Victorian Bushfire Crisis

On behalf of my family and myself I would just like to offer my sincerest condolences to the family’s, friends and emergency services personnel affected by the terrible events in Victoria over the weekend.

I think it’s fair to say we as Australians have all been touched in some way by the fire disaster that has raged through Victoria in the past 48hours.

If you are in Australia and wish to follow the news as it unfolds tune your radio to your local ABC radio station. If you are in the path of the fires and want to know the latest information tune in again to your local ABC radio station at quarter past and quarter to the hour when the latest updates are broadcast.

You can find your local stations frequency check the list here

If you want to follow it online check out ABC Online for full bush fire coverage as it happens.

If you want to make a donation, volunteer your time or you have skills that may be needed in the affected areas then check out the Red Cross website

If you want information on road closures etc ring the BushFire Info Hotline on 1800 240 667
If your worried about family and friends and can’t contact them any other way then call the Red Cross (Family and Friend) Hotline 1800 727 077

Seriously I know we are doing it tough at the moment with the economic crisis and job losses etc but I feel strongly that it is almost our duty as a nation to come together and make a donation to help these people. Even $20 is appreciated. Seriously I’ve made my donation. I’m not going to say how much it was that’s not the point. Please take a moment and make a donation.

New Years Day Cabbie Attack.

Police are seeking help from a brave motorist who stopped to assist Taxi driver Shair Abdi early on New Years Morning while trying to flee an angry passenger.

Mr Abdi, had stopped on Hill View Terrace after the man hailed him. Once in the taxi the man asked to be taken to Spearwood but didn’t have enough money to cover the fare. He became abusive upon being asked to leave the taxi. He opened the rear door of the taxi as he left and as Mr Abdi got out to close it he was attacked from behind.

Mr Abdi had his wallet and cash stolen whilst being punched repeatedly in an attack lasting 15 minutes.

Mr Abdi said he believed he might have been killed if the unidentified driver had not stopped to help. 

“It was very scary and I was shocked. I don’t feel comfortable (returning to work) at the moment ,” he said. 

Police say: The wanted man  is  a slightly built Caucasian, about 174cm tal and has short black hair.  He was wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans. 

Anyone who can identify the man is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Here is a  link to the story on News.com.au is http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,,24865267-2761,00.html

Taxi driver in heaven

I haven’t posted in a while so I thought something a bit light hearted was in order. Enjoy!

A priest and a taxi driver both died and went to heaven. St. Peter was at the Pearly gates waiting for them.

‘Come with me’, said St. Peter to the taxi driver.

The taxi driver did as he was told and followed St. Peter to a mansion. It had anything you could imagine from a bowling alley to an olympic size pool.

‘Wow, thank you’, said the taxi driver.

Next, St. Peter led the priest to a rugged old shack with a bunk bed and a little old television set.

‘Wait, I think you are a little mixed up’, said the priest. ‘Shouldn’t I be the one who gets the mansion? After all I was a priest, went to church every day, and preached God’s word.’

‘Yes, that’s true. But during your sermons people slept. When the taxi driver drove, everyone prayed.’

Here is one of my favorite quotes:

“When I die I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather, not screaming in terror like his passengers!”

Anzac Day 2008

ANZAC which stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.

The legend of the ANZACS was formed in the pre dawn hours of 25th April 1915 and each year we come together at the breaking of the dawn on the 25th of April to honor those that gave their time, their determination and in many cases their lives so that we might enjoy the lives we now lead.

We gather to remember those who left our shores and those who never came back.

They fought for our freedom and in doing so they gave us the ultimate gift.

The term ANZAC refers not only to the solders of the 3rd Australian Brigade who landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey but to all Australians and New Zealanders who have served their country in all the conflicts over the years.

If your not from Australia and don’t really know what the history and the meaning and the significance of ANZAC is why not take the time to find out. Google is a good a place as any to start.

To all past and present members of the ADF Thankyou

I’m going to finish with a verse which always makes me stop and think wherever I am when I hear it.

Lest We Forget
“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.”

Comments disabled oops!

My apologies to anyone who has tried to post a comment here in the past week or so. It appears when I made a change in the settings of my blog I also disabled comments, that wasn’t my intention. So anyway comments have been re-enabled.

Feel free to comment away.

