Riding horses wasn’t meant for everybody!

I’m taking a “ride” down memory lane, with a little story from my varied life. You must also have such stories to tell, so why not share it with me and the readers of my blog. You can also go to a previous posting, which will tell you about the “abode” we had to live in, and it wasn't something to brag about. Click here to read more. As you will see; an interesting situation unfolded when my boss’ wife wanted to learn how to ride a horse.  - Werner

Daintree is today a well-known international tourist destination, but back in 1959 only the locals would have known about its existence. The area around Daintree was in the main dairy farming. The village consisted of about half a dozen dwellings and a butter factory. The latter had two employees, the manager and his sidekick, both hands-on butter makers.

I lived with my wife, Karola, and our three children on a cane farm at Miallo, about 10 Km north of Mossman in far north Queensland. (See map, click to enlarge) The farm was only about one kilometre from the Daintree turn-off. I had a full time job.  During the cane season I cut cane and during the “slack season” as it was generally called, I did all sorts of work during that time: repair work, weed control, or making cabinets etc for the farmer's wife.  So, “slack season,” was a bit of a misnomer; it wasn’t slack at all; there was always plenty to do. The farmer’s house was a typical Queenslander, with two long L-shaped verandas. In the slack season I had to build a wardrobe with 18 doors. I’m still wondering today what the farmer’s wife wanted to store in such a big wardrobe.

The Miallo State School was where our eldest daughter, Sonja, started school, and then eventually became  a teacher herself. And, I recall fondly experiencing the wonderful Australian mateship as a member of the Mossman Rifle Club; considering that I was a “newcomer” to this country and only here four years. Read about it.

At that time there was no TV and the only entertainment in the far north was the Mossman cinema.  Claude, my boss’ brother, and I went there on Saturday night. The seating was very primitive; each seat was a 3 foot wide canvas sheet attached to a high back rail and a lower front rail. The aboriginals from the Mossman aboriginal Mission had to sit in the front rows nearest to the screen. Things have changed since.

However, there were all sorts of things we could do in our leisure time. One of them was to go to the Mossman Gorge for a picnic and swimming among big boulders in the crystal clear freshwater, that finished up in the Mossman River. There was also an alternative for me. We had ten horses on the farm and from time to time during the "slack season”, or on a nice sunny weekend, Stan, my boss, his daughter Coral and I saddled up three horses and went for a ride around the cane farm or the area around Miallo. 

On a few occasions we rode as far as the Daintree River, taking a shortcut through other properties until we hit the beach at Rocky Point, and then following the beach to the mighty Daintree River. This always turned out to be a wonderful excursion.  Stan's wife, Roma, a very big woman (dress size 26,) kept pestering Stan to teach her horse riding (poor horse I thought) so she could also come along on our rides.

Stan usually found good reasons to resist, (I could think of a couple myself) but one day, for the sake of peace, he relented.  After a rudimentary horse-riding lecture by Stan, she was ready to get on a horse – that’s what Roma thought.  Being a very big person she wasn't able to lift her foot high enough to get into the stirrup, so a chair was fetched and placed beside the horse.  With Stan and Claude, pushing and shoving, while I held the horse; Roma eventually reached the top of the horse, but slid immediately down on the other side.

It was of course very difficult for me not to burst out laughing seeing this sorry looking lump of human flesh being “down to earth” again.  But Roma was not to be deterred by this little mishap and was determined to have another go at getting on top of that horse.  To make things easier for Roma, it was decided to stand the horse beside the farm's loading ramp, so that Roma could just 'walk' onto the horse.

Well, this idea, or “loading procedure” where Roma could practically walk onto the horse proved to be successful and she made it into the saddle.  I kept my eyes on the horse’s legs as I expected the horse to go down on its knees anytime because of the extreme load.  Stan, while holding on to a bridle led the horse for a walk, at snails pace. But Roma called out, “Not so fast! Not so fast!  After a few steps, Roma started to realise that the saddle didn't fit her large posterior too well and that it wasn’t as comfortable as her lounge-room chair.  She also felt quite insecure on the horse and so high above the ground and wanted to dismount to get her feet firmly on the ground again.  So, after a very short ride of about 20 meters, we went back to the loading ramp and “unloaded” Roma. That short ride convinced Roma that horse riding wasn’t her favourite mode of transport and, I’m sure, the horse was pleased about that as well.
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My though for today.
Life isn't a matter of milestones, but moments.  Rose Kennedy.
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To vaccinate or not - that is the question.

I’m not going to tell you whether you should or shouldn’t vaccinate your children.  It is up to you to do your own research and form your own opinion. The government will only tell you that vaccines are safe, effective and that they save lives.  However, what I will provide you with are stories of harm after vaccination, which, obviously the government would prefer you don’t know about, but they should help you to decide.  However, I have to say this: The federal government’s “No jab no pay” proposal is absolute blackmail and cannot be described in any other way.

