Today is the last day of June, it is also the last day of the 2007 financial year. Today is the last day to donate to obtain a tax deduction for the 2007 financial tax year. So, final opportunities to donate to charities!

There are many charities who will be grateful for donations. Below are some of them, the list is not extensive.

• Australian Red Cross
• Salvation Army
• Royal Flying Doctor Service
• Care Australia
• Oxfam Australia
• St Vincent de Paul
• Royal Children’s Hospital

A group of friends who conducted door-to-door interviews with folks living in Parkville early this year received generally positive responses relating to the security of the area. Most residents, however, complained about the lack of services and the relative boredom of not having any form of entertainment in the area, ‘lest you trek/hike/drive/ride/hitch-a-ride down towards the busier suburbs.

The Age, today, painted a fresh new outlook for Parkville. According to a RACV analysis of police statistics and census numbers, Parkville came in at the Burglary Chart tops with a burglary rate of one in every 15 homes.

So, considering the calmness (boredom) and the activity (burglary), who would be wanting to live at Parkville? Something has to be wrong - current residents, feel free to correct me.

See The Age article here.

So, we have been slipping down the ranking since 1991, when Melbourne was ranked the world’s most livable city. What happened?

Well, the Mercer Worldwide Quality of Living Index uses 39 different criteria which includes social, political, transport, economic, personal safety, health and education factors to determine the ranking.

Using just the personal safety criteria, Melbourne ranked 29th, equal ranking with both Sydney and Perth. The Overall index had Sydney at 10th, while Perth is ranked at 21st. Zurich is still the World’s most livable city, since 2007.

Considering the state government has to initiate a 2 am lockout, extra policing for the city due to increased violence, it doesn’t surprised me if Melbourne was ranked much lower. In the Asia Pacific region, Singapore (surprise surprise!) ranked first for personal safety.

Melbourne did not do well in the transport criteria as well. Not surprised, considering we all travel as cattle on the public trains. What say you that Melbourne falls even further down the ranking next year?

Who thinks this will motivate the Government to do something to improve Melbourne’s ranking? Or maybe that is just a dream …

News Link
Herald Sun’s “Mercer Worldwide Index”

You have to feel sorry for Werribee. Not only does it suffer from Boganitis but is also infamous for it’s sewage farm. Yes, 55% of Melbourne’s sewage goes to Werribee. Here’s a joke to start off our shortened week.

HURRICANE APPEAL

A major hurricane (Hurricane Shazza) and an earthquake Measuring 5.8 on theRichter scale hit the Werribee/Sanctuary Lakes area early Friday afternoon with its epicentre near the Geeelong Freeway.

Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly, muttering “Faaackinell”. The hurricane decimated the area causing approximately $30.00 worth of damage. Three areas of historic burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their centrelink Cheques arrived.

The Leader Newspaper reported that hundreds of residents were confused and bewildered and were still trying to come to terms with it. One resident - Traycey Sharrynn Smith, a 16-year-old mother of 5 said “It was such a shock, my little girl, Chardonnay-Mercedes came running into my bedroom crying. My youngest two, Harley and Kev slept through it all.”

Apparently looting, muggings and car crime were unaffected and carried on as normal.

The Australian Red Cross has so far managed to ship 4,000 crates of Bacardi-Breezers to the area to help the stricken locals. Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, including Health Care Cards, Jewellery and Lap Tops from Officeworks.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for thoseunfortunate enough to be caught up in this disaster. Clothing is most sought after - items most needed include: Baseball caps, Da-da tracksuits, singlets (blue & white), white sport socks, Nike boots, any other items usually sold at Dimmey’s or The Reject Shop.

Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same.Required foodstuffs urgently needed include: Microwave meals, baked beans,Ice cream, Chips, Fizzy drinks. Donations of $15.00 will be taken to buy a packet of Winny blue 25s and alighter to calm the nerves of those affected.

**Breaking news** Werribee Uniting Church has cancelled their local “Nativity Display” due to their inability to find three wise men or a virgin.
Thanks to Strider

When looking for a good image for this post, I found The Werribee Blog. Good for a laugh.

