If you could go back in time, say twenty or thirty years (depending on how old you are), what things would you change or do differently.
History in the Movies columns
4 years ago
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Nice to look at every day
But Scary to live there
BURNING ... angry residents burned down Palm Island's police station and barracks during yesterday's riot.
Anarchy on Palm
27nov04
HUNDREDS of Palm Islanders exploded into a violent rage yesterday, forcing public servants and contractors to be evacuated from the island.
About 80 police officers were flown to the island to restore order after the police station and courthouse were torched and an emergency situation was declared.
Reports from island residents suggested fire bombs were thrown at the buildings about 1pm yesterday and people were walking armed in the streets.
Twenty officers were inside the police station when it was stormed by a mob of residents, who also destroyed some police accommodation, and stole and later burnt a police vehicle.
Soon after up to 1000 people surrounded the hospital where police and hospital staff were held hostage until reinforcements arrived.
A garbage truck was parked across the road to the airport to block police from accessing the town after flying in on helicopters.
The riot erupted after residents attended a public meeting, during which the results of an autopsy report into the death of resident Cameron Doomadgee were made public.
Doomadgee died in police custody last Friday, with the report revealing he died from internal bleeding.
Last night the situation was described as calm, with police regaining control of the airport, closing the canteen and securing other important areas.
All but one of the police officers living on the island had left, along with half the police who were flown to the island earlier this week.
Contractors and public servants were evacuated in droves yesterday afternoon.
Some begged authorities to be flown to Townsville in the emergency helicopters that were transporting police to the island.
One of the workers, who did not wish to be named, told the Townsville Bulletin he saw hundreds of people in the streets of the retail area as he drove from his compound to the airport.
He said that people were yelling and screaming at him.
"I'm happy to be off there," he said."I've never experienced anything like that before."
A television crew that was on the island also fled after the mob of locals storming the police station turned on them, threatening to kill them.
Major incident rooms were set up at the Mundingburra Police Station and in Brisbane to co-ordinate the police response to the incident.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson, who flew to Townsville late yesterday, appealed for the community's elders to restore order and calm among residents.
"The critical thing currently is to get through this evening, through the hours of darkness," he said.
"After getting through the night the key objective for us is to identify and have placed into custody and appear before courts the people who we believe are the key ringleaders responsible for these actions.
"I am asking these people to surrender themselves and give themselves up."
Palm Island Council chairwoman Erykah Kyle did not appeal for community calm last night.
She said the residents would do that themselves.
She instead vented her anger at non-Aboriginal workers who fled the island.
"In relation to all those non-Aboriginal people who are here in our community, who are servicing our community and who left our community because of this crisis . . . do not bother returning," she said.
"I am very angry about that - they should be here standing in solidarity with us. When are we going to stand together?"
BURNING ... angry residents burned down Palm Island's police station and barracks during yesterday's riot.
Anarchy on Palm
27nov04
HUNDREDS of Palm Islanders exploded into a violent rage yesterday, forcing public servants and contractors to be evacuated from the island.
About 80 police officers were flown to the island to restore order after the police station and courthouse were torched and an emergency situation was declared.
Reports from island residents suggested fire bombs were thrown at the buildings about 1pm yesterday and people were walking armed in the streets.
Twenty officers were inside the police station when it was stormed by a mob of residents, who also destroyed some police accommodation, and stole and later burnt a police vehicle.
Soon after up to 1000 people surrounded the hospital where police and hospital staff were held hostage until reinforcements arrived.
A garbage truck was parked across the road to the airport to block police from accessing the town after flying in on helicopters.
The riot erupted after residents attended a public meeting, during which the results of an autopsy report into the death of resident Cameron Doomadgee were made public.
Doomadgee died in police custody last Friday, with the report revealing he died from internal bleeding.
Last night the situation was described as calm, with police regaining control of the airport, closing the canteen and securing other important areas.
All but one of the police officers living on the island had left, along with half the police who were flown to the island earlier this week.
Contractors and public servants were evacuated in droves yesterday afternoon.
Some begged authorities to be flown to Townsville in the emergency helicopters that were transporting police to the island.
One of the workers, who did not wish to be named, told the Townsville Bulletin he saw hundreds of people in the streets of the retail area as he drove from his compound to the airport.
