lifeasdaddy

My Christmas Music album from iTunes

We put up our Christmas tree the other day, and realised that our Christmas music available on CD is a bit drab.

I decided to put together a new album for the family.  Here it is:

The Little Drummer Boy - Burl Ives

O Come All Ye Faithful - Harry Connick, Jr.

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Burl Ives

Jingle Bells - Diana Krall and the Clayton - Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Pat Benetar.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Little Richard

Christmas Hitchhike/We Three Kings - Marvin Gaye & The Beach Boys

Santa Claus is Comin' To Town - Faith Hill

Silent Night - Carpenters

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - Bette Midler

The Christmas Song - Linda Ronstadt

Winter Wonderland - Ray Charles

All I Want For Christmas Is You - Mariah Carey

Feliz Navidad - Jose Feliciano

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Billy Gilman

A few things about economics and the present difficulties in Australia

There's lots of pessimistic stuff around about the financial crisis.

And that pessimism has a detrimental effect.

A few weeks ago Australia's most senior practising economist, the Secretary to the Department of the Treasury, Dr. Ken Henry addressed the National Press Club.

Journalist Alan Ramsey wrote an interesting piece about it which included this exchange from the Q&A session:

Can Australia avoid a negative growth?

Henry: "Dramatic action has been taken and is likely to be taken globally. And when added to the actions taken domestically, and which could mean still further actions, [it] gives one reason to be confident Australia can indeed avoid a negative quarter of growth. We can talk ourselves into worse outcomes, of course we can. People do. It wouldn't be the first time. But we don't have to."

That was the best news about our present difficulties I had seen in a long time.  If Ken Henry thinks we can avoid recession, then we've got a pretty good chance.

But what can you do about turning around the pessimist spiral?

Well, in Latvia they've come up with a pretty good idea.  Round up pessimistic economists and hold them for a couple of days.  It's a good deterrence.

H.M.A.S. Edward. Australia's newest submarine.

Kids just love playing with cardboard boxes and pretending.

For the past couple of years as my profile photograph in the top right hand corner of this blog I've used a pic of Edward sitting in a cardboard box.  Drawn on the outside is a Big Red Car.

Nowadays Edward is quite interested in submarines, so I thought I would make one for him.

Here's how to make a cardboard submarine.

I used a large cardboard carton which enclosed a table we recently bought.  I slit the carton along one length and folded it to create a flat base.  I drew the rough outline of a cigar shaped submarine  with conning tower on the parts of the cardboard sheet which would become the sides of the vessel. Then cut it out using a small pruning saw.  This is the best tool for cutting through thick cardboard.

Then I folded the sides upwards and secured them with tape across the top and around the nose area.  The back of the submarine was left open to give children easy access to the inside. 

A piece of excess carboard was rolled up to make a tube about 10cm in diameter for the periscope. In turn, the periscope was also taped in place.

Finally came painting.  As you can see, the classical cigar shape was emphasised with a black outline.  The writing is in red colour because that's Ed's favourite colour.  The green, red and yellow splotches are just to create some visual interest and break up the solid surface so it looks a bit less like a cardboard box from the outside.

The submarine was designated number B5 because it will be Ed's fifth birthday.  

H.M.A.S. was used because Edward understands they are the prefixes for all Australian Navy ships and submarines. 

And "Edward" - well all kids love seeing their names written on things.

As well as playing with boxes, kids also like making tunnels out of things, so by leaving the back of the submarine open and having the ceiling of the conning tower arching over the top a bit of a tunnel feel is created too.

A finishing touch is a tin foil cake pan at the top of the periscope to represent the lens.

Does Julia Gillard really believe the rubbish coming out of her mouth?

Last night CFK Childcare Centres Limited voluntarily appointed an administrator due to the company's dire financial straits.

Today on ABC radio's The World Today programme The Hon Julia Gillard, Deputy Prime Minister; Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations; Minister for Education; Minister for Social Inclusion was interviewed as the Minister responsible for childcare centres with the education portfolio.

I was listening.

The transcript of the interview is not yet available on the ABC website, but there is another news item here which contains the quote I heard,

...Ms Gillard says parents should not be anxious.

