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Out in the shed with Ted.
Ted McEvoy. |
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Cheap travel for Seniors.
Similarly, if you want to go and watch a proper game of football, you can get a day pass and ride the trams and trains in Melbourne as cheap as chips. If you haven’t got a seniors card, and you think you’re eligible (eligibility varies from state to state) go to www.seniorscard.com.au where you’ll find all the info.
Al Qaeda Terrorist.
The U.S.Navy recently announced that it had released a senior Al Qaeda Terrorist after questioning him extensively for 27 days while being held prisoner aboard a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.
In a humanitarian gesture, the terrorist was given a small sum of money in cash and a white ex-Navy Ford motor vehicle upon being released from custody. The crew of the ship lined up to see him off and to wish him well.
Click HERE to see a photo of the terrorist on his way home just after being released by the Navy. |
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A bloke was driving the Newell Highway, and got into Moree at 2.00am. He decided he was too tired to go any further so he looked for a motel. All were closed for the night, but not wanting to camp in the car he decided to ‘wake’ one up. He pulled into one in the main street and banged on the door. A sleepy old bloke opened the door and said to him, “What do you want?”. The bloke said, “I’d like to stay here tonight.”. “Good, well you can”, said the old bloke, and slammed the door. |
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Health Survey.
Participation of ex Air Force and ex Navy personnel in the Vietnam Veterans’ Family Study (VVFS).
RAAF and Navy personnel who
served between 1962 and 1975, whether they deployed to Vietnam or
not, are welcome to participate in the VVFS. Although the two
main randomly selected groups for the Study consist of Army veterans and
their families, ex Air Force and ex Navy personnel and their families can
participate as part of a self select study group. These participants will
receive the same survey questionnaire as the random sample group, with the
results separately reported. Any outcomes from the study will be applied
to Air Force and Navy personnel as well as Army.
The VVFS will help them obtain a better understanding of the impact of war service on the health and well-being of the families of veterans. What is learnt from the Family Study will benefit future generations of service families and provide the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) with the opportunity to build on programs currently offered to veterans and their families. This will include veterans and serving members for all service branches. Even if you or your family had no effects from service, you are important to the Study – others can learn from your experience.
Participation in the Study will only require a few hours at different times over the coming years. It won’t be onerous. Your main participation will be the completion of a comprehensive health questionnaire. A small number of participants may also be invited to participate in telephone interviews or small group discussions.
For more information on the Family Study, or to register, contact freecall 1800 502 302 or visit the website at www.dva.gov.au/vvfs. |
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A mother and father take their 6-year old son to a nude beach. They find a spot, mum sits down and dad and little bloke wander off. As the boy walks along the sand, he notices that many of the women have boobs bigger than his mother's, so he goes back to ask her why. She tells her son, 'The bigger they are, the sillier the lady is.' The boy, pleased with the answer, goes to play in the ocean but returns to tell his mother that many of the men have larger things than his dad does. She replies, 'The bigger they are, the dumber the man is' Again satisfied with her answer, the boy goes back to the ocean to play. Shortly thereafter, the boy returns and promptly tells his mother, 'Mum, guess what, daddy is talking to the silliest lady on the beach, and the longer he talks, the dumber he gets.'
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Clock
This is the COOLEST clock I have seen yet!! and comes from a Dutch web site. It gives you the EXACT TIME of the DAY in seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years. It syncs to your computer’s time, which itself should be synced to Internet time. (Click HERE to learn more about synchronising your computer to Internet time)
Click HERE to see the clock. Study it for a few seconds and it will all become clear to you, just read the green line. Everything's there. Remember these definitions, from the top down:
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1st Line is Seconds. 2nd Line is Minutes. 3rd line is Hours. |
4th Line is Days. 5th Line is Months. 6th Line is Years. |
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If you receive an email from the Department of Health telling you not to eat tinned pork because of swine flu - ignore it. It's just spam.
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Home and contents insurance.
