US rejects stingy tag, and praises Australia

The United States has rejected claims it had been stingy in its response to the disaster amid criticism that it was giving less than the country spends in a single hour in Iraq.

As the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, answered the critics, the Bush Administration announced it would more than double its aid package to $US35million ($45million) and indicated more was on the way.


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Waves of destruction wash away belief in God's benevolence

"Why did you do this to us, God? What did we do to upset you?" asked a woman in India this week, a heart-wrenching question asked in common these past few days by Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and Christians. Nothing could have prepared us for what happened when the tsunami unleashed its terror. So we seek answers where answers are hard to come by, in either secular or sacred realms.


Waves of destruction wash away belief in God's benevolence

My Way - Sports News

SALISBURY, Md. (AP) - Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps was sentenced to 18 months' probation Wednesday after pleading guilty to drunken driving.

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Sri Lanka Kalutara Beach

srilanka_kalutara_beach_dec26_2004_dg
Originally uploaded by bakkeldotcom.

This is a view of the beach taken from the Digital Globe Quickbird satellite. Notie how far the ocean has retreated before pounding back to shore again. The small white squares to the right are houses and other structures. You can see thier size compared to the tsunami wave.

Donations, but NYE harbour party to go on

The Lord Mayor's office said yesterday the celebrations would not be changed in light of the tsunami tragedy in Asia. The City of Sydney had already pledged $50,000 to Oxfam's relief fund, and people would be encouraged to donate during tomorrow night's event.

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Port Macquarie and Crescent Head

A big wind came up last night. It was a classic southerly buster and blew about the house quite violently all night. Today I awoke to more bad news from South East Asia. The wind was blowing harder still.

We took David over to Wauchope to send him back to his father at Tascott. He will go and stay with his cousins in Queanbeyan over the next week or so. After that we decided that we'd go for a drive to Crescent Head and given the weather that was the best thing to do. The day was sunny enough but the wind made swimming an unattractive option. We got back to Port Macqaurie about 10:30 then set off again for Crescent Head.

We encountered some banked up traffic about 1 kilometre from the turn off for Crecent Head so it wasn't too bad. At Crescent Head we got some grilled fish and sat by the waterfront having some lunch. We then went back to what I'm calling "the best bakery since Beechworth Vic". The apple turnovers and cream and the cream buns were just perfect. I've made a note to go there next time we are up that way - it's worth the 20 klms to drive off National 1.

We drove up to the lookout and nearly got flipped over by the wind. It was howling up there. It blew me back into the car when I got out at one stage. Theres a few photos from the town which I will post up here soon.

Tonight we went to the Westport Bowling Club for dinner. It was good feed for very few dollars. The view from the club is excellent - looking out over the inner harbour of Port Macquarie.

Thats all for today .... looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Sydney to Port Macquarie

Left Sydney today about 10:15 bound for Port Macquarie to meet up with Margie. The traffic was heavy northbound on the F3 so I took my time and ended up at the service centres (Tuggerah) in time for lunch. As I droe along the freeway I could see a large black cloud building to the north and without further warning the heavens opened up with some heavy rain and pea sized hail.

The lightning was flanging every few seconds but I dared not stop to get a few pictures because of the heavy traffic. I made it to the service centre and got a burger and a drink for lunch.

After a half hour stop (possibly less) I took off again for Port. I took a brief "comfort stop" at Freemans Waterhole. The old Oak factory is a shadow of it's former self. It's a shame about that because they used to have great milkshakes. I decided to take the Cessnock exit off the F3 and travel through Maitland, Patterson, Dungog, Gloucester and Krambach because I knew there would be heavy traffic at the end of the "3". There was (heard it on the radio as I cruised through Maitland).

Patterson was a pretty little place (I hadn't been there before) and was shocked that the main north railway travels straight through the town, with feet to spare either side of the line for the train to pass. Any wonder trains are constantly late in this state !

Onwards through Dungog and Gloucester. The roads are crap in this part of the state. Thr road improved slightly after Gloucester in the run down the hills to Krambach. I noted the amount of new calves in the paddocks which is a good sign for drought recovery. There was a lot of green compared to the last time I was up that way.

Finally I rejoined the Pacific Highway at Nabiac and Amish community. The petrol price at the Ampol service station was ridiculous. I mean at 106.9 cents per litre, it was a good 16 cents per litre dearer than Sydney. You can't tell me it costs 16 cents per litre in a 40,000 litre truck to carry fuel from Sydney to Nabiac. It's greed pure greed. Stay away from the Ampol at Nabiac !

I travelled on through the Taree Bypass and on to Kew, where I was convinced there would be a traffic hold up. There wasn't a car to be seen ... except for the Police at the side of the road trying to nab the unsuspecting errant driver in the 60kph zone.

