RE: Just looking back over the past posts….

Mate,

I’m not offended at all – I have read enough of your posts to realise your affection for Sabena and the A330 – I’d like to be clever enough to devise something similar for my posts.

I was just wondering if I am the only one who thought the way I did when I saw your new post.

Leave it in – it sure doesn’t offend me.

Regards

Wombat

RE: Calling all

You poms are a worry…(I’m sure that was in the film somewhere.)

RE: Just looking back over the past posts….

Hi A330 etc…

I’m way off post again, and this is only a personal opinion, so don’t hate me for it.

I realise that your “insignia” is an A330, passing from right to left across the bottom of your messages, but every time I see it, I can’t help thinking of the second 767 burying itself into the WTC before exploding.

Does anybody else think that, or am I truly warped?

Regards

Warped Wombat

RE: What level of taxation do you have in your country?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 12-10-02 AT 02:15 AM (GMT)]Vortex

As I mentioned in my original post, Australian taxpayers pay income tax at varying levels, according to salary, plus what is called the Medicare levy if their salary exceeds a certain amount.

This levy is currently 1.5% of your taxable income, but increases to 2.5% if your salary exceeds $50,000, you are single, and don’t have private medical insurance.

Medicare is a basic medical insurance scheme which covers about 70% of the range of medical treatments the average person requires. It doesn’t cover ambulance transport, dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropractic, and a multitude of other specialist services. For those, you need private insurance.

To operate, Medicare re-imburses around 80% of the “scheduled fee”. This is where your Medicare refund can be pretty ordinary. If you go to your local doctor for a checkup, and he charges $50, but the scheduled fee for that service is only $40, Medicare will reimburse about 80% (can’t remember if its 75 or 85%) of the $40. You pay the balance, so that the visit cost you about $18 after reimbursement.

Our system was based on the UK National Health Scheme, but was always funded by taxpayer contributions over and above normal income taxes.

Medicare is free if you income is less than about $20,000 per annum, you are on a disability or aged pension or are a war service veteran or widow.

It is basically a good scheme, but does cost the Federal Government a bomb. Still better than a lot of other countries, though. It’s the fact that this levy applies on top of what are already very high taxation rates, that makes me angry.

Regards

Wombat

RE: 100 years of powered flight 2003 !

I realise the cost would be prohibitive, and possibly some events need to wait until their individual centenaries, but here are some suggestions:

1. Obviously, a recreation of the first flight of the Wright Flyer.
2. Recreation of Bleriot’s flight across the Channel
3. Recreation of Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic.
4. Recreation of first solo England to Australia flight by (Bert Hinkler?)

Each flight would be done in a modern replica of the original aircraft, manufactured to duplicate the original externally, but with modern engines/radios etc. (Except for the Flyer and the Bleriot)

Any other ideas?

Regards

Wombat

RE: Saving Private Ryan.

I saw Saving Private Ryan when it was first released in Australia about two years ago or so. I had read reviews and was more than keen to see it, having been pre-warned about the graphic opening sequence. The movie was everything I had read and heard and had a profound effect on me as I sat at the movies watching the futility of war being so realistically displayed.

Some time after, we bought the video. I haven’t watched it. I feel that the opening sequences had such an effect on me that I don’t wish to subject myself to them again, not yet, anyway.

There were many other scenes, such as the one-on-one fight Kev first asked for the translation about, the treachery displayed by the German soldier who was able to flee early in the movie, only to return the favour by killing one of the Americans later on. The pointlessness and selflessness of Miller’s death. And there are others which don’t come to mind straight away.

All this counterbalanced by the magnificent adherence to accuracy with the German armour- were the Pzkpfw-38’s real or dummies? Same for the Tigers (or Panthers, I can’t remember which they use – perhaps both?)

One day I will sit down and watch this movie again. One day…

Regards

The Wombat

RE: Aussie MBT replacement

Garry

I think we have the vessels to carry MBT’s, they’re the two former USN rust-buckets I have referred to on other posts (Kinimbla and Manoora, I think they are called.) I don’t know if both can convey tanks, but as they were purchased for troop and supply vessels, I imagine tank-carrying would have been on the specification list when they were purchased.

Aussie Force

I didn’t know the Leopards were up for disposal, although I suppose they are getting a bit old now.

I know nothing of the current MBT’s, nor of the specification which would apply for Australian service. Perhaps the Yanks have some second hand stuff they can flog us, to make the picture complete? (Ships, Bones? and MBT – perhaps a couple of Pattons or Pershings???)

Regards

Wombat

RE: Sp[ell Checkers ???

Hand

I think your suggestion to change communication through differing languages might fall over. English is now the international language, and the forum is allied to English-speaking magazines. I don’t know if they are printed in other languages, perhaps they are, but it is probably reasonable to assume that anyone who wishes to use these forums will have at least an acceptable mastery of English.

I do agree that there is a tendency of some members to abbreviate or use local dialogue, which may elude some of us, but that is just one of the characteristics of an international forum.

(This is actually a desperate plea not to go with your suggestion about cycling though languages. I’m too old to start re-learning German, French, Dutch and lord-knows-what-else). x(

Regards

Wombat