The Mud Army (Update on top) (Updated Video: Now uncensored!)

UPDATE:

The Mud Army now has a Facebook page so locations in need can be sorted faster and details conveniently posted for all volunteers. Comments and photos are encouraged. It’s a really great page and an even greater idea! Welcome to an old community attitude presented in the new social media! I love it!

Original Post begins here:

28 January 2013

It’s almost Deja’vu. But then you look around at the debris lining the streets, the trees lying sideways on top of fences with their roots torn from the ground and you realize it’s not deja’vu at all but history repeating itself in a most unfriendly way.

The same towns and properties upended with flooding two years ago in Southeast Queensland Australia are again being saturated with four days of non-stop rain and destructive winds. The thing that makes this time different is the efforts made by the Australian Federal Government to assure people in affected areas are given timely updates with information about evacuations, shelters, road conditions and the like. The main power company, Energex, even sent out automated evac alerts via telephones. (We have two landlines and both received the alerts.)

Ironically, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was already in Southern Australia lending support to the families devastated by recent fires when she was called to the airwaves to show support for Queensland flood victims. She mentions one of her deputies having already spotted The Mud Army in action and smiles – knowing how comforting it is for all of us to know that army is on the move.

The Mud Army consists of military, off-duty police and firies, businessmen from small to millionaire status, farmers, ranchers, mums and dads, grandparents and teenagers all digging in and working side by side to clear debris, sludge, mud, dirt and water from roadways and properties so evacuees can get out and help can get in. It’s the community version of all hands on deck and no one questions who is or isn’t standing beside them. All will work tirelessly until the storms have passed and the job is done.

In this broadcast, Ms. Gillard demonstrates the purpose of a federal government (to help its people especially in times of stress) the efficiency of her federal government (help is shipped even before it’s fully needed) and never once does any other official step forward to criticize, condemn or question the apportionment of federal funds. There is a crisis. People have lost their homes and businesses. Insurance companies will be held accountable for making timely payouts to claims and no politician will dare lay claim the government shouldn’t be spending tax-payer monies to help the communities in trouble. (Some may grumble afterwards but certainly not while a crisis is underway.)

We are in for a roller coaster ride in the form of severe weather in this millennium – we need to get it right now to avoid total catastrophe in the future.

For Australian Queenslanders, this time the future was only two years away.  How long will it be for the good people of New Jersey? And how long will they be told to wait next time?

Don’t take your eyes off the foam:
(Now without the censor)

 

OZ Radio Show Host Suspended for Inappropriate Remarks About the Prime Minister…

In Australia you can go to jail for inciting hate on the airways, whether that’s through television or radio. You can also get suspended or lose your job altogether if your public comments are deemed inappropriate. Kyle Sandilands, one of the most popular radio DJs downunder has been suspended more than once for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time and has had expulsion from the airways loom over his head on a few occasions.

Today we have this article [click to enlarge] from 7News in Queensland:

As I read this article and thought about all the consequences Kyle and other DJs have faced since I’ve been in Australia, my thoughts turned to Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and FNC commentators. Now we get Fox here because it is our one and only cable channel. And I’m pretty sure the Australian regulations regarding hate speech don’t apply to them for many reasons – not actually being in this country and talking about our pollies being the major one.

But it doesn’t slip past many over here just how derogatory these people are and it’s been mentioned several times that had Sarah Palin made any of her spiteful comments about President Obama while on Australian soil, she could well have faced legal consequences including immediate deportation.

And I’m pretty sure Rush Limbaugh would be sucking down prison porridge instead of Mimosas for breakfast.

Where does freedom of speech end and slander begin? When did free speech mean the absence of basic humanity?

How long do we let public figures get away with lying through their teeth just to win an election?

 

Cyclone Yasi – First Light

It’s been really quiet for the last few hours. Yasi has been downgraded to category 4 and slowed which – on the surface – looks like a good thing. But while the reduced speed lowers the size of coastal waves, it also means the winds stay in any one place longer, leaving more damage in Yasi’s wake.

The reports of the past few hours have mostly revolved around power outages, panicked calls from people who now want to be rescued after refusing to evacuate earlier on… and the fact that the core of Yasi shifted south by more than 125 km on landfall, a natural phenomenon that cannot be predicted with any degree of accuracy. It amazes me how the meteorologists can so accurately predict as much as they do.

The roof blew off an evacuation centre in Cairns but no one was injured. Those who stayed behind in Cairns are no doubtedly saying thanks to whomever it is that runs the universe for letting Yasi slide ‘a little to the left’, leaving them all a bit more breathing room.

Sky News Australia is the best bet for gleaning accurate and constant up to date news on Yasi (either on cable or online) as she continues to dig further into Northern Queensland.  As I connect this link the new report says Yasi is now a category 3. That’s good news

Now that first light is here I’m sure the visual reports of Yasi’s destruction will be coming to all the airwaves. But I hope not too many venture out into this mess as the winds are still strong and gusting and the outdoors is chockers with flying debris.

My sunrise was so calm it was eerie. I stood on my back porch and took this photo:

Facing north it’s hard to imagine that these innocent-looking clouds represent the outer edges of a massive monster that has terrorized hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders for the past five days straight. It’s also hard for me to imagine that these cloud formations over my backyard are part of a storm that reaches almost the entire length of my state.

