Conondale Rally 21st – 23rd January 2011

CONONDALE RALLY 2011

$1000 GATE PRIZE

Oh My God, this event is a weekend not to be missed. I am not a Conondale Virgin any longer. My first was at the start of this year. Word don’t really some up this weekend, however I will try.

So I arrived on the Saturday when things were already in full swing. There were games for the kids and the adults. It really is a family friendly weekend. We set up our tents and then hit the bar. The drinks weren’t over priced like the night clubs, the company is better too. Then the raffles are huge, I think there was over 40 prices that people could win, so as you can imgine many people won things. The games have awards as well.

Then when the real fun starts. After a great day and great food made by one of the local school P & F the band starts. They play some of their own music and also cover others. The boys are very talented. There is a great area to dance and the bar is open till late, great mixture.

For more information please feel free to go to the Z Owners Website http://www.zownersqueensland.com/

The event is held at Green Park Conondale.

Which is on the Maleny / Kenilworth Rd about 5Klm before the Conondale township.

OK so there are a couple of rules. No cars are permitted in the grounds. However you are able to have the cars just outside. Please don’t bring Dogs. Also Don’t bring Glass. these last two are very important as it is to protect you and your loved ones.

Book Review "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson

BOOK REVIEW

The last book of three from the millennium series.  "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" by Stieg Larsson is a great book. If your not aware I have read and written up reviews for all three of these books. I have found all three books to be a great read. If you enjoy books that make you think then these are for you.

http://tiffany83watson.blogspot.com/2010/11/book-review-girl-who-played-with-fire_16.html

http://tiffany83watson.blogspot.com/2010/11/finished-so-its-review-time-girl-with.html

Stieg Larsson has built a story that is easy to read if you have the consernatration to keep up with all of the characters. There are many characters in all the books however the second book "The Girl Who Played With Fire" beings in many more than the first book "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo".

"The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest" doesn't bring too many more character into the story line. It does continue on straight from the second book. I would not advise just reading this one as you will not have an understanding of what is happening. The only part of the book that I could guess was the very ending and even then it was only part of the ending.

Once you have started this book it is a hard one to put down from the start and become harder the further into the book I read. I found that from half way through I couldn't put it down, much to my husbands annoyance. After reading this book I have realised that my knowledge about many of the European countries is lacking and I should start reading more history and information about the way the countries run. There whole political system and court system seems to be different to ours here in Australia. It would be a subject I would find interesting.

You will find yourself wishing the best for Salander (main character) After everything that she had been through, throughout her whole life you just want to know that things will change. I thought that the ending may have been better if it was a little more detailed about what their lives consisted of after the main story had been completed.

This is a must read for any fiction reader. 

Unions' war cry on equal pay row

THE union movement has come out swinging against the federal government's backdown on equal pay, with claims Julia Gillard was well aware of the costs of the increase when she agreed to it, and threats of a national strike.

The Prime Minister knew a year ago that government support for a historic equal pay case would cost $4 billion in increased wages if the women won, the female union boss who negotiated the original deal says.

Unions are furious Treasury appears to have rolled funding support for the test case that is before Fair Work Australia.

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Community sector anger at the government backflip will also spill into a parliamentary caucus meeting today. Labor MPs, including the NSW senator Doug Cameron, are expected to raise the issue after being flooded with phone calls.

The government costed a wage rise for low-paid female community sector workers - in line with comparable male wages - at $4 billion when Ms Gillard supported the case in October last year, said the Australian Services Union NSW secretary, Sally McManus.

About half the funding would come from the Commonwealth, but this would be phased in over five years. ''They signed the heads of agreement in full knowledge of what it would cost,'' Ms McManus said.

A government submission to Fair Work last week cautioned that any pay rise needed to be balanced with the impact on the budget, and would lead to other job and service cuts.

The community sector, which depends on government funding and cannot pay increased wages alone, is shocked Labor did not deliver the full support promised to the case.

''They have to back down,'' Ms McManus said. ''It goes to that deeper thing - what does the Labor Party stand for? If it doesn't stand for equal pay, what on earth does it stand for?''

