Time to stop Electing Idiot Politicians 2008-07-21 When we vote for someone to represent us in Parliament, what are we saying to that person?
Okay, I've listened to your policies and heard how you are as a person; I am going to give you my vote. For that vote I expect:
You to ensure that..read on
WHY DO GOVERNMENTS FAIL SO MISERABLY? 2008-07-07 All around the world governments are failing.
It doesn't matter whether people live under mad dictators or benevolent democracies; their leaders are inept at running the country.
Democracies elect their own governments but that doe..read on
ARE WIND FARMS THE ANSWER? 2008-06-17 In Australia in the last few years there has been a huge expansion of wind farms. Because they are a renewable resource with almost no emissions, they are being touted as the answer to all our prayers to reduce the speed global warming catches up wit..read on
A Welcome Visitor 2008-05-18 I heard a noise outside my house. When I investigated there were quite a few neighbours watching a koala climbing a tree. Birds had been dive-bombing the little guy who was frightened and seeking protection.
Close-up to the koala By this tim..read on
How to stuff up a Mighty River 2008-05-11 Australia's mighty River Murray is in danger because of greedy water extraction policies. The upper reaches of the river system have had good rains but almost none of the flows have reached the lower areas in South Australia.
Toxic River Bed
How's..read on
Why Bow to the Queen? 2008-04-22 In a recent visit to Queen Elizabeth 11 the Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd nodded slightly instead of the traditional head bow on meeting the Queen of England. Back in Australia there was some debate that the PM didn't show proper respect to t..read on
Moving Nuclear Waste 2008-04-14 When I reported for work I went with the other security guards to a large area that acted as a meeting room and sometimes as a dining room. The head security guard stood out the front, the doors were locked, guards placed on them. ‘Today we are trans..read on
Is the USA Alliance still good for Australia 2008-04-07 This week Australians have witnessed our new Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, swanning around Washington. Our newspapers and TV screens have been full of self-satisfied grinning faces of Rudd with Bush, and the three presidential candidates.
Aus..read on
Undercover in Nuclear Power Plant 2008-04-08
The sun peeked through the oak trees at dusk as the sea gently lapped onto the rocks along the California coast. The setting sun highlighted Tracy’s hair as I watched the red orb disappear. I felt at peace just for an instant as I took in Tra..read on
Understanding Peer Pressure 2008-03-24 I wrote this article for children. I'm sure some of TheCheers readers have children. Show them this article. It may help to explain the pressure some of their peers place on them and how to deal with it.
Who are your peers?
They are someon..read on
Arse End of the World 2008-03-18
In a land bleached red by the fiery sun, the vehicle sped down the track at the head of the dust cloud, like it was a ship forming a surging wake on a calm sea. The brown smudge rose into the light breeze spreading out over the landscape ling..read on
Is Bindi Irwin Exploited? 2008-03-09 Bindi looks to me to be a beautiful little girl and every time I see her on television I'm pleased to see her talent and enthusiasm, but somehow the primary reaction is sadness.
Before you say that is because she lost her father Steve in suc..read on
The Meeting 2008-03-04 They arrived at about the same time. He came from the left, she from the right. They looked at each other briefly. Then he walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He gazed into her eyes and took her in his arms.
She had changed..read on
Do You Have to be Poor to Succeed? 2008-02-24
It's surprising that many of the successful people in the arts, music, writers, poets, sport, politics, and even in business started from very humble beginnings.
Is there something in us that has to be brought out by a will to succ..read on
Whale Killing - who is Japan trying to kid? 2008-02-09 Japanese whalers must think the rest of the world is stupid. No one is going to accept that killing whales is for research.
How can the photo from the Australian Customs Service, that accompanies this article, be scientific research? Two dea..read on
The Real Story about Heath Ledger 2008-01-27 We read with sadness and watch on television endless stories about the tragic death of the Australian actor Heath Ledger. While I sympathise with his family I am seeing a part of society that bothers me.
Everywhere you go, the supermarket, o..read on
Clash of Cultures 2008-01-14 It's interesting to compare attitudes to cricket's disciplinary processes by Asian teams and by the Australian team. For instance, let's look at three cases, namely Arjuna Ranatunga from Sri Lanka at Adelaide oval, Darren Lehmann from Australia at Br..read on
India getting Beaten - wants go home 2008-01-08 I sat down on Sunday evening and watched on television Australia's miracle win in the Second Cricket Test in Sydney. I thought it would be a good article for my column; I even had the title picked out 'Miracle in Sydney'. By the next morning however,..read on
\'Osama is a lovely Brother\' 2007-12-31 'By the way,' wrote David Hicks in a letter home to his parents in May 2001, 'I have met Osama bin Laden 20 times now, lovely brother, everything for the cause of Islam. The only reason the west calls him the most wanted Muslim is because he's got th..read on
Just a Common old Tuesday - or is it? 2007-12-09 Once again the 11th of December roles around - the 76th anniversary of Australia's Independence - with no recognition of the date, but how can anyone in the great brown land recognise it if they've never heard of it?