I had my last flu shot seven years ago and I became very ill. I decided to read up on it and learnt a thing or two. One of them was that Bi-carb of soda kills viruses.  So, since then, when I feel flu symptoms coming on, I take a quarter of a teaspoon of Bi-carb four times a day with a glass of water and supplement it with high doses of vitamin C. So, I’m happy to say that I haven’t had the flu for seven years. So, this may or may not work for you, but I just thought that I had to tell you. When I do not have to fight the flu, I take a quarter teaspoon of Bi-carb of soda every day, to alkalise my body. It is a well- known fact that in an acidic environment “nasties” like to dwell. Read more about Bi-carb of soda in this link. - Werner
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1. Parents lose faith in flu jabs.
Parents' faith in flu vaccinations for children was shattered by the fast-tracked rollout of a vaccine in 2010 that permanently brain damaged one WA child and gave 250 others serious reactions, a WA Health Department official says.In an article published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, Health Department prevention and control public health physician Paul Effler said there had been insufficient studies into the safety of CSL product Fluvax before it was given to WA children in April 2010.  Dr Effler said global fears of a swine flu pandemic in 2010 forced the "accelerated approval" process of CSL Fluvax in the US despite only a small amount of data on its effects being available. "There really wasn't enough data to say that safety had been established," he said. Click here to To read full article.
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2. THE parents of a WA girl who has been awarded millions in damages after a defective flu jab left her severely disabled say they it’s a “massive relief” the legal battle is over. Mick and Kirsten Button’s daughter Saba was just 11 months old when she received the Fluvax shot in April 2010. The then toddler suffered a hypoxic brain injury, kidney, liver and bone marrow failure. She can now no longer walk and talk and needs round-the-clock care.Three days after Saba was admitted at Princess Margaret Hospital, Fluvax was recalled. It is now banned for children under five. Her parents launched legal action against the vaccine’s manufacturer CSL which then launched a cross-claim against the State of WA and the Minister for Health.Today the Federal Court of Australia approved a settlement which had been reached between the parties. While the details of the payout have been sealed, legal experts have previously said it could be more than $10 million.  Read all.
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3. NaturalSociety / “Brain-Damaged Victims Of Swine Flu Vaccine Win $63 Million Lawsuit – GSK has paid $9.1 billion since 2003” by Jeffrey Jaxen posted 16 April 2015
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is in the news again making headlines after having to settle another major lawsuit bringing the latest total to over $9.1 billion since 2003. This time, it is due to GSK’s product Pandemrix, which was the swine flu vaccine forced upon the public during the pandemic of 2009 (which is argued by some to have been fake). As the victims are being compensated in the U.K., the same neurological mechanisms that damaged the children in the lawsuit are still potentially at work in the confirmed excitotoxicity that takes place after many vaccine injections.

According to the International Business Times U.K. Edition, each of the victims is “expected to receive £1 million each.” Peter Todd, a lawyer who represented many of the claimants, told the Sunday Times (U.K.):“There has never been a case like this before. The victims of this vaccine have an incurable and lifelong condition and will require extensive medication.” Unfortunately for Peter Todd and the countless other victims, there has been cases like this before. Neurological damage from vaccines is not a rare occurrence. In fact, the U.S. government has paid out $3 billion and counting to families of vaccine-injured children. Most of which were due to direct neurological damage or complications arising from such damage. Read all.
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4. Mercury In Vaccines Was Replaced With Something Even MORE Toxic. By Dr. Mercola. The short, eye-opening eBook linked below is titled Aluminum in Vaccines -- a Neurological Gamble, by Neil Miller, director of the Thinktwice Global Vaccine Institute. It documents the hazards associated with aluminum-laden vaccines. Children are receiving high concentrations of aluminum in their shots. This well-documented neurotoxin may be more dangerous than mercury.Vaccines containing high concentrations of neurotoxic aluminum were added to the child immunization schedule when several vaccines containing mercury were removed. Two-month old babies now receive 1,225 mcg of aluminum from their vaccines -- 50 times higher than safety levels! Although the FDA, CDC and World Health Organization are aware of the dangers, they expect parents to play Russian roulette with their children. Protect Your Right to Informed Consent and Defend Vaccine Exemptions With all the uncertainty surrounding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, it's critical to protect your right to make independent health choices and exercise voluntary informed consent to vaccination. It is urgent that everyone in America stand up and fight to protect and expand vaccine informed consent protections in state public health and employment laws. The best way to do this is to get personally involved with your state legislators and educating the leaders in your community. Read all.
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5.Breaking News: Whooping cough outbreak in only vaccinated children. Posted by: Dena Schmidt, staff writer in Vaccine Dangers April 5, 2015    An alarming outbreak of pertussis (whooping cough) is currently sweeping through the Park City, Utah area. And the news is not good for the vaccine industry – as you’ll soon see.This whooping cough outbreak marks the first time in many years that the area has experienced even one case of pertussis. So far, 19 kids have been diagnosed with the illness. Is the pertussis vaccine causing pertussis? The most alarming aspect of the matter is that so far, all of the children diagnosed with whooping cough had been vaccinated against it. Of course, medical authorities have no good answer or understanding about how this could happen – fuelling the debate about vaccine dangers. Unfortunately, some in the pro-vaccine community are attempting to twist things around as a “plus” for vaccines. Dozens of children have been tested so far, making it a busy week for pediatricians in Park City. Many more kids are expected to be tested. Pertussis is highly contagious, and it is perplexing to Park City officials that all of the infected kids are up to date with vaccinations; however, it is not as surprising to those who are already aware of vaccine dangers.

Pro-vaccine advocates twist the truth to support the pharmaceutical industry. It is needless to say, parents are demanding answers as to why kids who received the pertussis vaccine were the ones to come down with it. While some medical experts have tried to remind parents that such vaccines are only “90 to 95 percent effective,” the sheer number of kids who are being affected in Park City suggest that this percentage is much, much lower.

Pertussis begins with cold-like symptoms and progresses rapidly to a severe cough. Some medical professionals are lamely offering the consolation that since the kids were immunized – their cases of whooping cough aren’t as contagious and won’t be as severe as they would’ve been otherwise. They even have the gall to say that infants and immuno-compromised persons are “fortunate,” as they would’ve been much more ill if they hadn’t had the vaccine. Read all.
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6. Italy’s National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.
Like the U.S., Italy has a national vaccine injury compensation program to give some financial support to those people who are injured by compulsory and recommended vaccinations. The Italian infant plaintiff received three doses of GlaxoSmithKline’s Infanrix Hexa, a hexavalent vaccine administered in the first year of life. These doses occurred from March to October 2006. The vaccine is to protect children from polio, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, pertussis and Haemophilus influenza type B. In addition to these antigens, however, the vaccine then contained thimerosal, the mercury-containing preservative, aluminium, an adjuvant, as well as other toxic ingredients. The child regressed into autism shortly after receiving the three doses.

