POLITICS:

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(24/04/2017-Monday)

 

THE COMMEMORATIVE MONTH OF APRIL:  I 'don' the Poppy for this month and the month of November.  WHY? 

When I planned this dedication ‘ISIS’ based in the Middle East was the only threat to world wide peace, through its terrorist activities.  The Allied forces were slowly but surely obtaining the upper hand over this latest Middle East disease.  And that was only 6 weeks ago.            Then the American’s, in retaliation to the Chemical Gas attack by Islamic State in Syria killing at least 87 including infants, launched 59 tomahawk guided missiles on the Syrian airbase.  And whilst it is also investigating Russia’s involvement in the chemical attack it also flexed it’s military muscle by dropping the MOAB (a 9800kg non-nuclear, conventional TNT war head) bunker buster that explodes above ground just before impact in Eastern Afghanistan, and much closer to Russia?  It believed that Islamic State was also gaining a stronghold in this region. 

On the eve (most would agree) of escalating tensions between America and North Korea over its missile testing in the ‘Sea of Japan’.  Add to this the tensions over many years between China and Taiwan over it’s ‘sovereignty’ and China and Japan over the disputed ‘Spratly Islands’ in the South China Sea.  Also the expansion over the prior 10 years of China’s arsenal on islands in the South China Sea.

This amounts to a lot of destabilisation in this region, which not only threatens traditional trade routes to South East Asia, but has the potential to engulf the northern part of Australia, as was Darwin in the Second World War.  Could this be the beginnings (some would say) of World War 3?  

It is my opinion that the effect this time around will be a lot worse on the Australian economy. 

Why?

Because of the above mentioned countries reliance on the energy dependency of the North West Shelf of Australia, down as far as Onslow for its Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies.

My father throughout his life (still with us at 83.5) would tell me the stories of his childhood and his compulsory service (Army) at age 21.  How as an 8 year old growing up in Sicily they would have to run and hide from the German bombing (WW2).  The Americans and Allies would drop lollies with notes warning of ‘imminent bombing and to take shelter’. 

There was much famine and poverty.

Later he would learn from his Superiors that wars were created to destroy and thin the populas or population.

Australia alone has lost 98% of its war time casualties (men and women), to date, in the first 2 World Wars (Source: Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour).  61,531 lives in WW1 and 39652 lives in WW2.   Australian men and women that did not return home to their families.  This desecration of Australian lives was as a result of using only conventional warfare of swords, guns, cannons, gun powder and TNT for bombs, and lots of bad planning. 

The only known country with nuclear capability in World War 2 was the United States of America, which led the Japanese, to surrender and the ending of ‘World War 2 in Asia’ on the deck of the aircraft carrier ‘USS Midway’, on the 15th August 1945.

The ‘Armistice’ that was signed to end WW1 has become a commemoration for all World Wars (and so it should) on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month every year since the guns fell silent on the Western Front on the same day in 1918.

So it was chilling to hear on the morning of Easter Saturday on ABC 24, from Dr. Lenoid Petrov (visiting Fellow of the Australian National University), that the “Armistice is just a ceasefire”.  He stated that the USS Carl Vinson (Nimitz class Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier of USA-Carrier Group 1) was stationed only 500 km off the Korean coast in the Sea of Japan.  He added that the North Koreans have the largest fleet of submarines in the World.  But I do sincerely hope that the rest of his rhetoric in the interview is incorrect.

Which brings me to ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.) Day.  Few people would know that the first ANZAC ceremony was celebrated by ‘Padre White’ at 6am on the 25th of April 1930 on top of Mount Clarence, Albany, Western Australia, which overlooks the Port of Albany.  The Port of Albany and namely the Lighthouse on Breaksea Island being the last point of contact for 20,000 Australian and 8000 New Zealand Soldiers.  Many of whom would send back postcards and letters simply addressed to: The Lighthouse Girl-Breaksea Island Albany, West Australia.  The ’15 year old Lass’ (Lighthouse keepers daughter) being the last communique for the many troops.

Off to the Great War declared by Britain, on 4th of August 1914 with unreserved support from the British colonies.

‘Banjo Patterson’, (Australia’s most revered poet) then correspondent and reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald, in Albany wrote that these Albany shores would be “their final vision splendour”.

How right he was!

And for the following reason I do my bit and ‘don the Red Poppy’ for the entire months of April and November – “Lest We Forget”.      At dawn, on the 25th of April 1915, 16,000 ANZAC’s in a failed military plan, stormed the beaches of Gallipoli but by nightfall 2,000 soldiers lay dead or dying.  The greatest ANZAC casualty in one day of war.  This Gallipoli campaign continued till evacuation in December 1915.  This so called ‘Great War’ continued for another 3 years till the signing of the above mentioned Armistice.