At last, after a long drive I arrived in Port Macquarie at about 17:30 for a well earned rest and a great BBQ dinner thanks to Margarets mother, Wendy.

26 Dec '04 Batu Ferringhi - Tsunami

26 Dec '04 Batu Ferringhi
Originally uploaded by not_the_1st_dave.

People watching one of the many tsunami waves come in.

Sri Lanka Tsunami Damage

Sri Lanka Tsunami Damage
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

From www.news.com.au in Australia - water innundates low lying areas of Sri Lanka.

EARTHQUAKE BULLETIN - 2004/12/26 07:07 M 5.7 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION Z= 10km 10.34N 93.76E

2004/12/26 07:07 M 5.7 ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION Z= 10km 10.34N 93.76E

This information is provided by the USGS
National Earthquake Information Center.
(Address problems to: sedas@ghtmail.cr.usgs.gov)

These parameters are preliminary and subject to revision.

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake IN THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION has occurred
at:
10.34N 93.76E Depth 10km Sun Dec 26 07:07:09 2004 UTC

Time: Universal Time (UTC) Sun Dec 26 07:07:09 2004
Time Near Epicenter Sun Dec 26 12:37:09 2004
Eastern Standard Time (EST) Sun Dec 26 02:07:09 2004
Central Standard Time (CST) Sun Dec 26 01:07:09 2004
Mountain Standard Time (MST) Sun Dec 26 00:07:09 2004
Pacific Standard Time (PST) Sat Dec 25 23:07:09 2004
Alaska Standard Time (AST) Sat Dec 25 22:07:09 2004
Hawaii Standard Time (HST) Sat Dec 25 21:07:09 2004

Location with respect to nearby cities:
185 km (115 miles) SE of Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India
260 km (160 miles) N of Misha, Nicobar Islands, India
825 km (510 miles) WSW of BANGKOK, Thailand
2655 km (1650 miles) SE of NEW DELHI, Delhi, India

For maps, additional information, and subsequent updates,
please consult: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

It's over for another year

DSC00100
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Well it's done. The Christmas feast is over for another year and thanks to Mum boy did we eat. Lot's of meats, salads, and prawns. We snacked all morning then ate a huge lunch, topped off with pudding and custard. A great day all round. More pictures here.

Arthur & Kevin on Christmas Day

DSC00047
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

After a laughter filled night reminiscing the on night before Christmas, Arthur and Kevin reunited again on Christmas morning to share some more jokes and mateship.

Christmas Tree

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepinrazor/2489273/

stepinrazor posted a photo:

Related...

Christmas Lights in NYC

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stepinrazor/2488981/

stepinrazor posted a photo:

One day I'd love to be in NYC during Christmas. The lights look great. On New Years Eve in Times Square, Australian Swimmer Ian Thorpe will be honoured with eight other athletes as New York gears up for it's bid for the Olympic Games in 2012.

A north-bound approach to Saks.

Sydney Airport scheduled Santa

Sydney Airport scheduled Santa
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Was browsing the Sydney Airport site to see if there are delayed flights due to the storms, and discovered this (screenshot). I thought it was great .... nice to see a much maligned organisation getting into the spirit of things.

It's Done !

Weather Radar at 15:40 23/12/04
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

It's done. 2004 is done and the Christmas preparations are done. This afternoon Sydney is ringed by rain for once. In previous years we have been ringed by bushfires and plagued by drought. Many places in the bush still are. The traffic has eased except near the Fish Market.

One of the most extrordinary things this afternoon was a call from my boss telling me not to come back until the end of January. I was planning two weeks at the end of the month but now I am off for the next five weeks. I still have lots of work to do so I guess i'll still do that but from home and then send it back to work when it's done. I still can't believe it ... I hope I don't get bored !

Theres thunder in the air outside at the moment and authorities are keeping a close eye out at the airport. It's the busiest day of the year at Sydney Airport.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Traffic

Sydney traffic is legendary. Today I had to go to a meeting in Homebush. After that I went back to North Ryde. The queue to get into the place where I park was horrendous, so much so that I am now back 15klms across town at Homebush posting this message. I'll be glad when Christmas is all over. But I will still enjoy the day with family and friends.

Singapore Christmas

x'mas0010
Originally uploaded by Cheryl.

Just to further illustrate my previous blog ... the people in Singapore know how to celebrate Christmas. They are not offended by Christmas even though many of them have other beliefs. So what's the problem Clover ?

Christmas Decorations

Christmas Decorations 2
Originally uploaded by gwENvision.

Now this is one of the better displays I've seen. One day I'll get around to doing this. Christmas lights have really taken off in Australia over the past few years. It's just a disgrace that the Lord Mayor of Sydney doesnt think Christmas is a tradition for our city. Time to wake up Clover and stop dreaming with the fairies at the bottom of the garden.

iPod Socks for Christmas

Ellie and Steve's iPod Socks
Originally uploaded by garrettmurray.

