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Out in the shed with Ted

Ted McEvoy.

Pensions.

More than 340,000 veterans and war widows recently received a pension increase. From the 20^th March, 2011 pensions were increased by a bit less than 2%.

The new rates are:

The Carer’s allowance is now $110 per fortnight.

Ever wonder how they work out the rate of increase?? Well, wonder no longer, here’s how they do it:

Maximum base pension rates are adjusted each March and September by the greater of the movement in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index (PBLCI) and then compared with Male Total Average Weekly Earnings (MTAWE). The maximum combined couple rate of pension is benchmarked to 41.76 per cent of the annualised MTAWE.

This time, the factor used to increase full rate Service Pensions and Disability Pensions was 1.019, which is the result of the benchmark against MTAWE.

The MTAWE benchmark was applied to index base pension rates as it was higher than the indexed rate using either the CPI or the PBLCI.

Maximum transitional pension rates are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year by the movement in the Consumer Price Index only. Some pensioners are paid under the transitional arrangements until it is to their financial advantage to move to the standard (post Pension Reform) rules. Transitional rates of service pension have been increased by 1.011 being the increase in the Consumer Price Index.

Fees payable by residents in Government funded aged care facilities may be affected by both indexation and by the rate of pension.

So now you know – we’ll be asking questions later!!

Click HERE for the latest DVA fact sheet which outlines the full list of pension rates.

Overseas travel and your pension.

If you’re receiving a DVA pension and you plan to travel and/or live overseas, you need to tell DVA your details. If you don’t you could lose your payments.

if you are going overseas, normally your service pension or income support supplement will continue to be paid, even if you stay indefinitely. There is one exception to this rule. If you are a former resident of Australia who returns from overseas to claim a service pension or income support supplement, you must remain in Australia for at least twelve months before you can take your pension overseas but this requirement may be lifted in cases where unforeseen circumstances force you to return overseas.

What is not paid, if you decide to live overseas, is the veteran’s supplement, the senior’s supplement, rent assistance and/or remote area allowance however, if you are absent from the remote area in which you normally reside, remote area allowance will continue to be paid for up to 8 weeks.

If you are travelling outside of Australia temporarily, your usual rate of pension supplement and senior’s supplement will normally be paid for 13 weeks from the time you leave Australia and your veteran’s supplement and rent assistance will normally be paid for 26 weeks.

Your pension payment cannot be paid directly to you in another country which means you will need to keep a bank account open in Australia into which your pension payment can be deposited.

You can get further information HERE

What about health care overseas?

DVA will only cover health care expense for treatment of your war-caused disabilities. You will need to advise DVA prior to your departure of your intention to travel or live overseas if you wish to claim any health benefits while overseas. Any health care costs accepted by DVA will be limited to the costs usually associated with your care provided in Australia. Health care costs will not be met where your main reason for travel is to obtain health care.

You can get further information HERE

What about my children?

If you move overseas permanently, no family tax benefit can be paid by the Family Assistance Office.

If you temporarily move overseas your dependent child will not be considered as being dependent unless:

• the dependent child is an Australian resident; or

• the dependent child has been an Australian resident and is living with you outside Australia; or

• the dependent child had been living with you in Australia and is living with you outside Australia.

If your child moves overseas for any period greater than 3 years, you will no longer be eligible for family assistance. For more information refer to Factsheet IS48 Children or contact the Family Assistance Office.

Funny!

Anyway, I think THIS is funny, I can understand if you don't, not everyone has the great sense of humour that I have, I know that, but I reckon it's hilarious, yeah, and I like pumpkin too and I sometimes read Womans' Day, oh, and I like Chardonnay and I wear slippers when it's cold and I have a comb over, but that's got nothing to do with it......

Important History Lesson.

For those that don't know about history, here is one condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were

1.         the invention of beer and

2.         the invention of the wheel.

The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These two inventions were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1.         Blackhanders (ATECHS), and

2.         Queertraders (AVTECHS)

Once the making of beer was invented, a large and constant supply of grain was required and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminium can had been invented, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery – and that’s how villages came into being.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to BBQ at night while they were drinking their beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Blackhanders.

Other men, who were weaker and less skilled at hunting, learned to live off the Blackhanders by showing up for the nightly BBQ's and doing the sewing, fetching and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Queertraders.

Some of these Queertraders eventually evolved into metro sexuals and some of their more note-worthy achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that the Blackhanders provided.

Modern Queertraders like imported beer (with lime added), but most preferred white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish and liked their beef rarely done. Sushi, tofu, and French food were also standard Queertrader fare.

Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of the Queertrader women have higher testosterone levels than their men and most became social workers, personal injury lawyers, journalists, ABC staff and group therapists.

On the other hand, Blackhanders drank domestic beer, mostly Carlton or XXXX. They ate red meat and provided for their women. They were big game hunters, rode in rodeos, fished and generally liked to 4WD everywhere....even to the corner shop.

Queertraders produced little and generally did nothing of note, although they did like to sew and were prodigious readers of women’s magazines.

Here ends today's lesson in world history.

