Australia

Reviving Bricks

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The news came out of the blue- totally unexpected. A local solicitor was informing me that a wealthy landholder had just died, leaving me a farm in the foothills of the Nandwear Ranges and $10 million.

A dream soon to be realised.

The most useful asset of the property was the old rambling homestead. In its heyday, “Westview” had been the hub of a community of farm workers, tradesmen and farm managers, but with increasing mechanisation and declining returns, the farm had become just another family farm.

Now it was about to be repurposed. 

I wandered around the homestead. It had been neglected over the last few decades. Weatherboards hung loosely from the wall, floorboards around the verandas were rotten. The roof would have to be replaced, electrical wiring redone, air-conditioning for the summer.

But the potential!

Twelve bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge dining room and living room.

The farm manager’s cottage next door was in a slightly better condition.

Hmmm. I would employ a builder and an interior designer to restore the buildings. Maybe a million or two needed, but lots left over. Maybe a year to restore the place and find some workers. 

Soon I would be able to find the caring compassionate people who would take in abused women and children, care for them in a safe environment and help them to recover.

For many years I had headed a community organisation that ran a women’s refuge, and I had grown frustrated at the red tape and bureaucratic control that comes with Government funding. But now, with income from the farm and from the investment of the left over funds, we could offer the same service, in a better facility and without the burden of distant public servants.

It would take work, lots of it. And people who share the same vision.

But at last it was coming to pass, an answer to prayer.

This was written in response to the WordPress Daily Prompt “Reviving Bricks”

 

Technology to Kill Coal?

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An interesting article from the ABC points out that improving and cheaper technology will make coal powered generation obsolete “within years.” The interesting observation is that “solar plus storage” will be competitive with grid-supplied electricity in many parts of the U.S. within 4 years.

I wonder how that will impact the local coal mines.

Technology, not regulation, will kill coal fired power

By business reporter Stephen Letts

Updated1 hour 20 minutes ago

Liddell power stationPHOTO: Dark clouds are hanging over the future financial viability of coal-fired power. (Mick Tsikas: Reuters)
MAP: United States

The Obama administration’s plan to reduce power plant emissions may be a bold effort to put climate change back on the political agenda, but it doesn’t exactly have the big generators in the US quivering with fear.

Not yet anyway.

In a detailed analysis, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch’s energy team argue the EPA draft rule, which mandates a 30 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, is “a relatively soft requirement.”

On BoA-Merrill Lynch figures, the rule changes to the Clean Air Act effectively amount to a 1 per cent per year reduction in carbon from 2013 levels.

The baseline year for the 30 per cent reduction is 2005, which is pretty well the peak of carbon emissions in the US – only in 2007 were emissions higher.

Since then, the closure of numerous coal fired power stations, the gradual switch to gas fired generation and lower demand have seen emissions in the US fall by about 16 per cent, making any reduction trajectory less onerous.

The BoA-Merrill Lynch team says the EPA’s move had already been anticipated by the market and is not a “material surprise” to valuations. If anything the rule changes are “a light touch”.

However, another report put out by a different investment bank two weeks before the EPA came out with its new carbon rules may give the coal burners a far greater concern for their future.

Full article here

Stop Your Whining

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Australians grizzling about the awful “cut to the bone” budget need to think aobut this comparison with our neighbour New Zealand.

The culmination of almost two decades of mainly populist budgets, the Abbott government will spend $6200 a person on cash welfare next year, over 25 per cent more than New Zealand’s government will on each of its citizens (converting all amounts to Australian dollars).

Education spending, at $2900 a person, is 10 per cent more generous in Australia but health expenditure is torrential by comparison: Australian state and federal governments will lavish more than $4600 a person to keep Australians alive and healthy, almost 50 per cent more than is spent in New Zealand…

Australia’s population of 23.5 million is about 5.2 times New Zealand’s, but as of June last year we had 8.4 times as many public servants…

If the federal government overnight reduced welfare, health and education spending to New Zealand levels it would be rolling in a $40 billion budget surplus next year rather than wallowing in deficit until 2018 or even later…

[Bill] English, now in his sixth year as New Zealand’s Treasurer, commendably chose not to emulate the world’s greatest treasurer Wayne Swan and kept a tight leash on public spending before and after the global financial crisis, preferring to cut income taxes and lift consumption tax. The Key government, facing election again later this year, is now reaping the rewards.

While Australia’s economy is lumbering back to trend growth, New Zealand is enjoying a boom, its economy predicted to grow 4 per cent this year and 3 per cent next without pushing up inflation. The country’s unemployment rate is projected to fall to 4.4 per cent during the next few years as ours hovers around 6 per cent.

Apart from a bloated public sector and a wellspring of whingeing, what does Australia get for its vastly more indulgent public spending? Much higher taxes, for one thing. The marginal income rate most Australians will pay from July — 34.5 per cent — will be higher even than New Zealand’s top 33 per cent rate, which makes a mockery of our 49 per cent top rate, which will be higher than China’s and France’s.

Read more here

Divorce Statistics Are Not True

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You’ve heard that 50% of all marriages end in divorce and that the situation is the same in church as outside, but it’s not the whole story. In fact the reality is much better. This article is based on US data but Australian trends tend to be similar to the US.

Author Debunks Myths About Divorce Rates, Including of Churchgoers

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  • Shaunti Feldhahn
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BY ALEX MURASHKO, CHRISTIAN POST REPORTER
May 16, 2014|9:05 am

Many of the most demoralizing beliefs about marriage, especially when it comes to discouraging statistics commonly passed around, are just not true, says social researcher and best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn.