When the parents presented their claim for compensation first to the Ministry of Health, as they were required to do, the Ministry rejected it. Therefore, the family sued the Ministry in a court of general jurisdiction, an option which does not exist in the same form in the U.S.Court Decision: Mercury and Aluminium in Vaccine Caused Autism. Based on expert medical testimony, the court concluded that the child more likely than not suffered autism and brain damage because of the neurotoxic mercury, aluminum and his particular susceptibility from a genetic mutation. The Court also noted that Infanrix Hexa contained thimerosal, now banned in Italy because of its neurotoxicity, “in concentrations greatly exceeding the maximum recommended levels for infants weighing only a few kilograms.” Read all.
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7.The Doctor Who Beat The British General Medical Council By Proving That Vaccines Aren’t Necessary To Achieve Health. What happened when a UK doctor appeared as an expert witness to help two mothers prove in court that their children didn’t need to be vaccinated? A 3 year court case against the British General Medical Council that ended with the doctor accused having all allegations dropped.Dr. Jayne Donegan, a UK GP, has lived a most fascinating story. It began with her originally being a very strong advocate for vaccinations, but fast forward quite a few years later, and she now not only speaks out against the dangers of vaccinations, but ended up being taken to the General Medical Council with some pretty serious claims by them regarding her professionalism. After a few stressful years in court against them, Dr. Donegan won her case. But chances are, this is the first you’re hearing of it. In order for you to get the full account of what happened, it’s best to read her full story. Dr. Donegan gave me her permission to use her account below: Read all.
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Three Idaho Babies Die after Their 4 Month Vaccines. Doctors Speak Out in New Documentary. 
Read more. http://vaccine-injury.info/index.cfm 
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You will find more adverse Vaccine Stories here.
Redrock Cloud.
http://www.followingvaccinations.com/
http://myvaccinationstory.com/
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My thought for today:
When we give government the power to make medical decisions for us, we, in essence, accept that the state owns our bodies. – Ron Paul
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Coke; its more beneficial uses.

I saw a young mother with her 2 young children in our shopping centre, all drinking Coke. That made me think, “Oh my goodness, doesn’t she know that this is not good for them?” Then I also remembered what a lady doctor said to my wife. “Whatever you may give your children to drink, never ever give them Coke”, and she told her why.

Then, I also recalled the time when I managed Dr. Westaway’s cane farm on the Cook Highway Smithfield 10 Km north from Cairns. There were several unyielding rusted nuts on our irrigation equipment. No matter what I tried, including WD40, nothing would help to unscrew these nuts. My boss happened to call by and I told him about these “Tough Nuts” and he said: “Try pouring Coke over it”. I did, and bingo!  Coke solved the problem and the rusted nuts yielded to the Coke treatment. Does this tell the Coke drinkers something? However, I came across 16 reasons why I will buy  a can of Coke – but not for drinking it. -  Werner
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Coke drinkers should watch this video. Click Here.
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16 Things about Coca-Cola that You Never Knew.
Coca-Cola (or Coke) is the most recognized brand in the world. The dark, carbonated, sugary beverage has become the most widely consumed drink in the world since WWII. There are many studies and documentaries showing the ill effects of Coke on the human body, but this addictive drink has other, more beneficial uses that the Coca-Cola Company may not want you to know:

1. Remove stains from china. Soak stained china in Coke for a few hours, and it will remove all the stains.
2. Remove marker stains from a carpet. Pour Coke on the marker stain, and then scrub it with a soapy solution for a quick and easy cleanup.
3. Clean burnt residue off of pots and pans. Pour enough Coke to cover the burnt residue in the pot/pan and let it soak overnight. You’ll be amazed how easily the gunk comes off in the morning.
4. Get rid of grease stains your detergent can’t handle Pour some Coke into the washing machine with your greasy clothes and see the magic.
5. Diet Coke can fix a bad hair-dye job. Did you accidentally botch up your hair dye? Just soak your hair in Diet Coke for 15 minutes and watch the dye fade away.
6. Strip paint from metallic surfaces. Soak a towel with Coke and leave it on the painted metallic surface for several hours. When you remove the towel – the paint will come off with it.
7. Keep your car battery working for longer. If your car battery’s terminals are covered in corrosion, pour Coke on it and watch how the corrosion melts away.
8. Effective slug pesticide. If your garden is experiencing a slug infestation, pour a Coke into a bowl and leave it outside overnight. The sugar will draw them in, and the acidity will kill these pests.
9. Remove grout from tiles with ease. Pour Coke on gritty tiles and let it sit for a few minutes. The grout should be easily removed now, leaving you with clean tiles.
10. Clean your toilet. Pour a can of Coke into your toilet and leave it overnight. The acidity in the Coke will strip off any nasty residue that accumulated in the bowl.
11. Make old coins shine again. Soak dirty coins in Coke for a few hours and then rinse

them – they’ll look like they were minted yesterday.
12. Coke + aluminium foil = clean chrome. Pour Coke on dirty chrome surfaces, and then wipe away with aluminum foil. The chrome will look shiny and new again.
13. Coke makes for an effective insect repellent. Pour a can into a bowl and leave it outside for an hour before you entertain. When your party arrives, move the bowl away and enjoy an insect-free environment. The bugs will be too busy with the Coke to harass your friends.
14. Remove blood stains from clothes. Soak the bloody part in Coke for an hour, and then wash it away. (Repeat if necessary)
15. Get rid of gum stuck in your hair. Soak the gum in Coke for 15 minutes and simply wipe it away.
16. Clean up oil stains from floors. If your car leaves oil stains on the garage floor, get it fixed. Afterwards, pour some Coke on the stains and let it soak for a few hours, then rinse it off with some water.
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Source: Baba-Mail.
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My thought for today.
I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.  Socrates
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Brigadier George Mansford's True Blue Poems.

