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Table of contents


About Australia Accent

Editorial policy


Australian Copyright legalities

Article Submissions

 

 

Thought-full HOME page


Humour section

Quick thoughts


Scams


Gripes


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Australians for Palestine

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Amnesty International
Amnesty International Australia

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Greenpeace International

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10-01-2012


Be VERY WARY about giving gift cards.
They can be a big rip-off.


I received a " Big W" gift card for a Christmas present.
I used about $35 of it in a "Big W" store ....  So far so good.
I then planned to purchase an item in a Woolworths supermarket, after all, it is all part of the same company.
I got a shock when told I could only use the card in the "Big W" stores!
How ridiculous!
If the person who gave me the gift card had purchased it in a Woolworths supermarket however, I could use it in any one of the Woolworths company's stores .... Including "Big W"!          HUH?
Another major problem with this company is the fact that the card will expire 1 year after it is purchased! This should be illegal!
On the card conditions it states "Treat this card like cash" ... Yeah right!
Cash doesn't expire!   So why should gift cards?
The opposition i.e. Coles are up to the same game (2 years expiry ) but at least you can use the cards in any of their shops.

Why hasn't the government got tough on these blatant rip-offs?

Tassie Terror (ref : TFAA067T)


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29-12-2011


SA road fines over the top

Interstate drivers be very wary of SA roads.
SA is cash strapped and the pollies see the fines as a good income.
The police department has a quota on their fines that they are hell bent on reaching.
They have everybody and anybody in their sites and the fines WILL hurt you.

Your innocence may not protect you.

(ref : TFAA066T)


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05-12-2011


Another politician disappoints

Mr Jay Weatherill, the new South Australian Premier, is just another thoughtless politician who is hell bent on selling off the state's assets for a quick buck.
NO caretaker has the right to sell property without first seeking the consent of the owner/s.
(A Premier is just a caretaker)
In the case of the people, it should ALWAYS be by a referendum.
By selling off the forestry rights to the South East, Jay Weatherill, you have just added another nail to South Australia's coffin.
The worst is, YOU DIDN'T EVEN PRETEND TO CARE.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA065T)



05-12-2011

Thoughtless decisions

What a wonderfully weak world of politicians we have here in Australia ..
Expansion of extraction and production of LPG (one of the major sources of carbon dioxide) is getting the go ahead and blessing of government ..
Labor is going to lift the ban on live meat exports AND lift the ban on Uranium sales to India ..
Why not just sell ALL our Uranium to ANYBODY ?

IT'S ALL JUST ABOUT PROFIT, ISN'T IT ..

We have no long term view on anything ..

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA064T)


25-11-2011

Stop burn-offs NOW ..
They have always been too dangerous and they release the carbon into our biosphere that was locked up in the vegetation ..


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA063T)


31-10-2011

Keep control of our public broadcasting.

Stop the rot NOW!

(ref : TFAA062T)


30-10-2011

Arrogance Quantas, Arrogance.

Do the decent thing - resign, and don't take our money with you.

(ref : TFAA061T)



18-10-2011


The 99%

 
Fight corporate greed.

 
Support the Wall Street occupation.            


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA060T)

18-09-2011


Adelaide is in trouble


Bikie gangs having shooting warfare,
vicious home invasions,
and now hate-filled preachers terrorising Rundle Mall.

We need help.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA059T)


17-09-2011


Get all U.S. bases out of Australia NOW.

 
The U.S. war machine is no respecter of democracy or humanity.


  (ref : TFAA058T)


16-09-2011


What a load of greedy bastards


First it's the SA minister for health, now it's the shopping centre owners who are trying to rip off the parking public ..
 
Maybe we need a revolution to clear out the troublemakers ..

 Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA057T)

01-09-2011


Australian government loses rights to deport refugees to Malaysia


NOW there is no excuse for mistreating refugees ..
 
Get on with processing these people and stop torturing them with long delays and prisons ..


 Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA056T)


29-08-2011


Why are the SA road traffic police being so hard on first offenders of smaller infringements ?


They are not giving the offenders a chance to correct problems, they are just fining them heavily straight away and the fines seem exceptional large for these minor offenses.
This is very unfair for the young drivers who do not have much money as it is.
It makes everybody very cynical about the police and revenue raising, and is making people think twice about assisting them when they ask the general public for help.

(ref : TFAA055T)


23-08-2011


To the director of the ABC


An advertisement for money, even if for a cancer research group, is still a commercial advertisement.


You should not be showing commercial advertisements.


(ref : TFAA054T)


19-08-2011


OH what wonderful politicians we have here in Australia.
Neither of our 2 major political parties had the decency (or balls) to stand up and stop the live export trade.
How pathetic, and what a message to send to the rest of the world.


(ref : TFAA053T)


19-08-2011


MONDOWEISS - The war of ideas in the Middle East

46 weeks of pro-Palestinian protest in Adelaide and not a word in the print media.

Margaret Cassar (ref : TFAA047T)


18-08-2011


Death at the hands of another pit bull terrier

Pit bull terriers and other dangerous dogs should not be allowed Into the Australian shores (and possibly the rest of the world) ..
These dogs were selected through breeding to be aggressive, hard fighters and killers ..
It is now in their genetic makeup and unless the breeds are going to have this aggressiveness bred or engineered out, then they should never be allowed to exist ..