A union delegation will meet cabinet ministers Wayne Swan, Penny Wong and Jenny Macklin tomorrow. Depending on the outcome, the ASU has threatened to call a national strike on December 15. Another three large unions have indicated their support.

Thirty-one Labor MPs, who each signed a pledge during the election to support full funding for the equal pay case - so homelessness, disability, youth refuge and family counselling services, among others, do not have to cut services - are being targeted by the union to hold good on their promise.

MPs to have signed the pledge include David Bradbury, Tony Burke, Tanya Plibersek, Anthony Albanese, Greg Combet, Deborah O'Neill, Stephen Jones and Robert McClelland.

''If they don't fix it by the middle of this week, we are basically going to have the biggest mobilisation you have seen for a long time,'' Ms McManus said.

She said community service workers dealt with the most vulnerable in society and were people who ''rarely strike'' but the anger was serious, and she expected clients would join them in protests to rival the gender pay protests of the 1960s and '70s.

Family Relationship Services Australia, representing 10,000 social workers, psychologists, counsellors and therapists, said the government's submission was a shock and the first indication Labor was prepared to cut services if women won a pay rise.

Its executive director, Samantha Page, said she supported the union's call for a strike. ''During the election the government put out statements saying they supported wage equality and this case. We had a clear expectation that a review of funding meant funding to keep services going.''

The Workplace Minister, Chris Evans, said Labor was committed to gender pay equity, and the case was only possible because Labor had changed the law.

He said the government submission showed it was ''committed to work through the funding implications of any increase in wages awarded in partnership with the affected unions, employers … and the states''.

But Ms McManus said that as a result of the government's action ''we will get a worse outcome''.

''It is really clear. They say on the one hand, Fair Work Australia should consider the work is under-valued … but basically discount any wage increase considering the impact on the national economy,'' she said.

Feminist academic Eva Cox said the government had undermined the case, and it was a serious breach of its commitment to gender equity.

Kirsty Needham SOCIAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT

November 23, 2010http://www.smh.com.au/national/unions-war-cry-on-equal-pay-row-20101122-1848b.html 

Tiffany Watson's Thought

I really don't have much to say about the equal pay for women. I don't actually have an opinion about it. However what I will say is "DER" people are really silly aren't they. I bet the people who are jumping up and down about this voted for Labour. Haven't you people learnt labour have spent all the money. There isn't $4b to be had. We are now in deficit, Why do you think I voted for Liberal, it was because they actually understand how much debt costs and they were reducing our tax which in turn makes it better for everyone else in Australia. Interest rates were down. Look what happened as soon as labour was in power, let's throw money here and a lot of there and look lets buy some votes for $900 a pop. Great now my tax is going to be higher for years. Oh and lets not forget the changes to super which has discouraging people in invest for their retirement. 

Man shot dead by police in pub robbery: officers armed only with guns

Police officers who shot a man dead during an alleged armed robbery in Sydney's south west last night were not armed with Tasers or batons.

Radio station 2UE reported that police who went to the High Flyer Hotel in Condell Park about 8.40pm were carrying firearms but no other, less lethal, weapons, such as Taser stun guns, capsicum spray or batons.

The officers were in the area investigating a number of armed robberies in Condell Park and Bankstown when they were told something was happening at the hotel, which is near Bankstown Airport.

"They then attended the hotel and at the time a number of offenders were in the process of committing a robbery," Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Geoff Beresford said.

Inside the hotel officers were confronted by men with machetes, who were believed to be threatening the bar staff.

Officers fired five shots at the men, fatally wounding one and injuring another, 2UE reported.

A third man is believed to have escaped in a car, reportedly a black Toyota Yaris.

A witness said the police were in plain clothes.

"All of a sudden there was yelling and screaming going on, and all the women that were sitting at the table ... [were] all upset and said, 'The place is being robbed, the place is being robbed'.

"The next minute the doors burst open and I saw the policeman come in with his gun drawn and he was calling out 'Everybody down', screaming out ... [we heard] three or four gunshots and everything just went quiet. It was all over."