My senior staff member 'Pamela Jane Taylor' many years ago knitted Red Poppies for all us staff members to wear. Both her Father and Grand Father were enlisted in the Royal Navy and fought in both World Wars, 2 and 1 respectively.  She lost her Grand Father in the first World War,  at the 'Battle of Coronel', Chile, when a German battle ship sank their British war ship that was docked in a Chilean (British colony) Port, loading supplies.  The Pride and flagship of the Royal Fleet at the time the 'Good Hope' went down with all hands.  Later in WW2 her Father's battleship sunk the Italian 600-series Adua class submarine the Tembien, which had joined the German forces.

Pam's Father returned home safely after being rescued by the Allied forces, after their battleship went down in conflict.

“Let us value life for what it gives, and denounce war for what it brings”- Joseph Paterniti 24/04/2017.

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(16/9/2016-Friday) AUSTRALIAN VOTERS THANK YOU: By the time counting was finished many weeks later as you may recall, the Liberal/Coalition party was returned to govern by a 1 seat majority only.  I would like to be ‘one of the few’ to thank my fellow Australian voters for voting the way they did and spread their vote throughout the minor parties.  We have been told by the scribes in this area that this may be a sign of things to come. VERY GOOD! I say.

For those too young to remember Senator Don Chip (Australian Democrats) now deceased once said many years ago; “We’re here to keep the bastards honest”.

Australian voters have effectively achieved this by creating a hung parliament.  So political ministers and senators of all creed now need to work amicably to govern. 

Signs of this are emerging as overnight parliament after a 6.5 hour sitting passed the ‘Savings Bill’ – A first for the new government.

Time will tell if this parliamentary makeup is effective and sustainable in this era of world recession.

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(13/10/2016-Thursday)-LADY IN RED:  I met the lady in red for the first time in mid May 2015 at Wells Park, Kwinana Beach 7.30am.  I was coming up from the beach on completion of my morning swim.  She was standing at the BBQ facility boiling water in a large pot fit for crabs.

This is the actual banter that took place as I walked back to my car to change and ready myself for work:

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LIR:  Are you frikn crazy?

ME: Yeah a bit! How about you, cookn crabs this early in the morning? I would have brought pasta and Italian sauce if I’d known.

LIR: Yeah I wish!  I’m boiling water for my period, I have my monthly’s and there is no hot water round here.

Ok!  Now I’m stumped for words, so she continues……………..

LIR: See that car over there?  That’s my home for the moment.

ME:  Sorry I didn’t know.

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LADY IN RED – CONTNUED 14/11/2016.

So why am I doing this.  Joseph Paterniti - why spill the entire experience of one homeless person all over social media.  And who is to judge at the end if it were an experience or rather a nightmare.  And why me an Accountant!   Well we are rather analytical little Abacus’s.  It was me that ran into her at the beach.  And who is to say that in a previous lifetime the same did not happen to me or that I was not a Carer?  My surname may be a hint.  There is a ancient town in Sicily called Paterno.  It goes back many centuries.

Or may be to hell with all the above nostalgia.  What about just ‘human decency’!  If you are on my Blog, use whatever works for you.  And I guess if nothing has worked to move you then in the end you will just leave my Blog in the same way that you came.  I like that, so I’m leaving it there.

I’m trying to make a point, because when I started on this mission in May 2014 Rockingham had lost one of its homeless citizens in a tent at Lake Richmond.  Her name was Michelle Losurda and she was only 34 years of age when she died on May 19, 2014.  I drive past this location most afternoons and for me it was too close to home.  I have sat on many homeless meetings, two organised by me.

 The last gathering I attended was in October 2015, at the new Salvation Army outlet in Cooloongup.  I remember this one vividly for all the wrong reasons.  The City of Rockingham had no representative present.  The City of Kwinana did have a representative and when we broke out into smaller groups for a brainstorming session this particular lady was in my group.  It felt positive at the time as there were also 2 representatives from Canberra -  Shelter Australia, present.  The participation and involvement felt like we were finally kicking goals.  We all had a input and were asked to supply our contact details, including email addresses.  Do you know that to date (over a year now) I still have had no feedback from the Canberra representatives as promised!  Don’t worry, I have kept a copy of my input.  I will reveal this in due course.

The Lady in Red recently turned 39 years of age.  After my Friday afternoon swim on 11/11 she let me know that on Wednesday she would be entering hospital for an endoscopy, and may not be able to clean my rooms as scheduled this coming weekend, which I pay her for.  She keeps asking me for more paid work as she has not had much success through Centre link, for reasons which will become apparent as I tell her story.  She sounded anxious, as she was told by the street doctors that visit the Salvos that it may be a Stomach tumour.  She has experienced discharge from her belly button since early this year and ongoing monitoring has revealed a increased high white blood cell count.

So I asked her to come out to dinner with me tonight, which she accepted and my friend Hunzi at Lavoro’s Italian Restaurant, Rockingham (her choice), put on a memorable meal.  I left her in good spirits.

The next time I hit the keyboard in this section will be all the nitty gritty that was her nightmare.

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(09/12/2016-Friday) The Lady in Red tells me that she was raped at the age of 3.  So my natural reaction is well did we get this guy and did we cut his balls off!