ANYBODY WHO IMPORTS OR BREEDS THESE DOGS AS THEY ARE, SHOULD BE HEAVILY PROSECUTED, AND IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THEIR DOGS HAVE ATTACKED, GAOL TERMS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA052T)


17-08-2011


'The Australian'  misled

In the article "Back and forth" (13/08/11), Neil James claims that in the Hicks saga
"The Australia Defence Association has always walked the middle ground by focusing on the facts and the law actually applying."
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/back-and-forth-on-legal-and-moral-grounds/story-fn59niix-1226113610339


This statement is hard to reconcile with James' assumption that Hicks knowingly took up arms against his own country.
This assertion is simply not true.
Repeating it ad nauseam will not make it true.

The importance of ascertaining the truth in allegations against citizens should be of  paramount importance to Mr James in his role as head of the Australian Defence Association.


Jane Shepherd (ref : TFAA051T)


15-08-2011


SA Education let-down


There seems to be no let up on our government's insensitivity..
We have a education department that will not return SACE results to their rightful owners, unless they pay ..
Students are still the rightful owners of any papers or work they have written ..
Saying that the only way they can get their property back is by paying for it is extortion ..
Why and how could this situation have ever been allowed to happen ?
Why do parents and students themselves not take a class action against the education department and demand their property back ?
If they are not going to be given their property back then insist on payment from the department for the papers and work they have taken from the students ..
No property of any kind can be taken from the original owners without compensation ..

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA050T)


13-08-2011


Hospital pain


Mr Hill ..
By taking the easy way out to get more money for your cash strapped and mismanaged health department, you are thoughtlessly burdening hospital visitors to the outrageous amount of about $13 a day ..
These people are not sightseers or pleasure seekers, they are there for specific health and emotional reasons and in some cases may have to visit for many days at a time, costing them a small and some cases, a damaging fortune ..
Take your problem for more money to the federal government instead, and fight to get them to stop wasting money propping up the private health insurance system, or does that sound too much like real work?


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA049T)


11-08-2011


Gladys Jefferson


What is Australia waiting for ?
Send this woman back to the UK where she came from.
She is just another refugee.
Don't we deport refugees ?
Her circumstances mean nothing to us, just like all the other refugees.
Better yet.         Why not send her to Malaysia ?  


(ref : TFAA048T)


04-08-2011


Uninformed rubbish


What is Channel 10 doing putting on this obnoxious crud called the Bolt Report ?
Are their ratings so low ?  Are they truly that desperate ?  Are they in financial trouble ?
If they can be associated with this type of reporting and so-called journalism then may be the commercial television media in Australia should have an inquiry into it, along the same lines that is looking into Murdock's empire ..

Lift your game Channel 10 and pay out to have proper journalism ..   


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA046T)


03-08-2011


Uninformed comments

Is Andrew Bolt being deliberately stupid or does he still not know what the Seacret protesters are about ..

Doesn't he know the difference between Zionists, Colonialists, and Jews ?
Maybe he should get an education, and learn something instead of just ranting ..  


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA045T)


01-08-2011


Seacret business

The Australian Friends of Palestine Association has organized 44 consecutive weeks of protesting Israeli Apartheid in the Adelaide Rundle Mall, outside the Myer Centre which hosts the "Seacret" kiosk. We are counting down now to our one year anniversary of educating the people of Adelaide about human rights abuses in Palestine and how they can participate in the world wide Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.

Please join us 5.30pm-6.30pm Friday evenings in the Mall outside Myers.

Have a look at our latest YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc4k8rTb4p4.

Despite strong opposition from Christian Zionists, the protesters are continuing to show up in increasing numbers.

Margaret Cassar (ref : TFAA044T)


29-07-2011


Going down-Hill

SA Health Minister John Hill certainly does not have the well being of hospitals, patients, or their visitors on his mind ..
It seems to be caught in the money making gutter ..
What a disgrace ..
Charging for parking in hospital car parks ..
Get a conscience Mr Hill ..

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA043T)


28-07-2011


Definition of overkill -

A mass of star type police officers attacking a home of a suspected computer hacker nerd and manhandling him to an arrest..

A couple of police officers knocking on his door and asking him to accompany them to the police station would have been sufficient, more efficient and less ridiculous.
Have the police been watching too many US cop shows?
It had shades of "The Blues Brothers" in there as well.  ( I thought I heard " 'hut. 'hut. 'hut " in there somewhere  ...           Maybe not).

 (ref : TFAA042T)


14-07-2011


Ill provided rail travellers

Why are there no interconnecting trains, trams or public buses between the Adelaide Interstate rail terminal and the Adelaide Central suburban train terminal ?
Don't we want interstate (and overseas) travellers finding an easy way into our city ?
Conversely, don't we want our own citizens finding an easy way to our interstate train system ?

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA041T)


12-07-2011


Ill informed public

What a load of stupid reaction to the carbon tax ..
It will not increase significantly the cost of everything as the scare mongers are shouting ..
The general public are being led about like sheep by the industrial leaders who have had their fingers in the pie for far too long ..
They and the selfish users (which include most of us) are the reason a "carbon tax" has to be implemented ..
So much damage has been done to our environment that we must stop our thoughtless ways and start repairing the mess ..
Don't blindly follow those who may lose some of their massive profits ..
They are only worried about their own interests ..