A lot of people don’t know that they can now access economical insurance cover on their home and contents – even though they’ve never used the Defence Service Homes benefit. All you have to be is eligible. You can check if you’re eligible for a DSH loan by going to this web site: http://www.dsh.gov.au/lending/lend_eligibility.htm
The policy is underwritten by QBE and is very broad as it includes damage caused by floods and storms – events that are not normally covered by many home policies.
If you want more info, call Defence Service Homes Insurance on 1300 552 662.
TPI Pensions.
On the 1st June, John (Blue) Ryan OAM, the National President of the Australian Federation of Totally and Permanently Incapacitated Ex Servicemen and Women Ltd sent a letter to Prime Minister Rudd concerning the outcome of the recent budget. The TPI Federation are asking for fairness and have consistently asked for fairness over the last 10 years. Last year the government said they were going to review pensions and the TPI Federation made it very clear to the office of the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and the Repatriation Commission that they expected the disability pensions to maintain their value relative to other government pensions. You can read the letter HERE.
The Clarke Review of 2003 didn't paint a true picture of how government compensates those injured through Military service for the premature aging and loss of earning power which resulted from the intangible effects of war or war like service. For well over a decade TPI's and others have been financially sacrificed on the DVA budgetary altar. Back in 1996 the TPI payment was 47% of the Average Weekly Ordinary Times Earnings (AWOTE). Today the TPI payment has the same community prosperity value ordinary citizens enjoyed back in 2007.
Today the TPI payment is 43% of the average ordinary wage. That is to say the TPI payment today is still $70 a fortnight down since the 1996 standard. So it is easy to see what all the government rhetoric is about; it’s about why the TPI payment was left in auto pilot and no one did anything about it. Or better, no one did ‘nothing’ about it because of budget constraints, constraints that gave public servants their big fat bonuses.
The TPI payment increased a staggering $0.90 cents a fortnight between the years 1996, 1997 and 1998 due to negative Consumer Price Index (CPI) values. It was the negative CPI values in those three years that pushed government to change pension indexations from CPI to Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE) indexation, all but the TPI payment. In 1998 government also changed the way CPI information was gathered, thus making sure CPI would never fall into a negative value, again to the demise of one group of people ~ TPI’s.
No talk as yet regarding
restoration against the loss of community prosperity since 1996, so from
March 2008, the TPI payment was fully indexed against MTAWE, but TPI
recipients will forever be behind community prosperity increases in daily
living costs such as rents and rising mortgage repayments because the
payment has no benchmark.
The real problem for TPI recipients is their compensation payment today represents no known legislated portion of the average ordinary wage and has only ever been increased by government whim and welfare index increases. Government whim and welfare index increases is not giving TPI’s in need any real chance of living comfortably within community norms and enjoying community prosperity.
Justice John Clarke erred by using MTAWE instead of CPI in his assessment of TPI erosion and gave government a great inside running into creating a community perspective that TPI’s are well off ~ today even some within the veteran community think that the TPI payment has been fixed.
The Clarke Review certainly fudged the TPI payment by including the Service pension when they presented to government in 2003 that single TPIs where in receipt of 90 per cent of MTAWE and married TPI’s where in receipt of 115 per cent of MTAWE.
The Clarke Review calculated that TPI’s suffered no loss in their TPI pension by including the Service pension as their total ‘compensation package’. By reason, the Clarke Review in showing no losses of the TPI payment, was very mean and very deceptive in its presentation; unjust and clearly way beyond the bounds of decency. This calculation was grossly unfair and has left needy TPI’s on an endless poverty cycle against community prosperity. By Justice Clarke’s action of taking a snapshot of one particular year (2002) and determine that no loss was incurred is an inaccurate relationship with wage indexes such as MTAWE.
It is obvious Justice Clarke had the time to take a snapshot of the preceding six years, if he did so,his story would most certainly have been different.
TPI recipients were given crumbs after their long struggle for lost living standards against community prosperity. Between 1992 and 2005, Centrelink pensions rose 38% (MTAWE) while the TPI compensation payment increased 23%. From 1991 through to 1996 TPI compensation was paid at 47 per cent of the average full-time wage. In 2009 TPI compensation payment is 43%, making it a 4% decrease of the payment over the past 12 years.