We tried with my mother when I was a bit older but my two other siblings were too scared to testify against my biological father.

And this is when I broke down and had to pause. 

Because I could not comprehend what she was telling me and flooding back to me was the safe up-bringing I gave my daughter possum. 

And I still break down now as I’m typing this shit!!!!

So I have to go. Till next time and I gotta go for my swim in   my ocean.

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(30/12/2016-Friday)

Be prepared, it gets a whole lot worse for the Lady in Red’. 

WHAT!?  You say, as if the ‘indecency of rape’ at an age when most children would be learning and ‘memorising’ (there is that word memory again), nursery rhymes.

I ask this question here because I feel it would be different for many people. 

The possum for example cherishes the moments ‘dancing’ with her in our lounge room, (esp. when she was feeling down) to me singing her “Smokies – Mexican Girl”.  Her olive skin and dark brown ringlets past her shoulders, reminding me of this song.  So I would sing it to her. Sitting atop my left forearm, her right little hand on my left shoulder and her left hand grasping my right thumb.  I would be leading the dance of course.  And dare I stop.  ‘More daddy’, and kicking her little legs on my tummy if I stopped.

“Daddy needs a rest now love, we’ll do more later”.

What would be the worst thing to learn/grasp as you were growing up for you, do you think?

Ie fostered children, whether with a grand parent, or legal guardian.  Any child or person that has been displaced for whatever reason from there normal surrondings, broken families etc……

 But I think in the end, for the majority it would revolve around ‘love and acceptance’.

Now there are 2 HUGE words.  I could go off in so many tangents here. 

Could a lot of the ills of the world be resolved by that “A” word?

The shit that is the ‘Middle East’.  Has been for centuries!  I will leave that hot potato rrrright there for now.

So back to the ‘Lady in Red’.

Let me resume by saying that the LIR’s birth name is not her current name, which she tells me she has wanted to change again for quite some time.  Her current name is from her mother’s maiden name.  That should give you some clue.  Why does she want to forget so much?

The same mother that kept telling her as she was growing up that, “I never wanted girls, girls are always a problem”.  Would that do it for you?

Knowing from your mother that you were not wanted, but rather a burden in raising-too much of a handful’.

Would that tip you over the edge?

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(07/03/2017-Tuesday) LADY IN RED – EXCLUSIVELY

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By Way of Summary:

My horror story which I do not wish on anybody started in Dubbo, country New South Wales, about 3 years after my birth in 1977.  When I was little, I did not know if that which was happening to me was normal. 

I have retold my story to Joseph as he is one person that I have met in my journey through life who I have since 2014, begun to trust as genuine, straight, strong, and lastly which means the most to me, ‘believes in me’ as he does not judge me. 

He is very sensitive, breaking down many times during my re-tell.  But at the same time fearless in declaring my story on his Blog page.

I can never repay him for this and nor would he want me to.

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There was violence in the house as my father was an alcoholic and my mother had a mental illness. When us kids were toddlers till the age of 5 and my father would erupt in violence on my mother, she would pack us up and bring us to nanna’s for refuge.  But that meant nanna would come under attack when he came searching, pulling us out from underneath the beds, where we would hide. 

Because of this abuse, nanna stopped receiving us.

I have to this day craved being comforted by a man and being loved, which I guess is what most of us want.  I have only felt love once, which I explain later and it was taken from me (and Joseph is breaking down again). 

I was kicked out of home by my mother at the age of 11 for being too much of a handful.  After this I would try to receive the comfort of older boys or men, but with this, came the abuse.

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I let Joseph help tell my story from now.

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Her father worked by day and her mother would work night shift, and the rape occurred whilst the mother was away between the ages of 3 to 5.  The father was intoxicated with alcohol most of the time that the L.I.R remembers.

And obviously the touching and abuse from her father she thought was normal, until she started being around other children and their fathers were acting differently.  More loving rather than touching.

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When she was 7 years old she told her twin sister and then went and told her mum.  The police were called and that’s when the father moved away.  They were not identical twins and the father never bothered her sister as she looked like the fathers side of the family but the LIR looked like the mothers side of the family (as weird as this sounds).

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To complicate her upbringing the mother had a mental illness, and would regularly tell her girls that they were a problem for her and not wanted.  But the sister was never sexually abused.

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I asked the LIR if there was poverty in her family growing up.  She said no as both parents worked.  There was always food on the table.  But she never felt loved or the feeling of love growing up.

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Second Sexual Abuse:

Then at the age of 9 her mother brought her to her sons rugby game and when the mother returned home the rugby coach took advantage of the situation where again she was raped by her brothers rugby coach.

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Third Sexual Abuse:

At the age of 15 she was invited to a friends unit (Mstr. G.P.) at the break-up of school year.  She knew the boy although he was older.  But when she arrived, there were 2 other teenage boys (Mstrs. D.P. and C.C.)

There were 3 of them and they took turns to sexually abuse her.  As a result of this one of the boys impregnated her and she gave birth to a son (Kieren) in October of 1993 at the age of 16.   