In the coming days I’ll add links for making donations - the folder is just over there > with the links already in place for last month’s flood victims.

I should mention that the government did one Hell of a job preparing people and whole towns for this event. 50 Energex volunteers have been standing by south of Townsville, prepared to rush in as soon as the sky is clear to fix downed powerlines. Another hundred are on standby ready to fly in as they become needed.

4 Navy ships are on the water, prepared to act as command center to coordinate emergency and clean up services and outfitted with medical supplies and personnel – just in case.

400 Army troops are stationed in the areas and have already helped by doing the doorknock to urge people to take shelter rather than stay in their homes and to assist the transfer of our oldies from nursing homes in Yasi’s path.

The Air Force took charge of evacuating Cairns hospitals, transporting hundreds of patients to the safety of Brisbane hospitals. It will be their helicopters in charge of search and rescue.

Australian pollies all earned their pay this week – and most deserve bonus cheques on top, in my humble opinion. Qld Premier, Anna Bligh, with the hands-on assistance and full support of Australia’s Prime Minister Julia Gillard showed the world how governing is meant to work:  The needs of the citizens come first  and the politics step out of the way so that can happen.

And to my readers and commenters, in case I’ve not said this lately, thank you for all your kind support – you are all so very much appreciated  – OzMud

 

Oz Politics And Cute Babies…

In Australia, the political party that wins the national election for the seat of Prime Minister is considered ‘the party in power’. At any time during the Prime Minister’s term his party can vote him out of office in favour of another party member. It’s not a very nice thing to do, but it’s quite legal and pretty much tells the officer who’s fallen out of favour that he sucked at his job. Even if he didn’t.

Such was the case of recently ousted PM Kevin Rudd. His party was so distraught by – oh who knows what, it’s not like they needed an actual reason – “Mr. Rudd’s un-Prime Ministerial Behaviour” they convinced his Deputy, Julia Gillard to step up and take his place.

Now Julia Gillard makes a great PM. She’s been an active Deputy (Vice President equivalent), run the country rather successfully each time Mr. Rudd has travelled abroad and she’s easy on the eye. But now that the dust has settled, the other side of the aisle is crying foulplay. Ms. Gillard has been called a backstabber by Mr. Rudd’s fans, who now criticize every move she makes and obstruct every change she’s tried to implement for the good of the country (sound familiar?) in her short reign.

But Ms. Gillard has options. She’s called for a special election. “Let the public decide!” is her campaign motto. And it’s actually a good one because she’s not been in office long enough to make any glaring mistakes, step on too many toes, or give the opposition many reasons to disrespect her in campaign ads.

Also in her favour, the opposition doesn’t really have a strong contender for the crown.  Seat. So rather than wait for one to be groomed, why not put her PM claim to a public vote now while she’s still the fair-haired child?

I think it’s a brilliant move. And on 21 August, when the new election is held, we will see if it was a smart one.

Voting in Oz elections is a  mandatory affair.  Registered voters must vote in each and every election or face fines. Being of voting age and failing to register will cause charges to be levied against you. It really isn’t in anyone’s best interest to evade  the booths. So with every adult in the country actually voting, election results are pretty much an accurate reflection of public opinion.

The campaigning is in it’s fifth day and already the media considers it the most boring election ever proffered Australians. There’s nothing really to report. So one local television station (Channel 7 Qld) has posted this video on it’s website to give their viewers something to look at that’s less boring than their election coverage.

I howled. I have never met this baby’s parents but I can tell you unequivocally we share a deep parental bond. This video reminds me very much of having plopped my firstborn toddler onto a fabric-lined plastic tablecloth in the middle of the living room, where a big mixing bowl of chocolate cake batter awaited her discovery.

Cutest babystitting trick ever:

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And in case you know someone who’s actually expecting a baby (you know,  rather than faking expecting having a baby?)  here’s how to make the cutest salad bowl ever

 

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title “Oz Politics And Cute Babies…” and click on the word comments just beneath.  Thanks, OzMud

 

 

 

 

The New Face of Australia

Julia Gillard was voted into office yesterday by the Labour party, deposing Kevin Rudd and making her the first ever female Prime Minister of Australia. Mr. Rudd has fallen so out of favour by party members that passing the baton to his Deputy, Ms. Gillard, was in the end, a unanimous decision by her peers.

Ms. Gillard is a champion of higher education, and has actively sought to better the Australian school system since taking her place beside Mr. Rudd as his Deputy Prime Minister in 2007.  She is well-spoken, well-liked, hard-working and has proven herself  firm in her commitment to public service.

Wikipedia is currently the best  source of information regarding Ms. Gillard and how she came to be Australia’s 27th Prime Minister.

Congratulations Julia! And from someone who has watched other women in office may I also add my personal thanks… 

…for never writing on your hand.
…for never once saying you betcha!
…for not using Facebook to talk to us and most of all
…thanks for not being a quitter!

To comment on this post, please scroll up to the title “The New Face of Australia” and click on the word comments just beneath.  Thanks, OzMud