The Daily Gaggle

Once Formosa as I knew it during conflict back in 45, Taiwan, after a few transitions meaning departing Nip pongoes and the arrival of Chiang kai shek fleeing national army in disarray pursued by Commo Mau, has now settled down after 50 years of confrontation to a Mexican stand off situation. although the general feeling is that conflict between the Sino Nats and Commo regime is becoming less likely each day. Part of this statement forms the opinion provided by recently returned Mr Ho,MD, whose revelations have prompted me to re-issue a former post on this blog. For those who enjoy Chinese tucker, click yer chopsticks on this. YUK YUK. But it's true, Dogs are still on the menu in TAIWAN and not just one type of dog, but any breed. This practice of rustling and eating your neighbours best friend is not new, but some unwary tourists found out too late that, the bone they were eating the meat from; that which they would normally give to Rover, was none other than Rover himself. I have...

HAVING a convicted criminal call you in your home sounds a little bit unsettling — particularly if they’re still serving time when they do it. And if prisoner number 31047 tried to sell you some raffle tickets for a worthy charity you might be forgiven for being a tad cynical. And yet there’s every chance you may have already received such a call and - if you’re a generous sort - maybe even made a donation, all without ever knowing you were talking to a criminal. It’s also possible that your kids go to school in a demountable classroom put together by convicts in Cessnock or drink milk processed by prisoners at Emu Plains. It might be strange to think about it but prison labour is used in a whole bunch of industries across the state and so, one might say, why not telemarketing? The blunt truth is this: No one wants criminals re offending when they get out of jail; they are much less likely to re offend if they have a job; they are much more likely to get a job if they have training and...

I haven't had much opportunity to write a post, my time mostly being taken up by more pressing activities within the home and those concerning relatives and my dear friends from the now defunct 'HMS KING GEORGE V' Association which was wound up on Friday Sept 25. There were just seven of us in the Australian by choice members left from the crew of that famous British battleship, which ended her war years in the Pacific and returning to Sydney Sept 27, 65 years ago, at age 83 I am now the youngest member. Let me quote the words of someone myself and others rubbed shoulders with during the long drawn out periods of action within the pacific campaign particularly the dreadful operation Iceberg which claimed so many lives. The words of Vice admiral Bernard Rawlings "I am not certain that those at home have any idea of what these long operating periods mean, nor of the strain put on those serving on these ships, so many of whom, both officers and men were mere children. In ...

For dramatic pictures referred to in my blog, .......GOOGLE ...Sydney Daily Telegraph Sept 24 .09 These pics are amazing. you may comment on my blog.

Today here on the Central Coast of NSW Australia we are approaching mid spring. The Sun shining over a immense mantle of dust kilometers high is penetrating through to the interior of our house; despite that every conceivable entry has been sealed, It is doubtful much out door activity will take place today and my major concern is for those whose livelihood will be affected also asthma sufferers. Yesterday in Unclesamland an old guy reputedly turned 113 years of age, this I find hard to believe as his origins seem a trifle sketchy. However not so one birthday boy who turns 55 today, Whilst I was serving with the British Navy, Christopher our eldest was born in the British Military Hospital in Singapore to Rosemary my nearest and dearest who was a sweet little twenty year old at the time. Rosemary is still sweet but a little older. Christopher can join in the B/Day celebrations with approximately 59,725 other Australians from our new revised population figure of 22.8 Million. Lifespan o...

It could be that the working person has one way of cutting back on spending in order to top up the mortgage and other high fiscal outgoings and that is by staying home with a slab of tinnies and cheap plonk for er indoors, this is becoming the in thing. This is not a new conception but an echo from the past when shanks pony was the main mode of transport and robbers lurked around darkened corners to bail up unsuspecting intoxicated wayfarers. sadly these have been replaced by people called bobbies cops garda's and other unsavoury names like Govt revenue gatherers. By inviting your friends around on a reciprocal basis and arranging a designated driver or pick up or a Cab can cut the costs of having a social gathering enormously. Most (grown up)families have facilities for entertaining to implement this , although I would not recommend this sort of going on where young children may become involved. Although policing these indoor activities does raise questions. however choosing caref...