How can a supposed generous and caring government hand injured Military personnel a 4 per cent decrease in compensation payments over a twelve year period? The 4% decrease shows the widening gap of community prosperity against government held standards towards injured war veterans.
Government have been crying poor for decades ~ but only toward one small group of Australians, as the attached XL Spreadsheet clearly shows. This spreadsheet clearly shows how much 'financial caring' federal politicians hold toward injured war veterans since WW2.
2009 Budget. You can read an excellent snapshot of the 2009 Federal Budget HERE
DFRB/DFRDB Matters.
There is now a website
relating exclusively to Australian Military information that has been put
together by John
He has tried to assemble papers on the problems we all face. Hopefully this site will enable all to understand the arguments and provide a proper understanding for individuals who may wish to make individual submissions. Of course your submissions will differ from the Government’s.
John has not finished uploading documents as he says uploading is a continuing process.
You can access the site HERE.
Kate Lundy, who is a senator for the ACT and also shadow federal minister for Sport and Recreation has set up a site where you can make comment with regards to the DFRDB.
Have your say, click HERE
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At the Sunday morning church service, the minister asked if anyone in the congregation would like to express praise for answered prayers.
A lady stood and walked to the podium. She said, "I have an item for praise. Two months ago, my husband, Tom, had a terrible bicycle accident and his scrotum was completely crushed. The pain was terrible and the doctors didn't know if they could help him." You could hear a muffled gasp from all the men in the congregation as they imagined the pain that poor Tom must have experienced.
"Tom was unable to hold me or the children," she went on, "and every movement caused him terrible pain.. We prayed as the doctors performed a very delicate operation, which lasted for over five hours, and it turned out they were able to piece together the crushed remnants of Tom's scrotum, and wrap wire around it to hold it in place." Again, the men in the congregation were unnerved and squirmed uncomfortably as they imagined the horrible surgery that was performed on Tom.
"Now," she announced in a quavering voice, "thank the Lord, after six weeks, Tom is now out of the hospital and the doctors say that with time, his scrotum should recover completely." All the men sighed with relief.
The minister rose, with tears in his eyes, and tentatively asked if anyone else had something to say.
A man stood up and walked slowly to the podium. He said, "I'm Tom." The entire congregation held its breath. "I just want to tell my wife that the word is sternum."
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Deeming Rates.
Social Security income test
deeming rates have decreased in recent months. The latest change was on
the 20th March, 2009. The deeming rates are used by Centrelink
and the Department of Veterans Affairs to
The deeming rates are now 2% for the first $41,000 of total financial investments held by a single pensioner and 2% for the first $68,200 for a pensioner couple. For financial investments in excess of these amounts, the deeming rate is 3%.
This means that a single pensioner can have $133,266 in investments and still receive a full pension and a pensioner couple can have $230,733 and still receive their full pension.
You can obtain further info from Centrelink by ringing 13 2300.
Breath test failing 101
Want to know how to instantly fail a road side breath test? – click HERE
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The first "Testicular Guard" was used in cricket in 1874. The first helmet was used in 1974. It took man 100 years to realize that the brain is also an important part of the body.
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Birthday.
I had my second 64th
birthday early in May. I have decided that once you get to 65, which you
must admit, is a
I think this is a much better idea – after all, who gives a damn about the Queen’s telegram, instead of being 100, I’d rather be 30 again, own my own house, have no debt, be retired, plenty of spare time and getting a pension. What could be better than that!!
So! I’m starting a trend, if you wish to join me, send me an email via Radschool@yahoo.com and tell me what you think.