Retired Australian Army Brigadier, George Mansford, has replaced the rifle with a pen and writes excellent poems reflecting what we have lost in our Country. George is still involved in many things and has awards and honours as long as his arm – one of them Cairns Citizen of the year. He Served in Korea, Malaya, Malaysia, Thai Border, Vietnam, New Guinea and Singapore.  George is a widower and has two daughters, one of whom, Sharon, his oldest Daughter, is with him in the picture.  So, as you can see,  George is a man of many things, but what he is most of all is a true Blue Australian. So please enjoy some of the excellent poems by Georg Mansford. - Werner
 
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Once a Lucky Country
Imagine if past generations could return and see
The true state of affairs of our once lucky country 
It’s odds on they would shake their head in disbelief
To see the futility of their sweat, blood and grief

We have many politicians who cannot plan beyond yesterday
Such narrow vision they need guide dogs to lead the way 
Excellent in blame games and they worship political correctness too
They’re experts in doing what the rest of us were taught never to do

Foreign ownership of OZ has become very much the trend
Rich agricultural soil polluted by drills, fracking and chemical blends
We pay strangers for water which was once yours and mine
Despite frequent droughts, no major dams built in a long, long time

Minority groups are pandered and contradictions more than one
We’re told the Treasury is bare yet Canberra still finds money for fun
In regards security measures, Burkas are OK but helmets taboo.
As a reward for going to another war, the military gets a pay cut too 

Where love of country and promises are no longer honoured calls 
Citizenship has become just a piece of paper to hang on a wall 
Our laws favour the guilty and their victims powerless to act
Spin doctors well paid by Government for distorting fact

Oh if only we could start all over again once more 
Sail to Botany Bay and add new rules within our golden shore 
Including that both integrity and common sense to be a must
No matter the status, deport any bastard who ain’t worth a crust
Gmansford©November2014
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Who Stole OZ While We Were in Deep Sleep
Under the Southern Cross once upon a time 
Existed a prosperous country, yours and mine
Today it is a different scene here in the land down under
Our Nation has become the victim of apathy, rape and plunder 

Gone are the fruits from trees and vines 
No longer the lush green pastures and grapes for wine
Who was the Judas who poisoned sweet water and rich land
For pieces of silver handed under the table by foreign hands

Blinkered Canberra suits boast that Oz can feed many a Nation
Yet encourage mining of rich agricultural land causing devastation
Dorothy McKellar told us of flood and droughts in our rugged land
Yet no major dam built in years cos Canberra’s head’s in the sand

Idle factories and bankrupt farmers; yet imports of goods are more
 Jobless streets, empty pockets, “For Sale” signs and closed doors
Country towns dying and restless youth seeking a new life elsewhere
Huge national debt and cobwebs in Treasury and few seem to care

Our people are treated as sheep and regularly shorn
Clever spin, broken promises and deceit are the norm
Truth denied and common sense far out of reach
Political correctness masking truth and smothering free speech

Indifference is thriving and social discipline slowly eroding
Modern electronics being added to lifestyles already overloaded
Rare is the smiling gidday as you stroll in the street
Strangers from another planet too busy texting to meet and greet

What happened to that richness of our way of life so fine?
Which we were to pass on to a new generation in a short time
Who stole our precious way of life while we were in deep sleep?
Oh, for what was once our lucky country, I now do weep
gmansford ©March 2015 
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OH, WHERE IS OUR SAVIOUR
We’re in trouble given our inept political representation
When ego and greed is preferred before the future of our Nation
Laws manipulated for rich strangers have become the norm
Add political correctness and wonder why you were ever born
                                          
False promises and deceit showered on you and me
Our dreams stolen by Canberra and far from free 
Where fear smothers hope and trust sours into doubt
Pathetic political bickering is now what life is all about 
Constant changes in policy suggests no one knows what’s best
Arguing and lying “In that place” seems to be an initiation test  
Eviction for true blue battlers while groveling to “you know who”  
Use any ruse and no holds barred to avoid political Waterloos

Oh where are our Ghandis in humble cloth and wearing no shoes Bright, brave souls, sharing, caring and perhaps a Wellington too
All leading by example and demonstrating austerity
Vision and careful planning to ensure future prosperity 
To admit mistakes and learn from them until they get it right 
To understand the people’s pulse beat by using ears and sight
Where corruption and “scratch my back” belongs to the past 
How refreshing it would be with no spin doctors at last

We need solid foundations, not shifting sand for those who follow
A united sense of purpose and to recapture sanity before tomorrow
Someone to tell us “Roll up your sleeves, there’s much work to do”
Whoever the Saviour, step forward now, our Nation needs you
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Precious Values of Our Way of Life.
What would they, the diggers of ANZAC say?
Or their sons and daughters who followed in their way
To see today’s prostitution and threats to our way of life
Which they defended with blood, sweat and tears in times of strife 

What were the lost dreams of those who did fall?
How many sweethearts would never again hear a lovers call? 
That precious freedom of laughing, surfing, or footy with the push  
No more the choice of Church, surfing or camping in the bush

To properly honour our fallen is to pursue their earnest intent
 A happy prosperous land secure and free from evil malcontents
To share, to care, to speak out for what you hold dear
To walk the streets alone at night without any fear

To welcome migrants and refugees who have had a long orderly wait
Nevertheless, the edict is, only if they are prepared to assimilate
Our rich values are not to be prostituted, surrendered or for sale
To even contemplate compromise the ways of our life is to fail

It’s time for stern measures and Canberra Suits to lead the way
To tell the world the way of life we value must for ever stay 
Do I hear cheering from those ghostly columns tramping by?
For without such leadership, the spirit of our nation will surely die  
George Mansford ©April 2015
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Our Precious Values Are Not For Sale.
What would they, the diggers of ANZAC say
As well as sons and daughters who followed in their way
If to see today’s prostitution and threats to our way of life
Values they defended with blood, sweat and tears in times of strife 