Bills, accounts to sort out and other domestic renovations cleaning and gardening chores have taken over my time during the past four weeks. Relatives calling and a more calm Pr/Son, have taken toll of our time, so maybe this weekend we may get out and about. It has rained about three times but briefly within the past month, today and yesterday the temp reached 32 Cel, indoors it is still in the mid 20's we would normally have the heat on in the evenings until mid spring in the Sth/Hemisphere. Out shopping recently I finally had a showdown with a local butchery within a shopping complex. Asking for six Forequarter Lamb chops on display, The guy probably with a thumb on the scale filled a bag from behind the counter with the scrag ends from the lamb Forequarter. With a large audience of women, I the tipped the scrag ends onto the counter and demanded those that I had asked for. the bloke serving replied if you don't like them 'Piss off". I did just that, and so did the ...

It's not that we're really old but you may remember some of these, I did :) Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?' 'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him. 'All the food was slow.' 'C'mon, seriously. Where did you eat?' 'It was a place called 'at home,'' I explained ! 'Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.' By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it : Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis , set foot on a...

Budgewoi NSW OZ 11:35 am Frid Sept 4. 09. Keeping it a secret from our number five son, our trip overseas was disclosed on our return when he bucked up courage to apologise for his unseemly behaviour over the past year or so. Finally arriving with daughters over the past W/E together with new B/F. Although tension reigned throughout the visit, it finally concluded amicably followed by a sigh of relief from nearest and dearest and myself. Since returning from the U/K much of my time has been spent in the garden, also any moment I expect a call from number four son who will be laying a new kitchen floor plus new carpet for the stairs and upper hallway. Being that it is Friday and two days away from 'Fathers Day', it would not surprise me if the Wife's bedroom curtain replacement project will join the confusion. Fortunately the pain in my right foot which arrived four days ago has disappeared overnight, maybe getting ones leg over may have been the answer. Back after lunch. 12...

This sad news will most likely be hidden from view by OZ national newspapers between a 'Hair loss Advert and one giving a ten per cent discount for a treatment for hemorrhoids. Have a thoughtful day , Vest. Watch Sport news bulletin IN ASSOCIATION WITH Sport Homepage Cricket England Latest scores Results Fixtures Averages Squad Squad selector Sport Feeds RSS feed A-Z of Sports Related BBC sites News Weather npower Test Match Series: England v Australia 20-08-2009 at The Brit Oval, Day 4 of 5 England beat Australia by 197 runs England won the toss and decided to bat England 1st Innings 332 all out (90.5 overs) England 2nd Innings 373 for 9 (95.0 overs) Australia 1st Innings 160 all out (52.5 overs) Australia 2nd Innings 348 all out (102.2 overs) England 1st Innings - All out Runs Balls 4s 6s Strauss c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 55 101 11 0 Cook c Ponting b Siddle 10 12 2 0 Bell b Siddle 72 137 10 0 Collingwood c M Hussey b Siddle 24 65 3 0 J Trott run out 4...

It is two days since my wife Rosemary, son Chris and yours truly arrived in Sunny Sydney and were greeted after clearing customs with a stiff breeze with a wind chill factor of 8 deg Cel, mind you the Summer temp in London's Heath row airport was about 10 Cel. The journey out and returning included a cabin baggage check, this resulted in having a small pair of scissors a nail file and for some odd reason a plastic jar of Rosemary's face cream siezed as dangerous items, However, strange as it may seem, steel knives and forks were available in the departure lounge eateries and tough plastic knives on board the plane. The 14.5 hour nonstop journey to Abu Dhabi, followed by a 7 hour trip to Heath row was as boring as one might expect, then the prospects of a similar reverse journey was constantly on our minds during our visits to numerous relatives and friends during our stay in the UK. It would be doubtful that BA or Qantas would be more comfortable but our deal with Emirates save...

I returned from the land of hope and glory 24 hours ago. I shall be resting awhile due to the lack of sleep. Will be back soon.

Vest, Yours truly was nineteen years of age on that day sixty four years ago when the test bomb exploded in the New Mexico desert. I do not recall any joyful activity on my part and the day was as meaningless as the continual visits from the 'One way Ticketed Divine Wind' Japanese Air force planes to the British Pacific Fleet. Mind you Uncle Sam's Boys were constantly visited being they were soft targets compared to the Brits. Its true, over a period of six months the yanks lost over forty ships, the Brit fleet of 70 ships lost none. The 'A' Bombs were responsible for preventing a possible hundred fold more lives should the conventional warfare had continued to the bitter end. However unlike some poor souls I am still here with most of my faculties and still able to remember. For you Muzzles out there, July 16 ad 622, the Muslim calendar began. And at 2100hrs BST on July 16 1969, Apollo 11 took off for the Moon. Also on July 16 1966, Simply lucky to make it through,...

