by “white-men”, “colonials” – before the noble savage was converted, perverted by “white-men”, “colonials”… everything was great. Idyllic. Peaceful.

What a CROCK-O-SHIT! Aboriginal societies were and are harsh, ruthless, violent and hungry. If you were not part of the tribe you got killed and probably eaten. I do speak from a little bit of history or experience… my wife’s people are an old language group from a very isolated part of an isolated island group. Her maternal grandfather, Kapakesa, was a feared warrior, a taker of heads, an eater of flesh. He had many wives. My mother in law, Flory, was his daughter.

I spent a-bunch-a years sitting with the old men, smoking greasy black tobacco and drinking sweet, sweet tea. Listening through the haze and smoke and darkness. They’d recited their oral histories. The oral tradition was alive, still, then.

We’d sit around a kerosene lamp, roll long, thick, greasy smokes, and listen to Boaz, or one of the other elders, recite his oral history. Boaz, my father in law, would tell his tales, spin his magic, almost every night. I listened night after night, for a number of years. Always enthralled by his precision and faithfulness to “The Story”. And amazed by the viciousness and brutality of his history. It was all very very violent and brutal.

Boaz was born around 1900. “First Contact” between aboriginal peoples on the north coast of Choiseul and the “Men From Ships” – bose vaka , in local language – was 1910. Boaz was born into a Stone Age culture with over 20,000 years of history. His oral tradition covered 13 generations. Before the oral tradition, we find myth and legends.

When we buried Boaz, we buried his oral tradition with him. His tales of wars and rape and murder and betrayal. His knowledge of the past, his deep, deep knowledge of his history. His sons and daughters do not possess the oral tradition.

Their links to, handles on the past are lost. They have some of the history, but their knowledge is incomplete, faulty, flawed. Its nothing new…

I like the story of Fiji being “Colonised”… The Paramount Chief of the time, the Tui Viti, was getting his arse kicked by all sides… The Tongans and the iKiribati bikers-on-boats were raping and pillaging the north and west coast lines. Internal tribal wars raged. it was hard to be Tui Viti, it was costly… Times were changing, weapons were changing, travel was changing, people were coming from afar. They had guns. Fijians normally used clubs. Club v Gun was not cool. Guns cost money…

So the Tui Viti, Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, petitioned the UK to colonise Fiji, to protect Fijians from outsiders, and insiders too. Basically he wanted his position of advantage to be protected. In 1852 this request was declined. Nope, no colonising at that time. The UK refused to be evil, nasty, colonisers. Go figure.

Then in 1871, a deal was stuck. Fiji voluntarily became a Colony of Great Britain. And the Tui Viti kept his job. (and his head)

Synopsis: The Colonisation of Fiji was and inside-job.

Dont teach that is school, do they?

Still ruminating as the World Spins…

I remain perplexed by much. Confused by what I hear. Frightened by what I see. I still need help to figger things out. It do look fucked up!

more later

November 24^th, a Friday here in Aus. If I was in the US0fA it’d be Thanksgiving Thursday. 

Here, in the land of Aus it’s a drizzlly, overcast, chilly morning. 

I am ruminating, again, on the “Green” world we supposedly live in, are moving toward. Of course, nothing new, but my take on it all is that “green is not green”. It is a marketing ploy that has been doing pretty good at convincing the world that slight of a green hand = wealth distribution.

Or such is my semi-literate take on it all… I’m not saying I definitely know the Global Warming gig is a scam. I am saying that I remain unconvinced, on many levels, that we have this all sorted, under control, and the $$ being invested is wisely spent.

I am on this topic due to a visit from an old friend. My dear Kiwi friend spent time as a volunteer on Vella la Vella. We met on the MV Iu Mi Nao in 1984. I checked but cannot find a decent pict of the old, clapped out ferry, that was old and clapped out when it arrived in the Solomons in the 1970s. I am certain all my faithful readers that experienced the Iu Mi Nao hold fond memories of the “30 hour cruise” that was the weekly Honiara to Gizo run.

When we met, my Kiwi friend and I were both young, green, learning, full of useless education, and totally “liberal”. We shared views and points of view… we both married “island babes”, loved boats and the ocean and being on and in the briny-blue. We have been friends since we met.

One of the rare people that visited while living at Gracie’s village on the very remote, north side of Choiseul, we did a multi-day crossing between North Choiseul and Liapari… in a “fibro-canoe”, loaded to the gills, powered by a 9.9hp OBM. We crossed a lot of water in a small, under powered vessel. We were both lucky, stupid, ignorant, and on that trip very lucky… did I say lucky?

So after a few decades he stops by for a visit. And the fun (fun?) began… My dear old friend decided I needed to be converted into the green-new-world. The Green New World of electric vehicles, solar power, no fossil fuels, zero carbon emissions, higher cost of living. I am told to “think of your grandchildren, what sort of world are you going to leave them?” I needed to read periodicals such as The Economist, The Guardian, The NY Times. Like a proselytiser, preaching the gospel of green, I needed my demons released, converted, defeated.

After dinner, day 1, as I voiced my unconvinced position, I was offered “IRREFUTABLE FACTS” that Global Warming was killing the planet”. CO2 was the devil. Climate Change was a big problem, was real, man-made, immediate, and reversible IF…

The next day when I asked for the irrefutable facts I was told to “look them up yourself”.