A second witness, who was visibly shaken, said there were "quite a few people" in the pub and they "scattered" when the men came into the hotel.

He said the men's faces were covered with balaclavas and they had machetes.

Police established a crime scene and were speaking with a number of witnesses. After the shooting many of the pub's patrons milled around the car park.

Ambulance officers said they had treated nine people at the scene and took three to Liverpool Hospital. One was the shot man, one was suffering trauma, and the third was taken for an undisclosed reason.

- with Ellie Harvey

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/man-shot-dead-by-police-in-pub-robbery-officers-armed-only-with-guns-20101123-184gx.html

Tiffany Watson’s Thought

It is in my belief that when someone breaks into a place or walks into somewhere and try’s to hold it up then that person has put their own life at risk. The only thing that I hope is that the innocent people who were in the pub are all ok. As far as the people who were shot whilst carrying out this robbery tough. You don’t deserve to have any sympathy.

People need to realise the consequences of what they are doing and if that is death then these scum bags will think twice before they do something like this, one can hope. I don’t care if they were armed or not. Go and get a job like everyone else.

Most people work hard for their money and what they own, so grow some ethics and morals. People need to earn the right to be a part of our society. It’s one less person that we as tax payers have to pay for when he goes to prison. 

And as my husband says the police officer who shot dead the robber should have a medal and the one that was shot and not killed to that police officer one slap to the back of the head, you didn't get him right. 

Hijab woman jailed for six months for false complaint about police

A Muslim woman sentenced to six months' jail for falsely accusing a police officer of removing her veil has lodged an appeal and been released on bail.

Carnita Matthews, 46, of Woodbine in Sydney's south, was found guilty today of knowingly making a false complaint relating to events in June.

The mother of seven was stopped in June by a police officer at Woodbine for a random breath test.

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She later filed a police complaint alleging the officer who pulled her over had tried to pull off her hijab, which concealed her entire face except for her eyes.

But in Campbelltown Local Court today, magistrate Robert Rabbidge said the evidence was "overwhelming" that Matthews had submitted a false declaration to police.

"There is not a shadow of doubt in my mind beyond a reasonable doubt that she knew that the complaint she was making was false," he said.

Lawyers for Matthews quickly lodged an appeal to the District Court against the conviction and sentence.

Matthews was released on bail pending the appeal hearing.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hijab-woman-jailed-for-six-months-for-false-complaint-about-police-20101119-180ez.html

Tiffany Watson's Thought

Is this Australia?? I thought that it was. I believe here in Australia we have rules. Those rules mean that if you are asked to do a breath test, which keeps our roads safer then you do it. Also having a hijab on would mean that the person wearing it would have to pull it up a little as you would not be able to do the test if you didn't. 

This country has gone crazy. Harden up Australia. Dress for the conditions, speak English and if you don't like it get out of Australia, we are not keeping you here. 

Australia should look more closely to what France has done. 

What is too dependent?

My husband and I have been having this discussion about people who are dependent on something. What’s he’s referring to though is drugs, cigarettes and alcohol. His option as I see it is that if you are dependent on something then you should stop having it, so your now not dependent.

From my understanding dependency comes in many forms. If you want to go to extremes people that have strong drugs such as heroin would make life for themselves and the people around them a living nightmare. Then you have people who smoke and they are equally as dependant as someone who is addicted of illegal drugs. It’s just that it is legal for an 18+ to buy and smoke. Take the smokes away from smokers and see what happens, they aren’t very nice for a while. But are they harming anyone else but themselves by smoking, bearing in mind that they would be smoking outside and away from others. This I don’t have a large problem with however maybe they should be forced to pay for their medical requirements, as it is known that smokers have more problems later in life than someone who doesn’t smoke. Then again the government could just make it illegal, but they won’t because of the amount of money that they are making from them.

Then you have the people who drink alcohol. Some can’t stand not having a drink in their hands all day, from when they wake to when they sleep. These people normally have issues holding a job and family together. This is when it is going to affect others. Then you have the people who are still dependant on alcohol, however they wait till after working hours and then they have a drink or four (some cases many more). What defines the difference between dependence? What is considered to be too dependent?

