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Phone Outage or Dependency? |
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By Allen on
21/10/2008 2:09 p.m.
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The recent problem with our telephones affected many people. It shows how dependent man has become on it. Where would our business be without telecommunication systems.
Not to long ago documentation for imports and exports came by air and well in advance of the consignment of goods. Import documents were processed by the Customs department, duty paid some times four days before the vessel arrived and goods cleared. Now the good arrive and then the documents arrive later. And we have technology. Do we!
There was no email or the Internet. The telephone was a tool of trade. It was kept in the office. Business thrived and people actually visited each other to have meetings. Now we just see each other on a screen or we would talk to a gadget that would sit on the table.
And people actually wrote letters to each other. To receive a letter was an occasion now you just send something we call the text.
I usually think now that we have so much technology things would be easier. I believe things just got more complicated. What will happen to our kids who seem to have been born with a telephone stuck to their heads. They’d be lost, huh. They could go crazy.
And just imagine If people from just 100 year ...
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One church |
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By Allen on
13/10/2008 6:21 a.m.
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Critics have said that the Peoples Charter is divisive. How?
The Reverend Doc. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
This is when people of all faith go to their respective churches.
If we were united there would be only one church in Fiji.
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Politics |
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By Allen on
13/10/2008 6:17 a.m.
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Ever since I could vote I have learnt that politicians differ. Some are smart, some not so smart and some can speak for hours without really saying anything. And some just didn’t know what they were talking about. Oh of course there were many excellent ones who practised. And there were those who just preached.
Our administration has changed hands many times and we can learn many things from the kaleidoscope of people who got elected. One thing that I’ve learnt is how not to act like some of them.
After the clean up campaign is finished (I hope it will be soon) and we are given its findings (I hope there are some) we can learn about and rectify our mistakes and move on.
One thing is for sure, the reason for our failed state is because our politicians were not extraordinary in their leadership. They were not visionaries and had mission and vision statements that had a 5 year shelf life. Because of political rivalry no one wanted the other to benefit from his or her ideas. Hence the many manifestos all saying the same thing but worded differently. If one party got elected it governed for the 5 year term. When another administration came in they started all over again.
Our problem escalates because political parties ...
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Lewd lyrics |
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By Allen on
10/10/2008 8:12 a.m.
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Horror struck and disgusted are words that describe two interim ministers feelings towards the supposedly lewd lyrics of songs being played on our airwaves. These songs have been around for a while. How come they only noticed during the Digicel promotion. Anyway some of the words of the songs are part of everyday language of the people of Fiji. So what!
That aside, how about publishing the positive side or the success of Digicel's introductory promotion. I believe more than 40,000 people were at the grounds and at the end of the programme there was no transport. People had to walk home right up to Nabua. People got some exercise.
Anyway, we have cigarette products available to anyone who has money to buy it. School children included. Alcohol and marijuana readily available. Texts messages are sent to us to take part in Car Razy competition. There are so many things in Fiji that have a negative impact on peoples lives.
The interim ministers and everybody else in Fiji know that we have the solution to these negatives. “Build” better places of education and upgrade the teaching profession so that our teachers can educate the people of Fiji to know what is good and what is bad for them .
And after that no matter what ...
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Peace |
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By Allen on
10/10/2008 7:59 a.m.
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The National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) was set up for that – building a better Fiji.
The document is the People’s charter for change, peace & progress. This reminds me of the Alliance Party’s motto Peace Progress & Prosperity.
The theme would probably be - moving forward together to build a better Fiji.
These statements are precise, they mean what they say, it cannot be any simpler or clearer.
At the present time the story of the king who refused to go to the peace conference comes to mind. He was given many reminders and told to join the peace treaty.
Then he asked, “What will you do if I don’t come.”
“War will be declared upon you.” was the answer.
Something about the throat also comes to mind.
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Power solution |
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By Allen on
10/10/2008 7:53 a.m.