Ok, brakes on, old friendships intact, respect given and taken but… when someone first says they “have the facts”, then tell me to “look them up myself”, I stop taking it all seriously. I listened politely (over 3days), always read (try to read) what ever is suggested, and have fun simply playing the devils advocate. We’re not going to solve anything or agree on much so why get yer knickers in a twist? Have fun. Might even learn something new…

Allow me to articulate the discussion(s) without emotion – er, well, with as little emotion as possible. 

I start with the premise as purported/ preached by the advocates and acolytes of the green-dream…

1) The Globe is warming.

2) Global warming is man-made, that is to say the harm, the damage, the warming is anthropogenic.

3) The anthropogenic actions causing the Global warming are emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere.

4) The CO2 emitted is due to the burning of carbon based fuels such as coal, gasoline, diesel, natural gas, wood, peat, or other “fossil fuels”.

5) IF we cease the burning of said fuels, we can reverse the trends of death and destruction and doom.

6) IF we do not reverse the trends of burning said fuels, we shall all perish. Very soon.

Ok, so the future is bleak. Mankind has been shitting in its own nest too long, and IF we dont change our ways the end is coming, predictable, close at hand.

The task at hand is to forsake the fuels that have taken mankind from darkness, the fuels that were the foundation of the industrial revolution, the urbanisation of the world, the creation of mass travel… Cease all carbon based fuel burning and we shall survive, thrive, exist…  Its called “Net ZERO”.

As near as I can tell, that’s the main “WORD” of the Green gospel.

Where do I stand in relation to it all? 

As a centrist I claim I look at all sides of all debates. And my several years of “study”on this topic leaves me unconvinced that the Pro-Green arguments hold much water. Mainly because the ire predictions have mostly been full of BS. For me, the problem has not been adequately identified, is there even a real problem? As well, no cost effective and viable solution has been tabled. No replacement to Fossil Fuels has been established. Decades of discussion on hydrogen power cells, massive batteries, magic wands… nothing to convince me… YET… it is always “yet”… and IF… IF…

So I read, research, think, listen, watch…

My research methods are simple: First and foremost I disregard, dispose of any info I consider to be blatantly sensationalistic… things like: “We all Die in 7years IF we don’t change now”….  Recently we saw: “Donald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024”

from 2014:  Apocalypse Now: The World Will Definitely End In 7 Years The World Is Going To End Within 7 Years, Says Newspaper That Often Predicts Apocalypse Ryan Barrell— The Huffington Post UK 26/11/2014 11:51am GMT

There are more headlines like these. Left and Right. Sensational, impossible to refute or prove. Rhetorical headlines that do not inform, do not education. Intended to frighten the population, to scare and herd the bovines and sheep. 

And because I grabbed one from 2014, I’ll check and see what the cost of the Green-Deal so far has been… 

Damn, I cant get a reliable number. My searches send me to propagandistic sites and reports that explain how good we are doing, using nice graphs and charts, showing progress, aiming for those elusive “net zero” results. I find nothing that can give me a sense of how much has been spent. A quantum, a value, a number. Either it’s not available or, perhaps has been conveniently misplaced?

How much has the NET ZERO target cost thus far? What will the total cost be?

It is undoubtedly in the Billions. Maybe even in the trillions?

Because these numbers, the numeric information supporting the Green-Dream is so elusive, I remain unconvinced.

I happen to have some old files at hand, let me see what is costing…

In March 2019 power here cost: *general use cost = .255/kWh *supply charge = .99/pday * solar metering charge = .07/pday * feed-in credit = .106/kWh

In November 2023 power here cost *general use cost = .320430/kWh *supply charge = .1.339910/pday * solar metering charge = .085260/pday * feed-in credit = ..0500/kWh

Here is what I see over 4+years:

	2019	2023		change +/-	value of change
general use	0.255	0.32043		30%	0.06543
supply charge	0.99	1.33991		35%	0.34991
metering charge	0.07	0.08526		20%	0.01526
feed in credit	0.106	0.05		50%	0.056

I need to point out, confess that for bean-counting reasons I have used domestic PV systems for many years. Decades even. I know when a PV system is a cost saver, and when it is not. The reason I have invested in PV here in Aus is because it is heavily subsidised.

So, being unconvinced that a) we have defined the problem, or b) we have established a solution, I cannot think that spending mega-bucks does much but cost everyone more, on every thing.

Has the $$ spent on this green-dream changed anything? CO2 emissions, as near as I can tell, will never be ZERO. Not with coal use skyrocketing in China and India … these two countries represent over 60% of all global coal use. Australia represents only 1.5% of global consumption. Does Aus pushing for net ZERO do anything at all, globally? The rhetoric does not make sense to me. I remain unconvinced…