(See what happens when you move over to the West – you lose all sense of reality. I can provide Ted's address if anyone wishes to visit him when he comes out of hospital - tb.)

Aged Care for Gold and White Card Holders.

The Department of Veterans Affairs pays over one billion dollars each year to subsidise Gold and White Card holders in Aged Care facilities. This payment is covered by an agreement on what services aged care facilities provide for those veterans and war widows. However, DVA has no way of knowing whether these services are properly provided or, indeed whether they are provided at all.

Anecdotal evidence suggests in more than a few cases these contracted services are not being properly provided. Their intelligence suggests the crux of the problem is in the staffing of aged care facilities. There are sometimes not the trained staff to know what services (such as the ancillary service of physiotherapy, chiropody etc) are in fact required. There is sometimes not the trained staff to organize frequent enough GP visits.

It seems to be the employment of too many cheaper, less trained, enrolled nurses and not enough more expensive, better trained, Registered nurses that causes this lack. Sometimes this employment practice is caused by cost cutting, either because the aged care facility is financially strapped or because the owner is greedy. Sometimes it is caused by the outback location of the aged care facility.

The DVA subsidy is predicated, however, on proper staffing of the facilities.

DVA runs an excellent hospital system. There the DVA nurses check on Gold and White Card holders to see they are OK and advise them of their entitlements. Later a survey is sent to patients asking about their hospital experience. A similar system is needed in the Aged Care system.

There is also an excellent system of ESO organized veteran hospital visitors. There should be a similar system of ESO organized veteran aged care facilities visitors. One obstacle, however, is that DVA cannot tell ESOs where veterans in aged care reside for privacy reasons. This, however, is an obstacle which could easily be overcome as residents, especially in high care, would almost universally enthusiastically welcome such visits.

These veteran visitors might well have attended a short TIP course to learn about the aged care system and veterans entitlements. And we are not the only ones who believe DVA is negligent in not knowing whether its money is being properly directed to the care of Gold and White Card holders. The Auditor General identified ‘Weaknesses … in respect of residential aged care payments and quality assurance framework’.

This is a matter which should be urgently addressed.

Tim McCombe

National President

Vietnam Veterans Federation Inc.

The Boeing 747-8

The new Boeing 747-8 aircraft is being built in two formats, a long range Intercontinental passenger aircraft (B-747-8I) and a freighter (B-747-8F). The company promises these aircraft will offer airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger or freighter aircraft in operation today. The B-747-8I, with a range of 8,000 nautical miles (14,815 km), can connect nearly any major city pair in the world.

The passenger version, which, in a typical three-class configuration has 51 more seats than the B747-400, meets airline requirements for the 400-500 seat market, sitting mid-range between Boeing’s 777 which seats 365 pax and Airbus’ A380 which seats 550. Boeing launched the aircraft back in November 2005 with firm orders for 18 freighters and it had its maiden flight on February 2010. The passenger version had its maiden flight in March this year.

The company say that seat-mile costs for the 747-8 Intercontinental are 13 percent lower than for the 747-400, with 2 percent lower trip costs. It is also more than 10 percent lighter per seat than the Airbus A380 and consumes 11 percent less fuel per passenger. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 21 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percent compared to the A380.

The cargo version has 16 percent more cargo volume than the 747-400, which allows it to hold seven additional pallets. Compared one on one, the 747-8 Freighter, with a maximum structural payload capacity of 140 tonnes, has no competitors.

The 747-8 should be able to operate safely at any airport that currently has 747-400 service and requires no additional services or ground support equipment. It is the fourth-generation Boeing 747 version, with lengthened fuselage, redesigned wings and is the largest 747 version, the largest commercial aircraft built in the United States, and the longest passenger aircraft in the world.

You can see video of the aircraft HERE.

The Military Court of Australia.

The Australian Government is proposing to establish a Court of Military Justice for the Australian Defence Force which will come into being sometime in 2011.

It will replace the previous and deemed unconstitutional Australian Military Court (AMC) which was a military service tribunal established in 2007 with the primary aim of maintaining military justice within the ADF. In August 2009, the High Court of Australia ruled that the AMC was unconstitutional, putting the 171 cases the court had tried in doubt. The legality of the AMC was challenged by a former RAN Leading Seaman in the case Lane v Morrison.

In August 2005, the sailor and three other military personnel were on a recruitment drive in the Queensland town of Roma. After a game of golf and consumption of a quantity of beer, he was alleged to have "tea-bagged" a sergeant from the Australian Army. Two years later, the Navy charged him with indecent assault on a superior officer, and he was scheduled to be tried before the Australian Military Court in March 2008.  On 26 August 2009, the High Court ruled that the Australian Military Court was not a Chapter III Court for the purposes of the Constitution of Australia.

In May 2010, the Australian Federal Government, through Attorney-General Robert McClelland and the then Defence Minister John Faulkner, announced the creation of the new Military Court of Australia to replace the provisional system established after the dissolution of the AMC and to provide an appropriate Military judiciary for the Australian Defence Force. This new Court of Military Justice has legal grounding under Section 3 of the Australian Constitution.

