About 7 weeks ago, Miss 10 studied hard and passed the test for her Amateur Foundation Radio Licence - which I blogged about here.
It's her birthday on Monday and we've bought her a 70cm/2m dual band hand-held radio as a present and we were hoping that the licence would come through so that she could transmit for the first time on her birthday.
I emailed the coordinator of the course to see if he knew why we hadn't received the licence yet and apparently all the paperwork for the 13 people who sat the test at the same time has gone astray in the post and they're now trying to work out what to do :(
So unfortunately she'll have to wait a bit longer until she can transmit.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
I like "Country"
No, not the music - well some of it is okay, I guess. Country people, places, scenery, lifestyle - that sort of country!
I've just got back from four days away "country" delivering training. My first port of call was a place called Northam, about 100km east of where I live. I was there for three days and had a great time. The guys in the office and in my training courses were fantastic. (There was a little hiccup with the computers not arriving in time for the first scheduled course but that was the only downside to the trip).
I then headed further east (about 150kms) to Merredin. Same thing - although I was only there a day.
The drive was nice - didn't encounter any roos although saw quite a few dead ones on the side of the road - and accommodation although wasn't five star (nor four, three ... ) it was adequate. One thing that was a bit sad is how dry the country-side is looking. There were a few fields of canola which looked pretty nice, but a couple of fields of wheat weren't doing too well.
I'm heading north next weekend - so it will be interesting to see if it's any greener up there.
PS If you're looking for a good burger when you're out that way, the roadhouse at Meckering is the place to stop!
I've just got back from four days away "country" delivering training. My first port of call was a place called Northam, about 100km east of where I live. I was there for three days and had a great time. The guys in the office and in my training courses were fantastic. (There was a little hiccup with the computers not arriving in time for the first scheduled course but that was the only downside to the trip).
I then headed further east (about 150kms) to Merredin. Same thing - although I was only there a day.
The drive was nice - didn't encounter any roos although saw quite a few dead ones on the side of the road - and accommodation although wasn't five star (nor four, three ... ) it was adequate. One thing that was a bit sad is how dry the country-side is looking. There were a few fields of canola which looked pretty nice, but a couple of fields of wheat weren't doing too well.
I'm heading north next weekend - so it will be interesting to see if it's any greener up there.
PS If you're looking for a good burger when you're out that way, the roadhouse at Meckering is the place to stop!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
It's a start ...
From today's news:
A VICTIMS support group says it doesn't mind being overlooked for a Queensland government advisory panel aimed at changing gun licensing laws.
The Newman government initially announced a six-member panel, made up of pro-gun lobbyists and gun shop owners, to look at ways to cut red tape faced by gun owners when renewing licences.
The Queensland Police Union was later invited to join after it criticised the government for stacking the advisory panel with people linked to the gun lobby.
Union president Ian Leavers said he would accept the invitation, but more needed to be done to balance the panel.
He said the inclusion of Pistol Shooting Queensland and Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group would "provide a full spectrum of views".
But the support group's general manager Ross Thompson says he doesn't see a need to be included on the panel.
Mr Thompson said Police Minister Jack Dempsey rang him on Wednesday and explained the panel would not discuss relaxing gun laws, only cutting the bureaucracy around renewing licences for already approved gun owners.
"We don't need to be involved in that part of it, because he (Mr Dempsey) guaranteed me that the laws were not going to be changed, it was not going to soften anything at all," he told AAP.
"I feel quite satisfied with the answer I got."
Premier Campbell Newman said the government would make gun laws tougher, particularly for people who carry concealed weapons or sawn-off shot guns.
But he said the panel's main focus would be making things easier for legal gun owners.
"At the moment there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy for people who are law abiding gun owners," he told reporters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
.
Now, unfortunately for me, this is in on the otherside of the country in another State (and gun laws are basically State based), so any changes won't benefit me directly. But I am happy to see that this is being raised and addressed in this country and hopefully other States will follow the lead in making things easier for "law abiding gun owners".
Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/victims-group-passes-up-qld-gun-panel-spot/story-e6frfku9-1226460794035 emphasis mine.
Victims group passes up Qld gun panel spot
A VICTIMS support group says it doesn't mind being overlooked for a Queensland government advisory panel aimed at changing gun licensing laws.
The Newman government initially announced a six-member panel, made up of pro-gun lobbyists and gun shop owners, to look at ways to cut red tape faced by gun owners when renewing licences.
The Queensland Police Union was later invited to join after it criticised the government for stacking the advisory panel with people linked to the gun lobby.
Union president Ian Leavers said he would accept the invitation, but more needed to be done to balance the panel.