The other question that comes to mind if we are going to talk about dependence and what is too dependent is, what about relationships? Is it bad if someone or both in a relationship is dependent on each other and to what extent is too much? For example, a woman has been married to a man for let’s say four years they have had one child together and considering having another. The woman hasn’t been back to work since having their first child. She would be dependent on the man, for many things, from bringing home the income for the family to doing lawn mowing if that’s his contribution to the household chores.  Is this too dependent?

What about the people who really shouldn’t be going to buy fast food. Many of them say the typical things that most people who are addicted to something say, “I don’t eat much and when I do eat I eat healthy foods” however like most who are addicted they don’t even notice the amount of bad food that is being consumed. The next thing you normally see people like this do is go and order a diet coke (because that so much better. Not) and a big plate of food consisting of chips, sour cream, cheese and maybe some chicken with salad on the side. The salad is normally still there when they leave.  Also, just because a person doesn’t look fat doesn’t mean that they aren’t fat. There are people who fit into size 10 (AUS) and still have more than 30% body fat. So again what is too dependent?

When I think of someone who is dependant, I think of someone that can’t go without whatever it is that they are dependent on for any length of time. Who could honestly say that once they have had a child and a husband that brings the income in each week could go without that and still have the same lifestyle as when he was around. This is not saying that there is anything wrong with single parents. The fact that the woman would have to go back to work the lifestyle has already changed at that point; there is less time for the child, less time for herself and so on. To be dependent on a partner, is it too much?

Is it really that bad if someone who is dependent on alcohol comes home after working all day and had a couple of drinks, who still gets up the next morning to go to work all over again. Australian’s are known for the drinking culture. Most don’t go overboard however there will always be the outliers. What’s the difference between Australian’s and some of the countries in say Europe where from a very young age they have alcohol with dinner? 

What is too dependent?

Book Review “The Girl Who Played With Fire” by Stieg Larsson

BOOK REVIEW

The book “The Girl Who Played With Fire” by Stieg Larsson is an interesting book. Stieg Larsson finished the first book “The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo” if you aren’t a big reader then you can stop at that book. The second book is slightly different to the first.

This book is very difficult to review without letting parts of the story go so bare with me. I am a great believer that you should never tell someone what the book is actually about, this is why I don’t tend to read anything about the book before I read it.

In this book “The Girl Who Played With Fire” it becomes rather detailed. I thought that the first book had many characters, it had nothing on this one. Not only are there alot of characters you have to remember where each of these characters have come from. Are they part of the motorbike gang, police, Sapo and the list goes on. I didn’t find it too difficult however I have been told by a couple of other people they didn’t find it easy either to keep up with all the characters.

I do enjoy crime fiction, however I tend to get bored of it quickly. This book as with the first is written quite differently and in turn makes an interesting read. I did however find that it was a little drawn out in places. This opinion may change as I am sure it is setting up for everything in the third and final book that I am only just starting. It also may be that I just didn’t have enough time to sit and read from cover to cover.

Just when you think you know what’s going to happen it changes direction sometimes in a large way and then others in a subtle way. It is by far a book that I would recommend people read. Due to the regular changes in the story it keeps the mind thinking and going, you wonder whats going to happen next, who is going to be who and how is this person going to fit into the story.

As far as the language is concerned in this book, it is an easy read. You won’t have to be going to the dictionary every couple of minutes. I found this book to be enjoyable and one that I would sit down and read from cover to cover if I could snuggled in bed zoning out.

Zina's Trip to Queensland

Qld Fun

Friday the 12th November 2010 was consistant of me acting like a little kids on Christmas Eve, I couldn't wait for Zina to fly up and be here for the weekend. The last time this trip was planned it went to shit. So I was holding my breath all day and was very very pleased that Zina made it to the plane on time.