Secret ballot, freedom of speech and have a go at any political rort 
Always a Sunday choice; Church, camping in the bush or sport
These were some of the values why they were prepared to give all
Never again to be home and hear a loved one’s familiar sweet call  

To properly honour them is to pursue their earnest intents
A happy prosperous land secure and free from evil malcontents
To work, share, care and speak out for what you hold dear
Decency, respect and to walk the streets alone without any fear

To welcome migrants and refugees who have had long orderly wait
Nevertheless, the edict is, only if they’re prepared to assimilate
Our rich values are not to be prostituted, surrendered or for sale
Even to consider compromise is to fail

To ensure our precious legacy is there for those who follow
To be safe and secure in a happy tomorrow
So those yet to be born can stand tall and speak with pride
I am, you are, we are Australian and always side by side

It’s time for step forward; “Wake up, arouse, stand to’’
The future of our land down under is up to me and you
Do I hear cheering and shouting from ghostly columns marching by?
“The spirit of our nation must never be allowed to die “
George Mansford ©April 2015
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My thought for today.
Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear. - Catherine of Siena
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Australia has lost its lustre.

This is not the Australia I came to 62 years ago, it has changed, but not for the better. What is worse, we have reached the point of no return. And, we have people in our midst who don’t integrate and assimilate into the Australia culture and conspire to impose their culture and Sharia law on us. Our food suppliers have been conned with the exorbitant Halal registration, and this is passed on to Australian consumers.

The sentiments expressed by Renny Carter below reflect mine and, I’m sure for every true blue Australian as well. He is spot on with what he wrote.  I have written about the bloody mindedness of our unions many times before. They are to blame for the bulk of our manufacturing section and their jobs “migrating” overseas, mainly to China and other Asian countries. The only affluent Australians now are the politicians, Ex-Prime ministers, top public servants and bank and big business executives, with their exorbitant salaries, perks and golden handshakes. The rest of us mere mortals are on Struggle Street. The politicians have no compunction about increasing their own salaries, but are extremely reluctant to increase the pension by a few paltry dollars.

We are grossly over governed in Australia, and at great expense. We have a Governor General and the state governors. While Peter Cosgrove was an excellent choice for GG,   I’m asking, why do we need a Governor General, or for that matter state governors? They are expensive nonessentials loaded with perks, and their duties could be carried out more cheaply by a public servant.

The government wants to rein in costs in order to liquidate debts accrued by the previous government and, to eliminate those positions would save a heck of a lot of money.

But, more money could be saved, take Tasmania for example. They have a population of half a million; are broke and depend on the mainland taxpayer to function. Yet, they have 21 Members of Parliament, 6 state Senators, 12 federal Senators, 5 Federal Members of Parliament and 29 regional councils. (Have I missed any?) No wonder they are broke.  But there are other Australian states which are in a similar situation as Tasmania.

Two regional councils are all that would be needed to govern Tasmania and that would save us a bundle. Look at the amount of money that would be freed for worthy causes, Joe Hockey! - Werner
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Please Note!  On Saturday 4th of April at 10 am at the Fogarty Park Cairns, there is the “Reclaim Australia Rally”. Please attend if you can. See Facebook, Click here.
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Australia? She's rooted mate!
By journalist Renny Carter,
 You can say what you like but Australia is rooted folks. Completely rooted. There are some things that we cannot recover from and one of them is seven years of Labor follies and free-for-all spending. This time - unlike past times- they have simply gone too far. There's some stuff you just cannot recover from.

No Liberal Government can work miracles with what they have been left with this time. It took Howard and Costello 10 years to pay off the last Labor debt. But that was a paltry 80 billion, give or take a quid.

In the meantime, Australia has a new population of freshly 'adult' bogans who were 12 when Kevin hit the rostrum pounding out his already tired and undeliverable slogans to the 'faithful'- who are now of course unable to get a job. But able to vote Labor. You have a new raft of university students working their way through Student Councils and Socialist Alliances doing psychology and Arts degrees with no real hope of ever getting a job using them.

I spoke to a kid in our town the other day, a lovely little girl with two degrees in psychology who simply cannot get a job in anything that involves psychology - so she works as a waitress in a coffee shop for 10 dollars an hour and has done so for the past three years. It's the only work she can get despite going for a million non related jobs last year. And there are bus loads of other kids in the same boat.

As I type this, Australian icons like GM-H are being torn down in Melbourne and Adelaide. These once highly productive buildings are hitting the ground - one by one. In a few weeks, the buildings where our Nation's car was manufactured will just be dusty paddocks being salivated over by men who develop $500,000 two bedroom concrete apartments.

Even Ford, which had proudly produced Australian versions of the global brand for 90 years this year, is being pulled apart and sent to Sims the scrap metal man. Thousands of workers can never expect to get a job in the car industry again. Okay, perhaps if you are 60 - but not if you are 37. Finished. Sure you will still be able to buy a ‘Ford’ or a 'Holden', except it will be a European or American Ford and a Taiwanese or Korean Holden that is in fact a Chev.

The sad thing about this is that I am old enough to remember being driven down the High Street in my father's lime green and white Holden FB to see the unveiling of the fabled EH in 1964, which had been under a sheet in the window of Burnside and McClure for an agonising 48 hours.The whole bloody suburb had turned out. I was 10. You could have unveiled Sophia Loren giving the Italian Navy one next door and every eye would have been watching as the Actil was pulled off the mint green Station Wagon Premier. (Oooh! It's called a- a - Premier! - gasped one faint mother) its iridescent flanks gleaming as the door was flung open to reveal... leather seats! A thousand young bottoms which had only ever felt hot vinyl gasped as well.

