IT WAS THE KRAUTS

There is an explanation for the present Christmas tree and its present use in the Australian Christmas.

In Europe also, about 1,200 years ago, an English missionary named Winfrid (Saint Boniface) was traveling in northern Germany. To the east of Dusseldorf, in Geismar forest, he came across a group of heathens who were preparing to sacrifice Prince Asulf at an oak tree, a symbol of the god Thor.

Winfrid stopped the sacrifice, cut down the oak and in its place a young fir tree appeared. Winfrid said this fir should be revered as the Tree of Life a symbol of Christ. In the later Middle Ages, fir trees were used in church mystery plays to represent the Tree of Life. But other than that, cutting down trees and bringing them inside as decoration was not seen in Christian homes until relatively recently. The first record of the Christmas tree was in 1605 at Strasburg, and in 1840 introduced by Princess Helena of Mecklenburg into France and by the Prince Consort to England. How did this become a custom of modern man?

Once upon a time thee was a bit of biffo going on between two cousins, the King of England and the Kaiser of Germany of Germany. Instead of just duking it out in the lounge room of one of their palaces they decided to let sixty million other people do away with themselves first and called it a Great War. To tell the truth there was nothing great about it at all, but I digress as usual.

Such trees were decorated with one or more apples, representing the forbidden fruit which we are also forbidden from eating. Today we decorate our trees with similar shiny red balls made of thin glass or plastic and many different shapes and sizes as well, and still not allowed to be eaten.

The Christmas tree therefore refers to Bibble metaphors teaching us to not succumb to sin. Nothing Pagan about it at all. To be on the safe side however, the tree should not be brought into the home and decorated before Christmas Eve, otherwise bad luck will befall the home and a lot of money wouldn't be made by profiteers. It is these superstitions are more likely believed if we include here and there old fashioned words like 'befall'. The Christmas Tree must be taken down and removed from the house before the Bells of Midnight on New Years Eve, otherwise you will have to wait until the twelfth night and burn it to chase away any mischievous spirits. Maybe it might be better not to have a tree at all so you won't have to chase those spirits away but you can just drink them with the money you saved.

Christmas is enjoyed by people all over the world regardless of race, gender or religious beliefs and there's no need for you to be upset over the ignorance of others. Jesus was born in the humblest of settings; indeed his whole life showed us the importance of humility. He taught us not to be judgmental. He taught us how to love.

So enjoy Christmas, wherever you are, whoever you are and whatever your beliefs.

DOES TRAVEL REALLY BROADEN THE MIND?

Was this a true statement or just another whimsical philosophical stupidity as 'How long is a piece of string?'

Maybe in the days of the Grand Tour a few centuries ago when cultures even a few hundred miles away were so radically different to yours travel did broaden the mind, but today when Western civilisation begins breeding a boring sameness should we spend money on traveling anywhere.

Up, up and away on a big monoplane, thousands of dollars just for a seat to sit on. The hassle of security at both ends, I had to remove my pants belt at Avalon and I'm still holding my bag in one hand and my trousers up with the other.

So you land in another country, as strange as New Zealand or as dangerous as Puckapunyal and even before you get out of the airport you are assailed by the sights of Mc. Donalds, KFC and Subway. Why?

Why do we need to eat a Big Mac in Abu Dhabi, a deep fried chicken leg steeped in a host of secret herbs and spices in Bangladesh? For that matter does a Zimbabwean Sandwich Artist decorate your roll in Subway any different to those in Ballarat? I don't think so.

Then of course there is the accommodation. An Acor Hotel in Madrid is run the same, looks the same, is serviced the same and has the same beds and coffee as your Acor room in Nambour. The staff are just as friendly and inefficient and all have the same inability to speak English.

Today in a world of electronic wizardry including big screen 3D television (which is still trying to take off) why could we not just save thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours of differing opinion and the constant whine of 'whatever' in our ears can we not just stay where we are, or maybe travel as far as Bendigo, and make believe we are really somewhere both exotic and erotic of which Bendigo is certainly not, with the exception of the Chinese Temple.

'Hell Yes' I scream and by doing so save at least $50 in tips, whether that be in Drachma or in Dong.