He said that people were yelling and screaming at him.
"I'm happy to be off there," he said."I've never experienced anything like that before."
A television crew that was on the island also fled after the mob of locals storming the police station turned on them, threatening to kill them.
Major incident rooms were set up at the Mundingburra Police Station and in Brisbane to co-ordinate the police response to the incident.
Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson, who flew to Townsville late yesterday, appealed for the community's elders to restore order and calm among residents.
"The critical thing currently is to get through this evening, through the hours of darkness," he said.
"After getting through the night the key objective for us is to identify and have placed into custody and appear before courts the people who we believe are the key ringleaders responsible for these actions.
"I am asking these people to surrender themselves and give themselves up."
Palm Island Council chairwoman Erykah Kyle did not appeal for community calm last night.
She said the residents would do that themselves.
She instead vented her anger at non-Aboriginal workers who fled the island.
"In relation to all those non-Aboriginal people who are here in our community, who are servicing our community and who left our community because of this crisis . . . do not bother returning," she said.
"I am very angry about that - they should be here standing in solidarity with us. When are we going to stand together?"
Friday, November 26, 2004
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends, especially Gary, Kevin, Leigh, Teddy, and Katy and her boys Clayton, RJ, Mckean and Jarod.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Yes,Yes,Yes!!!!
Historic pub to be rebuilt Friday, 12 November 2004 WALCHA Rd Hotel owner Susanne Long has vowed to rebuild after fire destroyed three-quarters of the historic watering hole with the rest of the building suffering extensive smoke and water damage on Wednesday. Sifting through the charred remains of what was left of the 144-year-old pub, Ms Long remained positive despite not knowing the extent of the damage caused to the building's structure in the inferno. Nine RFS appliances, one NSW Fire Brigade appliance and two bulk water carriers battled for two hours to extinguish the fire and stop it from taking hold of the rest of the building. Three-quarters of the historic pub was destroyed when fire broke out in the kitchen area shortly after 1am with the rest of the building extensively damaged. Ms Long, who was in Queensland at the time of the fire, said the extent of the damage wouldn't be known until engineers inspected the building next week, but at this stage, she estimated damage to be in the vicinity of $300,000. "There's no doubt in my mind we'll rebuild," Ms Long said. "It's just so devastating to see the hotel like this. It's unrecognisable. The items that weren't completely destroyed in the fire have either been damaged by smoke or water. "We were really lucky the dining room, function room and one bedroom at the southern end of the building only suffered minor smoke damage." She said the brick wall at the far northern end of the hotel was left exposed during the fire and may be of some concern. Armidale Dumaresq RFS inspector Trevor Lyons said the fire was believed to have started in the kitchen area of the building, however the exact cause may not be known for some days. "We've not been able to get in to some parts of the building because they are not safe. Once we are able to, we will know for sure what was lost in the fire," Ms Long said. "I'd like to thank wonderful Walcha and surrounding communities for their support during this difficult time."
Put here by\\\" JOHNNO\\\"
Friday, November 12, 2004
Noooooo....My favourite pub from the last 25 years
Fire engulfs historic Walcha Road Hotel
Matt Adams
Wednesday, 10 November 2004
REGULAR drinkers at the historic Walcha Road Hotel were yesterday devastated to find their local watering hole was all but destroyed when fire ripped through part of the 144-year-old
building.
As Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers continued to douse the smouldering ruins locals couldn't believe that the twisted metal, charred fittings and furniture and blackened bricks were all that remained of the popular pub.
One-third of the historic pub was destroyed when fire broke out in the kitchen area shortly after 1am, with the rest of the building suffering extensive smoke and water
damage.
A plastic water tank behind the pub melted from the intense heat of the fire along with kitchen utensils, memorabilia and irreplaceable photos.
Kevin Noon, who was a regular at the pub, said it was heart wrenching to see the historic building destroyed by fire.
"It's somewhere everyone enjoys going to have a drink or something to eat," Kevin said.
"From the locals to the out of towners everyone loved it. It had character and so much history."
Nine RFS appliances, one NSW Fire Brigade appliance and two bulk water carriers battled for two hours to extinguish the fire and stop it from taking hold of the rest of the building.