RAAF or Army
If your son or daughter (or grand-son or grand-daughter) is about to leave school and is thinking of pursuing a career in the Services and can’t decide whether to enlist in the RAAF or the Army, perhaps we can help. They say a photo is worth a thousand words, well, here are some photos to help your child decide.. Click HERE
A man was boarding a plane on his way back from visiting family over the holidays when he heard another passenger shout to a man in the crowd waiting to see him off, "Good bye Fred. Your wife was a great lay!" After the plane was in flight, the first man walked over to the one who had done the shouting and asked, "Did I hear you correctly? Did you actually have the audacity to tell that man his wife was a great lay?" The other man shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah I did, but It isn't really true," he said, "but I didn't want to hurt his feelings."
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Eye halve a spelling chequer |
As soon as a mist ache is maid |
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Mates.
The Veterans Medicines Advisory and Therapeutic Education Services AKA Veterans MATES, is a program that is of an advisory nature and provides condition specific medical information to Veterans and Health professionals. In the past this has consisted of brochures and other information.
Following on from the success of Veterans MATES, the Department of Veterans Affairs has set up a dedicated web address for this program in order that the information is spread far and wide.
The initial web information was initially for the Health professionals to assess, which has been completed. On 22/4/09 Dr Melanie Harris of UNISA, who is the Project Manager, and with the assistance of a number of TPI Veterans, met in TPI House (TPI SA) to review the program and a number of changes were recommended to make the Veterans research much simpler. These changes will be implemented shortly.
The following is text from the MATES website (www.veteransmates.net.au) and provides an overview of the MATES program:
"Factors
such as the increased use of medicines and advancing age can lead to
adverse drug events and hospitalisation through confusion and misadventure
with medicines. Being aware of these factors and of the high usage of
medicines within the veteran community, the Department has developed a new
quality use of
Veterans' MATES uses data from prescription claims to identify members of the veteran community who may be at risk of medication misadventure and provides information which may assist in improving the management of their medicines. The program puts veterans' general practitioners at the centre of the program and aims to build a team approach to veterans' medicines use by including veterans, their carers, their community pharmacists, other medical specialists and health practitioners. An important facet of the program is to inform and raise awareness of a veteran's chronic medical conditions and to encourage improved communication between veterans and members of their healthcare team.
The Veterans' MATES program is delivered in the form of clinical modules every three to four months. Each module focuses on a particular aspect of medicines management."
An e-mail was received today from DVA through National advising of the following which is in line with the last paragraph of the overview of MATES above:
"MATES Module 19, "Do your part to care for your heart' will be mailed in July to veteran patients who have been dispensed a combination of medicines which suggest they may have heart failure.
The corresponding therapeutic brief to treating LMOs & the identified regular dispensing pharmacistwill go out at the same time".
All members should be actively encouraged to view the full list of MATES topics on the website at www.veteransmates.net.au as there may be a health/medicine issue they have that can be resolved through the MATES system.
Swine Flu.
Swine flu is sweeping the world, terrible!! You can see a dramatic example of it HERE
A Stimulus Package.
This was an article from the Canberra Times Newspaper recently. The Business Section asked readers for ideas on "How Would You Fix the Economy?" This was considered the BEST idea.
Dear Mr. Rudd,
Patriotic retirement:
There are about 4 million people over 50 in the work force, pay them $1 million apiece severance with stipulations:
All this and it's still cheaper than the "bailout".
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If
you have a State Seniors card you can now travel around Australia’s major
metropolitan areas, on public transport, for less. Previously, you could
only obtain concession travel in the State in which your seniors card was
issued, but now your card can be used in all states, with the exception of
West Australia, which is expected to fall into line soon. What it means,
for example, is if you live in (say) Queensland and have a seniors moment
and go down to Sydney you can now get a pensioner excursion ticket with
allows you ride the busses, trains and ferries all day – for only $2.50.
The normal fare is $17.00.
assess income from financial investment for pension and allowance
purposes. The deeming rates reflect the returns available to pensioners
from a range of financial investments.
pretty good innings, well, once you have done your bit and
made the magic 65 and put your feet up you can, if you wish, reverse the onward and upward
numbering system and instead start back towards zero. 
medicines program, the Veterans' Medicines Advice and
Therapeutics Education Services (Veterans' MATES) to improve the use of
medicines in the veteran community.