 The father was the 17 yr old (Mstr. D.P.) who after the paternity test disowned the child and wanted nothing to do with the raising of the child.

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Love Finally:

Then she met RM in Dubbo in February of 1994. They worked at the same supermarket.  He was an older boy of 20 yrs old, and was the first man ‘ever’ in her life to tell her, “he loved me”.  

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She had never heard it from her father. 

 

It is the first time I believe that ‘I felt love’.   

They always wanted to be with one another and when separated, or didn’t see each other felt lonely and something was missing.

RD had ‘anger management issues’ and she had a child and her issues but they still loved one another.

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When she was heavily pregnant with his child, and was not giving him enough attention, he started using his fists on her.  At one stage she remembers being slammed up against the hot water system.  The LIR was 17 yrs old and they had moved to Dalby, outer Qld, to be closer to his parents.

 She gave birth to her second son to this father in 1995.

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In 1996 at the age of 19 RD and I moved to W.A. with both children from Dubbo (NSW).  Then in 1997 after continued violence on me, I split with RD who returned to his parents in QLD.  After things once again settled I re-joined him in Dalby.

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His family was of European background, they took custody of the child and she was estranged from this man and her child as they took the baby to Brisbane. 

I lost my second baby to this family as they were well off and was told by the court they could look after the baby better than I could.

I have never cried so much in all my life. (sorry Joseph.  He is breaking down again)

As two of the three things in life I loved the most were taken from me.

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I then returned to Dubbo with my first child in late 1997.
In 1999 I again went to Brisbane to work things out with RD, and I chose to marry him in 2000 so that I could be back with my child.

Thinking I could put up with his violence.

But this ended in divorce in late 2001.

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Substance Abuse.

So due to this she fell to depression and began her substance abuse.

I never got over the loss of my second child. (Jordan).

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My younger brother was a heroin addict and he introduced me to speed.

At the age of 25, (2002) with her first child at the age of 9 yrs, she contemplated murder/suicide as she could not cope, due to lack of family support, and continued domestic violence with the short term partners she was in and out of relationship with.

Then in 2007 at the age of 29, her brother began injecting her with speed.

The substance abuse continued up till October, 2016.

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Homeless and in W.A. 2012:

The L.I.R said your dignity and self worth leaves you when you have to live out of your car, or in some instances the luxury of a tent.  As privacy goes out the window/car door/tent zipper.  They remain the only privacy and security barriers in your life.  When you need to urinate and it’s winter and pouring outside.  You naturally cannot go far from your car or tent.  So yes, again ‘dignity’ takes a back seat.

In these instances it is welcome how something as simple as air freshener, or majic tree can become a luxury item.

So she is not proud to have to perform the sexual favours for money, but had to do it to survive especially when her Centrelink benefits were cut for not being able to attend job interviews.  It would be anywhere between $60 - $80, depending whether she was asked to perform fellatio. 

Some of her clients would come from as far as Joondalup in the north, and Bunbury in the south and were mainly married people, whose wives would not perform fellatio.  She was proud to have retained some dignity here, actually screening and refusing some filthy men.

But she is proud of the fact that she has never had to break and enter, steal or cause discomfort to others in order to feed herself or her bad habits (smoking and substance abuse).

She has also lost the use of her car from time to time for non-payment of the registration fee and endured many fines which she is currently paying off for driving without a licence.

She cannot remember a Easter or Christmas celebration.  Joseph has bought me several meals, over our time and I had to laugh recently when seen together out, that  Joseph was described to me by those  that are envious  as ‘my pimp and drug dealer’.  Joseph laughed so much he cried, and nearly wet his pants.

Beginning of Solace:

I do not have any rules of self respect for the LIR.  I certainly do not sit in judgement of her as many in her past have done and continually do so.

Early on at our first meetings she asked what I did for a job.  I told her I was a Business Law Accountant, specialising in Taxation.  She asked if that was tax returns, as well and if I could do her tax return as she was outstanding a ‘3 figure sum of money’.

When we received the funds on her behalf she asked how much I would be taking off her amount.

I said probably a ‘3 figure sum of money’ for that one.

She turned a darker shade of pale, before I reassured her it would be nil $.  It’s the first time she called me a ‘bastard’.  I took this as a term of endearment.

Since October 2016 she has been drug free, with her only addiction being cigarettes.  Which I am doing my best to help her control.  By asking her not to smoke, whenever she is around me at least.  She is getting stronger here.  As I express the sadness – calling it ‘her weakness, she has not yet mastered’.

And you can be a ‘big arsehole when you want to be’, is her response back to me.

The LIR, has been a follower of a couple of church groups since arriving in Rockingham in April of 2012.  Attending most Sunday morning congregations. 

But just recently she had a run in with one of the Pastor’s, got upset and stopped attending.  I had met this Pastor (Jamie) only recently, and got wind of this situation.   I immediately felt considerable warmth and respect from this Pastor.  When I next spoke to the LIR, I let her know that I would no longer require her assistance, until she returned back to her church group, or found another to follow.