"Can I say to those anxious mums and dads two things, firstly my department is in urgent discussions with the administrator so we can get the full information here for people," she said.

"Secondly, no childcare centre in this country can close without giving 30 days notice."

Let's just review Ms. Gillard's ludicrous statement again:

 

"... no childcare centre in this country can close without giving 30 days notice."

Oh, really Ms. Gillard?

So, a childcare centre run by a public company whose shares ahve been suspended from trading, whose board of directors have appointed an adminsitrator and is in such dire financial straits that it has been losing $400,000 per month won't close it's doors beause it has not given 30 days notice to the governement and parents.

Do you really believe that rubbish which came out of your mouth Ms. Gillard?

"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." World War One serviceman's identity problem.

That's a quote from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.

I was just listening to Richard Glover's radio programme and apparently in honour of Remembrance Day yesterday he featured the reading of a letter from a World War One serviceman James "Jim" Downey which has only recently been opened.

The man's family could not stand to open the letter until now because he died Palestine one week after writing the letter.  The letter was dated 23/4/1918.

Here's a link to the text of the letter.

But there are a few problems identifying Jim Downey.

Here's the text of the comment I have made on the ABC website for Richard Glover's programme.  The comment has not yet appeared on the website, as comments are moderated.

This is a very interesting letter.  Poignant of course.

However some of the biographical details may need further research.

All World War One Australian military service records are digitised and available on the National Archives of Australia website.

I've just done a check for James Downey in World War One.  None of the Downey surnames with James as first or second names died in WWI.

I have also checked the Australian War Memorial website's Roll of Honour.

Lachlan James Downey was a lieutenant in the Light Horse, but he did not die until 16 October 1918.

All of the other people named Downey did not die within one week or even a couple of weeks of 28/04/1918
whether they had a "James" in their name or not.

Further research required.

See Roll of Honour here.

Now, Jim Downey could have been serving with another nation's forces, however his letter is laced with Australianisms of the period.

I wonder who he really is?

Let's check the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

I've just listened to the interview with Kyle Wilkinson, and he said that his great uncle died of wounds on 1 May 1918.

http://www.cwgc.org/debt_of_honour.asp?menuid=14

Here's the search process,

Search for: Casualty,

surname: Downey

Initials:  [ I left this blank ]

War: First World War

Year of Death: From 1918 to 1918

Force: Army

Nationality: Unknown

Then I hit search, and here are the results.

There are 28 records with the name of Downey, but none died on 01 May 1918.

I have also searched the Australian War Memorial's section on Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau files for "Downey" and there are six results, none died on 01 May 1918, nor are consistent with a 'Jim" Downey.

How mysterious.

ADDED:

Possible solution.  Instead of the spelling "Downey" given on the ABC website, maybe his surname had the spelling "Downie".

I've searched for "Downie" at the CWGC and come up with this relevant result:

Name:	DOWNIE, JAMES
Initials:	J
Nationality:	New Zealand
Rank:	Trooper
Regiment/Service:	Canterbury Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F.
Date of Death:	01/05/1918
Service No:	17393
Casualty Type:	Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:	J. 5.
Cemetery:	JERUSALEM WAR CEMETERY, Israel

So, he may have been serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

ADDED 14 Nov 2008:

The moderator of comments on Richard Glover's website has seen fit to permit three comments, although not mine as shown above - perhaps believing I'm some kind of crank.  So I've left another comment today (awaiting moderation) giving what I believe to the the correct identity of the late Jim Downie.

John McCain's concession speech

It's probably the best and most gracious concession speech I've ever heard.  He also elequently sums up the historical significance of Obama's victory better than anything else I've read or heard in the past 24 hours.

McCain's speech writing team did a great job, and he proved himself a big man by delivering it.

Text of the speech can be found at the transcript here,  here, here, and here.  I'm giving you four options here, because those links seem perishable to me.

"So Superman has holes in his cape!"

Richard Edelman's own story of the diagnosis and treament of his prostate cancer.

Very well written.  AS would be expected, a model for communicating a very difficult personal topic.