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA040T)


05-07-2011


Get off your high horses

It sickens me the way people who only work from a desk criticise the working classes for not working harder.
If these buggers got off their bums and did some manual labour then maybe they would understand what most Australians are going through.
Most households have to have at least 2 people working full time or one person working 2 jobs just to survive.
No wonder they are scared about the next interest rate hike on their mortgages.
They are basically just surviving paying off their mortgages, power bills, food bills, medical bills, and petrol bills, all of which have increased ridiculously because of higher profits sought by the rich heads of the companies involved.
Leisure time and time spent with the children is decreasing and this is NOT a good thing by any stretch of the imagination.
The workers are working harder and longer just to prop up the millionaires and company heads who are getting richer and stronger (and more arrogant).
The idea of the 38 hour working week has been destroyed by these selfish manipulators.
Most people now have to work at least 50 hours a week.
To top it off, those in power do not seem to understand that many people do not want to have to move to country jobs, just so the mining industries can 'boom'.
Family, friends and their children's education are so important that they cannot just get up and leave their surroundings.
Those in higher (better paid) positions still live where they want to and just catch a plane to get to their businesses.
Are the bosses going to supply the same for their workers ?

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA039T)

30-06-2011


Where has our money gone ?

Holdens is not using any of our federally funded "green projects" money to produce electric vehicles, so why should we keep wasting this money on Holdens ?
It's not as if Holdens doesn't have enough of their own money ..
Surely they should be made to pay back most of this money so it can be rechannelled to more worthwhile projects ..

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA038T)

26-05-2011


Truth in Afghanistan

Australians were fed lies about David Hicks' activities in Afghanistan.
Mr Hicks was then tortured so that he would "confess" to those lies.
It is now time for an independent inquiry to give the Australian people the truth they deserve and David the justice he deserves.

Jane Shepherd (ref : TFAA037T)

27-04-2011


Security insensitivity

Recently, a security guard at Adelaide Airport's screening machines refused my mother access to her walker.
He then brusquely told her to empty her pockets and remove her shoes.
My mother was allowed to retain her shoes when she informed the guard that she could only remove them when sitting down.
There was no chair available and none was procured.

Some of the Airport's security staff may require a refresher course in customer service skills and their duty of care to disabled passengers.


Jane Shepherd (ref : TFAA036T)

24-12-2010


Do not forget the Palestinian plight

Here is the latest video in a series of 10 youtubes chronicling almost 2 months of weekly protests outside the Myer Centre in Rundle Mall in Adelaide.

The protesters are criticising the cosmetics company Seacret, which is profiting from Israel's illegal occupation of the West Bank in Palestine.

http://www.youtube.com/user/AustralianFOPA#p/a/u/0/btDZ1B8PyFE

Please find more youtubes at the Australian FOPA channel.

Gadfly (ref : TFAA035T)


(editors' note) 
  Maybe "Seacret" should be re-named "Clandestine".



21-12-2010


Out of control taxation department

The ATO (Australian Taxation Office) has lost the plot ..
 
This is just a sample of its insanity :
 
It has been sending out letters to small businesses that are just surviving, threatening them with an audit or something even more dire if they do not make a larger profit margin (as described by some crazy formulae).
The letters accuse the businesses of not declaring the "on the side cash sales" they are making (whether they are or not) and promises an amnesty if they confess to the practice NOW..

This has shades of the inquisition where they expect you to confess whether you have done something wrong or not.

 
(ref : TFAA034T)


07-12-2010


Help our young people

Until public transport is expanded and given better timetables, it is imperative that all young people be allowed private vehicles to get to work and to courses, to do otherwise would be stupid ..
Expecting the driving age to be raised and placing a curfew to stop the carnage on our roads is just another situation where unthinking people with ridiculous solutions can cause even more hardship ..
 
The obvious answers are :
 
Limit the size of engine a Learner or P plate driver can have in their vehicle, and it should NOT be allowed to have turbo charging of any kind ..
 

Have FREE driver education in schools ..
 

DO NOT make the cost of obtaining a licence through lessons so ridiculously high that some people are forced to drive without getting a licence ..
 

DO NOT make the cost of registration so high (most of which just goes to general revenue - another way of collecting more taxes) as to stop people from affording the payments, and hence driving unregistered ..

(A lower registration fee would have an extra important benefit as the money saved on the registration could be used to make the vehicle more roadworthy and hence safer ..)
 

DO NOT allow blood alcoholic readings of P plate or Learner drivers to be greater than zero and if it is, assess them to see if they need to be sent to Alcoholics Anonymous ..

 

DO NOT inflict fines on road indiscretions for first offences (unless it was obviously a very deliberate and dangerous act), nobody but the revenue service gain by such callous fines ..

 
DO NOT allow a driver to to "lose" their P plates until they have passed another road test (paid for by the government, as we will all benefit) ..


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA033T)


08-11-2010


Give us our rights back

Relating to the story in the Weekend Australian Magazine 30-10-2010
"Give us our baby back" ..

If you see something terribly wrong in our society, scream, shout and fight against it ..
NEVER kowtow to a bureaucracy that insists you follow a protocol of complaint ..
NEVER let the bureaucracy control your will, instead fight to change the bureaucracy to better serve those who are wronged ..

THIS IS OUR FUNDAMENTAL MORAL DUTY ..


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA032T)


18-10-2010


The way the media in Australia is forever reporting the new sainthood of somebody named Mary, you would think the media is owned exclusively by Catholics.
The coverage is appalling.
Even SBS television news broadcasts are saturated with this rubbish.

It should be relegated to social commentaries or magazines, NOT major news services.

Is this an attempt to remove the attention from the Catholic church's paedophile sins, and if so, who is leading this movement?

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA031T)

22-09-2010


Hospital parking for both patients and visitors should always be adequate and FREE !