I won’t repeat what she said on the phone to me, only that

 ‘at arm’s length from my ear’,

‘I could hear it loud and clear’.

 As she questioned my own non-attendance.

I told her that I was a regular reader of the Gospel, at my children’s Catholic parish, for many years.  But only recently turned away from the church when:

1. The Catholic church in Rome recently turned away a ship load of refugee homelesss who had ‘stumbled onto its doorstep’.  The press article cited that ‘the church had been overwhelmed’, so it turned them away.

2. The published lies on the lack of recollection by Australian Cardinal George Pell at the Vatican inquisition of the Christian Brother Colleges of sexual abuse of young boys, that they had in their care for many years.

We are talking about the richest institution in the World here!  This same institution through company tie-ups is a major partner in major construction projects around the world. 

Bet you didn’t know that!

As a religious powerhouse, it vows to be there for the ‘down trodden’.

For me they have failed in this regard in my life time.

In any case, I said, “I do not need the church for my spiritual well being, with Mary and her Archangels filling this void for me, over the many years”, that I have asked and prayed.            

And continue to do so.

The LIR replied with “what the fxxx?, a bit slower please”. 

“Just continue with your church group”, and get spiritually strong.  “And do believe in the power of prayer”, said I.

In a weird way her mind misses boiling water for her periods and cleanliness, showers. 

But she is now doing things around the house, she has a room at, thanks to her lovely, caring friend Chris.  Taking care of someone’s home, creating and doing things with her hands takes her mind off cigarettes and substance abuse.

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(14/10/2016-Friday) SHARK NETS: We humans may be the dominant specie on mother earth, but unfortunately we are not the most intelligent.  Especially as I pick up the West Australian this morning and the editor in the editorial section, is supporting the NSW’S Government decision to reintroduce shark nets to protect that state’s swimmers.  REALLY!

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(21/10/2016-Friday)The Irony of Anti-Poverty Week:  The West Australian newspaper listed on page 17 of Monday’s paper that “during these 7 days, more than 2.5 million Australians will have to house, feed, clothe, transport, educate and entertain themselves on a sum that puts them below the official poverty line”.                                                                                                                                                             The message/caption delivered was to “Find a recipe to break the cycle of generational poverty”

In Western Australia ‘using donated food rescued from being thrown away’ was one example that ‘Foundation Housing’ cited as their positive involvement, in teaching lodgers ‘how to prepare healthy meals on a budget’.

On Sunday the 16th it was my rostered day-on as volunteer to prepare and distribute soup, bread, meals and clothing, as part of the Rockingham S.O.U.L soup patrol.  The mission is to feed the homeless and impoverished from donated food.  I also donated 2 tins of corn for future soup meals.

So I was very saddened to read in the same newspaper at page 44 that 3 Harvey dairy farmers who could not sell their milk, would be forced to dump it, and so they did the following day.  

Are we as a society, drowning in so much bureaucratic red tape (including insurance exclusions) that the State Government could not facilitate the use of that dumped milk, especially in Anti-Poverty Week?  

Shame on us!                                                                  

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(09/11/2016) “Making America Great Again” – O.M.G, Trump Wins:  Let me say honestly that I did not see this coming, probably because I have not shown much interest.

But I will try to put it in perspective.

By International standards U.S. voter turnout traditionally is low, because voting in the Presidential election is not compulsory.  Voting is voluntary (see voter apathy below).  In the prior 2012 election, of the 249 million people at voting age only 129 million people voted, which represents a mere 53%.

When Trump started his political campaign he was a very successful billionaire property developer.  Love him or hate him (I personally sided towards a Clinton win), he was not even a politician let alone a career politician.  He hated the so called ‘Establishment’ (the politicians and bureaucracy of present) and sick himself of broken political promises.  This is why he resonated so well with the despondent constituents that voted for him.  Promising to recreate the manufacturing states that had been lost predominantly to south east Asia over the last 35 years. 

The poorer Hispanic vote did not materialise against him as forecast, in fact he won the state of Florida because he appealed to the hearts of the working class.  On this point the illegal immigrants that he has threatened to deport/expel – do not get a vote, so they were never a threat to him, and so in a competing jobs market this statement appealed to those hurting voters.

Voter Apathy: there must have been more men voting than women for Trump to have been so successful.  I would be interested in this demographic if it were published in the next few weeks.  I have no doubt that this particular election would have been much different if voting was compulsory.  In support of this I rely on a poem by Meryl Stratford overnight published on ‘Rattle’ - Poets Respond - which I subscribe to and have myself attempted to write previously.  Her poem is aptly titled:     “MY MOTHER EXPLAINS WHY SHE NEVER VOTED”

But now that Trump has been voted in, I hope the American people allow him to follow through with his rhetoric of ‘promising to rebuild America’ and that this follows through to the greater world economy in a positive way.  I ask for this because most of the previous charismatic presidents; John F. Kennedy, William McKinley, James A. Garfield, and Abraham Lincoln were all assassinated, and many more in my time attempted assassinations including, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.