More gasps from the faint mothers. We looked at the badges - a 179 cubic inch monster rested beneath the glassy bonnet threatening to destroy the four inch cross-ply tyres . I thought, “Wow - Australia is a great place to be”.Now imagine that happening outside a Hyundai showroom today. Nah - the dream is gone. Our dreamtime is over. We have nothing to look forward to. Even the Bogan faithful are strangely torn  - no more V8s and no more Ford v Holden punch ups. 'Loife's a bitch'.
 
There are literally hundreds of other factories too that have taken down the shingles- unable to make anything in this country anymore because margins and unbending union demands have made the fight a waste of time and a waste of whatever dough is left over. Which isn't much.

Meanwhile, the unions under Labor came back like a freight train with a dose of herpes and did as much damage as they could in seven years, which is why several have been sent to jail and the others are flat out with their lawyers trying to explain away how they needed $500k salaries and prostitutes and trips to Paris to do their jobs effectively.

And idiots like Shorten not only helped to put them in power - but backed them when the shit hit the fan. They produce nothing. They simply destroy when unshackled by a government rabble that spawned them.

New Zealand is a winner though. They work for a bit less than we do and factories are moving there and for the first time in decades they are really producing stuff. And their dollar is on the up as a result. But we will wallow in the self pity of the global crisis, which was Rudd’s and Swan's favourite two words, and blame it on the rest of the world.

Even our mining sector is slowly sinking into the unknown. Prices are down for iron ore because other countries have gotten on to the band wagon and China doesn't care where it comes from as long as it is cheap. You can even buy our gas in China cheaper than you can buy it here. Go figure! So Melbourne and Sydney aren't quite Detroit just yet.

But visit You Tube and take a look at Detroit these days and you can see the end result of things that get stuffed up by people. With no hope of a transfusion. No pulse at all. Completely rooted.

And Labor wants to get back. And there are a shitload of morons who are waiting to vote them back in too. And when asked the other day about what his dream for Australia is when he gets in - Shorten said, "Everybody is somebody”. Can you believe it? Sadly Bill that ain't gunna cut it you moron! Then he rabbited on about more university education and free university education which as I've just pointed out Bill is bloody useless because there are no friggin' jobs mate! Thanks to you lot and the bloody greedy unions and their even greedier bloody union bosses.

Like I said, brace yourself, because if these suckers get back in we are really rooted. But be comforted in the knowledge that, according to the man who wants your vote, 'Everybody is somebody'. F**k! I feel so rosy just knowing that. Worse still, it's the sort of thing that idiot Kevin Rudd would say.

There is an upside though. Clive, the man who loved to be called a billionaire is apparently down to his last 200 mil. The Titanic has sunk, the dinosaurs are out to pasture and the resort is getting a repaint. Or it has been mothballed. I get the feeling that when he runs out of the green stuff altogether, he might have trouble staying in Canberra. If only Shorten could go the same way.***
My thought for today.
Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers. Nikita Khrushchev
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My French Connection.

I want to share a story from my life with you; from the time

when I was a teenager. No TVs, smart phones or other mod cons then, and life was less hectic, less complicated and more relaxed than today.  However, I was never bored as I had hobbies and was an avid reader, which I still am today. I was always keen to learn about new things to accumulate knowledge.  I was also relentless in asking questions.

There is no better way to learn than by asking questions about how and why this or that is so or done etc. I must have driven people to exasperation at times by asking them questions – however, asking questions hasn’t left me to this day. I had (I still have) the propensity to do things my way without asking whether I could do it or not. Needless to say, this was causing my parents and grandparents consternation and anxieties – and also brought me into trouble. Here is one of these stories.  I hope you find it amusing, although it was not so at the time. – Werner
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PS: There is an old German song  that starts with: Schön ist die Jugend, aber sie kommt nicht mehr zurück“. Meaning, adolescence is beautiful,  but it never returns. Thus, my thought for the day at the bottom.
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Here is my story “My French connection”.
My propensity to make unilateral decisions as a youngster often resulted in undesirable consequences. My self-assured thinking and my tendency never to ask whether I could or should, in order to avoid a negative response, was more than often a great concern to my parents and grandparents.

The time was 1945; the end of world war two, and our State was occupied by French occupation forces. We were a farming community and each farm had its own distillery to make schnapps from grapes and fruit, such as cherries, plums and apples, the sale of which brought in extra income.

Through my occasional riding around on my pushbike, I became acquainted with a French soldier with a somewhat dark complexion, who often went for a walk along the road when off duty. He conversed with me in very limited German and sometimes asked for a short ride on my bike. Perhaps, I was a bit naïve and gullible – or both – and I never suspected that there could be an ulterior motive behind his quest to befriend me. One thing was certain; I would never have trusted him in a dark alley.

One day, like a bolt out of the blue, he asked me if I could supply him with some Schnapps. "Schnapps?" I repeated with some surprise and incredulity. "What’s in it for me?" I asked myself. Hold on a second, though, we need petrol for the spray pump. "Can you supply me with petrol?" I asked him cautiously. "Yes," was his emphatic reply.

We agreed to exchange four litres of Schnapps for twenty litres of petrol. This was a clandestine operation and he suggested that he deliver the petrol in bottles so that the ‘trading’ remained inconspicuous – after all, he had to pilfer the stuff, and keeping the action quiet was paramount. Taking Schnapps from my family without their knowledge (which in the end would be to their benefit anyway) never caused me to think that what I intended to do was tantamount to pilfering – never, because I was part of that family.

We stored our distilled alcohol in big twenty- to thirty-litre glass bottles, protected on the outside with a wicker basket-like cage, and taking out a few litres of Schnapps would not have been easily detected. Since this was a top secret operation we needed a ‘drop zone’ where this covert exchange would take place, and we decided that the spot would be under a certain thicket in the nearby forest. I know it might appear that I plagiarized an episode from a popular spy thriller but this was certainly not the case.