#	Country	Yearly Coal Consumption (MMcf)	World Share	Cubic Feet Per Capita
1	China	4,319,921,826,000	50.5 %	3,081.50
2	India	966,288,692,600	11.3 %	721.85
3	United States	731,071,000,000	8.5 %	2,234.25
4	Germany	257,488,592,900	3.0 %	3,127.46
5	Russia	230,392,143,100	2.7 %	1,587.72
6	Japan	210,559,949,300	2.5 %	1,658.03
7	South Africa	202,298,474,200	2.4 %	3,585.44
8	South Korea	157,124,158,500	1.8 %	3,062.25
9	Poland	148,799,901,400	1.7 %	3,861.71
10	Australia	129,642,679,100	1.5 %	5,358.09
11	Turkey	116,877,929,300	1.4 %	1,442.59
12	Indonesia	102,623,737,100	1.2 %	391.92
13	Kazakhstan	86,633,849,830	1.0 %	4,792.08
14	Taiwan	72,649,581,410	0.8 %	3,079.09
15	Ukraine	59,357,188,880	0.7 %	1,323.95
16	Vietnam	56,641,097,040	0.7 %	608.22
17	Czech Republic (Czechia)	49,418,771,720	0.6 %	4,694.21
18	Serbia	43,189,608,110	0.5 %	5,763.77
19	Canada	42,907,416,750	0.5 %	1,188.13
20	Thailand	42,674,985,870	0.5 %	604.40
21	United Kingdom	41,459,830,190	0.5 %	631.48
22	Greece	38,077,094,330	0.4 %	3,542.14
23	Bulgaria	35,234,236,840	0.4 %	4,862.59
24	Malaysia	33,022,853,070	0.4 %	1,047.47
25	Brazil	27,275,972,010	0.3 %	131.86
26	Romania	26,886,238,620	0.3 %	1,358.04
27	Mexico	22,478,332,230	0.3 %	184.98
28	Philippines	22,372,483,760	0.3 %	213.32
29	Spain	21,948,094,410	0.3 %	472.27
30	Italy	18,787,634,320	0.2 %	312.51
31	Netherlands	18,203,547,340	0.2 %	1,063.01
32	Chile	14,077,601,010	0.2 %	778.46
33	France	12,900,349,260	0.2 %	201.60
34	Hong Kong	12,303,072,610	0.1 %	1,654.54
35	Hungary	11,663,542,110	0.1 %	1,188.33
36	Colombia	11,385,457,170	0.1 %	239.06
37	North Korea	10,707,839,340	0.1 %	421.74
38	Pakistan	10,199,674,430	0.1 %	47.77
39	Israel	10,167,719,520	0.1 %	1,246.20
40	Bosnia and Herzegovina	9,466,163,184	0.1 %	2,719.39
41	Mongolia	8,823,723,592	0.1 %	2,912.55
42	Morocco	7,153,991,900	0.1 %	203.78
43	Slovakia	6,708,666,633	0.1 %	1,235.21
44	North Macedonia	5,987,017,899	0.1 %	2,837.19
45	Finland	5,310,768,554	0.1 %	966.43
46	Portugal	5,290,177,075	0.1 %	511.98
47	Laos	5,247,933,857	0.1 %	761.52
48	Uzbekistan	4,770,797,680	0.1 %	151.68
49	Slovenia	4,143,583,290	0.0 %	1,982.56
50	Belgium	4,035,556,910	0.0 %	356.60
51	Denmark	3,985,952,960	0.0 %	698.45
52	Austria	3,886,745,060	0.0 %	444.89
53	Zimbabwe	3,388,555,286	0.0 %	234.46
54	Sweden	2,857,190,916	0.0 %	287.06
55	New Zealand	2,765,589,930	0.0 %	592.45
56	Ireland	2,474,685,950	0.0 %	524.77
57	United Arab Emirates	2,454,173,243	0.0 %	272.86
58	Kyrgyzstan	2,447,128,200	0.0 %	406.61
59	Sri Lanka	2,295,009,420	0.0 %	107.12
60	Bangladesh	2,099,900,000	0.0 %	13.14
61	Afghanistan	1,871,722,380	0.0 %	54.04
62	Guatemala	1,751,570,590	0.0 %	107.52
63	Cambodia	1,625,907,250	0.0 %	104.06
64	Puerto Rico	1,565,870,822	0.0 %	456.16
65	Tajikistan	1,511,267,010	0.0 %	173.20
66	Montenegro	1,500,243,910	0.0 %	2,369.07
67	Iran	1,472,686,160	0.0 %	17.68
68	Argentina	1,403,477,115	0.0 %	32.14
69	Botswana	1,356,943,610	0.0 %	576.83
70	Peru	1,267,656,500	0.0 %	40.72
71	Dominican Republic	1,215,241,660	0.0 %	115.43
72	Croatia	1,179,627,009	0.0 %	279.28
73	New Caledonia	1,155,220,880	0.0 %	4,071.29
74	Norway	824,527,880	0.0 %	157.46
75	Mauritius	772,967,330	0.0 %	597.39
76	Egypt	769,412,380	0.0 %	7.71
77	Singapore	761,679,182	0.0 %	133.35
78	Belarus	681,227,580	0.0 %	70.17
79	Madagascar	566,337,256	0.0 %	22.21
80	Ethiopia	539,255,173	0.0 %	5.12
81	Kenya	537,358,860	0.0 %	11.22
82	Myanmar	536,769,855	0.0 %	10.34
83	Senegal	448,640,170	0.0 %	30.41
84	Georgia	419,462,024	0.0 %	111.23
85	Kuwait	387,108,873	0.0 %	95.63
86	Panama	330,693,000	0.0 %	82.13
87	Tanzania	327,860,928	0.0 %	6.03
88	Nepal	283,302,995	0.0 %	10.17
89	Lithuania	272,313,067	0.0 %	92.82
90	Niger	261,247,470	0.0 %	12.49
91	Jordan	242,508,200	0.0 %	24.34
92	Switzerland	199,518,110	0.0 %	23.83
93	Nigeria	193,329,582	0.0 %	1.02
94	Zambia	183,692,986	0.0 %	10.96
95	Honduras	180,778,840	0.0 %	19.11
96	Venezuela	180,696,035	0.0 %	5.88
97	Togo	161,047,737	0.0 %	21.02
98	Eswatini	159,863,179	0.0 %	139.92
99	Moldova	137,788,750	0.0 %	42.72
100	Iceland	136,686,440	0.0 %	407.20
101	Lebanon	135,975,839	0.0 %	21.73
102	Yemen	133,379,510	0.0 %	4.56
103	Saudi Arabia	122,986,931	0.0 %	3.68
104	Bhutan	96,000,000	0.0 %	128.04
105	Albania	95,900,970	0.0 %	33.29
106	Oman	94,990,251	0.0 %	21.60
107	Luxembourg	89,198,115	0.0 %	152.91
108	Benin	87,775,843	0.0 %	7.80
109	Malawi	85,915,364	0.0 %	4.94
110	Jamaica	80,468,630	0.0 %	28.71
111	Latvia	67,861,344	0.0 %	34.39
112	Algeria	27,321,049	0.0 %	0.68
113	Estonia	19,762,405	0.0 %	15.02
114	Ecuador	13,555,288	0.0 %	0.82
115	DR Congo	12,538,033	0.0 %	0.15
116	Mozambique	12,125,410	0.0 %	0.44
117	Syria	5,526,160	0.00 %	0.29
118	Namibia	5,523,724	0.00 %	2.38
119	Tunisia	2,259,332	0.00 %	0.19
120	Cuba	2,066,443	0.00 %	0.18
121	Paraguay	1,679,929	0.00 %	0.27
122	Armenia	1,322,685	0.00 %	0.46
123	Uruguay	436,631	0.000 %	0.13
124	Cyprus	223,541	0.000 %	0.19
125	Trinidad and Tobago	198,416	0.000 %	0.14
126	Azerbaijan	178,010	0.000 %	0.02
127	Costa Rica	109,768	0.000 %	0.02
128	Malta	56,098	0.0000 %	0.12
129	Ghana	17,099	0.0000 %	0.00
130	Fiji	710	0.0000 %	0.00