“A subconscious sense of futility about marriage is everywhere, as everything we hear says marriage is ‘in trouble,'” states Feldhahn. “And while some of the bad news is accurate (for example, 41% of children are born out of wedlock), many of the most demoralizing beliefs just aren’t true. For example, the notion that half of all marriages end in divorce or that the divorce rate is the same in the church… neither are anywhere close to true.”

 

Read the rest of the article here

Apostolic Summit 2014

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Each year, about this time, we travel to Rockhampton for the annual Apostolic Summit, followed by the Sons’ Retreat.

This year the speakers were John Alley and Canadian Kenn Gill. This was Kenn’s second year at the Summit.

Kenn Gill

John used his sessions to talk about the end times and the need for pastors to teach clearly on this topic.

Kenn urged us to think and live apostolically, of which the first goal must be evangelism. We must find our “Jerusalem” and fill it- that is determine our immediate mission field and ensure that everyone is aware of the gospel.

I love the Summit for the energetic worship, meeting old friends and great teaching.

After the Summit we go to the coast where we spend a couple of days with other pastors. While there is some teaching there is more emphasis on sharing together and prayer.

 

Burmese pastors

A feature this year was the presence of quite a few pastors from Myanmar, Indonesia and Africa. Their experiences are very different to ours. Pastor Suum, whom we got to know over the time of the Retreat, shared how he was badly beaten and left to die because of his faith in Christ.

Overall it was a very tiring time, but so worthwhile. I always come away feeling physically drained but spiritually recharged.

Teenagers Drinking Less

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This is very good news for people worried about reports of teens drinking more and taking drugs.

From the ABC:

Half of Australian teenagers avoiding alcohol: study

By Norman Hermant and Alison Branley

A rising number of Australian teenagers are choosing not to drink alcohol, new research shows.

The findings of a survey of more than 2,500 young people published today in the medical journal Addiction shows half of Australian teens do not drink.

Between 2001 and 2010 the number of teens aged 14 to 17 abstaining from alcohol rose from 33 per cent to more than 50 per cent, the research shows.

The study looked at 1,477 teens in 2001 and 1,075 teens in 2010.

Study author Dr Michael Livingston from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre says the trend away from drinking alcohol is widespread and it also reflects similar studies both in Australia and overseas.

“It’s really happening across the whole youth culture,” he said.

“It’s happening for boys and girls, young teenagers and old teenagers, in rich and poor households, for English speaking and non-English speaking groups.”

Teenagers drinking less but not turning to drugs

The study also shows teens have not abandoned alcohol in favour of illegal drugs or smoking.

“In this same group we’ve seen a reduction in drug use. Quite a dramatic one over the same period,” Dr Livingston said.

There’s also a sense that the current generation is very focused on health and well-being and this is one step they’re taking to try and stay fitter and healthier.

Dr Michael Livingston

“These kids are drinking less; they’re not taking drugs.”

Researchers have theories about why young people are making different choices at a time when alcohol is cheaper and more heavily promoted than ever.

“We know from other survey data the general public is getting more concerned about alcohol as a problem and so we’re thinking possibly that’s reflected in parenting practices, also in teenagers’ beliefs,” Dr Livingston said.

“There’s also a sense that the current generation is very focused on health and well-being and this is one step they’re taking to try and stay fitter and healthier.

“There’s some research from Sweden that just engaging in [online] activities, social networking and gaming, is associated with less drinking.”

Good news for Life Education

The study’s findings have been welcomed by Life Education, which teaches Australian primary school students about healthy habits.

National program development manager Robyn Richardson says the research helps bust myths among young people about drinking.

“Children in primary school are telling us that they know that when they go to high school there’s going to be pressures to drink and that most people in high school are drinking and we’re actually readjusting their thinking about that,” she said.

“This report is confirming that normalisation, that there’s safe and healthy choices around drinking and it’s an OK choice not to drink and it’s an OK choice for your friends not to drink.

“The reality is most young people are making great choices about their health and safety.”

Read the article here

Plumber Keith

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These items have been known to cause grown men to cry and/or tear their hair out.

One of them once gave me nightmares for months.

When I bought one from the hardware shop yesterday, the assistant looked sadly at me and said “Good luck with that.”

What is it, you ask, that has this great power to instil such fear?

If you look carefully behind your toilet, perhaps scraping away years of dust and cobwebs, you will see that there is a rubber seal where the pipe from the cistern goes into the toilet pan. Because the water comes down with a fair bit of speed and then runs around the rim of the toilet, there is a lot of turbulence and the joint has to be well sealed.

Hence the rubber device, which has to fit very tightly on both the pipe and the toilet, otherwise you get a very wet floor.

The first time I replaced one, it took me hours to get the large end onto the toilet. Other people seem to have trouble with getting it onto the pipe.

Eventually I went back to the shop and asked what the secret is. It is so simple. You put the pipe end on first then roll the rubber back, turning it inside out. Then you insert the pipe into the pan and unroll the rubber.

Yesterday’s job took me about ten minutes, including removing the old one.

Then Margaret discovered our other toilet also had the same problem.

Two of those in two days, no tears or nightmares.

I should have been a plumber 🙂

Stripy bugs

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One of the unusual features of this hot dry summer has been an abundance of one particular type of bug. The stripy bug is quite pretty to look at, but when they decide to feast on human flesh that pack quite a bite.

They are everywhere- on stressed or dying plants, on the ground, even on cars. Here are a couple I caught on the bonnet of the car this afternoon. The spots are dirt on the car, not specks on the lens

For these photos, I used the Super-macro feature on my camera. I wondered just how sharp these pictures of the bugs were, so I zoomed in and saw this. I was quite impressed!