Like a chess player, I was thinking a couple of moves ahead, and I anticipated that my family elders ultimately would have wanted to know where on earth I got that petrol from, and what it had cost. I would be ready with my answer. "I received the petrol in return for letting the French soldier ride on my bike." I already visualized the pleasantly surprised look on the faces of my parents and grandfather. On the other hand, perhaps I was just kidding myself. The thought that I might be engaging in a game of brinkmanship with unforeseen consequences never entered my mind. The desire to surprise my family with the much-needed petrol overrode my capacity for rational thinking.

When nobody was home, I filled up four bottles of Schnapps – that clear-as-water liquid which was drunk for different reasons – the most common being for medicinal purposes, such as helping with digestion, getting intoxicated to forget all your troubles, and of course at the same time killing your intestinal worms.

The bottled and corked product was now put in my long trouser legs – two bottles in each leg – with the shoe end of the trousers tightly fastened together with string. Thus I was able to kill three flies with one stroke: the secret operation stayed secret, I didn’t lose the bottles, and I could ride my bike to the ‘drop zone’ without arousing suspicion. With my trouser legs emptied of the secret cargo, and my ‘deposit’ placed in the pre-determined hiding place, my part of the contract was fulfilled. In due course, I would be in possession of my petrol. Or so I thought.

When I returned a few hours later, full of expectations to see some ‘bottled petrol’ where I put the Schnapps, I discovered to my shock that the Schnapps had disappeared, but no petrol had appeared in its place. It was a case of the nest being empty and the bird having flown. I wondered if the fellow was caught pilfering and was now under arrest or perhaps he hadn’t found an opportune moment to do the ‘bottling’, or perhaps he was just sick. Regular checks of the thicket over a few days produced the same result – nothing. I found it odd that the soldier didn’t seem to go for walks anymore, and despite riding my bike back and forth in front of the army compound never saw a glimpse of him. Asking for him was out of the question for obvious reasons. There must be a reason I thought, perhaps he had drunk all the Schnapps in one hit and not only killed his worms, but himself as well.

Gradually, however, I started to suspect a con with a capital C, when suddenly after a week or so I ran into him while walking on the road. "What happened to my petrol?" I demanded angrily. He was able to convince me with his spurious excuses that he had been sick and unable to get the petrol, but he assured me "I’ll get it for you in a day or so." Unfortunately I hadn’t yet learned to mistrust people – even a former enemy. So when he asked me once more if he could have the bike for a ride I foolishly consented, and watched him disappear out of sight. After waiting for some time for him to return the bike, I somewhat dejectedly walked home. When I hadn’t got my bike back by nightfall, I decided there was no alternative, but to tell my parents and my grandfather what had happened.

Having given some consideration to the situation I found myself in, I decided that the time had arrived when I had to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about the affair. Knowing quite well my capability to pull off such capers and make decisions on my own, the family ‘executive’ was not unduly shocked, and afforded me some allowance for my good intentions. Grandfather reported the matter to the local constable who was stationed in the next village two kilometres away. The man in blue duly arrived on his bicycle at our place and asked me a series of questions, and subsequently reported the matter to the local French Commandant.

Soon afterwards, the local Commandant turned up at our home with two officers, one being the interpreter. He was really friendly and the whole matter was discussed in an amiable atmosphere. They showed me a few photos from which I identified my would-be petrol supplier. From their body language, it appeared that particular soldier had come to their attention on previous occasions. As they bade us goodbye, they offered to supply us with some petrol. We found this amazing: what a nice way to foster good relations with a former enemy. I don’t know what happened to the soldier, but I never encountered him again.

The French Commandant was not the same loquacious firebrand who gave my father a lecture for failing to remove his hat at a flag-lowering ceremony. (That is another story). Interestingly this friendly commandant, after retiring from the army, settled in the neighbouring village two kilometers away with his German wife. His hobby was bee keeping and, incidentally, so was mine. Our mutual interest brought us together again and we formed an excellent relationship. Over many cups of coffee and glasses of wine we talked ‘bees’ and reminisced about the petrol and Schnapps affair. It just goes to show how situations, circumstances and attitudes can change within a short time span – former enemies can become friends.
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My thought for today.
Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again. Enjoy every moment of life. - Anon
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Why Oppose the Building of a Mosque?

Well, yes, that is a very good question, and Harry Richardson, a long-time student of Islam and author of the best seller, "The Story of Mohammed - Islam Unveiled' will answer it for you. This is an interesting “insight” and should be read by every non Muslim and true blue Australian. It is not only thought provoking, but is also very worrisome. Here is a link to the above mentioned book. – Werner
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Why Oppose the Building of a Mosque?
By Harry Richardson
In local councils across Australia, and indeed most of the Western World, applications are pending for the building of new Mosques. Until recently, these applications would have been approved with little more than a rubber stamp and a few suggestions as to local planning.

Today however, things have changed. Mosque applications have become rallying points for community anger and hostility. Demonstrations and campaigns are becoming commonplace. There appears, in each of these disputes, a three way split with the bewildered councillors stuck squarely in the middle. On the 'yes' side, we naturally have the Muslims who have purchased the land and want to build the mosque. On the 'no' side is a group of strident residents and activists who are implacably opposed to it.

Then, also on the 'yes' side are those who sympathise with the Muslims who, as they see it, simply want to build a place of worship and should have the right to do so in a free society. For convenience, I will refer to this group as the allies. In the main, the allies seem to view the protesters as uncultured rabble, motivated by racism and hatred of anything alien to their own small minded world. They consider them to be uneducated and acting from ignorance. They reason that if these protesters understood more of the ways of other cultures they would discover them harmless. They believe these protesters might then discover aspects of this culture (such as tolerance, for instance) from which they could in fact learn.