Sources

• Statistical Review of World Energy – British Petroleum
• U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

It’s a long list.

I remain unconvinced.

more later

Sunday morn here. A blood-sports morning. Skies are overcast. Forecast is a number of days of rain.

I am becoming a bit concerned about the world in general, and people near and dear specifically. Like so many topics (BLM, open borders, nuclear power) folks grab a bumper-sticker slogan and chant as one mindless crowd… “river to the sea”… “no nukes”… “black lives matter”… “defund the police”…

I guess it is easy to be mindless in a crowd. Be a bovine following the herd. Can you say “mooooo”?

Even really smart folks I admire greatly, are falling into the pack mentality. Nothing new, I know, but golly-gee, when we all gonna learn that we’re having our strings pulled?

I am and shall fight to remain a centrist. I’m in the middle, often ill-informed, striving to make sense of what I see happening. I solve my informational inadequacies by reading. (yep, call me ol fashioned) We have soo much info available that it is shameful, if not criminal to be ill-informed. Do the research, do the reading, form your own thoughts, ideas and position. Be articulate, know your subject, have facts, then construct your informed foundation. Dont set all in stone. Be limber, nimble and flexible. Positions can change. Never stop building your informational foundation. Never stop learning…

I do not like “listening” to folks telling me what and where. I dont get my information through Utube or talking-heads. It is far too easy to simply listen and parrot what we hear. I prefer to work, to read, to feel as though I learned something. The old line was “read until it hurts”.

I’ll do the research and publish my simple findings, because a) I need to figure out my own thoughts and position, and b) believe that sharing my work may (may not) be of assistance to others.

I like the idea that some folks immediately decide that instead of me just being “wrong”, I am a bad person. A racist, a colonial, a selfish old white-man. Nothing new here. We all know, learned in 1st grade, that those who cant think and speak intelligently shall think and speak unintelligently. Nothing new at all.

In one of our recent incarnations of insanity, we see the Middle East on fire. And, predictably, we see the teams being selected, the lines being drawn, the slogans and bumper stickers resurrected. Violence begets violence. My team is right, is honourable, so my violence is justified. Your team is wrong, is dishonourable, so my violence is doubly justified.

Of course it is easy to label The Zionists as bad and their actions as atrocities.

Of course it is easy to label the Palestinians as bad and their actions as atrocities.

Are not all acts of war atrocities?

So, Russia and the Ukraine have been committing atrocities for many months, and we kinda just watch.

The Sharia world commits atrocities daily, multiple atrocities daily, and we kinda just watch.

A child going hungry in Florida is as much an atrocity of a child going hungry in Somalia, no?