How dare anybody be disgusting enough to make money from somebody's suffering ..


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA030T)


22-09-2010


Stopping time


Who is the idiot who decided the time taken at a road stop sign should be a minimum of 5 seconds ?
It's certainly not a driver and it is certainly not somebody concerned about safety.
When you approach a stop sign, the only stipulation should be that the vehicle comes to a complete stop, as it used to be.
If the road is clear enough to make an advancement into the road being protected by that sign then the stopped vehicle should be allowed to travel immediately if the conditions are right for the driver.
To a make the driver stop for longer than 2 seconds can create a dangerous situation!
The distance any traffic travelling at 60 kilometres an hour will travel in 5 seconds is approximately 80 metres.
In most suburban situations, the observable distance is only about 100 metres into the flow of traffic in the best conditions.
There are very few instances where it is practical to wait too long before proceeding into this flow.
Frustration, and fear of an accident at having to wait so long before proceeding is NOT a situation which should be encouraged.
The only advantage I can see is the increased revenue the State Governments reap from the fines imposed on the drivers.


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA029T)


13-09-2010


Show time


The agricultural and horticultural shows are to show off the state's produce.
They are basically one large advertising venue or event.
As you don't normally pay somebody to advertise their products to you, there is something very wrong with these shows ..

HOW DID THEY EVER GET TO BE EVENTS WHERE THE PUBLIC HAS TO PAY ANYTHING ??


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA028T)

30-08-2010


Tree dangers


Since 1970, no tree should have been allowed to be planted at a distance from a dwelling, closer than the height the tree will be allowed to achieve ..
If the tree grows higher than this measurement, then those responsible for the tree must trim the tree back to this acceptable height, or lower ..
Tree branches (of any age tree), which now overhang a dwelling causing a danger or nuisance to the occupants of the dwelling, must be removed by, or at the cost of, the tree's owner ..
Councils and government organisations should not be allowed to exempt themselves from these laws ..

Very heavy fines should be dealt out to anybody who does not comply with these laws unless finances restrict their actions, then councils or government bodies should step in to
help and not hinder these people ..

The only exception to these rules can be by people who own both the tree and the dwelling in question and as long as the owner and only their family members are the sole occupants of the dwelling ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA027T)


16-08-2010


Australian road speeds


If the governments of the day are truly only (hah) interested in saving lives and serious injuries by having so many different speed restrictions on our suburban roads, why don't they replace the stupid white paint used as dividing lines and boundary markings ..
This paint is almost invisible and extremely slippery (and hence extremely dangerous) when it rains ..
Why don't we use a much better reflective and coarser paint material that is also colour coded to quickly show the speed limit for that stretch of road you are travelling on..
This would also stop drivers from desperately trying to see speed signs while driving which would remove another extremely dangerous situation where concentration is taken away from the surrounding traffic conditions ..

We could use :
Yellow for 40Km/h areas ..
Green for 50Km/h areas ..
and Blue for 60Km/h areas ..

If you wanted to go further you could colour code for lower and faster speeds, though I think that would be unnecessary ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA026T)


13-08-2010


Mitsubishi i-MiEV


Why is Mitsubishi beating around the bush ?
They have produced an electric vehicle that will suit most commuters (and some weekend travellers), but, they still won't commit themselves to full scale manufacture ..
They will only make enough to allow some groups to "test them" ..
What are they waiting for, or should I say, scared of ..

GET ON WITH IT ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA025T)


5-07-2010


Killing 99.9% of all household germs


It is worrying (and maybe should be illegal) to see so many adds at the moment that are determined to kill off nearly every germ that could exist around a human.
Doesn't ANYBODY object to this ??
Those germs that don't get killed off are ripe to become the next superbugs.
Who will worry then ?


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA024T)


16-04-2010


Stop the burn offs


The smoke that is coming into our homes is carcinogenic, and causing immediate breathing problems.


Worried about my children (ref : TFAA023T)


15-04-2010


Adelaide Hills burn-offs


Why must the fire authorities keep burning off our weeds and undergrowth in and around the Adelaide Hills ?
It has taken all year for these plants to soak up some of our atmosphere's carbon and now we are returning a lot of it back into the atmosphere.

What a ridiculous idea ..
We should be harvesting this biomass, or using grazing animals to help clear the land of this potential fire hazard, or at the very least be using some safe herbicides ..

This would ensure that most of the locked up carbon stays out of the biosphere cycle ..

Even if the authorities didn't want to change their attitudes, at least wait until the winds are guaranteed not to blow into the suburban areas before lighting the fires ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA022T)


09-03-2010


Australian politics

 

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than a "Liberal" politician to be trustworthy .

A "Liberal" politician by any name does not alter its spots .

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA021T)


04-03-2010


The great SA debate


It is good to see only the important issues were being addressed ..          sure ..

What on earth was the Premier doing even talking about his so called affair ??


This is nothing to do with anybody outside his family ..

He should have told the questioners to mind their own business and get on with relevant issues ..
It is setting a dangerous precedence where every politician and celebrity think they have to apologise to the general public and/or nation for a private and personal event ..
No wonder politics is in such a mess ..


Grow up everybody, and get on with the important issues at hand ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA020T)


19-10-2009


Adelaide's transport corridors

 

Good grief ..
If South Australia's transport department had a brain to share around, they wouldn't know what to do with it.

Most traffic lights in Adelaide are synchronised to go RED just as you approach them (very eco-conscious).