On the surface, this would seem a very reasonable stance for the allies to take, but as we start to dig a little deeper, we find that things are not quite what they seem. For a start, we soon find that the allies themselves have no knowledge of Islam whatsoever. What they do know has been successfully sold to them by Islamic spokespersons. They do not take the time or make the effort to search beyond the Islamic line. Ironically, many of the protesters have actually taken the time to educate themselves about Islam from the authentic Islamic sources and contemporary teachings. Here are some of the reasons why we find many of these teachings to be deeply troubling.

What is a mosque?
It is vitally important to understand what a mosque represents in Islam. A mosque is not like a church or a temple, it is much more than a place for Muslims to simply worship their God (Allah). Mosques are modelled on the first mosque established by Mohammed in Medina which was a seat of government, a command centre, a court, a military training centre and an arms depot. Mosque leaders today raise religious decrees, enforce Islamic doctrine, monitor conduct, punish transgressors and command actions including requirements to conduct Jihad.

A mosque is much more than a church. In light of this, we need to answer these two simple questions:1) Why are so many mosques being built? 2) Why do mosques have capacities much greater than the local Muslim communities could fill?

Turkey.
The Prime Minister of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, understood the military nature of a mosque when he stated: “A mosque is our barracks, the domes our helmets, minarets our bayonets and the faithful are our soldiers."

Islam’s founder, the Prophet Mohammed, was not just a religious leader but a political and military one too. He raised armies and fought and killed people until he was the King of the whole of Arabia. The religion of Islam is entirely based on the example and teachings of Mohammed. Unlike any other major religion therefore, Islam is also a political and military force.

The Influence of the House of Saud.
Mohammed was the guardian of Islam in the seventh century. Today that responsibility rests with the Saudi Royal Family or the House of Saud. The two holiest Islamic sites in Mecca and Medina are under its control.The late king, Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, understood this when he wrote “The efforts of the servant of the two Holy Places support the Muslim Minorities.”The Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs (IMMA) is the vehicle which the late king created to establish the Islamic World Caliphate. It is Saudi Foreign Policy and Jurisprudence from the Saudi Ministry of Religious Affairs.

In the words of King Fahd, mosques, educational centres and Islamic bodies like the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and Muslim Students Association (MSA) are all geared towards hindering Muslim assimilation into non-Muslim nations so they can act as a fifth column to bring victory to Islam. In 1965 during the pilgrimage or Hajj, the World Association of Muslim Youth or WAMY was created to work toward this end and for the non-Muslim world; IMMA or the Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs was born. WAMY and IMMA were a collaboration of the Wahhabist and Muslim Brotherhood led by: 1) Said Ramadan, the son-in-law of the Muslim Brotherhood founder and, 2) Abdullah Omar Naseef, a wealthy, suspected Al-Qaeda financier.

The House of Saud and the funding of terrorism.
In May 2008, Robert Spencer’s website “Jihad Watch” reported that the Saudis had spent over $US100 billion on this project over the three previous decades.These funds were used to build mosques to fund the payroll of Imams and to build Islamic schools. They were also apparently intended to corrupt the education system through the funding of universities and the rewriting of school text books to favour Islam while denigrating Christianity and Western achievements. According to this article, the late king Fahd bin Abd al Aziz and his family had personally donated hundreds of millions of dollars to groups like Hamas and Al-Qaeda. Prince Salman, a full brother of King Fahd controlled the International Islamic Relief Organization or IIMO and directly donated to Hamas. Prince Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz was a defendant in the September 11 trials and admitted to donating $US4 million to terrorist organisations like IIMO and WAMY.

Mosque building in Australia.
Now we can answer our questions. Question: Why are so many mosques being built?  Answer: Muslims currently have over 370 mosques in Australia which, per capita, is more than six times the number of Buddhist and Hindu temples. This could well be because the mosque is intended as a beachhead for Islam, a place to plan Jihad and to implement Sharia law. Question: Why do mosques have capacities that cater for far greater numbers than those in local Muslim communities? Answer: The mosque is deliberately built to dominate the neighbourhood to show the supremacy of Islam over Christianity and all other faiths.

Mosque teachings in Australia.
What is taught in the mosque comes directly from the Qur’an, the Hadith and Sira, and the 'Reliance of the Traveller', which is the Manual of Islamic Law. The Manual of Islamic Law teaches in Law O9.0 that it is a communal obligation for Muslims to wage Jihad to establish Islam as the religion and the law. In the Hadith of Muslim, book 41 No. 6985, Muslims are told to slaughter the Jews. There are many examples of these teachings being delivered in mosques which give cause for alarm.

1. On April 27 in the Preston mosque in Melbourne, an audio tape exists of brother Baha delivering a speech calling on Muslims to engage in Jihad against Australians (in line with Islamic Law O9.0)

2. Sheik Feiz Mohammed who teaches at a mosque in Auburn in Western Sydney, is on video calling for the mass slaughter of all Jews, while making pig noises. (This is perhaps inspired by?) the Hadith of Muslim book 41 No. 6985)

3. Sheik Hilaly of the Lakemba mosque, a former Grand Mufti of Australia, defended the rape of women who were not covered in acceptable Islamic dress. There is now evidence of a rape epidemic in Europe by Muslims because Islamic Sharia law does not penalise a Muslim for raping a non Muslim woman.

What must be done?
The conundrum for Law-makers in the West is that a mosque operates under the protection of religious freedom. This is unacceptable because a mosque is not just a religion, but also political centre and a place where legal rulings are made. Some of these rulings breach Australian law and ironically also call for the restriction of religious freedoms for all non-Muslims. Our politicians, law-makers, law enforcement officers and security agencies need to acquaint themselves with the teachings within mosques which, after all, are preaching their prophet’s Sharia law which is largely incompatible with Australian law.

Law-makers and law-enforcers must now turn their minds toward recognizing Islam as a political entity and remove the current protections Islam receives as a religion. Failure to do this is likely to end in serious political and societal consequences in the future.
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My thought for today. Being defeated is only a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent. Marilyn vos Savant.
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