Most people’s around the world are sick of party politics and career politicians as in the 21st century they see through the façade. Will Donald Trump be any different?  In closing I will say this.  That the rhetoric that he has espoused and promised needs to be delivered otherwise his fate may be sealed sooner rather that later.

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(17/11/2016-Thursday) When is a persons Last Will and Testament not a Will?  When it is merely a Wish.  As Administrators of Deceased Estates, we are finding that more Wills are being challenged in the Supreme Court and decided by the Supreme Court.  As such we are not involved in Will preparation or execution.  But we have over the years graciously accepted the privileged appointments of either ‘Executor’, ‘Enduring Power of Attorney’, or in extreme cases as ‘Plenary Administrators’ appointed by the State Administrative Tribunal. 

To the general public and my clients the thought of their last Will being challenged is unfair and beyond comprehension.  So as Business Law Accountants we can offer some alternatives at keeping the family cockroaches at bay and discuss some below.

I had the best feeling ever on behalf of a deceased client just recently, when I was permitted by the Supreme Court Registrar to speak on behalf of my deceased client, as I felt he expected a contest.  Yes it was emotional, but very relieving and rewarding spiritually for me, more than any monetary amount could ever buy.

Do not misunderstand me.  There are many valid reasons in allowing contesting of a will in the Supreme Court.  Some of which have come to light recently in our State concerning affluent high profile individuals.  The fathering or mothering of illegitimate or ‘love children’ out of wedlock is a case in point.  These children invariably are the forgotten ones, whom the Supreme Court has made valid allowances for.

However I personally do not see it as fair contest if the deceased persons family has been well catered for during their life, are affluent, but yet still contest the will when the deceased has left everything to Charitable organisations, for example.

So as mentioned above to avoid possible family cockroaches ‘coming out of the woodwork’ on your death, we list two alternatives:

• Disburse or give away most of your estate .This can be easily achieved with the right professionals around you.

• The setup of a TESTAMENTARY TRUST as an alternative to the above ‘give-away’ this trust could contain the bulk of your estate as capital/corpus and distribute the annual earnings only to the beneficiaries of your choice or Charitable organisations and miss a generation and instead then distribute equally to the unborn children of the generation to follow next  A very powerful tool!

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(25/11/2016-Friday) White Ribbon Day: This day is set aside for violence against women.  I personally think it should also include children.  It was remiss of me not to mention above that at the end of our S.O.U.L soup patrol, the remaining supplies at the end of our run we deliver to the ’Lucy Saw Centre’ (near the police station and court house in Rockingham).  This centre has been established for some time now and provides refuge for women and children escaping repeated family violence.  On the day that we delivered 16th October there were 8 families displaced for which we provided soup, rolls, sandwiches, fruit, bread loaves, cup cakes, and clothes.

The smile on the kids faces, my reward!

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(11/12/2016-Sunday) Violence against Men:

("It's our hell on Earth" - Sunday Times - December 11, 2016 page 22 by Kate Campbell, Legal Affairs Reporter) Finally an article actually published on domestic violence (physical or verbal) against men.  Allen decided to leave his relationship but as a result lost a 17 year old daughter to suicide 3 years later.    Was Allen selfish, strong, stupid, or weak for leaving? 

Should he have put his daughter first, before himself.

What if one could foresee this and decided to stay for the love, education and safety of his children and therefore continue to endure the pain of his current wife, partner, spouse, etc..  Some would say: "Yeah too right - suck it up sister" "Till death do we part". 

Should this preclude one also, from feeling the love of another?

Not a very good time of the year to Air one's dirty laundry. Or maybe in Allen's case it is, so as to make a point 2 weeks out of Christmas.

More To Follow.

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(30/12/2016-Friday) 'When Doves Cry': 

Yes like the hit single Prince wrote, back in 1984!  Who said words don’t hurt! 

Boys are brought up with ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but names won’t hurt me” 

How false is this statement!

So family can literally rip strips off each other, and then expect to maintain a degree of decorum (as if nothing has happened) (smile for the cameras), so to speak, for family gatherings.

So again I ask who has heard When Doves Cry?

Exactly, no show of hands, as they (doves) cry in silence!  And this is the significance/meaning of the song for me.  Especially with my latest meeting with a family member this morning, who tore strips off me.  And I had to sit and take it all.  I could not utter a word as to do so would infuriate the situation.  So I sat and took it like a man

I have had to be ‘Man’ to 3 families, where other men have either left or do not have the gumption to stay and be men. 

But then to be told, “well if you do not want to do this anymore, just let me know and I will find someone else”!!  Long is forgotten when this particular person who tore strips off me, was herself crying.  It was early this decade if you have forgotten!  I did assist with her independence which she enjoys today.