They are going to build a Billion dollar overpass for South Road to overcome heavy traffic congestion.
What a great idea ..
There is just one little problem with their scheme ..  
THEY ARE PUTTING IT WHERE THE MAJOR CONGESTION DOES NOT OCCUR.
They are putting it where the roads are already corrected to help heavy traffic travel North from Regency Road onto the main northern highway out of the city (Port Wakefield Road).
Speaking of which, putting Grand Junction Road under South Road would be an intelligent idea.

They most urgently and importantly need to build an overpass from Regency Road GOING SOUTH to at least Cross Road.
You get the feeling they are not taking the problem seriously.
This area of road is a mess and has been for at least 40 years..
Traffic is always cluttered and delayed by stupid traffic light arrangements (especially in peak periods).
Drivers get angry and start taking stupid risks just to move a few hundred metres down narrow double laned roads.
To make matters worse, some nitwits have made overpasses over South Road itself.
This is ridiculous.
South Road is one of the only major arterial roads that Adelaide has to move large and heavy equipment across town.
There should never be bridges, overpasses or cables impeding this corridor.
How could they get this so wrong ?
Where do we turn to ?
There doesn't seem to be any party in South Australia politics capable of handling the job.
Ever since about 1970 there has never been a good decision about anything to do with our roads.

We need a new set of people and ideas to lead us into the 21st century ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA019T)


14-05-2009


Adelaide's O-Bahn

 
Yes Mr Conlon ...  You are correct when you say the O-Bahn is a wasteful operation.

It costs far too much to build the concrete track and supports.
The buses use too much polluting fuel.
The buses use tyres, which require too much energy to overcome the rolling resistance.
The tyres themselves have to be continually retreaded or replaced creating even more greenhouse gases and creating a larger carbon footprint.
The guide wheels at the front of the buses are quickly worn and need constant servicing.
The buses are nearly useless at the city end of their journeys as there is no proper area for the buses to have right of way and hence to take advantage of the time gained on the track.


It is and always has been a ridiculous idea for Adelaide..

It was originally developed in Germany as a way to stop buses from sliding off icy road surfaces in winter (a very dangerous situation) and to give them an unrestricted run from one point to another.


Adelaide did not even need such an approach.
It was the stupid idea of the conservative party that was in power in South Australia at the time.
For some unknown reason, they did not want light rail transport in Adelaide and did everything in their power to stop it.

At the time a good public transport artery was needed for the North Eastern suburbs.

They forced the bus idea. (no matter the cost to everybody involved)
We are now paying for it.


The irony is, that the best way to get into the Adelaide UBD is to use an old tram route through the northern parkland area.


Lets stop this nonsense now and think of introducing a light rail system to replace the O-Bahn system before we get bogged in too deeply.

A light rail system would also marry up with the existing and expanding light rail system from the Western area.


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA018T)


14-05-2009


Jury

 
Description :


A random group of ordinary citizens not intelligent or informed enough to make a life controlling decision on another citizen.
A ridiculously out-dated and thoughtless system of determining a person's guilt or innocence.

Should be replaced with a panel of three well educated judges, fully up-to-date on all the latest forensic sciences, and very aware of the common consensus of the population on the matter at trial.
The judges should be selected for "jury duty" by random, from all qualified judges and should have their decisions assessed at the end of every three years to see if they are worthy of staying in the roster system.
This assessment panel should be made up of prominent citizens but not involving any politicians, large business operators, or any person prominently associated with any religious organisation.


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA017T)


04-05-2009 (04-05-10009PH)


SA plastic bag free?

 
It was announced on the news that South Australia will be plastic bag free as of today!
A good move in theory but,,, will this mean that food and other manufacturer's will also stop using wasteful (and just as polluting) plastic packaging on everything they make?

In some cases, several layers of plastic have to be removed from an item before it can be used.
This plastic waste also ends up in landfill and in the environment.


I have always made a habit of reusing plastic bags wherever I can.
I find them useful for putting household rubbish into.
I figure many others do the same thing!
Now that there are none supplied in shops in SA... (Tassie will do the same thing soon), we will have to purchase more plastic bags sold in the form of garbage bags!
The situation still remains the same, only now you'll pay for your plastic bags!


Tassie Terror (ref : TFAA016T)


04-05-2009


SA shopping centres wasting power

 
Recently we had the world lights off day or something of that nature (I hate tokenism).
All very well and good but, the practices used by many supermarkets were not kept up.
Some only turned on half their lighting (which was only just less than adequate) to conserve power.
This showed up the bad lighting layouts that are in operation, and the distinct lack of natural lighting.
If the spacing on the existing lights had been slightly expanded, they would have given enough lighting for the customers to see very clearly and would have meant the stores could have cut their lighting carbon emissions by at least a third, PERMANENTLY.

Even better would have been the introduction of solar lighting tubes to reduce the electricity wastage even further.
The worst waste of electricity in supermarkets seems to be from this obsession to have open fridges.
They are usually very badly designed and allow far too much cold air to escape into the aisles.
One supermarket in particular has so many inefficient open style fridges that it used even more power to heat up the air around the aisles so the customers didn't freeze.
This practice didn't last long (probably because of the excessive electricity bills) and now customers walk around this store in a semi-frozen state.
What a ridiculous situation.


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA015T)


21-04-2009


Anzac Day trading farce

 
If ever there was a slap in the face for the forces who fought hard in the First World War, Adelaide's trading laws are it.
The Diggers were supposed to have fought for our freedom and would be sorely upset to see people trying to take it away from their citizens who want the right to trade whenever the public demands it.