So here we go on our latest overseas adventure. Pack the car with all the non-essentials of travel and drive off into the sunrise, a smile on our faces and an unpaid booking for 'Treasure Island' in the glove box. We are off to broaden our mind, experience the exhilaration of the wind in our hair, let the kids imagine they are flying with the Red Baron for five silent minutes and then Eye Spy for two bickering hours. Who f........ cares if Yew Tree doesn't start with an E.

No lectures about seat belts or placing our table in an upright position. Not having to watch someone mime how to blow a whistle, and no mention of how you don't blow up your floaties until you land in the water outside the aircraft. Why this is needed on a flight between Griffith and Dubbo is really open to debate.

On arrival at Shangri-Low because Treasure Island went bust due to them failing to install 3D television, one alights to the merry greeting of 'G'Day' instead of a polite shrug to indicate they can't understand a word you say.

Find the remote for the Travel Simulator, a big screen 3D TV outside the balcony, which instantly throws up the sights and sounds but not the smells of Calcutta and start unpacking the bags. The kids get onto 'Wigglespace' on the internet which will keep them amused for the week and the parents retreat to the bar to get pissed just like at home.

No hassles in crowded shops where pushing and shoving has been elevated to a high art, no stupid mime act to ask someone where the bus stop is, and the same room service that brings the same Kiddy Meal as they had a week ago at home. What makes the trip all the more exciting is the room service person who gives a polite shrug to indicate they didn't understand a word you said.

Oh! Linton ..... you're missing nothing except the Squatting Ewe Car Wash..

For those who live in L.I.S.A (Less Intelligent States of America)

DOB DOB DOB IS JUST FOR CUB SCOUTS

The more that I consult the world wide webby thing, the national papers, metropolitan papers, local rags and the villages voice the more I have come to accept that I have developed into a cranky cantankerous old fart that is ready to rebel against anything I perceive real or imagined is impinging on my personal property and personal space and personal finances.

Finance Watch, Petrol Watch, Shopping Watch, Neighborhood Watch and Whistle-blowing, Carbon Watch, Surf Watch, Community Watch and Wrist Watch. How many do we need? Is our community so dysfunctional that someone has to watch out for everything and everybody on our behalf?

Every aspect of our life is being governed and, it appears to me, by lesbian bike riding vegan social workers who, because they can’t get a good root themselves have to try and f.... up our lives. Yes I’m angry. I’ve had the council tell me I’m a Fire Hazard, my shares in Tabcorp confiscated because I didn’t have enough of them and now a Smart power meter which I know is designed to make sure I pay more for every watt I use. The council wants $5,000 Deposit to ensure I finish the house I’m living in. My backside is sore because the Government and the Banks are screwing me. The local council wants my dog to be registered, carry a plate around his neck and strapped into the car like ’Hannibal Lecter’, and if I don’t put my wheelie bin with the handle facing south and 33cm from the kerb they won’t pick it up. My trees are either too high, too low, too close to power lines or too close to my letterbox and, too leafy.

Regulators and their toady employees govern every aspect of our apparently tawdry lives. We are moving closer towards a police state and I’m not looking forward to the compulsory marching spectacular to entertain Kim Il Mayor down at our Replica Railway Station. It is time that the much vaunted Rights and Responsibilities that the Government espouses to be put back on to the individuals in society else we will end up with as watered down version of North Korea and have to bow low every time someone on a bicycle passes by.

To top it off all this expenditure by some bureaucrats we have other bureaucrats costing us money to ensure we don’t waste any money. To hell with it is the general opinion. It’s not our money.

I doubt very much if we can ever rid ourselves of under-worked and wasteful government employees. Would you like to see your job go without a fight? Maybe this is why the bureaucracy has lasted 50 millennia. Even cavemen had to pay someone a few pebbles to spit paint on the cave wall as a record of their activities.

Now they want us to DOB to whistle-blow when we see something going wrong. All I can say is keep your mouth shut. All of the whistle-blowers I have ever read about end up on the dole, despise by the government and despised by employers. Little wonder that immoral people get away with so much. The government encourages whistle-blowers (or so they say) and then sets out to destroy their reputation, their employment opportunities and their family.

Nobody likes a dobber so the crooks in our society, and I’m talking about the aristocracy not the criminal class, get away with the unethical and corrupt behaviors. We have a topsy-turvy society that will frown upon a misogynist and wife-beater but go and cheer and barrack for them on the sporting field.