Almost as quick as last week, shniken, guessed the place, the time, and the person correctly. This picture was taken from the seats in between the interchange benches at last week’s match between Geelong and Carlton. The player on the bicycle is Matthew Kreuzer, last year’s #1 draft pick. It must be distracting hearing Kruz! from the crowd everytime he touches the ball. This in conjunction with picking up Chris Judd from West Coast has put the Blues from the bottom of the ladder last year, to almost breaking into the 8. Towards the end of the game, Carlton’s Paul Bower got into a crunching tackle and copped a season ending shoulder injury. To see a guy that huge on the verge of tears showed just how painful footy can be.

Where Art Thou Week 14?

Finally, something to speed up my life. As of yesterday, the ability to use a PIN instead of a signature with a credit card came into effect. Firstly, your signature is ever changing and secondly it’s pretty difficult for someone to detect a forgery in the 1 second they spend comparing the signatures (that is if they even look at all). My biggest pet peeve is the Safeway Express checkout lines which give you no room to sign. You have to use the 6 cm on top of the EFTPOS machine to scratch out something that resembles a 5-year old’s signature.

So far I have yet to have a chance to use it but apparently the big retailers (Safeway, Coles, Big W etc.) have had it set up for the past few months. I’d reckon I’d still use the signature for restaurants but everything else is PIN.

Pen or Pin

Someone obviously got their wires crossed when they lifted the ban on bikes on trains. Simon caught this great moment at South Yarra Station recently.

Motorbike on Connex Train [via Digg]

If only I knew …
that the speed cameras on parts of the Western ring road and the ones on the West Gate Bridge are not functioning, and have not been operating for the past year. I guess I wouldn’t have slowed down if I knew.

According to Assistant Commissioner Ken Lay, that is the reason why the police never mentioned it, just so people continues to slow down in front of the speed cameras. But now that the secret is out, people will be speeding along these roads.

Maybe they can put up phantom roadworks to slow the vehicles instead (or maybe they are already doing that)!

I’ve always wondered why I blog on here. I have nothing to promote (other than Melbourne), no website to link to, and I certainty haven’t made a single cent (or 5cents). Well, walking down the street a few months ago, I saw my words printed up on the street and if that isn’t reason enough then I don’t know what is.

I’ve been wanting to do another followup on the accident that claimed Damian Cooper’s life a year and a half ago but haven’t until today. Tragically a life was lost but out of it Damian’s father Mark Cooper is now an advocate of reducing speed limits in busy shopping areas such as Lygon Street. He has been successful and the city is now in the process of reducing the limit to 40km/h in Lygon Street. As for the piece of scum who hit him, he is going to court in October on charges of culpable driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while disqualified.

Only a couple of hours ago, just meters up the road, another fatal car crash occurred where two 18 year olds have lost their lives. It’s hard not to jump to conclusions when a P plater crashes into a parked car at such a speed that 2 people are killed and 5 people taken to hospital. A police spokesmen said “This is another example of what you could say (is) hoon behaviour, hoon driving and young people thinking they can outdo themselves and the results are tragic.” The road toll is up 13% from last year. I’m not sure if lower speed limits would have helped either situation but it’s a step in the right direction. It seems no matter what provisions are made, hoon drivers are just not getting the picture.

In any case, it makes me happy to think my words are going to a good cause although in tragic circumstances. I can only hope that the make shift shrine for Damian is helping to get the message out. Slow down.

Links:

Melbourne Metblogs: Update on Brunetti & Damian Cooper

Melbourne Metblogs: Another Day, Another Fatality

The Age: Speed blamed in Fatal Carlton Crash

Melbourne Leader: Lygon St 40km/h speed plea

Facebook: RIP Damo 

<IMAGE REMOVED COURTESY OF THE AGE>

On a day when swopping your staid work clothes for a loud shirt shows your support for the hearing-impaired people, good senior citizens of Melbourne decide to do swop their everyday wear for a commando look.

Clearly, it seems the only way to get anyone in Melbourne to take notice is to go topless. No doubt inspired by our Indian cab drivers several weeks ago, I think it’s about time someone put an end to all the topless shenanigans. It’s funny now, old people going topless, but who gona laugh when there are topless International Students demanding concession tickets and equality with Australian students?? Or topless Sydenham line passengers wanting an extension to Zone 1 stations to Watergardens as Sydenham currently has the least number of Zone 1 stops? How about topless motorists staging a protest against higher fuel prices? Are we gona have a topless protest just coz Mr John Smith isn’t happy?

How about just going completely nude? That’ll make a statement.

Image from The Age.