Armidale Dumaresq RFS inspector Trevor Lyons said the fire was believed to have started in the kitchen area of the building before quickly taking hold of rooms below.
"We were lucky because the structure of the building prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the pub," inspector Lyons said.
"The fire was contained to a kitchen area and rooms underneath at the northern end of the pub with the bar and dining area at the southern end suffering severe water and smoke damage. Brick walls near the chimneys were built right to the ceiling and prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the building."
He said a RFS crew from Woolbrook was at the hotel within minutes to tackle the blaze followed by crews from a number of locations in the New England and north-west area.
John McLaren owns a property nearby and said a lot of people travelled to the area just to have a drink at the pub.
"It's a lovely place for a beer and a catch up," John said.
"Who knows where we'll go now for a beer."
It is believed a number of functions had been booked over the Christmas period, including a New Year's Eve party of 200 from Sydney.
Damage to the historic building is expected to exceed $300,000 with its owners having the hotel for less than 14 months.
Crime Scene officers from Armidale and fire investigators are expected to sift through the remains of the charred building in the coming days to determine the exact cause of the fire. The fire is not believed to be suspicious.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Coral Spawning We had the coral spawning on the weekend,This is a photo on the beach at home yesterday,it was like a thick mud,and I was up to my knees in it,behind this wall of mud was beahtiful clear blue water,It smelled of rotting fish so I was told to shower straight away.It happens every year couple of days after November full moon
Put here by\\\" JOHNNO\\\"
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Our we Civilized?
After reading Sue's article about the November 5th national celebration of the executions of Guy Fawkes. I started thinking about how civilized we are. I have come to the conclusion that were not as civilized as we would like to think.
Granted Guy Fawkes was a traitor and deserved to die for his crime. But his execution was truly barbaric, in that after several sessions of severe torture and under great duress, Fawkes finally admitted that the conspirators had planned to free Sir Walter Raleigh and other Tower of London Prisoners by blowing up Parliament with a large cache of Gunpowder.
He was finally hung, drawn and quartered which was the traditional punishment for traitors on January 31, 1606. Guy Fawkes was hung until he was half-dead and then his genitals were cut off and burned in front of him. Whilst still alive, his heart and bowels where removed from his body, he would be decapitated and his limbs removed from his body. Finally, his body parts would be publicly displayed and left for the birds to eat them. All but one of his co-conspirators died this way.
Honestly, the hanging alone (if done properly) should have done the trick. But to be drawn and quartered, this was truly barbaric.
We Americans have had our bout with barbarism too, especially with the Klu Klux Klan treatment of blacks (similar to Guy Fawkes execution) and the recent Abu Ghraib Prison scandal.
The Arabs are not very civilized ether. Arab terrorists decapitating prisoners of war in Iraq and showing it on TV, and now the genocide of native people in Sudan by the Sudanese government.
We haven't progressed very far from our savage Ancestors.
Granted Guy Fawkes was a traitor and deserved to die for his crime. But his execution was truly barbaric, in that after several sessions of severe torture and under great duress, Fawkes finally admitted that the conspirators had planned to free Sir Walter Raleigh and other Tower of London Prisoners by blowing up Parliament with a large cache of Gunpowder.
He was finally hung, drawn and quartered which was the traditional punishment for traitors on January 31, 1606. Guy Fawkes was hung until he was half-dead and then his genitals were cut off and burned in front of him. Whilst still alive, his heart and bowels where removed from his body, he would be decapitated and his limbs removed from his body. Finally, his body parts would be publicly displayed and left for the birds to eat them. All but one of his co-conspirators died this way.
Honestly, the hanging alone (if done properly) should have done the trick. But to be drawn and quartered, this was truly barbaric.
We Americans have had our bout with barbarism too, especially with the Klu Klux Klan treatment of blacks (similar to Guy Fawkes execution) and the recent Abu Ghraib Prison scandal.
The Arabs are not very civilized ether. Arab terrorists decapitating prisoners of war in Iraq and showing it on TV, and now the genocide of native people in Sudan by the Sudanese government.
We haven't progressed very far from our savage Ancestors.
Saturday, November 06, 2004
It's Guy Fawkes night tonight.