We had been messgaing each other all day with the pure excitement that comes from being able to catch up with a good friend who you haven't seen in way too long. So once the flight took off late which is normal for Jetstar, Zina arrived in Queensland at the Brisbane Airport at a ffew minutes before 11:00pm.


By the time we arrived home Zina had had her first and only beer for the night. I had to have one too. Then we just chatted and drank Vodka's with orange juice till 4:00am Saturday morning. Knowing that we had to be up and about in the morning by 6:00 - 6:30am I thought at that point it best we head to bed. Mind you we could have stayed there till well after the sun came up.


Then Blake being the wonderful man he is got up at some silly weee hours of the morning and made crepes (pancakes), eggs, bacon and fruit for breakfast. We all enjoyed way too much breakfast and then the day started. Blake took Paige and Byron with him to Chinese lesson at the budhist temple at Underwood Qld.
We followed in that direction after I had my cup of coffee. So surviving on 2 hours sleep we headed out with Myself, Zina, Song and the two dogs for a bush walk right near the temple. Once we arrived we collected Byron and headed off.

I would say the walk we went on would have had to have been at least a couple of klm’s. We were all hot and sweaty by the time we were back at the temple to collect the car and head home to drop the dogs off. After we did that we headed up to Sunnybank Qld and had some Vietnamese lunch. This was a great meal after the morning and after still feeling very tired.

Once we had finished the lunch it was time to head back home and pack to catch the train to Southbank Brisbane Qld, gathering all of our swimming gear and making sure the kids are ready with everything. We all had a quick 10 minutes or so sleep in which to re-charge the body battery.

Then we were off to the train station. Once we arrived at Southbank we wondered for a little bit then hit the pools that were rather busy compared to what we are normally used to. We started to throw those water bomb balls around until we ended up in trouble. Quite rediculas however we had plenty of time with them thank goodness.

After we were all done with the water activities we decided it was best to eat again. Anyone that knows us or at least has spent time with us knows that we love our food. So we headed off to a place called Amici’s.

This is a regular hang out for us. We normally order a whole heap of food then everyone picks at it, by the end we all waddled out of there. I was actually surprised by the price, being it was good food we all had a drink and it only came to $15 each. Couldn’t ask for much more than that.

After we had finished our yummy dinner consisting of pizza, breads, chips etc we headed off to the Goodwill Bridge, also known as the foot bridge. This is a great little walk which takes you from Southbank to Brisbane City side across the Brisbane river. As you can see in the photo’s below it shows a great view of the city. Once we arrived on the other side we started to head back again. This bridge was officially opened in October 2001 and is 450m in total length.

Then after all of this we were all still feeling pretty good, a little tired yes but pretty good. We caught the train back home again. Once we arrived Alice, Zina and myself headed off to 7/11 for Slurpees then headed home to add a little vodka. Sooooo sweet but very yummy. Once we were home the kids were already in bed thanks to Blake and Song. Then us girls settled in for some more vodka’s however not too many  and a chit chat. This was disrupted by the rain caused by Alice.

We headed in for bed time. Again waking up at 5:30am nice and early and a little harder to have everyone bounce out of bed at that hour on a Sunday morning. But we were off to the Gold Coast by 6am. Once we arrived at Southport Beach we set up to have Wonton’s for breakfast. (a chinese winter breakfast)

So after Paige had finished her nippers we headed down to Mermaid Beach. Had a little swim and Blake had a surf. Once we had started to burn we headed off to grab some Vietnamese Pork Rolls and chill and eat lunch in the park. Once we had finished out yummy lunch we headed up Mount Tamborine to Bamboo Down Under. Now even though I would never buy from here again as it is just silly how expensive they are it has a great species garden.

After Bamboo Down Under we headed further up the mountain to a pub called Eagle Heights Hotel. This pub is a really nice pub over looking the Gold Coast. When we arrived we had more than enough space even though it was a little busy. The staff were nice and the music was great. It wasn’t too loud, you could actually still have a conversation and hear one another.

After a drink at Eagle Heights Hotel we headed home and veged out for the last couple of hours of Zina’s stay then off to the airport with an almost teary goodbye.