It's interesting the re..read on
John Howard\'s Australian Government smashed in a landside defeat 2007-11-27 Saturday November 24th proved to be a bad day for Prime Minister John Howard.
The Australian people said we want change. They elected the Labor Party led by Kevin Rudd in emphatic fashion.
Labor will have a majority of about 25 sea..read on
The Great Interest Rate Con. 2007-11-11 Reserve Banks or whatever their equivalent in countries around the world is orchestrating the biggest confidence trick ever known to mankind.
The great gullible public are told that interest rates have to rise and fall to control a country's..read on
ESCAPE 2007-11-04 December 1944 – Forest near Cochem, Germany.
Rolf hid behind a tree, adjusted his binoculars, and watched Friedrich slowly approach the farmhouse. A pale moon laid its beams over the landscape, and Rolf was having difficulty keeping his friend in f..read on
Women Leading the New Revolution 2007-10-29 Business is learning that to attract women employees, changes are necessary to employment conditions. At the same time, the bottom line looks much better when arrangements are made to attract this dynamic part of the workforce.
With near ful..read on
The Way to Live is to Kill 2007-10-21 The late afternoon sun played on the trees, casting moving shadows across the ground. The rabbit sat peacefully on top of the burrow nibbling grass and furtively gazing around as the sun caught its grey fur then seemed to encircle the animal with a h..read on
What is it about Strong women that makes us feel uncomfortable? 2007-10-14 The very ambitious Julia Gillard the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Opposition is one such woman but for some reason both men and women fail to warm to her. If she were a man, her achievements and how she conducts herself would mean she would ..read on
ProTour Cycling Goes Down Under 2007-10-01 ProTour Cycling Goes Down Under.
President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UC), Mr Pat McQuaide, announced the ProTour series will kick off in South Australia in January 2008.
‘I’m very pleased with the news today from the Pro..read on
My Father my Friend 2007-10-08 I watched the spider weave a web in the wattle tree. It tested the wind as the web slowly formed into an intricate construction entirely symmetrical and perfect. The sun filtered through the web showing exquisite silvery strands that looked more beau..read on
Comedy Team makes the World laugh at APEC security 2007-09-23 APEC security breached by Comedy Team.
Sydney Australia, Thursday the 6 September 2007, Security for the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) was breached by a team of comedians from the popular Australian Broadcast..read on
The Funeral 2007-09-03 The telegram from his mother arrived at Yantanya Station for Bill Kelly like a bolt out of the blue. Although he was aware his father was ill, he was summoned home for Patrick’s funeral.
The rain swept across the Aldgate cemetery as Bill obs..read on
Okay for Wannabe Australian Prime Minister to visit Strip Club 2007-08-30 If you want to be the Australian Prime Minister is it okay to visit a strip club and ogle semi nude women?
‘Yes,’ say the Australian people.
The leader of the Labor Party, Kevin Rudd, admitted to visiting Scores Strip Club in New Yo..read on
Jezebel 2007-08-19
Near Brinkworth South Australia - 1931
Reg Edwards pulled the waterproof around his young shoulders as he drove the dray and watched the stinging rain bounce off the horse’s back. Rolling grey-black clouds were forming in the distanc..read on
My Granddaughter\'s Visit 2007-08-13 There is a special relationship grandparents have with their grandchildren. It’s hard to define why but maybe it has something to do with the authority of the children’s parents and somehow the grandparents become children again to their children and..read on
The Wintry wiles and whales of Victor Harbor 2007-08-06
My wife and I wanted a romantic holiday where we could just laze around and take it easy. We wanted a real holiday, instead of a marathon of planes and taxis and humping luggage around.
A Victor Harbor letting agent in South Austral..read on
Is the World Changing too fast? 2007-07-29 After I wrote my last article about ‘What does Al Qaida want’ a friend of mine suggested that the problem is just resistance to change.
It is a human condition to refuse to accept c..read on
Angel 2007-07-21
Cairo Egypt - 1941
The first thing Private Jeff Douglas remembered was a moan and he wondered where it was coming from. He was in a fog and it was slowly clearing and he realised the noises were coming from him. Between the groans there was ..read on
What Does Al-Qaeda Want? 2007-07-15 What does Al-Qaeda want? What are their aims? What will stop them from sending out their killers (or freedom fighters from their perspective) to cause havoc on the world?
The United States Department of Defense defines the organisation as –
..read on
Mersa El Brega 2007-07-13 Tripoli Libya – March 1941
Rolf marched through the streets with the thousands of soldiers of the Deutsches Africa Korps. He looked down the marching line and felt a rush of excitement and pride. He saluted the task force commander, General Italo Ga..read on
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. 2007-07-01 What is the base impulse that makes some of the human race want to abuse children? What is it in the community that allows this to be tolerated and turns a blind eye to the destruction of children? This abuse is happening in Australia, a supposedly f..read on
The Third of August 2007-06-23
Tobruk North Africa – August 3rd 1941
In the early hours of the morning, the Australians waiting in the assembly area knew what was about to happen but the noise still came as a shock. Seventy Australian guns of all calibres crashed ..read on
Howard Australian Government in Trouble. 2007-06-17
Australian Government in trouble.