ANZAC Day Dawn Service – Transperth Services

For those of you attending the Anzac day Dawn service in Kings Park this year there are extra bus and train services running to get you there. Here is the email I received from Transperth.

ANZAC Day Dawn Service

Friday 25 April 2008

Transperth is proud to provide a number of special bus and train services so you can pay your respects and remember our fallen service men and women on ANZAC Day.

Event & ticketing information

In recognition of the great sacrifice made by the men and women of our armed forces, all veterans, serving and returned service personnel wearing service uniforms, campaign ribbons or medals can travel FREE on ANZAC Day.

Seniors will be able to access Transperth’s normal free travel entitlements with their Seniors SmartRider Card, which is valid on all Public Holidays (including ANZAC Day).

Trains

To ANZAC Day Dawn Services

The following special train services will operate:

Station	Departing	Arriving at Perth
Armadale (All Stops)	4.40am	5.19am
Clarkson (All Stops)	4.50am	5.22am
Fremantle (L Pattern*)	4.56am	5.23am
Mandurah (All Stops except Esplanade)	4.30am	5.20am
Midland (All Stops)	4.55am	5.20am

*Train services will bypass Loch and Grant Street Stations. Maxi Taxi services will shuttle passengers between Loch Street and Karakatta Station and Grant Street and Swanbourne Station.

From Perth

Train services on all lines operating on a Sunday/Public Holiday timetable.

Buses

Timetabled bus services will operate across the Transperth network on a Sunday/Public Holiday timetable.

In addition to this, Transperth will provide the following special services:

ANZAC Day Dawn Services

Perth Train Station to Kings Park: Route 600

FREE special shuttle 600 will operate for the Dawn Service, connecting with special event trains arriving at Perth and Perth Underground Stations and operating to Kings Park via St Georges Tce, and at stopping Stand T (west of Pier St). Services depart between 5.20am–5.30am from a stand outside Perth Train Station on Wellington St.

Vietnam Memorial to War Memorial: Route 603

FREE special shuttle 603 will operate between the Vietnam Memorial to the State War Memorial from 4.45am until the conclusion of the main service, operating every 5 mins, except during the Dawn Service. A return service to the Vietnam Memorial will operate after the Dawn Service until approximately 7.30am.

After the Dawn Service, buses will depart for Perth Station as required from 6.45am–7.15am from the car park behind Frasers Restaurant, Kings Park.

For further information regarding these ANZAC Day services, call the Transperth InfoLine on 13 62 13 (TTY: 9428 1999, TIS: 13 14 50).

Regards,
TravelEasy Administration

It doesn’t take a lot of effort to attend the dawn service and with extra buses and trains running and the PPRT cabs working as well there really is no excuse not to be there.

Additional Hours – Anzac Day

Additional times:
Start: Thursday 24th April 13:00
Finish: Friday 25th April 09:00
Reason: Anzac Day
Location: N/A

Going Carbon Neutral – continued

Thanks to Will for his comment on my previous post about going carbon neutral. After looking at the UK site again I realise not only is the price not affordable it is utterly ridiculous. After all the vehicle in question a 4cyl Toyota Tarago retails for pretty much the same price they claim it would cost me to offset my carbon emissions for just 1 year!!!

After checking out the site mentioned by Will in his comment it appears that I can offset my carbon footprint for just $218 per year. It’s not the $197 he claims but it is still a HUGE difference from the joke of the previous site. Making it much more affordable for the average Joe.

Going Carbon Neutral

I was interested to find out what it would cost to offset the carbon debt generated by running my cab for a year. After all we keep being told to be “Green” and to live a more carbon neutral lifestyle. Well the results were incredible to say the least.

Working on the figures of 85,000km’s a year and using 11ltrs/p 100km’s in petrol it works out to 1840.22 tonnes off CO2. I used the calculator @ MyCarbonDebt.com

That works out to $46,413 AUD It’s a UK site so you will need to covert it to your currency @ XE.com

Seeing that figure begs the question. How is it possible for anyone business or private to offset their carbon footprint? I’m only running my cab part time and it’s almost 50 thousand dollars.  Imagine the cost for a bus company or an entire taxi fleet.

Additional Hours – Eagles v Dockers Derby

Additional times:
Start: Sat 5th April 12:00
Finish: Sun 6th April 06:00
Reason: Derby – Eagles v Dockers
Location: Subiaco Oval