Royal Australian Navy gives up on identifying The Unknown Sailor of Christmas Island. The Unknown Sailor of Christmas Island - Part Six.

[ The other parts of this series are here.]

The 19th of November will mark the 67th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Sydney (II) and several commemorative services will be held around Australia.

Two days ago, the Ministerial Support and Public Affairs section of the Department of Defence issued this media release ( my commentary follows):

UNKNOWN SAILOR TO BE RE-INTERRED WITH FULL MILITARY HONOURS The reburial of the remains of the likely HMAS SydneyII sailor will occur on 19 November in Geraldton. Although the remains have not as yet been identified, they are believed to be those of a crew member of HMAS Sydney II, which was sunk off the West Australian Coast on 19 November 1941 following enemy action.  All 645 crew from HMAS Sydney perished. The sailor's remains were exhumed from Christmas Island in October 2006. However while an official re-interment and memorial is being conducted, the case is by no means closed. Since 2006, the Royal Australian Navy has overseen a painstakingly thorough and methodical forensic and historical investigation in an attempt to identify the remains. While the unknown sailor has not been identified, the Royal Australian Navy will be holding a DNA sample so that if any further information comes to light, comparing with relatives can still occur. In the meantime, it is important that he is given the dignified reburial that he deserves. Due to the capacity of Geraldton War Cemetery, the re-interment will be a very small, intimate affair. However, Sydney II family members and the general public are invited to attend a larger memorial service at Queens Park.  The reinterment at the Cemetery will be broadcast live back to the Queens Park venue. While the investigation of the sailor’s identity will cease this month, family of HMAS SydneyII crew members who wish to be considered for DNA testing and comparison against the remains are asked to make contact with the Christmas Island Investigation Team by letter to: Director of Navy Ministerials & Coordination, Department of Defence, R1-4-C070, Russell Offices, Canberra, ACT, 2600.

" ... the investigation of the sailor's identity will cease this month, ..."

The RAN's efforts to identify the remains have relied upon a combination of forensic examination of remains, relics found in the grave, and DNA testing of what they believe to be likely surviving relatives.  As I've pointed out several times, I believe they have concentrated their search amongst the surviving relatives of the wrong group of crew members.  The identification team has concentrated upon officers and canteen staff members instead of the engineering section ratings I believe would have been more fruitful.

I have been following closely the proceedings of The HMAS Sydney II Commission of Inquiry into the loss of the ship.  All transcripts of hearings are being posted on the Commission's website along with images of all exhibits, witness statements and submissions (including those by the general public).

Witness statements and testimony includes that from surviving members of the HMAS Sydney (II)'s crew who did not make the last voyage for various reasons.  Amongst a wide range of matters being examined by the President of the Inquiry and Counsel Assisting have been questions relating to the clothing worn by various personnel on board ship in the course of their normal duties and at their action stations.  I infer from this that the President and Counsel Assisting are attempting to determine from which group on board ship the Unknown Sailor of Christmas Island may have originated.

It is apparent that they are trying to determine who may have worn blue coloured boiler suits of coveralls.  It appears that the wearing of such was not confined to the engineering section, as I had supposed.

The thoroughness of the inquiry and the depth of evidence and testimony brought before the inquiry is very impressive.

I look forward to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry.

The re-interment of the remains of the Unknown Sailor of Christmas Island is premature.  This ceremony should await the identification of the remains and consultation with any surviving family.

Certainly, the cessation of the investigation into the sailor's identity is premature - and I am certain that that investigation will be reviewed by the Commission of Inquiry.

 

John McCain and Barack Obama settle their differences like men.

The only way I knew that this video was faked, is because the real John McCain cannot raise his arms above his shoulders due to the permanent damage he sustained in his plane crash and subsequent PoW captivity.

WW Two vet Mac Gregory featured in Signals magazine.

As I mentioned here and here, my friend Mac Gregory has had a long association with the ship's bell of USS Canberra which is displayed in the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Signals Magazine of the ANMM has recently invterviewed Mac about the bell, and his naval career.  See the article here.