You would expect if you were a democratically elected government, the economy is the best in the region, there is almost full employment, your people are prosperous, the poor are well supported by social securit..read on
Getting Ready 2007-06-16 Bill Kelly, John Cross, and Daisy Day, with the rest of the 2nd 43rd Battalion boarded a troop train at 06:00 hours for Brisbane in Queensland. After their return from El Alamein in 1943 and home leave they were on their way again. In a Brisbane pub,..read on
Oh! What a world? 2007-06-07 It seems as if it’s a human condition to focus on the negative. Read any newspaper and for some reason they believe that we only want to read bad news stories. Those of us who live in democracies have it rammed down our throats how bad a government i..read on
Staying alive 2007-05-26
‘A’ Company moved out at El Alamein in 1942 to an assembly area one thousand yards southeast. They encountered light machine gun fire from a ridge to the front. Company command ordered the platoon onto a full frontal attack; Steve’s rifle bla..read on
Jezebel 2007-05-10 Near Brinkworth South Australia - 1931
Reg Edwards pulled the waterproof around his young shoulders as he drove the dray and watched the stinging rain bounce off the horse’s back. Rolling grey-black clouds were forming in the distance. The menace of..read on
Slaughter of the Innocents 2007-05-06 Anzac Day in Australia has come and gone for another year. This holiday commemorates the day Australian and New Zealand soldiers stormed ashore at Gallipoli in 1915 to confront the Turkish Army. They not only showed extreme courage and suffered over ..read on
Home from the War 2007-04-29
The stars shone on a clear night as Bill walked down the main street of Clare. Many times, he had gazed at the stars in the Northern Hemisphere and now he felt at home again as he picked out the Southern Cross and the night skies seem..read on
Will David Hicks live Happily ever after? 2007-04-22 Now that the hearings for David Hicks have been decided, he will soon be leaving Guantanamo Bay to serve out his sentence in South Australia. Does that mean he will live happily ever after?
His first obstacle is to get out of the clutches of..read on
Medal for John 2007-04-15 Lieutenant John Tapp struggled up the rain soaked mountain track. It was 1944 on the Huon Peninsula, New Guinea. He looked out over the mountain valleys, as the mist seemed to float down and kiss the tops of the trees. The beauty of the countryside d..read on
Will the Real David Hicks Stand UP 2007-04-08
Most of the news reports have been about how badly the US and Australian Governments have handled the capture and subsequent incarceration of Hicks.
But, what about the man?
This is important for the people of Adelaide like the w..read on
Horace the Horse 2007-04-01 Internal demons were attacking Laurie again. He kept telling himself to forget it, just do your bloody job and stay alive. The only way he could keep his revulsion for killing under control was to put it out of his mind. His way to cope with the war ..read on
The car and the penis 2007-03-25 Road traffic accidents, traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents, and crashes kill an estimated 1,200,000 people worldwide each year and injure an estimated 48,000,000 people. If we quote..read on
Jivevenang 2007-03-17
Rain sent rivers of water cascading down the mountain track making it slippery and hard to find a foothold. Private Glen Jones struggled up the path towards Jivevaneng where 'A' Company was ordered to relieve 'D' Company of the 2/17th Battali..read on
Drought is on the Land 2007-03-13
Unfortunately, Australia was settled by the English who brought their northern temperate practices to a drought-prone country. So, we see acres of lawn, northern hemisphere plants, and trees that require extra water above what the climate can..read on
The Battle 2007-03-04
When darkness came, Private Kev Kendall looked over at Private Mick Smith, who returned an anxious glance. Soldiers were sucking in air. It was electric with anticipation. A golden moon climbed through the fast dwindling storm clouds ..read on
Politics of Global Warming 2007-02-25
World leaders have to overcome centuries of products that have made living easy for some people - mostly the rich nations. These commodities and the easy living they provided have contributed to global warming.
How do our leaders ..read on
Bad Government Decisions to Cost Australia Billions 2007-02-10 The decision to withhold funding to the railways and promote road transport over Government run rail transport meant Australians paid dearly. Trains cause less pollution, are far safer, and should be carrying more freight and passengers. The Road Tra..read on
Australia\'s Secret Independence 2007-02-05 There was no struggle of Australia wanting to go it alone or wars being fought. No dramatic lowering of one flag and the raising of another. No, it was the other way around. It was Great Britain that pushed Australia kicking and screaming into indepe..read on
THE AWAKENING 2007-02-17 After the darkness, there was a faint glow. He was living in a dim soundless world. He couldn’t remember the gloom but he knew it was there. What was that faint glow? What did it all mean?
He felt a pain in his head and he tried to lift his hand but..read on