We idolised Alan Bond while he stole our money, believe that Ned Kelly was one of the countries greatest citizens (even while he shot down and killed policemen) and Linton even gave succor to Captain Moonlight because he left ‘our’ Gold deliveries alone.

We don’t like gangs but we won’t do anything, as citizens, about it we don’t like drugs but we almost condone their use. Hey! Look on the bright-side one day we might wake up from this nightmare.

* Note:- Yes. Yes. Scout people. We know DOB means ‘Do Our Best’ not ‘Dirty Old Bugger’ as has been ascribed to the writer.

DISCRIMINATION DISGUISED

Am I being a bit off kilter when I believe that we are actually introducing laws that are discriminatory but yet so subtle we don't notice or don't care. In the past year or so there have been two laws, whilst on the surface we believe are good for us, but may also be state sponsored, contrary the constitution or unfair on a particular sector of our society..

Clearly we musty have a separation of Church and State, even though we have state funded religious instruction in our schools, but my point is that we recently passed a law that prohibited children from attending pre-school and child-care without evidence of being immunised against a range of potentially lethal childhood diseases.

Hallelujah, make people safeguard their children's health, I'm all for it.

However I would argue a very small point that there are some religions fanatical enough to believe that God will cure all ills and that there is never a need for medical intervention. No needles, no blood transfusions, no childbirth assistance, nothing that was not ordained by that bearded white mythical being who lives in the sky.

Is this not contrary to our laws that clearly state that there shall be no discrimination on religious grounds?

I don't agree with these parents but are we not all responsible for our own lives and have a free will given to us by that same bearded guy who lives in the sky.

Then comes the second whinge that I have and believe to be discriminatory. Although I have still to complete the paperwork I am eligible as a First Home Buyer for the Grant so generously provided from other taxpayers. When I was looking into this free money I took note that my contracts were signed prior to the changes (to come into effect after a certain December 31) being made to the Act and thus I was still eligible for the cash. I'm a greedy can't.

But the changes to the Act meant that, to satisfy the thirst of unscrupulous builders and developers whose pockets are filled with the hands of politicians, would only apply to 'New Builds' and not homes already erected.

What do we make of this and why do I call it discriminatory.

It is hard enough for young people to get a home these days, that was the purpose of the grant, but this change meant that young people, couples, even families who wanted to buy an already existing house were no longer eligible. That, my friends, is state sponsored discrimination.

Our governors talk glibbly about young people needing a hand up, having bigger families and creating stronger communities. Was it not 'the' Peter Costello who said “one for the family and one for the country”? Was it not that same Peter Costello that lauded the scheme and promoted it? Would he have axed it the way successive parliaments have done in such a clearly discriminatory fashion. Not to mention the 'buy Solar and get one free scheme' that was so popular the power generation companies paid politicians to dramatically reduce feed-in tariffs and purchase subsidies.

Hey big spender, Yes you, the elected one. Stop and think about these things after the lobbyists have told you what they want, think long and hard about what President Kennedy said 'think not of what your wallet can do for you but what you can do for your wallet.'

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT

Are we growing into a society that has changed from pointing bones to just pointing fingers?

The parents are to blame?

It was the Police and Justice system?

It all starts with our Social Security system?

Is it alienation, racism, bad jeans or just plain fucking boredom?

All of us have at some stage heard someone blame somebody else. But is it becoming endemic in our society? Is anybody accepting that they are the problem and then setting out to do something about it?

When you sit in Court the first defence is the adoption of the early onset of Alzheimer’s then move through the various social ills until the crime has been mitigated enough for innocence to be found or a reduction in possible sentence has been achieved.

Are these tactics being adopted by the general community? Have we seen so many Courtroom Drama’s on TV that we have begun to use the same tactics in our everyday life, regardless of the outcome, to protect our own backsides?

Be it called pride, ego, arrogance, self-importance or survival of the fittest if we are caught out cheating, stealing or failing to carry out our directed duties every time, and I include myself, will quickly jump to their own defence.

As ‘monkey see monkey do’ the chances that we are passing on these protective skills to our children and young people is extremely high. Children divorcing parents?