I am both amused and appalled when we end up where we defend the Palestinian peoples as “indigenous”, or “native”, and thus claiming more virtue, or more sympathy. The Zionists are “colonials”, usurpers, thus claiming less virtue, less sympathy.

Then we get the “what about the dead babies”… “you cant be soooo heartless to ignore the dead babies”…

Which dead babies? The dead babies of the old testament/ passover? The dead babies of the Roman Empire? The dead babies of the Crusades? The dead babies of the Ottoman Empire? The dead babies from the Holocaust. The dead babies from the October 7th massacre of jews by Hamas soldiers? The dead babies buried under the ruble of Gaza?

I have spent my life traveling, moving, building, emigrating, shifting into and through multiple cultures, languages, life styles and laws. And as near as I can tell, no single place or culture is “right”, has moral advantage, is the best, better. We are all peoples with prejudices, fears, desires, needs, wants… we all share and possess ethnocentricity and foibles. No one is right. No one religion, no one system of governance, no one legal system, no one language… we are all, as near as my centrist position allows me to see, we are all flawed.

Sure, it’s OK to join a team. To feel affinity because of colour of skin or language or religion. But being mindful is better than being mindless… As we have seen… chanting stupid shit like “rive to the sea” is, in my mind, the same as saying “your mother wears army boots”…

Funny side-thought… “your Mother Wears Army Boots” is saying “you mother is a whore”… she got the boots by bonking soldiers, and in a time and place where foot wear was at a premium, a good pair of boots was probably well worth a bonk.

“River To The Sea” is the same as saying “Death To All Jews”.

I know there are folks out there that will argue with me per this but, sorry, you are wrong if you think its just a fun slogan, or as one braindead-bitch said “its a camp fire song”. You are wrong. Every time “river to the sea” is chanted we are advocating death to ALL Jews.

Like “lynch the niggers”, or “only good injun is a dead injun”… Put that in your pipe n smoke it, next time your out cheating “river to the sea”…

It saddens me when folks I respect dont have their brains turned on, when they join the herd, follow the crowd… say “moooooo”…

It saddens me greatly…

In ending: I posted this before but will explain it a bit more carefully…

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_history_of_Palestine_(region)

In the 1st century, the region known as Palestine had 1.25million residents, the majority of which were Jews. by 15th century (1500 years later) the population was 1.56million residents, 1.45mil being Muslim and 5000 only being Jews. Where did the million+ Jews go? Where did the million+ Muslims come from?

Year	Jews	Christians	Muslims	Total
1st c.	Majority	–	–	~1,250
4th c.	Majority	Minority	–	>1st c.[1][2]
5th c.	Minority	Majority	–	>1st c.
End 12th c.	Minority	Minority	Majority	>225
14th c.	Minority	Minority	Majority	150
1533-39	5	6	145	156
1553–1554	7	9	188	205
1690–1691	2	11	219	232
1800	7	22	246	275
1890	43	57	432	532
1914	94	70	525	689
1922	84	71	589	752
1931	175	89	760	1,033
1947	630	143	1,181	1,970

So, by 1947 there were 630,000 Jews, 143,000 Christians, and 1,181,000 Muslims in Israel/ Palestine.

Nope, no natives here to be found. No indigenous peoples here. Only descendants of conquered and subjugated peoples.

Hope this helps

More later

Does any one hold The Moral High-Ground?

All combatants claim “God on my side”…

Oh my name it ain’t nothin’
My age it means less
The country I come from
Is called the Midwest
I was taught and brought up there
The laws to abide
And that land that I live in
Has God on its side

Oh, the history books tell it
They tell it so well
The cavalries charged
The Indians fell
The cavalries charged
The Indians died
Oh, the country was young
With God on its side

The Spanish-American
War had its day
And the Civil War, too
Was soon laid away
And the names of the heroes
I was made to memorize
With guns in their hands
And God on their side

The First World War, boys
It came and it went
The reason for fighting
I never did get
But I learned to accept it
Accept it with pride
For you don’t count the dead
When God’s on your side

The Second World War
Came to an end
We forgave the Germans
And then we were friends
Though they murdered six million
In the ovens they fried
The Germans now, too
Have God on their side

I’ve learned to hate the Russians
All through my whole life
If another war comes
It’s them we must fight
To hate them and fear them
To run and to hide
And accept it all bravely
With God on my side

But now we got weapons
Of chemical dust
If fire them, we’re forced to
Then fire, them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God’s on your side

Through many a dark hour
I’ve been thinkin’ about this
That Jesus Christ was
Betrayed by a kiss
But I can’t think for you
You’ll have to decide
Whether Judas Iscariot
Had God on his side.

So now as I’m leavin’
I’m weary as Hell
The confusion I’m feelin’
Ain’t no tongue can tell
The words fill my head
And fall to the floor
That if God’s on our side
He’ll stop the next war

Had a few-day visit from very old friends/ family, Brenda and Nick Makin…

We first met in the heady/ fun days of Gizo in the mid 1980s. So, a few decades later we find ourselves together again, sharing, playing, enjoying each other…

As an “international” kinda guy, old friends that are STILL traveling, adventurous, on the road, flying high… are very good to have.

The Squire Hisself…

Ms Bren…

It was great, good, fantastic… and after a long weekend resting up, I am still exhausted.