He said the inclusion of Pistol Shooting Queensland and Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group would "provide a full spectrum of views".
But the support group's general manager Ross Thompson says he doesn't see a need to be included on the panel.
Mr Thompson said Police Minister Jack Dempsey rang him on Wednesday and explained the panel would not discuss relaxing gun laws, only cutting the bureaucracy around renewing licences for already approved gun owners.
"We don't need to be involved in that part of it, because he (Mr Dempsey) guaranteed me that the laws were not going to be changed, it was not going to soften anything at all," he told AAP.
"I feel quite satisfied with the answer I got."
Premier Campbell Newman said the government would make gun laws tougher, particularly for people who carry concealed weapons or sawn-off shot guns.
But he said the panel's main focus would be making things easier for legal gun owners.
"At the moment there's a lot of red tape and bureaucracy for people who are law abiding gun owners," he told reporters on the Gold Coast on Wednesday.
.
Now, unfortunately for me, this is in on the otherside of the country in another State (and gun laws are basically State based), so any changes won't benefit me directly. But I am happy to see that this is being raised and addressed in this country and hopefully other States will follow the lead in making things easier for "law abiding gun owners".
Source: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/victims-group-passes-up-qld-gun-panel-spot/story-e6frfku9-1226460794035 emphasis mine.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Bookweek Dress Up Day
Today is Bookweek Dress Up Day at the girls' school. Miss 10 has been reading MHI (and loving it), so she decided to dress up as a monster hunter. Miss 8 didn't want to miss out, so she's dressed up as one too:
(I did get them to leave the gun at home!)
(I did get them to leave the gun at home!)
Friday, August 17, 2012
This does not bode well for the future ...
On Wednesday night at cubs I was doing some "badge work" with various cubs. Our cubs work through three stages of boomerangs - bronze, silver and gold - and each have 14 different sections that the cubs need to complete.
I was reading this section out to the cub, to ask her if she has done anything in this area (this cub, by the way, is 9 years old):
"Demonstrate that you know how to do cleaning around the home, such as vacuuming, sweeping, washing up and cleaning the bathroom."
As I was reading it out - and the girl was shaking her head at each point - her mother came into the room (on some other errand), and said "What?".
I passed the book to the mother to show her what it said and her response was:
"I have a cleaner. Why should my daughter do cleaning if I don't?"
This may have been a rhetorical question by I was so stunned I sort of spluttered:
"Um, because maybe when she moves out of home and can't afford a cleaner she will need to know how to do these things."
Now I have heard of people not getting their kids to do chores before but I have never met anyone who actually lived that. I mean to be 9 years old and never swept?!? or done the dishes?!? To me that is very scary.
I was reading this section out to the cub, to ask her if she has done anything in this area (this cub, by the way, is 9 years old):
"Demonstrate that you know how to do cleaning around the home, such as vacuuming, sweeping, washing up and cleaning the bathroom."
As I was reading it out - and the girl was shaking her head at each point - her mother came into the room (on some other errand), and said "What?".
I passed the book to the mother to show her what it said and her response was:
"I have a cleaner. Why should my daughter do cleaning if I don't?"
This may have been a rhetorical question by I was so stunned I sort of spluttered:
"Um, because maybe when she moves out of home and can't afford a cleaner she will need to know how to do these things."
Now I have heard of people not getting their kids to do chores before but I have never met anyone who actually lived that. I mean to be 9 years old and never swept?!? or done the dishes?!? To me that is very scary.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
You never want to see this ....
Drought! ...
Please remember the farmers across the US who are facing this sight and worse! Your thoughts and prayers are needed.
Please remember the farmers across the US who are facing this sight and worse! Your thoughts and prayers are needed.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Science experiements again ...
Just had this conversation with Miss 8:
Miss 8: "Why did dad buy Mountain Dew?"
Me: "We want to make glow sticks with it."
Miss 8: "Okay"
She wasn't even surprised that we were planning to do some science experiements with Mountain Dew!
But yes, apparently, Mountain Dew, bicarb soda and peroxide creates glow sticks. We're going to give it a go a bit later on and see how much of each we need. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE]Apparently it doesn't work :( I should have checked out Snopes first! Oh well, it was fun to try[/UPDATE]
Miss 8: "Why did dad buy Mountain Dew?"
Me: "We want to make glow sticks with it."
Miss 8: "Okay"
She wasn't even surprised that we were planning to do some science experiements with Mountain Dew!
But yes, apparently, Mountain Dew, bicarb soda and peroxide creates glow sticks. We're going to give it a go a bit later on and see how much of each we need. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE]Apparently it doesn't work :( I should have checked out Snopes first! Oh well, it was fun to try[/UPDATE]
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