It's the 5th November, Guy Fawkes night tonight in the United Kingdon. The night when we burn an effigy of Guy, who was tortured and executed, for trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament. Now how weird is that. Click on the Title for a link and explanation of Guy Fawkes Night. We have specially built bon fires to put poor old Guy on, and then light fireworks, all rounded off with an array of different foods and drink, to keep you warm.
Friday, November 05, 2004
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Here we go again
Yes I'm upset! Four more years with Military dodging, bible thumping, cheerleading, lier lier lier pants on fire, Mr. Twig! Now I feel better. I fear for the deficit that our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren will be saddled with. He is no friend to the conservation of our land especially our beautiful Pacific Northwest. I think we all know he is not the one making the important decisions of this land. He has Cheney and Rowe to do that. I swear I see puppet strings on his arms and legs every time he makes a speech let alone the buldge on his back that even I saw, while on the podium for his first debate with Kerry. Too bad it didn't short out and then the world would have really seen his intelligence come out! The things I fear now: Where next will he invade?, How long before the draft is brought back?, He will destroy the Social Security as we know it so the young people can invest and where will they be investing? I think we all know the answer to that. What I wish: ALL of his military records were found and published, His REAL reason for going into Iraq was made known, His REAL ties to the Arabs and the Royal family there and the Taliban.(How ever you spell it!) I hate to think that after all the Republican errors involving the war, Halliburton, his military service, missing explosives,the flu vacine, etc. that we still have Americans that will put this man back into office by blind faith alone. America is being controlled by fear tactics every day of our lives. I wonder what color the terriorist alert is today? Do I feel any safer after his election in 2000 and post 9/11? A resounding NO! I think that has been proven at our ports and airports. If it continues I do fear for my grandchildren. Me thinks we are in trouble! Thanks for listening. Teddy
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
lawyers vs engineers
Three lawyers and three engineers are traveling by train to a conference. At the station, the three lawyers each buy tickets and watch as the three engineers buy only a single ticket.
"How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asked one of the three lawyers.
"Watch and you'll see," answers one of the engineers.
They all board the train. The lawyers take their respective seats but all three engineers cram into a restroom and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train as departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, "Ticket, please."
The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.
The lawyers saw this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the lawyers decide to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money.
When they get to the station, the lawyers buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers don't buy a ticket at all.
"How are you going to travel without a ticket," asks one perplexed lawyer.
"Watch and you'll see," says one of the engineers.
When they board the train the three engineers cram into a restroom and the three lawyers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the lawyers are hiding. He knocks on the door and says,
"Ticket, please."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day a man came home and was greeted by his wife in a very sexy negligee.
Tie me up," she purred, 'and you can do anything you want"
So he tied her up and went golfing.
"How are three people going to travel on only one ticket?" asked one of the three lawyers.
"Watch and you'll see," answers one of the engineers.
They all board the train. The lawyers take their respective seats but all three engineers cram into a restroom and close the door behind them. Shortly after the train as departed, the conductor comes around collecting tickets. He knocks on the restroom door and says, "Ticket, please."
The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand. The conductor takes it and moves on.
The lawyers saw this and agreed it was quite a clever idea. So after the conference, the lawyers decide to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money.
When they get to the station, the lawyers buy a single ticket for the return trip. To their astonishment, the engineers don't buy a ticket at all.
"How are you going to travel without a ticket," asks one perplexed lawyer.
"Watch and you'll see," says one of the engineers.
When they board the train the three engineers cram into a restroom and the three lawyers cram into another one nearby. The train departs. Shortly afterward, one of the engineers leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the lawyers are hiding. He knocks on the door and says,
"Ticket, please."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One day a man came home and was greeted by his wife in a very sexy negligee.
Tie me up," she purred, 'and you can do anything you want"
So he tied her up and went golfing.
Monday, November 01, 2004
"WorldFlight Has Begun"Live streaming Video from the flightdeck of a 747-400 Qantas Jumbo..whoooo hoooo! There goes my sleep for the next weekworldflight 2004On the way from Sydney to Townsville at moment.Might have to pay them a visit at the airport :-)))
Put here by\\\" JOHNNO\\\"
Vacation
I have been back at work for one week, and all ready I need a vacation. There having me set up alot of accounts, and at the end of the day, I can't account for myself. :D
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