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FEA has been telling us to conserve energy. And I agree with them. And now the dam in running low. How about FEA importing home solar equipment and convert all homes to solar power. Right now we are running out of water yet we have so much sunshine. During the sunshine we turn to solar and during the rainy days we use FEA power.
Our homes can be converted to 50% solar and 50% electricity.
The solar units can be rented and for those who can afford it bought outright.
And if we talked more about our problem we will have another source of energy. So there you go problem solved.
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Glue sniffing |
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By Allen on
10/10/2008 7:26 a.m.
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Glue sniffing has been around for some time, it’s the in-thing or the in-thang. Some time ago there was benzene sniffing or pun pun. It died out. Bad habits will be with us for the rest of our days. Just like that oldest profession you cannot eradicate it.
But we can put in measures to prevent or curb bad habits. The purchase of menthylated spirits was restricted and we curbed the illegal consumption.
We will not be able to eradicate bad habits but what we can do is to put in measures that will stop our children from sniffing glue.
I don’t know why the authorities are still twiddling their thumbs while our children continue to suffer and hardware salesmen make their dirty money.
We can restrict the sale of that type of glue and anyone who buys it has to be registered.
What are we waiting for, man.
By the way, how are those who wanted to eradicate corruption doing?
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Divided |
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By Allen on
10/10/2008 7:16 a.m.
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Critics have said that the Peoples Charter is divisive. How?
The Reverend Doc. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said "it is appalling that the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o'clock on Sunday morning."
This is when people of all faith go to their respective churches.
If we were united there would be only one church in Fiji.
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Confused |
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By Allen on
7/10/2008 12:10 a.m.
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There have been so many government reshuffles I hope it will not affect the efficiency of the departments .
I remember some years ago one of my superiors in the old colonial government, after being transferred once again saying “I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.”
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Voting |
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By Allen on
7/10/2008 12:04 a.m.
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How about we don’t make voting compulsory.
Let the people decide whether they want to vote or not.
Whatever government is chosen by those who voted shall be the government of the day.
Citizens will be told to do their civic duty and if they choose not to vote they have no say in the new governments period of administration. Or in the layman’s term - zip it.
Then only it will be a true democracy. Forcing people to vote is not very democratic.
Anyway, I know so many people who told me that they invalidated their vote by putting blank papers into the box. This was just to avoid the fine. And in fact they never did vote.
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Solar is the solution |
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By Allen on
6/10/2008 11:51 p.m.
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FEA has been telling us to conserve energy. And I agree with them. And now the dam in running low. How about FEA importing home solar equipment and convert all homes to solar power. Right now we are running out of water yet we have so much sunshine. During the sunshine we turn to solar and during the rainy days we use FEA power.
Our homes can be converted to 50% solar and 50% electricity.
The solar units can be rented and for those who can afford it bought outright.
And if we talked more about our problem we will have another source of energy. So there you go problem solved.
UPLOADTEMPLATEUPLOADTEMPLATE
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Icon |
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By Allen on
30/09/2008 10:12 a.m.
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Remember how we used to have the Queens photo hanging in every government office?
Many still hang in the various offices and some homes still have these huge photos, as a memento, maybe, and or sentimental reasons or just because it’s very high up.
The photos were icons to remind us of the head of our nation and also to be cherished. The Queen was well loved but time and people have changed.
I wonder if any of our leaders photos will ever hang in government offices and homes to remind us their contribution to our nation.
I have a feeling there will be one heck of a debate as to whose photo will hang from a nail in our offices and homes.
Seeing that we would dearly love to nail a few of them to the wall and maybe hang the rest.
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Smoke test |
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By Allen on
25/09/2008 2:00 p.m.
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LTA usually checks vehicles for excessive smoke emission.
For a number of years the Lautoka sugar mill has been spewing our soot that blankets everything within ten miles.
What is the possibility of that smoke machine being used to test for excessive smoke at the mill.
We have controlled our vehicles, how about the mill?
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Make haste |
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By Allen on
18/09/2008 9:35 a.m.