Nick got to see the Glass House Mountains from our private viewing spot…

It was very good. Very good indeed.

Big smiles

Saturday morn here. I was up at 4am. Had to drop my Pet-Teen off at the airport. Here in QLD, this time of year, it’s easy to get up early. It’s light outside by 5am.

Got a lot to do but am sitting wrapped up. A chilled southerly wind blows. it is dry and crisp. No moisture in the air.

I am thinking about the word-use I am hearing, have been hearing for a long time. And I am thinking that definitions are important.

Of course, in recent times, the cry of “RACIST”, has been loud and constant. Here in Aus you shall be called “racist” if you voted “NO” in the recent referendum. In the USofA, the moniker of “racist” is used to silence, frighten, end any discussion on almost any topic… You support The Donald, and you’ll be called racist. You disagree with open boarders, you’ll be called racist.

The word I am hearing this morning, THE WORD that was on the radio as I drove, and as I read an listen to “de-newz” is “Genocide.

The genocide taking place in Israel/ Palestine…

So, as I was driving this morn, ruminating on it all, I think about the use of the word and the effects of the word being used…

First: Genocide
noun: genocide; plural noun: genocides
the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group.
“a campaign of genocide”

OK, in this context, the word “genocide means Israel has been carrying out a plan of deliberate killing of a large number of Palestinian Arabs.

Have they? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographic_history_of_Palestine_(region)

Year	Jews	Christians	Muslims	Total
1st c.	Majority	–	–	~1,250
4th c.	Majority	Minority	–	>1st c.[1][2]
5th c.	Minority	Majority	–	>1st c.
End 12th c.	Minority	Minority	Majority	>225
14th c.	Minority	Minority	Majority	150
1533-39	5	6	145	156
1553–1554	7	9	188	205
1690–1691	2	11	219	232
1800	7	22	246	275
1890	43	57	432	532
1914	94	70	525	689
1922	84	71	589	752
1931	175	89	760	1,033
1947	630	143	1,181	1,970

So, by 1947 there were 630,000 Jews, 143,000 Christians, and 1,181,000 Muslims in Israel/ Palestine.

Modern era demographics of Israel, Israelis, and Palestinian territories show us that:
As of 2014, Israeli and Palestinian statistics for the overall numbers of Jews and Arabs in the area west of the Jordan, inclusive of Israel and the Palestinian territories, are similar and suggest a rough parity in the two populations. Palestinian statistics estimate 6.1 million Palestinians for that area, while Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics estimates 6.2 million Jews living in sovereign Israel. Gaza is estimated by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to have 1.7 million, and the West Bank 2.8 million Palestinians, while Israel proper has 1.7 million Arab citizens. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, as of May 2006, of Israel’s 7 million people, 77% were Jews, 18.5% Arabs, and 4.3% “others”. Among Jews, 68% were Sabras (Israeli-born), mostly second- or third-generation Israelis, and the rest are olim – 22% from Europe and the Americas, and 10% from Asia and Africa, including the Arab countries.

According to these Israeli and Palestinian estimates, the population in Israel and the Palestinian territories stands at from 6.1 to 6.2 million Palestinians and 6.1 million Jews.

OK, so by 1947 there were 630,000 Jews, 143,000 Christians, and 1,181,000 Muslims in Israel/ Palestine.

By 2014 there were 6,100,000 Jews, and 6,100,000 Muslims in Israel/ Palestine.

Of course, numbers are numbers are numbers. But I do not, DO NOT, see genocide taking place.

Definitions are important, me thinks.

More later

Do you know that:

The Ottoman Empire, historically and colloquially known as the Turkish Empire, was an empire that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries. The empire also controlled an eastern region of Central Europe from the 16th to the late 17th century.

I’m no scholar, but I can read. Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empire

Here is a map of the Ottoman Empire in 1900:

I like this map because it shows us the dissolution of the Ottomans through the 1800s. As the empire dissolved, lands that had been ruled by the Ottomans for centuries were claimed, divided, held, bartered and sold to the victors of various wars. Confusion and strife accompanied the changes. The peoples in those lands, say Greece, had no say, no democratic vote as per who or what would rules their lives after the Ottomans.

I use Greece because I have some knowledge here… My mother’s people are Greek. My maternal grandmother, Vera, came from Samos. Her people were refugees from the progroms against Greek speaking people in what is now Turkey. Their’s is a sad story of loss, death, survival. I am glad Vera did survive. I have named a granddaughter Vera.

My maternal Grandfather fought in the Greco-Turkish wars…

The Greco-Turkish War of 1919–1922 was fought between Greece and the Turkish National Movement during the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, between 15 May 1919 and 11 October 1922.

Read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Turkish_War_(1919–1922)

Here’s a blurb that I found interesting:

The Greek campaign was launched primarily because the western Allies, particularly British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, had promised Greece territorial gains at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, recently defeated in World War I. Greek claims stemmed from the fact that Anatolia had been part of Ancient Greece and the Byzantine Empire before the Turks conquered the area in the 12th-15th centuries. The armed conflict started when the Greek forces landed in Smyrna (now İzmir), on 15 May 1919. They advanced inland and took control of the western and northwestern part of Anatolia, including the cities of Manisa, Balıkesir, Aydın, Kütahya, Bursa, and Eskişehir. Their advance was checked by Turkish forces at the Battle of the Sakarya in 1921. The Greek front collapsed with the Turkish counter-attack in August 1922, and the war effectively ended with the recapture of Smyrna by Turkish forces and the great fire of Smyrna.

