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We had a far drier and milder winter than usual. It was especially dry in August. For example between 12 August and 1 Sept, Hobart reported only 0.4 mm of rain. Have had a couple of downpours in September, our lawns are still green.

The main reason for the high fire danger today is the high winds. the temperature is expected to get into the high 20s which is high for this time of the year.

Hobart is Australia's second driest state capital (only Adelaide has less annual rainfall).
 
Quite a few fires burning in Tassie today. One of friends is very worried as one of the fires is close to where she keeps two horses. We are waiting for the rain that has been forecasted.

Edited to add - my friend has returned from checking on her horses. The fire was only a small one and the firies put it out quickly.

Edited to add a According to ABC news there were 47 fires all told though out the state and 7000 homes without power as a result of fires.
 
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And back to politics.

Just watched an interview with the leader of the Greens on the 7:30 report.

Interesting take she has on ISIS. Apparently there is unanimous agreement that this crisis is going to be solved politically. Unanimous amongst who? Perhaps no one has told her that basically all the westion nations agree that ISIS needs to be dealt with and we won't be able to talk this out. The question is what to do militarily and who is going to do it, not whether it's military action of some sort. I haven't heard that any nation has spoken out against the air strikes. The list of countries who are supporting this in some form is long, and it's growing.

And the whales are more important than people. Let's take military action against Japanese whaling ships but there are no Australians in the middle east so who cares about them. She must consider the whales Australian.

My overall impression was that she doesn't want us involved because it's Abbotts and the Liberals idea. I'm no fan of the liberals but that is a piss poor reason to be against it.

It was a shocking interview. The reporter ran rings around her. Next election, someone remind me not to give the Greens my senate vote. I just lost all respect for them. I'll vote the liberals in first.
 
I gather you mean Christine Milne? I haven't seen the interview but Milne is probably my least favourite Green of all time.
 
She's a terrible leader. Sometimes pretty focused, but not enough, and Green policies are too airy-fairy for me, and I'm a leftie. IS won't be solved politically, sadly.
 
And Potc5 is to be filmed in Queensland.

The fifth instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise will be filmed in Queensland, although the presence of A-list actor Johnny Depp is yet to be confirmed.


The Federal Government spent $21.6 million to secure the Walt Disney Studios production.


The Queensland Government also offered an incentive package that included payroll tax concessions, although it would not reveal the total cost.


Queensland beat out several other Australian states and Mexico to host the film.
Click to expand...
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-...ds-to-australia-johnny-depp-may-visit/5784970

This is cool. I'll have to see if I can get a job up there while this is happening.

Then flip back to polotics, I'll just leave the link:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-02/parliament-burka-rules-introduced/5786132
 
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I am quite concerned that my youngest son might lose his disability pension if he is reassessed under the 2011 rules.

Just over a year ago my son left his the firm he had been working at for over ten years. This firm is a printing company which employs disabled people I.e. It is what used to be called a sheltered workshop. The highest wage my son reached during his ten years at this firm was $6.08 an hour.

My son left to go to TAFE. He is currently doing the special units there (English, Maths, Life Studies and Computer Studies). Next year it looks like he will start a Level 2 computer course with recognition being given to his disabilities.

He will soon be losing the Pensioner Education Supplement and I am concerned he will lose his pension and be placed either on Austudy or the dole. Even if he passes the the level 2 computer course I don't think my son will have any chance on the open employment market. We were hoping that an open employment firm might be willing to give him a job (paying the minimum wage) that is partially subsidised by the government. However if my son is put on the dole it is unlikely that anyone who employs him will get a subsidy.

I don't think my son is capable of studying at level three at TAFE and a level two qualification on its own won't be good for much especially as my son will has poor fine and gross motor skills, and is hypotonic (low muscle tone) which means he can't do labouring work.
 
That sucks Miss Chicken. I do know someone who has kept her disability despite working quite regularly due to a sympathetic centrelink worker. Maybe you can find someone who realizes that just because he can do TAFE doesn't mean he will be able to work in the field without assistance. It's harder though when they are an adult because they usually have to advocate for themselves, which not everyone can do.
 
It is so wrong to force many of the under 35 year olds who are currently on the DSP onto the dole. With the current employment situation most of these people will go to the bottom of the heap and be the people less likely to get employment especially as many of these people have poor social skills due to their disabilities.

My son is so awkward talking to people he doesn't know that he needs me to accompany to Centrelink and also I had to accompany him when he first enrolled in TAFE. Why employer is going to give him a job if he has to get his mother to accompany him to an interview?
 
I think the Abbott government will go down as the nastiest in Australian history and the damage they'll do will take the country years to get over.

From allowing the fees for uni to rise even further (championed by a man who never had to pay a fucking cent for his uni education and has never held a job outside of politics) to even contemplating increasing 457 visa numbers at the same time kicking young job seekers in the teeth with almost impossible requirements.
 
^100% agree Marc

Miss Chicken said:
It is so wrong to force many of the under 35 year olds who are currently on the DSP onto the dole. With the current employment situation most of these people will go to the bottom of the heap and be the people less likely to get employment especially as many of these people have poor social skills due to their disabilities.

My son is so awkward talking to people he doesn't know that he needs me to accompany to Centrelink and also I had to accompany him when he first enrolled in TAFE. Why employer is going to give him a job if he has to get his mother to accompany him to an interview?
Click to expand...

I am so sorry to hear that Miss Chicken. It is wrong to put people on the DSP on the dole. Unfortunately most right wing liberal Australians really don't seem to understand exactly what the DSP is for. One more reason why I have so little respect for them.

As I've been on the DSP, I can imagine the fear and worry you have over this. Thankfully I was only ill and I (surprisingly) recovered. I know that isn't the norm for most on the DSP.

I hope it all works out for your son.

(Is it wrong for me to automatically discount Australians who are liberals? I can't help but judge them generally as 1. selfish pricks, 2. unintelligent bogans or 3 too lazy to listen to anything but the political ads on TV. None of which I respect and 9% of liberals voters I know do fall into one of these 3 categories. It probably is wrong. I should work on my charity.)
 
It's the 4th of October and fucking daylight "saving" is already on???

Whatever collective of cretins came up with that idea can shove it straight back up their arses where it belongs.

That is all.
 
This time of year I do love living in Queensland.

Except for those horrid southerners who keep talking about bringing that horrid invention up here.
 
...which are going to be there regardless of what the clock says. So why change? No daylight is being "saved". It's an exercise in complete and utter stupidity.
 
Well, look at it this way:

1) there's all that daylight in the morning being wasted as we sleep, better to get up (all of us at the same time) and use it at day's end.

2) it's hard to sleep anyway with sunlight streaming in.

I have to respond to a clock anyway, because public transport, so I just get up and go when it says.
 
I like daylight saving, despite the fact that sunset in Hobart during summer is the latest of any Australian capital city.
 
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