RSL presidents and Employees Union representatives cannot defend their actions.
Why are we the exception to fairer trading hours.


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA014T)


21-04-2009


10 cents a litre !!

 
10 cents a litre to Australian Dairy farmers for their milk ??
What is happening to our primary producers ?
They should be getting at least $1 a litre ...
They are being totally abused by the major retail outlets ...
If the farmers had any sense, they would be forming co-operatives (as was once done) and selling direct to the public ..

It's about time the larger retail chains were put in their place, and farmers were paid what they are really worth ..
It's obvious nobody else is going to bat for the farmers ..


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA013T)


24-02-2009


Fernilee destruction

 

Some friends visiting Adelaide recently, wanted to view 'That magnificent and historic Fernilee Lodge'  in Burnside again.

We had to tell them that it had been ripped down.

They were very upset and wouldn't believe such unwarranted destruction would be allowed.
They kept asking how that could have happened.

What do you tell them ?
Greedy developers and unsympathetic (and possibly corrupt) politicians are to blame ?


Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA012T)


17-02-2009

Adelaide ..   Adelaide ..  Adelaide ..

What the hell is going on in Adelaide ...

So many people with so little knowledge, this even seems to include professionals such as some doctors.
It is absolutely imperative that hospitals are repositioned after about every 50 to 80 years.
This is to ensure any fungi, bacteria and viruses that have managed to build up in cracks, crevices, pipes and vent systems are left behind.

Medical practices, medical equipment, and patient expectations of the hospital change with time, and the buildings have to change to meet these criteria.
Older hospital buildings have to be abandoned.
Some should then be torn down to remove any public health fears.
The Royal Adelaide Hospital is no exception to this set of rules, in fact, it is in a greater need of replacing than many other hospitals.

Its antiquated rooms and hotchpotch building layout is very bad.
It is not easily sterilized to combat "super bug" infestation.
Rooms are overcrowded and not private enough.
It is very difficult to quickly get around, especially if you need to get from one building to another.
It is very difficult to find specific departments, and distances to these departments are too far from major off road entrances.

Parking is appalling.
Because of the major intersection at the South West corner of the hospital (and this is the major access direction for most pedestrians coming to the hospital from the city centre), a very dangerous and frustrating situation is created here for visitors and outpatients alike.
We don't know what the asbestos situation is within these buildings.

The new "Marjorie Jackson Nelson Hospital" (for want of a better and shorter name like the "Adelaide Central Hospital") is a much needed hospital.
It will supply a better and much cleaner environment for the new facilities.
It is showing up some major flaws in our transport system.
By now, we should have a tram system that travels the full ring route of the city block.
This would give easy access to the new hospital site for most of the public, and link up some of the smaller private medical establishments with the hospital.
As the trams would travel along North Terrace, past the University grounds, it would also grant medical students important easy access to the new hospital.
(As a side note to improve Adelaide: North Terrace should become a park land from Frome Road to King William Street.)
For public health reasons, the buildings that were added during the 20th century should be torn down.
This old site could become an underground car park linked to the city (or North Terrace) by an underground travelator.
Parkland could be placed over the top of this structure. (An extension of the Botanic Gardens maybe?)

Why is there always so much hysterical opposition in Adelaide to anything that is a true improvement and something that makes so much sense ???

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA011T)


06-02-2009


Tram questions

 

What have we done to deserve the tram system we have been given here in Adelaide ?

The seats are uncomfortable.
The external colour scheme is weak and uninspiring.
The trams take off with a jerk instead of smoothly accelerating, and many passengers have fallen because of this. (electronic controls should prevent such bad take-offs)
The stretch of supporting power poles running down the northern end of King William street should have been of a less obtrusive design, (smooth curved shapes have existed for at least the last 100 years) and of a less depressing colour (white, silver or light blue would have been more appropriate for such a dark canyon of a street).

Why has the coachwork not been designed and built by South Australians ?

 

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA010T)


31-01-2009


Power profiteering

 

For years now, since privatisation, our electricity suppliers have been dragging their feet on maintenance and long term planning, so as to maximise profits.
This has been to the great detriment of many Australian citizens through financial hardship and through their health.
The governments and the supply companies have equally ignored the consumers.
The governments because they can't be bothered to be responsible for anything,
and the companies because the situation has created a cash cow for them.
If the power companies are not going to correct their ailing and aging systems, they could at least have the decency to provide details to the general public as to where and when they are going to black out certain suburbs so people could plan their own actions to survive such devastation in our dangerous heat.
Surely it is legally actionable to sue the parties concerned for withholding such important information in a time of crisis, especially where equipment failure, food spoilage, and more importantly, health damage (including death) has occurred.

From the pen of a very angry and disgusted South Australian.


Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA008T)


30-01-2009


Expanding problem

 

Of course our train and tram rails are going to buckle in SA's heat ..
They have removed the most essential expansion gaps from the tracks,
to save a bit of money..


Adelaide Rex  (ref : TFAA007T)


03-03-2009

Safer roads

Maybe all "P" plate drivers should be road tested before they can rid themselves of their plates ..
This would ensure they know the road rules and can abide by them properly, before they are considered safe enough to join the general throng ..

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA009T)


01-01-2009


Shopping hours


It seems South Australia is one of the only states with unions and management not able to organise mutually advantageous hours for its shop workers so shops can stay open most of the year, and for any time of the day ..
It would still be imperative that NOBODY works longer than a 35 hour week ..