So, this tells me is that, after WW1, the Greeks were encouraged to wage war against the dead/ dying empire that had subjugate them for centuries. As were other peoples in other places. The Masters of War had unleashed hounds to ravage and harass what was left of the Ottomans.

Basically, the dead empire was being divided up by the victors. Often with force. Like hounds fighting over scraps the Masters of War did not want.

The “winners” of the war got first pick of the flesh still hanging off the bones of the Ottoman Empire. Some places are/ were more desirable than others.

The Suez Canal was/ is terribly important. It was claimed very early on in the proceedings as an asset belonging to the Masters… I note the subsequent fighting/ waring that has taken place in dispute of the Suez Canal.

I note that Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Syria, and Palestine were big bones on the Ottoman carcass.

All but Palestine appear to be coveted, wanted, desired. Jerusalem was important but Palestine, rich in history, had few resources. No oil, no water, occupied by nomadic, Arabic speaking tribes. Much less coveted than, say Bagdad or Damascus.

The masters of war had made many promises to many people… keeping the promises proved impossible.

During World War I the great powers made a number of decisions concerning the future of Palestine without much regard to the wishes of the indigenous inhabitants. Palestinian Arabs, however, believed that Great Britain had promised them independence in the Ḥusayn-McMahon correspondence, an exchange of letters from July 1915 to March 1916 between Sir Henry McMahon, British high commissioner in Egypt, and Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, then emir of Mecca, in which the British made certain commitments to the Arabs in return for their support against the Ottomans during the war. Yet by May 1916 Great Britain, France, and Russia had reached an agreement (the Sykes-Picot Agreement) according to which, inter alia, the bulk of Palestine was to be internationalized. Further complicating the situation, in November 1917 Arthur Balfour, the British secretary of state for foreign affairs, addressed a letter to Lord Lionel Walter Rothschild (the Balfour Declaration) expressing sympathy for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people on the understanding that “nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine.” This declaration did not come about through an act of generosity or stirrings of conscience over the bitter fate of the Jewish people. It was meant, in part, to prompt American Jews to exercise their influence in moving the United States to support British postwar policies as well as to encourage Russian Jews to keep their nation fighting.

Read about it here: https://www.britannica.com/place/Palestine/World-War-I-and-after

2023, over 100 years since the Balfour Declaration. Where are we?

Hard to say, I am pondering what to write here… where are we? Where d’fuk are we?

On fire is the answer.

Paying the price for past colonial and imperialist schemes and dreams?

As Zion burns

more later

Today is Tuesday, 17th of October. On the 14th a referendum was held here in Aus. A referendum to “enshrine” an Aboriginal Voice in Parliament.

What is a referendum?

In Australia, referendums are public votes held on important issues where the electorate may approve or reject a certain proposal. The term is commonly used in reference to a constitutional referendum which is legally required to make a change to the Constitution of Australia. (Wikipedia)

How many referendums have Australia had?

A total of 45 referendums have been held. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Referendums_in_Australia

What was the 2023 referendum about?

A single question: “A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

Simple enough.

What was the result?

60% said NO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_2023_Australian_Indigenous_Voice_referendum

I shall not carry on about how or why the vote ended up as it did. I shall, though, discuss my thoughts and emotions…

Since the beginning of the “Voice” initiative, the facts per who, what, how, where, when, how much have been sparse to nonexistent.

Though, initially, seen as a fine and noble idea; constitutional recognition of the aboriginal peoples, no one was able to explain the details. The lack of detail is what made the idea questionable.

As well, there was a fair bit of mud-slinging. By both sides. By activist-minded supporters who said to vote against was to prove you were racist. To vote against was to prove you were stupid… to vote in favour was to prove you were racist. To vote in favour was to prove you were stupid.

The mud slinging continues.

What did the referendum cost?

Looks like the federal government spent 400mil on this. https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/labor-grilled-over-400-million-divisive-debacle/news-story/301f8b68a7de51022d3ee2cd91e5e74a#

And, as we in Aus reject the referendum, Zion is on fire.

Tense times, tense times.

more later

And just when we thought we were making progress. As diplomacy was gaining supremacy over warfare.

What next?

I saw something online this morning I thought was poignant…

I find it quite despicable to be applauding the heinous actions, abductions, destruction we are witnessing.

I believe that though WAR may be necessary, it is never a long term solution, and no one really ever “wins”.

So sad…

Golly, it’s 2nd week October, and I am way behind.

Way behind on numerous fronts…

I am thinking that this is a by-product of being very busy and getting heaps, and heaps done, competed, accomplished. And, also, being bone tired, leg-weary each day, And sleeping like a log .

It is all good.

Today, this morn, is a wrap in the blanket and watch blood-sport Sunday. I am cooking a big pot of beans and a couple nice racks of ribs. Son, Don, has been visiting; pet-teen, Mendoza is around (somewhere), Big G will stop by later.

The coffee is good, the house is open, the air is crisp, the sky is overcast with a scent of rain, a promise of some moisture.

