In the News:

[Numb!]

These happen here quite often.  Texas, California, Oklahoma and Florida have been hit heard in recent years.  North Carolina is a bit unusual.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D97P3L401&show_article=1&catnum=1

[*r3830*]

Isn't it amazing..... cost cutting at its best! Our young people get sent into a dubious war zone under orders to get shot at - and at times....killed.
Meanwhile - the people responsible for making these decisions sit on their large arses, in the safety of their nicely decorated offices, far away from any threat.

I think of the families!



Single Diggers to lose annual free flights home

ABOUT 22,000 unmarried military personnel will lose their annual free flights home because of Budget cuts aimed at boosting the Government's surplus.

The benefit has been in place for decades and allows unmarried Defence members based in places far from home, such as Darwin or Townsville, to be reunited with their family at Christmas.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/diggers-to-lose-annual-flight-home/story-e6frfkvr-1226366284823#ixzz1vq1cXQdp




http://www.news.com.au/national/diggers-to-lose-annual-flight-home/story-e6frfkvr-1226366284823

[*smee*]

and yet Julia donated $200 million to Afghanastan or somewhere over there just a couple o days ago when she was there ...

So we cant look after those that fought for us ... But we give a couplahundredmill to those whom we were fighting ... That woman and cronnies eed pineappleing to the max !

[HellWest'nCrooked]

  They aren't making much sense of late, or "any more sense" of late.!

[*r3830*]

Ya know.... I logged into News.com this morning as I regularly do..... and found this story. Thought I'd hit the funny pages instead!

Just how BLOODY RIDICULOUS have things become! Our young men and women are fighting in a war zone.... dodging bullets - IED's, RPG's and whatever other torment an adversary can throw at them. But the one-eyed non-smoking / breathing / anti-freedom and 'I'll tell you how to live your life' groups in this country are angry that they aren't paying enough for their cigarettes. Talk about priorities... or the absence of them!
Now, were they boat people (no, not on a warship - but via Indonesia) - they'd get their smokes for free - with compliments of the Australian Government via the taxpayer. MILLIONS of dollars a year donated - forget $7 .... or even $1 per packet. They are provided FREE!  I wonder if our troops get complimentary IPads and....and....and....


Diggers turn to smoking to fight off stress and boredom

Sailors pay between $4 and $7 a pack duty free, depending on the ship, and are limited to two packs a day.

Troops deployed to Afghanistan light up at alarming rates and purchase cigarettes for just $1 a packet at the base in Tarin Kowt, compared with $16 to $18 at shops in Australia.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/diggers-turning-to-smokng-to-fight-of-stress-and-boredom/story-e6frfkvr-1226405149376#ixzz1yTpoAQqo

[*Brum6y*]

I read the article - and I don't think the 'do gooder' interference issue is what its really about.  I also don't think the pricing is of any real consequence - other than an encouragement.

I also don't deny fighting forces the right to little indulgences.


The issue I see is that, having survived a tour of duty, fighting personnel return with an addictive habit that could kill them more slowly and painfully than a bullet or a mortar.  I find that it is even more irritating when you consider such a risk is not a direct function of war.

[*CountessA*]

I suppose it's the inequity of it that is both puzzling and incomprehensible.

[*smee*]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19571104

Thats only $460m

[*wheels*]

Is that Tommy's London weekender?

[*smee*]

Altona in point Piper is on the market again

http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Sale/House/NSW/Point-Piper/?adid=2009037916

Its slightly cheaer than the London houuse , but not much there was a recent of of $55m ... Or you can rent it for $50,000 a week

[*Brum6y*]

I'm always intrigued by the relationship between the purchase price of a property and the weekly rental.

From what I've observed, it seems the ratio is around the 1,000 to 1 mark.

$400 a week to rent means around $400,000 to buy
$1,000 a week to rent means around $1,000,000 to buy
... and this one
$50,000 a week to rent and an asking price of $55 million.


... or is this common knowledge in the Real Estate game?

[*Ubbie Max*]

An Interesting Story seen in the Bankstown and Auburn local newspapers recently.

Local Lebanese and Asian leaders here are upset at the the Liberal Party for threatening to send back the illegal boat people and to Restrict Immigration. 

So this weekend they boycotted all Australian-owned businesses in the Sydney area as a demonstration of their economic impact on the community. 

The boycott was declared a success by the Lebanese community and Asian leaders, noting that revenue in Aussie-owned businesses was down by 19%.

However, it is reported that Aussie business owners also declared the boycott a success.

They pointed out that shoplifting was reduced by 77%, money orders sent out of the country were down by 97%, the cost of daily clean-up and trash collection was down by 84%.

Shoppers reported that they could actually hear English being spoken throughout the community for the first time in recent memory, and customers actually paid for purchases with real money, not government debit cards or fake credit cards.