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The tragic bus accident will bring out all sorts of issues. Like we must have stringent bus checks. We must teach our drivers defensive driving. We must fix our roads. And the best - what were the authorities doing.
Oh yes, it takes a tragedy to get tongues wagging and fingers pointing.
We are the kings of making haste after the horse has bolted or some kind of saying like that.
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Stray dog problem |
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By Allen on
18/09/2008 9:33 a.m.
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The stray dog problem is getting out of hand, because we care. We will not allow the authorities to lay poison bait, because left over's may get eaten by pets, fair enough.
But does this mean that we have to live with the problem. Each Saturday Motley the dog has his column in your paper and I love reading it because it helps me with my three dogs.
The authorities hands are tied while the problem gets worse. Another problem is people who keep dogs not as pets or guard dogs. These people just keep dogs. At Waiyavi , where I live there is a house where pups have been crying for two days.
Can the SPCA put out and advertisement advising people on how to treat animals, please. The ad can also have a telephone number where people can call to report a family that is being cruel or negligent to its pets or animals. And there are the dogs that bark aimlessly. One dog near my place was running around barking at the sky then I realized it was barking at a bird. When the bird flew out of sight it sat down. Then a little later it started barking and going round in circles. It had seen its tail and was now trying to bite it. These are the kinds of bogs that disturb the peace.
I just moved recently to Waiyavi and each nigh ...
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Hold your breath |
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By Allen on
18/09/2008 9:12 a.m.
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On Friday afternoon I heard a man on a loud hailer saying, ‘To all the residents we are going to be spraying in this area. Please don’t breathe during this time.”
Well it sounded like it.
Anyway thank you Lautoka City Council and the Health Department for taking care of our lives.
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Is Fiji a better place? |
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By Allen on
18/09/2008 9:05 a.m.
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The BBC was conducting a live radio talk back show on the topic - seven years on .... is your world a safer place? They were referring to 9/11.
We can also ask ourselves .. twenty years on is Fiji a safe and better place?
Especially when our tool kit is the coup-de-tart.
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Miracle |
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By Allen on
18/09/2008 9:02 a.m.
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At around 7 pm on Saturday we were getting ready to watch the game between Waikato and Wellington that was going to be televised live at 730 when to our surprise it appeared on TV. One of the guys said that it was a miracle because according to Fiji TVs programme it was supposed to be live at 730.
We are wondering if it was only us who experienced this miracle.
There was a debate then at 730 the “live” game came on and the first 3 minutes was once again played.
All we can say is Hallelujah.
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UPLOADTEMPLATE
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Hospital service |
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By Allen on
14/09/2008 12:04 p.m.
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Our hospital services have been in the limelight recently. Dengue has hit us and our hospital staff have their hands full. Despite what the hospitals executives say the hospital is full.
On Saturday 6th my friend who got fish poisoning in Suva returned home and had to be rushed to the Lautoka hospital at 8 pm. Upon getting there they found the place full of people. Doctors cannot rush through patients, they have to take their time. He were finally seen at 3 am Sunday morning. Doctors and nurses are human beings they are bound to get angry and frustrated also and this makes it worse for the sick.
But someone said the reason my friend was seen so late was because he was referred to the hospital by a private doctor.
Is there a rule in our hospitals, that dictates this?
Furthermore, private doctors prices can cause a person to just stay at home and die slowly. The hospitals are full and you cant afford the private doctor.
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Enterprising kids |
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By Allen on
14/09/2008 11:45 a.m.
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Every afternoon two little girls come pass my home and call out, “Uncle, do you want to buy achar?” It is mango season now and some us are making use of it to make ends meet a little bit easier.
The two girls make $5.00 every afternoon and this is for their bus fare and any extras that the family may need. While many children will just play, some play and work. Their game is to see who sells the most.
They get their fun and rewarded.
Oh only if all our children were like this, we wouldn’t need AusAid, or the EU or Save The Children Fund. We would be self-sufficient.
But there is still time.
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