 

 (ref : TFAA006T)


01-01-2009


Wasteful


When will the Tea Tree Gully council end its half hearted attempt at household recycling and put out a full size bin for recyclables, and a smaller bin for non-recyclables ?

 
Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA005T)


28-11-2008


Damn annoyance


When will the citizens of Modbury be rid of that annoying hum that pervades just about every building and skull ?

From reports that I have heard, it has been occurring for at least 10 years ..

Why has nobody complained or expected it to stop ?
Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA004T)


24-11-2008


Adelaide Airport


Let's talk about the Adelaide Airport.
WHAT A MESS ..

When you first enter "the building", the first thing you notice is the lack of clocks ..
CLOCKS ARE ABSOLUTE ESSENTIALS FOR ANY AIRPORT ..


When you go upstairs to the main departure area, the first thing you should see are clocks ALL along the raised back wall (the first blank area you are greeted with), showing CLEARLY the times for ALL the Australian states or capitals ...   
Times for major world capitals would be appreciated also ..
Instead, you have to wander around to find ANY clocks at all, and then they only give you Adelaide time ..
Very helpful for interstate or overseas travellers, I don't think ..

Next is the large distances you have to walk to get to the appropriate gates ..

Not very helpful for the elderly, handicapped or injured passengers with lugguage, or passengers controlling small children ..
Oh yes ..  We DO have A travelator in the domestic flights area..  ONE ..  It doesn't go very far (somebody must have been having a joke when they organised that one), just between 2 gates ..
It's OK for the kids to play on, but that's about all ..
Talk about an insult ..     Adelaide, hang your head in shame ..

There are display screens at each gate but,  they are very dull and they do not show when the next plane is due to arrive or leave from that gate earlier than about 10 minutes before the scheduled boarding time ...   Absolutely useless ..
THEY SHOULD ALWAYS BE SHOWING WHAT THE NEXT FLIGHT IS FROM THAT GATE, WHETHER IT IS IN 10 MINUTES TIME OR NOT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY ..
They should also be of LED or FLUORESCENT construction to be clear and bright .. NOT CRT's ..

The seats have got to be the cheapest I have come across (I haven't ridden the new Adelaide trams yet though) ..
The passenger I was seeing off couldn't believe Adelaide could be so cheap as to skimp on the seats that way ..      I had no answer for him ..

WHERE ARE THE TOILETS ?..
If a passenger (adult or child) needs the toilet just before boarding the plane then he or she should be able to get to a toilet quickly and without fuss instead of having to run huge distances to find a hidden toilet or, waiting until the plane is the air ..

If the designers and government didn't want a properly functioning airport, why didn't they just come out and say so, or better yet, just not build this mess ..

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA003T)


17-11-2008


Water


Private investment in community water supply is a criminal act.

Response to article found in Adelaide Advertiser (15 November 2008)

Healthy drinking water is everybody's right ..   Not something to be used for profiteering .

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFAA002T)


12-11-2008


Where is the government pension ?


COMPULSORY SUPERANNUATION IN AUSTRALIA IS A FARCE.


Stop bleeding the workers to fund private management.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFAA001T)


29-08-2008


Police  needs


When is the South Australian government going to rebuild the Police barracks at the top of Port Road ?
This site is a disgrace.
It may also be a health hazard.

How can anyone expect to keep their moral up working in such an eyesore, especially when the rest of the city is being revamped.

Surely the public &  politicians have seen the run down buildings, or have they been wearing blinkers all this time.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFI0069T)


04-08-2008


Unorganised thinking


God forbid should Adelaide (South Australia) get synchronised traffic lights and synchronised traffic merging.


There seems to be no understanding by the traffic ministry that the continual stop/starting caused by badly unsynchronised lights causes most of the traffic pollution and congestion.
Adelaide drivers have to be the worst because of the build up of extreme frustration in these ridiculous situations.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFI0068T)


11-03-2008


Shining Light


Opposition spokesman, Stephen Wade, has shone a light on the consequences of Mr. Rann’s tough on law and order policies: chronic overcrowding, increased risk of violence for inmates and officers, and increased recidivism.

 

South Australia’s recidivism rate is now one of the highest in Australia.

 

Implementing Mr. Wade’s policies could help us achieve Victoria’s much lower rate and considerably cut the cost of crime to our state.

 

 Gadfly (ref : TFI0060T)

       

15-06-2007

Our scarred hill’s face


Why does Adelaide (South Australia) allow the disgusting, disfiguring, quarrying of our hill’s face (without so much as a whimper of opposition), but screams up a storm at the suggestion of a Mt. Lofty skycar to view the sites of our bushland and city.

Maybe somebody doesn’t want the tourists to see how badly we treat our environment.

Bob Shepherd (ref : TFI0045T)

        

15-05-2007

Dawn Rowan as an example

In Australia you must never legally take on the State.

You will always lose whether you are in the right or not, and you may be made bankrupt as a punishment.

Even if you win the first rounds (or trials),  you will always lose on the appeals.

You must learn this lesson : 


The State must never be found or shown to be wrong.

Adelaide Rex (ref : TFI0037T)

                    

26-02-2007

Green fuel

Green fuels mean fuels which are renewable such as ethanol or methanol, that is, they are recyclable.
Once these fuels are burnt, the chemicals given off are reconstituted back into the biosphere and can be used again to create the same fuel from plants.
This does not apply to LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).
This fuel may be cleaner than other fossil fuels but it is certainly NOT GREEN.
The buses running around Adelaide in South Australia have no right to advertise their LPG fuel usage as Green.