How often will I say ‘now be honest I can’t help you unless you are’ and then hear them, in some cases, come out with the most fanciful twaddle I have ever heard. One or two clients will come up with a series of events that would be better used in ‘animated cartoons’.

We know they are not always telling the truth but we should also realise that they are using the same protective skills as we adults have unwittingly taught them. Fortunately for us older and wiser workers we have managed to learn how to screen out the plausible impossible and can arrive at a situation somewhere between what the client wants and what we think they need ‘in their best interest’.

Feedback, that awful word which makes me think of physical regurgitation, between worker and client determines how best these decisions can be met. But we must be very careful to ensure that firstly, the client has the knowledge and ability to carry out the task, secondly that the end result will be a further advancement of the young person towards both personal and financial independence and finally ‘Is it legal?’

‘They don’t understand me’ is a common phrase of mine when trying to explain why very few people know what my job really is. 'That makes two of us, they don't understand me either'. That’s because the welfare sector is so caught up in models that something that doesn’t fit the mould. Then just when we begin to think we know what that model is it mutates into something else. Why? Because that’s where the gap is, how the care services see its role and what the client wants can be poles apart in interpretation.

So is the case with many of the young people who come to me for assistance, some agencies or individual workers have an idea of what they have to achieve and set out to bend and twist young people until they fit their mould. It took me two years in the job before I got the gut feeling of what my role was - do it the way the client sees best without all the contortions.

My job as a stand alone should have really been called WIP ‘The What-if Project’ for that is how I have developed this service to work with other agencies and our clients. Its not a case of what my service wants for them but what they want from my service.

The result of this has been a constant process of evolution to fit the project to the need rather than the other way around. My unique role was deliberately designed to be an enigmatic service so that the most disadvantaged of young people could meet their needs without having to fit to any particular model. My services have to become like its clients, unconditional access, flexible, twisting and turning according to the need that has to be met.

The end result should be that young people having used my service should never be able to declare when things go wrong, that ‘the devil made me do it’…………………….. Anyone for litigation?

DEMOCRACY HAS TO BE THE WORST POLITICAL SYSTEM

 EXCEPT FOR ALL THE OTHERS - Winston Churchill

The best democracy, true government by the people, is the least amount of interference in our lives. Naturally we need to have some laws to protect other people but to protect ourselves we should have nothing but education and common sense.

Every time a new law is made at any level of government some other poor bastard gets it in the neck.
Of course we need to protect ankle biters and coffin chasers that’s a given, but to protect the moron against himself I would prefer we just revert to natural selection, lets allow the gene pool to narrow itself a tad.

We are over-governed with three level of self-serving power, now that’s a gene pool we need to almost eradicate altogether. If they aren’t in a brothel paid for by taxpayers and union fees there drinking $500 Merlot in Paris and staying in a grand a night hotel rooms at our expense.

One of the great episodes in self serving was the Nuclear Pact between Russia and America banning inter-ballistic missiles with  range between 300+ Km and 4000+ Km for this very reason
"That the flight time of the nuclear attack was too short for the LEADERS to seek shelter from the impending armageddon". In other words fuck the people just save my own arse.

What makes our elected representatives immune from prosecution, that cash in super well before we can, retire on ridiculously huge pensions and be allowed to double dip taxpayers money? It can’t be because they have superb knife skills, management expertise or supernatural patriotism. They are not Gods although they would like to be thought of that way. They are men and women who piss and shit the same as everybody else excerpt their shit doesn’t stink.

To top it off we are over-governed by half-hearted bureaucrats doing a half-hearted job whose only agenda is to climb over the person in front, scramble over anyone to get to the top table and garrote the competition as fast, as efficiently and hopefully with the least amount of blood to take that seat on the right hand of God, the Prime Minister.

It’s about time we broadened the taxpayer base by narrowing the public service gene pool as well.
To be fair I’ve known of few government employees who have the interest of the community at heart or should I say ex-government employees who moved into the private sector.

I was a co-worker with a community-minded young person who decided he wanted to be a prison officer and do something positive about our prison system. I met him again three months later and he had already resigned. His story ‘that he tried to do the right thing or be relegated to anal examinations for the rest of his career.'

One last final warning about democracy – it doesn't exist. It's a figment of your imagination.