But the biggest crown for disappointment and lies goes to a very close blood relative of mine, who during the year over much procrastination (as I later felt), she decided to end our business relationship over fees (yes you can’t fool me).  A person who from the age of 16 (me 14) who I have cared and loved and been by her side re health issues, abandons me with a phone call.  Yep!

Unfortunately this is how the 2016 Universal 9 year is ending for me.

I sincerely wish the ending to 2016 is better for you, with maybe a surprise gift, a declaration of love maybe, which was unexpected, and did/does bring a smile to your face.  Declarations of love are important, for in my case they serve to protect.

It cannot be explained any further but will be experienced over time.

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(17/01/2017-Tuesday) Trumpenomics: This Friday 20th January (Saturday in Australia) will be the official inauguration of  the Donald Trump 45th Presidency for a maximum of two 4 year terms till 2025. I would rather honestly be writing about other more interesting blogg issues (like business tips and taxation advice-badly needed in 2017).  But I did promise my opinion on this. 

I started  writing this piece within the week of the Trump win and stopped because it was too premature and too predictable.  My notes till then had the 1 to 5 year Bond rate falling dramatically (to be precise, investors redeeming their commitments earlier and hence taking a hit).  And conversely money pouring into the 5 to 10 year bond rate and hence increasing sharply, but I did not pick by 25%.  Interest rates would naturally start their rise from the all time lows (U.S.A on 15 December 2016) of 0%, and World Markets experiencing new volatilities. 

A good thing for day traders but not so for long term investors.

All the above happened.

The Trump Republican camp did win with a majority over the Clinton Democratic party and in the normal course this win would allow the Republican Party to make positive changes in the US (love or loathe them), which should follow through to World markets.

Going forward though this will be furthest from the truth.

Why????

Because the ‘Trump Express’ as I labelled it in earlier Blogg issues, will never be allowed to leave the platform!

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Reason 1 – Capital Deficiency: The Trump dream of wanting to rebuild America, will require ‘Capital’ (money) and lots of it.  In a World starved of ‘liquid capital’, the sources are limited.  We all know that when resources are limited (Economics 101), and their need high, Demand increases, and so will Interest rates in the US, and eventually the World.  Again I ask Why? 

Well ok, let’s now look at the Supply of money.  Share markets around the world, will unavoidably take a hit, if the investor capital required comes from this particular market.  What are the alternatives?

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• The Borrowers Market.  When Governments around the world print money, it comes at a cost (to future generations) that have to pay the interest bill off.  Since the GFC of 2008 America has only recently stopped printing money (about 4 trillion dollars. If you did not know ‘Quantitative Easing’ is the polite way of saying –“ we are printing money”)

• Your Superannuation Fund! Stop Laughing, I’m being serious (now that I have your attention).  Did you know that in August/September of 2016 an Adviser from the Obama Administration, (post Brexit), visited Australia enquiring/requesting seed capital for infrastructure investment spending in America.  This fact was reported in all the Major newspapers.  The adviser was entertained/entertaining the Australian Superannuation Industry pontificating on the needs of the American rebuild of infrastructure, roads and government projects.  If you are a member of an Industry Super Fund (all 3 levels of government) tend to be, would you mind it much if your Trustees decided to invest your retirement savings in the rebuilding of the American economy?  I did not think so!  Remembering that the American economy is a typical 8 year boom/bust market.

If you do mind then you should write to your fund Trustee expressing your disapproval to this application of your member funds.  As I can tell you now that ASIC (the industry watchdog), will be powerless to stop it from happening. 

And for those that cannot remember, allow me to help.  Many government agencies and municipalities that invested in the American market lost heavily as a result of the GFC.  Where was ASIC and APRA then!  That's right ASIC was too busy picking on little people like me.  Yes I have an EU against my name.

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Reason 2 – Revaluation of the Chinese Yuan downwards (devaluation): The trade war that Trump has promised with China has already begun with China getting in early.  The Chinese government by manipulating Chinese interest rates down will make the US dollar more attractive and this will put upward pressure on American interest rates.  This will make the cost of rebuilding America more expensive.  And remember they also have a huge interest rate bill on the Quantitative easing over the last 8 years.  The Chinese government has an interest rate buffer of approximately 4% over the USA. Because of this there is no way that America can ever win a trade war against China.  By 2020 China is forecasting a PRC interest rate of 6%.  I’m feeling here that they expect US interest rates to be about 2% by then.

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Reason 3 – America’s own ‘Central Intelligence Agency’ CIA: Is already at logger heads with the Trump camp.  The whole controversy over Trump’s election win, fuelled by the losing Democrats and the divisive nature of this latest election the leaks emanating from Russia (apparently, but China really).  The people of America (citizens and illegals) are divided and this will make managing the most powerful country in the World difficult at best!

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Reason 4 – Depressed US. Labour Market: of the prior 8 years will take some time to retrain.  As skills would have been lost and these skills can not be introduced quickly and smoothly to aid growth.