And, as I sit, ruminate, watch, study the goings-on around me, I scratch my head. I find that, as I age, I spend more and more time just simply scratching my head in wonderment…

We have “The Voice to Parliament” vote, here in the land of Aus. This is a move to change the constitution and “enshrine” an “indigenous” voice in Parliament. What it will be, how it will work, who it will include is confused. No answers have been given, just vague, feel-good ideas of how a VOICE will end early child mortality, increase longevity, and solve all the social problems of the class of folks here down-under, that suffer the most – but have the most spent on them.

I won’t chase the numbers but, a quick look and we find:

On a per person basis, government welfare expenditure was $13,968 per Indigenous Australian, compared with $6,019 per non-Indigenous Australian in 2012–13—this equates to expenditure of $2.32 per Indigenous person for every $1.00 spent per non-Indigenous person.15 Aug 2023

So, this referendum is aiming to solve all the problems, SOCIAL, FINANCIAL, PERSONAL, MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL… all the problems…

Yea, right… I see shams like this as nothing more than wealth distribution programmes designed to buy votes.

In the US I watch as the might, the weight, the strength and resources of the central government are used to silence, stall, stop, censor a political foe… The Donald is simply too loud, too wealthy, too autonomous for the powers that be, I am not speaking of blue v red. It is the weight and power of both main political structures that is being levied against The Donald. He threatens all and everyone.

And I must say, I agree when DT says he is fighting this battle for the people, to ensure the powers of the central government are not gratuitously used against the common-man.

I am incessantly confused and amazed when smart folks I know think it’s fine for DT to be roasted by the corrupt powers that control. They think DT deserves it, should rot forever in a dark, dank cell. That the wrongs and transgressions of the likes of the Biden-Crime-Family, or the Uber-corrupt-Clinton gang, or the sins of the Obama-masqueraders are minimal in regards to DT’s failings.

And, as those who applaud the use of the system against a private citizen, I caution that such actions, once sanctioned, may well become the norm.

I dig the idea that the US Congress kicked K.McCarthy out of the speaker’s seat, then took a break form business.

The Speaker is the 3rd highest position in the US system. When there is no Speaker, Congress must do no business until a new Speaker is elected. So everything stops.

Sure, makes sense to me.

Let’s see what I have been doing…

Making a stick for my old buddy DB…. was out cleaning up rusty, tangled barbed wire and found this:

So I took it home…

and cut it up… the wood is dense. It throws sparks when I cut it…

Have a 47Ariel on the lift. Mendoza is going to learn-how-to on this project…

And the beat goes on

More later

September 2023 has shown itself to be quite a month. A month on steroids even… have gotten soooo muchhh done in the past couple weeks.

And its all good, except, that is, the bone tired weariness that comes from long days, lots of miles, a lot getting completed… well, maybe not completed, 100%… completion is an on going, never ending sorta gig…

I am very glad I have extensive experience surviving off of tank-water. Of course, the Solomons taught well how to live with limited water, how to ration and get things done on limited water, how to wash, launder, clean, scrub, hydrate and maintain life under limited water. Its not that easy. Flushing toilets, showers, doing dishes and laundry all change as one runs short of water.

For over the last 18-20 months water has not been a problem, unless its been too much water… below are picts from 18-20 months ago… as the little stream became a rushing river. As we saw over 3meters of rain in less than 6months…

The cleanup in aisle 3 has taken a long, long time. No where near even started cleaning up all the tangled and twisted and rusted barbwire and steel posts that are strewn about, in the back. I may have about 10% of the mess cleaned up. And that is all out front, around the house and outbuildings, along the 1/2km long drive. The back 100acres are still neglected, waiting, pending.

Its been a big job. It remains a big job.

As I gain in wisdom, knowledge and AGE, I begin to have insights into the entire gig of “getting old”… 1) stay fit and healthy. The more physicality I can put into my projects the more I can accomplish, complete, get done. Noting my strength and stamina is not what it once was. 2) Avoid injuries at all costs! Be smart, work smart, lift and tote smart. Knee braces, ankle supports, a tight belt are all important for keeping upright, mobil, and uninjured. 3) Use what ever tech possible to get a job done. Meaning that lifting. moving, shifting, relocating anything, ANYTHING, is easier and healthier with mechanical assistance. I use a big tractor and a small tractor (each with a bucket) to move most things. I use the 8ton excavator to dig, shift, lift. My back may be sore but its not injured, inflamed.

So, an old fart in a little valley with a couple big machines…. I’m like a kid in a sandbox…

Life is good.

More later

Sunday here down-under. Very pleasant morning. Betsy and G.G. and Nova spent the night. we’ll head outside to raise hell on wheelz and bbq soon.

Spent the past week shape shifting an old, hard, dense piece of wood… started with this:

An old fence rail dug out of the mud n muck after the recent floods. An ancient piece of wood, trimmed and shaped ages, decades ago by unknown hands.

We rather quickly end up with something recognisable as a walking stick…

Finished product… Im pretty happy with the outcome.

This past week we were doing some more digging and came across a couple pieces of old wood. These are roots from an ancient tree, long gone and sunk and decayed. These will be cool to shape and change and see what is inside…

And finally, a word from our sponsor…

smiles

more later