 

Adelaide Rex   (ref : TFI0016T)

 

20-02-2007

Adelaide banks, building societies and credit unions

When are banks, building societies and credit unions going to get it right ?
The front counters should always be for fast transactions only.
If a customer approaches a staff member at that counter, and it becomes obvious that person needs more time/help than is normally needed for a fast transaction, then that person should be directed/taken to another point where they will not slow down the front counters.
This will stop the feeling of ill will towards the staff, the feeling of ill will towards the customers in question, and towards the bank/building society or credit union in general.
There are very rarely enough front counters open to deal with the influx of customers.
A common sight is a line of ten or more people getting very frustrated at having to wait in a queue that may take as long as 20 minutes to move through.
Many people are so delayed that they have to leave the line during that long wait and hence miss out on their transaction.
The fault is usually with the managers who totally ignore the problem at the front counters.
This is a ridiculous situation to create, as the front counters are the main face to most financial institutions and by this action may be harming their own reputations.

Adelaide Rex   (ref : TFI0015T)

 

13-02-2007

Adelaide tram extension


It's good to see Adelaide is finally moving into the twentieth century. (The twenty first century will have to wait a little longer.)
The tram extension has begun down King William Street...  Hooray.
We are still getting complaints about trees being removed and "why don't we supply trolley buses".
First : The trees are due for removal by the city council at a later date, whether the tram extension is there or not.
Also..  Retention of the existing trees is a priority of the transport trust in any case.
Secondly : Trolley buses use pneumatic tyres which are much less efficient than steel wheels on steel tracks.
Pneumatic tyre rolling resistance consumes approx 15% of the supplied energy needed to move the bus, while steel wheels on light rail cars only consumes approx 1% or less of the required energy. (on new rails)
It is therefore more sensible to use light rail transport. (or trams if you prefer)
Isn't efficient use of our limited energy resources and trying to limit greenhouse gas emissions what it is all about?
Also...  To create the overhead power connection eyesore of a mess that would be needed to power the buses would put most people off.
And the traffic congestion of the buses alone would be horrendous.

Adelaide Rex   (ref : TFI0014T)

   

08-02-2007

SA Courts waste time and money

This is why South Australia can never get its court system functioning correctly.
We recently had the ridiculous case of a 56 year old man being ordered before a court because he took his rubbish bin out to the curb, while naked.
His neighbours saw fit to report him to the police.
This should NEVER have involved the police and should NEVER have been brought before a court.
A visiting arbitrator would have sufficed.
Many South Australians do not seem to understand that some cases are more important than others.
Dealing with murderers, those causing grievous bodily harm, rapists, and those threatening others should be the priority of the police and the courts until most of our bigger crimes are dealt with.

Adelaide Rex   (ref : TFI0011T)

        

29-01-2007

Fresh water shortage

The “fresh water shortage” may be a political farce.
There is more than seventy percent of the surface of this planet covered in water. 
Fresh drinking water can easily and cheaply be extracted from this source, especially in the warmer drier areas of the lower to middle latitudes where it is more desperately needed.
All that is needed is the will (which seems to be appallingly missing) and the money (which is available for such important projects).
From an early age, (if travelling in the outback of Australia for example) we are told to extract water from any moisture containing vegetation (and urine if necessary) by covering the moisture containing substances with a condensing surface to collect the evaporated water.
This idea can easily be scaled up to cover larger surfaces and, (as in Adelaide) we could use existing evaporation areas to implement this process.
There are large salt pans (near to our city as well) where sea water is allowed to enter under natural tidal flow and the water is then allowed to evaporate into the atmosphere as waste.    
The only part of this process that is collected is the remaining salts, to be used by industry and for food processing.
Each day, millions of litres of fresh water are lost to the atmosphere.
This water should be collected by large scale condensing surfaces which could be as simple as sea water cooled, glass sheeting.
 
Also. 
Storage of fresh water should always be under cover to prevent loss to evaporation.
This is another important point that always seems to be lost to the controlling bodies.
Large underground storage tanks or caverns are the only options.
Even ancient civilizations (such as the Romans) knew this to be true.
Why have our modern civilizations lost (or ignored) this simple knowledge ?
We squander our water by placing it in large evaporation ponds and lakes, which are also prone to excessive pollution from runoff.
We then spend millions of dollars a year removing the pollutants, both solid and chemical.
 
If politicians were pressured more to act more responsibly with our fresh water supplies, then maybe the "fresh water problem" would fade quickly into our past and would never again be repeated.
Here's hoping.

Adelaide Rex  (ref : TFI0003T)

  

25-01-2007


Electric tram issues


Here in Adelaide, South Australia.
We are having histrionics in our local paper about the incorrectness of having a 1KM extension to an electric tram line.
It seems every idiot has come out of the woodwork and feels compelled to add their objections, whether it is tram bell noise or changing the landscape of a very crowded eyesore of a road.
Little or no thought seems to be directed towards the obvious advantages of an efficient light rail system over the fuel hungry, smelly and tyre inefficient bus system, which has to service the existing tram system, to bring the passengers into the CBD and the suburban train station.
Suspicion for this strange behaviour could possible fall on to panicked fuel companies or bus companies who may see this as the thin edge of an ecological drive to clean up our transport system.    (There have been rumours of extending this tram line into other suburbs.     shock, horror..)

Adelaide Rex. (ref : TFI0001T)


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