Here is the safe bet for the week, Were English cricketers cheating? Daily Telegraph July 14 (Bastard day-sorry Bastille Day) Vote here. An evens bet would double your dosh, Of course a bunch of one eyed morons suffering from a bout of sour grapes would scream yes, then I was surprised to note the "No" vote also proved that not every cricket follower was as biased as the majority. In my opinion the the most dramatic part of the first test at Cardiff where the pitch resembled a Cow paddock, was the final hour. The look of utter confidence within the OZ team when the wickets tumbled and the final pair of Pommy no hopers in the batting sense were faced with the daunting task of saving the game. With sixty six balls to be bowled, the final pair did the unthinkable and batted for fifty minutes and saved the game, both not out at the end, maybe the result was due to the piss poor pedestrian bowling by the gaily prancing-cuddling over confident arrogant attitude of the team administ...

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio ... To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 recently, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone. 8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present. 12. It's OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don...

This is hilarious! There is not one dirty word in it, and it is funny!-- The Smiths were unable to conceive children and decided to use a surrogate father to start their family. On the day the proxy father was to arrive, Mr. Smith kissed his wife goodbye and said, 'Well, I'm off now. The man should be here soon.' Half an hour later, just by chance, a door-to-door baby photographer happened to ring the doorbell, hoping to make a sale. 'Good morning, Ma'am', he said, 'I've come to...' 'Oh, no need to explain,' Mrs. Smith cut in, embarrassed, 'I've been expecting you.' 'Have you really?' said the photographer. 'Well, that's good. Did you know babies are my specialty?' 'Well that's what my husband and I had hoped. Please come in and have a seat !. After a moment she asked, blushing, 'Well, where do we start?' 'Leave everything to me. I usually try two in the bathtub, one on the couch, and perhap...

Of course it is easy for the likes of myself to blather on about staying at home taking it easy. Being a person with many options; mostly whether I do it or not, all depending on my state of mind at that particular time, a person in the workforce does not have this luxury and in most case's pulls a sickie if he hasn't already used them up to watch sporting activities. However this is mainly for those workaholics and sadly in some cases people totally dependent on being there or being fired. THE CASE We are currently being bombarded with television adverts encouraging us to take Codral Cold Tablets so that we can continue to go to work despite suffering from coughs, colds and even influenza. The implication is that by "soldiering on" you are being brave and conquering adversity, and that Codral Cold Tablets will help you win the war. In fact, you are being stupid and anti-social. As I have written before, "there is no evidence based research indicating that over t...

Bargain priced 'No Frills' cars and utes(pickups) Guaranteed to spend more time being repaired than being of practical use to the owner are now on sale in NSW OZ. Now you would expect these soon to be rust buckets to be significantly cheaper when compared to the trustworthy history of other models that Tradesmen and ute lovers have become accustomed to, well they 'ain't mate', they are just a nibbling bit off the the regular mob prices but that's where it ends and your maintenance cost on these piss poor Chinese chariots become more expensive to support than Paris Hilton with six kids. A duo of these utes are now in Oz, both of these inferior vehicles are lacking some of the most basic safety features which are mandatory in other vehicles made or allowed into Australia. It is a pity I'm forbidden to use the 'F' word to describe the pair of 'Great Wall' named utes of differing power packages. However, a tradesman hitting a wall in ether of the...

March 2009 Andrew B .The Perfection Fascist. Andrew B, I have known for close up to thirty years from his age of approx 40. Andrew reminds me of Rowan Atkinson a bit; plus a super nerd with an answer to the worlds problems at his finger tips, at times he can be flippant and angry at what most people would regard as sufficient information to make a point during discourse. Physically non violent, Andrew will remain my friend regardless of his recent outbursts. Andrew's most recent outburst in an Email received today follows that of his rebuke regarding a recent post in which I posted a 'Joke Poem' , submitted by my bean counting friend Graeme, in the post titled. WRIGLEYS CHEWING GUM 9 March 09, in which Andrew submitted the following stupid corrections. Vest said... Andrew: my right to reply, without further remarks, regarding your audacity to infer that my English is imperfect. It is something I am already aware of. The following Email was sent to me by a friend Andrew B. W...

Andrew B ims. I have spared you the indignity of exposure by not posting your vitriolic email contents worldwide although you will be aware by now a selected number of associates do have the full contents. Remember, True friendship is unconditional, at least it is with me. Andrew: May the almighty, grant you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Have a thoughtful day, Vest.