The current death toll is 130, with 750 homes destroyed. The fires are still burning out of control.
The latest news can be found here. On this site is also a message board where people are trying to find out about friends and relatives, it's pretty sobering to read the number of "can't contact" messages.
Photos of the tragedy can be seen here.
Via "The Killfile" there are a number of twitter accounts publishing regular updates on the fire and warnings, e.g. 774melbourne.
Please continue to keep the residents of Victoria in your thoughts and prayers.
Monday, February 9, 2009
How to stop guys smoking weed ....
from http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25032892-23109,00.html
Study links smoking cannabis to testicular cancer
YOUNG men who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop an aggressive form of testicular cancer than those who have never tried the drug, a study has found.
The US research was the first to find evidence of a link between cannabis and testicular cancer.
It found smoking the drug at least once a week, or using it regularly from adolescence, doubled the risk of a fast-growing form of the disease called nonseminoma, which tends to strike men in their 20s and 30s.
The study, by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and published in the journal Cancer, asked 369 testicular cancer patients if they had a history of marijuana use.
A further 979 healthy men were asked about their use of the drug.
Being an existing cannabis user raised the risk of cancer by 70 per cent, while men who had used the drug regularly from puberty were twice as likely to develop the disease than those who had not used it.
Epidemiologist and study author Stephen Schwartz said: "Our study is not the first to suggest that some aspect of a man's lifestyle or environment is a risk factor for testicular cancer, but it is the first that has looked at marijuana use".
Researchers suggest cannabis may interfere with a man's natural production of a substance thought to protect against tumours.
Study links smoking cannabis to testicular cancer
YOUNG men who smoke marijuana are more likely to develop an aggressive form of testicular cancer than those who have never tried the drug, a study has found.
The US research was the first to find evidence of a link between cannabis and testicular cancer.
It found smoking the drug at least once a week, or using it regularly from adolescence, doubled the risk of a fast-growing form of the disease called nonseminoma, which tends to strike men in their 20s and 30s.
The study, by scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and published in the journal Cancer, asked 369 testicular cancer patients if they had a history of marijuana use.
A further 979 healthy men were asked about their use of the drug.
Being an existing cannabis user raised the risk of cancer by 70 per cent, while men who had used the drug regularly from puberty were twice as likely to develop the disease than those who had not used it.
Epidemiologist and study author Stephen Schwartz said: "Our study is not the first to suggest that some aspect of a man's lifestyle or environment is a risk factor for testicular cancer, but it is the first that has looked at marijuana use".
Researchers suggest cannabis may interfere with a man's natural production of a substance thought to protect against tumours.
Range Report #9
Went up to the range both on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday I took a friend who fired rifles as a kid but has never fired a pistol. So we did the standard run through of the four rules, did some basic gun handling with my Ruger 22/45 and then the Springfield. As she mastered each stage I added different things in (like putting in mags, clearing the gun etc). She did very well - hit everything she was aiming at. At the end she said she really enjoyed it and was thinking about doing the training course as she needed a new hobby. She said that she was thinking more along the lines of dancing, but had really enjoyed the day and thought this might be the way to go! My response was "well what more could you ask for: wide open spaces, fresh air, trees, birds, gunfire!" :)
This conversation was conducted in the range next to 12 trainees practising (which sounds like fireworks!). My husband was among the trainees. He has decided to join the club to do metallic silhouette.
On the Sunday I shot with a squad. It was an ICOR shoot at there were at least 45 shooters (which is a lot for a Sunday morning). It was such a windy day - on one stage we had to redo targets, put walls back etc at least four times during our squad's shoot.
I didn't do well at all :( My gun jammed pretty much all the time! I'm not sure why (but I certainly wasn't happy). I think it needs a good clean and hopefully it will behave itself again. Oh, and to make things worse, I wasn't even that accurate.
On Saturday I took a friend who fired rifles as a kid but has never fired a pistol. So we did the standard run through of the four rules, did some basic gun handling with my Ruger 22/45 and then the Springfield. As she mastered each stage I added different things in (like putting in mags, clearing the gun etc). She did very well - hit everything she was aiming at. At the end she said she really enjoyed it and was thinking about doing the training course as she needed a new hobby. She said that she was thinking more along the lines of dancing, but had really enjoyed the day and thought this might be the way to go! My response was "well what more could you ask for: wide open spaces, fresh air, trees, birds, gunfire!" :)
This conversation was conducted in the range next to 12 trainees practising (which sounds like fireworks!). My husband was among the trainees. He has decided to join the club to do metallic silhouette.
On the Sunday I shot with a squad. It was an ICOR shoot at there were at least 45 shooters (which is a lot for a Sunday morning). It was such a windy day - on one stage we had to redo targets, put walls back etc at least four times during our squad's shoot.
I didn't do well at all :( My gun jammed pretty much all the time! I'm not sure why (but I certainly wasn't happy). I think it needs a good clean and hopefully it will behave itself again. Oh, and to make things worse, I wasn't even that accurate.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The Horror of the Victorian Fires
My thoughts and prayers for those people in Victoria who have been affected by the bushfires that are burning across the state.
With the weather over 40C (Melbourne got over 46C yesterday) and strong winds nine fires are still out of control.
(These are the current fire locations in Victoria - from the Sentinel website).
The death toll is currently 25.
News reporters are saying that they're also seeing lightening in the affected areas - this is never good.
With the weather over 40C (Melbourne got over 46C yesterday) and strong winds nine fires are still out of control.
(These are the current fire locations in Victoria - from the Sentinel website).
The death toll is currently 25.
News reporters are saying that they're also seeing lightening in the affected areas - this is never good.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
How to Cool Down #3
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
How to Cool Down #1
Not sure of the actual story behind this photo - but it has been very hot in the south east of Australia the past couple of days.
More cute cuddly photos here.
More cute cuddly photos here.
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