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In conclusion the Trump Administration “will have its work cut-out”.  Stagflation is the best economic term I can remember that will best describe America’s economy going forward.  Followed by the World in it’s heel.  ‘Stagflation’ is a period of “stagnation and inflation” occurring at the same time.  That is where the inflation rate increases because of rising prices ie oil, health, freight and staples, but without economic growth or it remains slow (specifically production and manufacturing).  Unemployment remains steadily high and as a result there is slow or no pressure on wages growth. 

It has been shown time and time again unless you have productivity and people’s individual spending ability improves via steady wage increases any economy can not grow. 

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Numerologically being the 45th President, and his tenure meant to be ending in 2025 does not hold out well.  Both numbers reduce to 9 and unfortunately, I do feel an assassination attempt as clear as daylight.  Where the Russians will be blamed, but really the culprits are closer to home, aided and abetted by the Chinese. 

For the sake of the American Presidential Post I respectively and sincerely hope that I am wrong on this particular feeling.       

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​AVANTI:

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(03/04/2017-MONDAY)

MY BLOODS ARE IN:  I can now confirm why, many years ago I lost faith in Western Medicine.  And also confirms why I hobbied Herbal and Alternative Medicine (mainly Chinese), during my years of Tertiary study, 18-22yrs.

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My Blood cholesterol came in at 7.8, the highest ever.  My GP suggested cholesterol lowering medication.  ‘NO’, said I and my reasons why.

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That appointment was in March, earlier this year.  I then asked him to look further down my report card and the notes written by the previous practitioners.  Ah yes, said he.  I can see where you have had high 6’s and then got them to acceptable limits.  He said that in mid 2010, my Chol. reading was 6.8 but then within 8 weeks I had lowered it to 5.3 with proper eating and weight loss. 

Yes your body mass index suggests that you should be 75kgs not the current 92kgs.  Yeah that’s the same tune my eldest son keeps playing to me.  Oh yes and what is his profession.  He has just recently graduated as a Physical  Education Teacher, but his Double Major was Exercise and Sports Science at Notre Dame. The last time I was 75 kgs was in 1985 and just before I left for my north- west secondment with Hamersley Iron.  I was not in a good space then.  Why not said the Doc.  Cause I remember shaking like a leaf on a tree, at just the smell of coffee.  Albeit at the peak of my sport, Ju-jitsu .

Then my doctor said that, “for an over 50yr old, non-smoker with a 7.8 chol. reading has a 15% chance of suffering a stroke in the next 5 years”.  That’s a 1 in 6.66r. chance, said I.  They are also the Devil’s numbers Doc. But I am willing to take those odds.  No medication required and the next time we meet, my cholesterol should be much more favourable. 

Will I see you in 3 months, asked he.  No said I, I’m too busy.  I’ll be happier for 6 months

 (July, 2017).

Verdict thus far:

Out goes bacon breakfasts.  In comes 3 bean mix, for special occasions only.  Eggs are not negotiable.  Luvem too much.  Avocados are acceptable.

I still have one Coffee a day, but having more herbal teas, with my own harvested petals and flowers.  In comes Cocoa.  Carob, still undecided on.

In come oats (really? horses eat oats!) and phsyllium husks (dry reaching), with cinnamon and lecithin (at last some taste).

In come walnuts (miniture brains).  

More pears and bananas as these are high in potassium, which is a known cholesterol  inhibitor. 

Sparring with my fellow ju-jitsu junky client (Big-Man 6’ 8”), from Goliath Training.  That’s how he comes through on my phone, cause that’s what he is!  I have known him since he was 11.  He is now 30yrs-odd and his Granny also my client (now deceased), have both helped him since his extraordinary growth spurt.  ‘Big-man’ is now returning the favour, and many years of love shown earlier.  His Granny would be happy (with the exception of his cage fighting).

87kgs from 92kgs.

I’ll be happy at 85kgs, you can forget 75kgs.

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-the passing of W.A's rain bearing low depression, and photos of our office grounds flooding.  The tail of the storm (negative ions - mentioned below) is now well into the Great Southern Ocean.  As opposed to the Melbourne storm (2016) that claimed many more lives.  Difference between the two storms and how Perth's  could have been much more different if it was concentrated through the centre of W.A and not along our beautiful, clean  pristine coast. VERY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.

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Every Friday from now on till further notice.  For outside Grounds works, Building maintenance-AND-Catalpa Homeless Foundation Incorp. weekly meetings. 

 

Things are starting to hot-up in both these areas. 

We share with you some photos thus far as nothing has gone to waste and the timber will be used in future furniture projects.  WHY? you ask.  Because we can, and we will!  Office staff will be in attendance to take your calls but Joseph will be unavailable.  The IPA reports (one of my professional assoc.) that its members are the most 'Met' professionals in the industry.  This must be the reason why since early February I introduced these regular meetings for Catalpa.  Communication I feel is of paramount importance between us Directors now that we have ACNC and DGR status from the Federal Government, and we set our long term strategy, for the attainment of land.

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Joseph apologises for the inconvenience that Friday non-attendance may cause some clients. 

We thank you for your understanding.

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