Saturday, February 28, 2009
I am Australian
There are a few defining moments in life. When I met Megan I knew I wanted to spend my life with her. When I went to Hurricane Katrina I realized I wanted to spend my life with the Red Cross. And when I went to the bushfire memorial and heard the mourning crowd sing this song... I wanted to spend my life in Australia. Don't panic, it's not like we've made that drastic of a decision... I'm just really moved by the way in which Australia has come together in the face of this tragedy. I love this country. We may only be "457's" and not Australians... but for now that's close enough.
(Extra verses were added to this classic song, specifically for the memorial. And two Kinglake survivors joined in the singing... and that officially brought the crowd to tears).
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
"Stay Home, Take Cover"
'Worst day in history': Brumby warns of fire danger
Marc Moncrief
February 6, 2009 - 12:02PM
Victorians should cancel whatever plans they may have had for tomorrow and take whatever steps necessary to prepare for what Premier John Brumby is calling the "worst day in the history of the state".
- 'Worst day in state's history'
- Stay at home, people told
- Extreme weather forecast
With temperatures set to soar to the mid-40s throughout Victoria, Mr Brumby said the conditions were worse than those that preceded the devastating bushfires of Ash Wednesday or Black Friday.
"It's just as bad a day as you can imagine and on top of that the state is just tinder-dry. People need to exercise real common sense tomorrow," he said.
"If you don't need to go out, don't go out, it's a seriously bad day.
"If you don't need to travel, don't travel.
"Don't go on the roads. If you don't need to use the public transport system, don't use it.
"If you can stay at home, stay at home.
"If you've got relatives who are elderly, if you've got friends, if you've got neighbours, please call on them.
"Ring them ... it's going to be a terrible day for anyone who is ill or who is old.
Mr Brumby said he expected Melbourne to reach 43 or 44 degrees with similar temperatures throughout the state, reaching as high as 46 in Mildura.
He said if anything, the expectation was for the day to be even hotter rather than cooler.
He recalled scenes last week of wooden power poles self-igniting.
"I can't stress this enough, I know that the chief fire officer has been out and he said it will be as bad as you can get and he's not exaggerating," Mr Brumby said.
Marc Moncrief
February 6, 2009 - 12:02PM
Victorians should cancel whatever plans they may have had for tomorrow and take whatever steps necessary to prepare for what Premier John Brumby is calling the "worst day in the history of the state".
- 'Worst day in state's history'
- Stay at home, people told
- Extreme weather forecast
With temperatures set to soar to the mid-40s throughout Victoria, Mr Brumby said the conditions were worse than those that preceded the devastating bushfires of Ash Wednesday or Black Friday.
"It's just as bad a day as you can imagine and on top of that the state is just tinder-dry. People need to exercise real common sense tomorrow," he said.
"If you don't need to go out, don't go out, it's a seriously bad day.
"If you don't need to travel, don't travel.
"Don't go on the roads. If you don't need to use the public transport system, don't use it.
"If you can stay at home, stay at home.
"If you've got relatives who are elderly, if you've got friends, if you've got neighbours, please call on them.
"Ring them ... it's going to be a terrible day for anyone who is ill or who is old.
Mr Brumby said he expected Melbourne to reach 43 or 44 degrees with similar temperatures throughout the state, reaching as high as 46 in Mildura.
He said if anything, the expectation was for the day to be even hotter rather than cooler.
He recalled scenes last week of wooden power poles self-igniting.
"I can't stress this enough, I know that the chief fire officer has been out and he said it will be as bad as you can get and he's not exaggerating," Mr Brumby said.
Adelaide Heatwave
I have been in Adelaide, South Australia for the past few days as a result of the heatwave. Adelaide has been crippled by over 10 days of heat. Red Cross here is working with the government to identify "vulnerable" populations (i.e.- elderly people and people with disabilities). Our teams of volunteers are calling over 4,500 people each day. It's been a great thing to be a part of. The Adelaide staff have welcomed me (and the other 3 "inter-staters") with open arms. I miss my Megan, but it's been a really good opportunity to manage a team of staff and volunteers.
Tomorrow... I head home!
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