How cool are these ? Almost everyone in thier lifetime gets socks at Christmas or birthdays but now days theres a new variation on an old theme. Try these on for size ... iPod socks for your iPod of course. Merry Christmas.

Christmas Forecast

Somehow it won't feel the same without a hot day in the kitchen, sunburn, cold drinks ... the colder the better, splashing in the pool and trying to stay cool in front of the fan or air conditioner. Hang on ... what am I saying. The forecast is for more clouds than sun ... but as long as the family is together .... the weather doesn't matter.

Christmas forecast cloudy - National - www.smh.com.au

Oh God

Oh God
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

This is a Christmas message with a difference. Very inventive, resourceful and witty, these folks are.

Pillow Time

pillow time
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

What every lonely single Japanese man needs this Christmas. Especially for late nights in a Shinjuku capsule hotel.

Taxi Driver Training London Style

A lot gets said about taxi drivers and thier skills at this time of year. People everywhere are trying to catch cabs in Sydney to shuffle from one party to another and back again. This post (found on a weblog) tells a story about what potential cab drivers go though in London to get thier license.

Cab driver training London style

More Flowers

DSCF0478
Originally uploaded by ansend.

Another one of Dave's excellent flower shots.

Daves Flowers

DSCF0477
Originally uploaded by ansend.

I got Dave to sign up for a flickr account tonight. He has posted some pictures of the flowers and native plants he's been growing over the past 12 months. This one really is astounding in detail.

Sydney 2000 Pin Collections

00001045
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

I've started scanning all the pins in my collection and loading up all the other scans I have of olympic pins from Sydney 2000. The hope is, and after some long hous is to have them split into sets on flickr to show what I have in my collection and what ones i'd like.

Sydney

Sydney
Originally uploaded by David Dean.

This is probably one of the better shot's I've seen of Sydney from the air for a long time. It's also from a different angle than most others. By the looks of the wing to the top right the picture was taken from an A330. Well done David.

The 8.16 Hornsby Service

This gets my blog of the year award. Good on yer mate :-)

Read -The 8.16 Hornsby Service

Bondi Beach - Storm Approaching

Bondi beach: storm approaching
Originally uploaded by Philby.

The storms of Monday afternoon were spectacular. This shot was taken on Bondi Beach just before it hit. The front is very well defined in this shot.

Sydney's seafood ambassador dies

Sydney al-fresco dining and seafood pioneer Peter Doyle Snr has died aged 72. Ask any Sydneysider where the best place to eat is and almost always in the top five is Doyles at Watsons Bay.

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A Day in the Life of a Webmaster

People often ask me what does a Webmaster do ? Well someone has decided to put it down in writing. I don't do all the stuff that this guy does but it certainly relates to my chores.

A Day in the Life of a Webmaster

Hell unleashed in raging torrent

Freak storms that swept Sydney and the east coast yesterday left one man dead, closed three airports and battered passenger jets with hail as big as fists.

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Yarra flows into Games opening role

After months of speculation, Melbourne 2006 organisers have confirmed that the Yarra River will play a major role in the opening ceremony of the 2006 Games.



Yarra flows into Games opening role - National - www.theage.com.au

Super-sized Oscar hopes

Morgan Spurlock ate McDonalds for a month and documented his findings in a film. Now that film is being warmed, grilled and toasted for a possible Best Documentary nomination for the Academy Awards. What frightens me is that Mr Spurlock is obviously talented enough to make a documentary file but dumb enough to treat his body like this.

I mean duh ! of course it'll make you fat and depressed ! Soooo ... whats the point of the movie ? To have fun at fat peoples expense ? Uh ...don't go there.

Super-sized Oscar hopes - Film - www.smh.com.au

International Volunteers Day

Today, December 5th is International Volunteers Day and I had the priveledge of attending a launch event for the RAS Volunteer Program at Sydney Showground, in Olympic Park.

The gathering was addressed by Roger Perkins, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Society (RAS),(see picture) Sha Cordingley, CEO of Volunteering Australia and others including volunteers Laurie Smith and Mavis Booth.

Some two hundred volunteers attended the event and left the meeting inspired, enthused and ready to help put on another great Easter Show for our friends from the bush, Sydney, and Australia.

In addition the volunteer program is to be expanded and cover more events at the Showground over the entire year.

Blog is the word

A four letter word - BLOG has become the word of the year !

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Cokelore (Feel the Curves!)

Now this is amazing. The things people will get up to !

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Cokelore (Feel the Curves!)

Sydney after the hailstorm

Sydney after the hailstorm
Originally uploaded by incitatus.

I just had to post this photo of Sydney. It was taken after the September 5th hailstorm and is one of the most spectacular illiminated storm pics I have seen.