Senator Faulkner said the court will be independent of the military, but all court appointees will either have past military experience or a knowledge of the services. "This new specialist court will deliver a system of military justice for ADF members that combines the necessary independence and constitutional protections for the judiciary with an understanding of the vital importance of military discipline in the operation of our armed forces", he said. "Timely and fair trials in the new court will enhance military justice and promote discipline in the ADF, which in turn will contribute to improved morale and operational effectiveness. While judicial officers with knowledge of the military system are necessary, they may not be currently serving Defence Force or Reserve members.

The Alliance of Defence Service Organisations has some reservations about this new court and you can read their letter to the Attorney General HERE.

Drunk??

Want to know what being really drunk is like?? – click HERE

Ubon.

For too long now, blokes and blokettes who served in Ubon have been waiting for the Australian Government to make a decision on the degree of recognition of their service. Finally, a Tribunal has been set up to look into it. Its mandate will be to inquire into and report on unresolved concerns regarding service of Australian Defence Force members at the Royal Thai Air Force Base Ubon between 25 June 1965 and 31 August 1968. In conducting its inquiry, the Tribunal shall:

1. make findings and recommendations as to the eligibility of Australian Defence Force members who served at Ubon for the Vietnam Logistic Support Medal or the granting of any other form of recognition for their service, and

2. consider any other material relevant to these claims, including, but not limited to, any previous reviews conducted with regard to recognition for this service.

The Tribunal is to examine relevant documentary evidence, and consider the nature and context of the service in relation to the criteria for Australian and Imperial awards that existed at that time, in order to arrive at a fair and sustainable response to claims for recognition.

You can read about it HERE.

GOOD ADVICE.

A young engineer was leaving the office at 5:45 p.m. when he found the CEO standing in front of a shredder with a piece of paper in his hand. "Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary is not here. Can you make this thing work?" "Certainly," said the young engineer. He turned on the machine, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button. "Excellent, excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine, "I just need one copy.

"Lesson:    Never, Never, ever assume that your boss knows what he's doing.

The correct way to treat a good wine...Open the bottle to allow it to breathe.

If it doesn't look like it's breathing, give it mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

UHF CB Changes.

UHF CB Radio, as we know it, is set to change. In January, 2011, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced the proposed changes which will increase the number of allocated channels from the current 40 to 80.

These changes will also include:

·        The frequency allocation extended upwards by 6.25 kHz to accommodate an additional 12.5 kHz channel

·        All simplex voice channels will transition to 12.5 kHz bandwidth

·        Repeater channels will transition to 12.5 kHz bandwidth, to create space for additional repeater channels to be added in stage two of the changes

·        Telemetry channels 22 & 23 remain unchanged

·        Licensing rules regarding repeaters will be relaxed

UHF CB operators will be able to apply for licenses for new repeater channels 41 to 43 and 46 to 48 once the class license is changed. However licenses for channels 44 and 45 will not be issued for an additional 6 to 12 months to allow owners of channel 5 emergency repeaters more time to upgrade equipment to meet the new standards. Once the ACMA confirms that most emergency repeaters have been converted, 44 and 45 licenses will be issued.

These changes are the start of much needed changes to UHF CB Radio but what do the changes mean for your radio?

Unfortunately most radios are not upgradeable to include the new channels, which means that to access them you will need to by a new unit.

F111.

If you wish to see a good little file clip on the F111 – click HERE

Blue Angels.

And if you wish to see some excellent video on the US Navy Blue Angels, see HERE

Space Station.

Look at what happened from 1998 until 2010. In just twelve years it has grown and grown. Watch the pieces come together as they are sent up from Earth. This is the International Space Station (ISS) Assembly diagram, piece by piece. I had no idea the Space Station had grown to this size. This is really amazing   .....   Click HERE

PLASTIC MONEY.

As everyone knows, plastic money is something we just can’t do without. These days, hardly anyone carries big bunches of cash to buy stuff – nearly every sale is finalised using the fantastic plastic. Well, be careful because I've just been done like a dog's dinner!!!!!!

I am very aware of the increasing use of "skimming" devices when using ATMs so I am normally careful.

A "skimming" device is used by thieves to capture the data held on the magnetic strip inside your plastic card. Then then use this data to manufacture a new card which can then be used on other devices.

My bank has just informed me that some unauthorised transactions (nearly $3,000) have been carried out on my debit card account. They tell me that my debit card data was probably captured on an EFTPOS device at a retail outlet. As with most plastic cards, a PIN does not need to be used to complete the transaction - a "signature" is all that is needed.

I live in Perth but the transactions were made in Melbourne .... state borders are no barrier for these thieves. The good news is that my bank will credit me with the stolen money.

Please take care!!!!

Stuff.

Some things are just done, well, because they can be…….see HERE

Middle age is when you’ve met so many people that every new person you meet reminds you of someone else.

Trev’s chair – click HERE

Finally

A book with instructions which will enable all MEN to understand WOMEN...click HERE

Let it be known that Edward G McEvoy is not in any way related to Edward G Robinson.

Blessed are those who are cracked,

for they are the ones who let in the light!

OK, OK, I'll be going to my room now!!

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