The Carbon Tax demystifying the impact upon Australians, by Tim Tufuga

The carbon tax message has become layman friendly with the recent publication of the Clean Energy Future Overview information booklet. The Australian Labor Government has crossed the Rubicon on a proposed tax that has certainly divided a nation.

In the meantime, the present opinion polls seem to reveal the salient fear of any proposed tax in any shape or form, regardless, of how environmentally, frugally, and health conscience beneficial, it may be to the political, economic environment, and to the quality of life for Australians. The residual affects and effects upon the obvious improved quality of life for the community is somewhat subsumed by the fear and burden of any proposed dreaded three lettered ‘T’ word.

The Carbon tax is indeed an issue which pits the fearmongering mindsets of conservative and reactionary Australia with the environmentally conscience dynamic visionaries from the realpolitically astute, a growing movement stemming from the leftwing socialists coupled with the guppy lasseiz faire modernists, who truly believe that their idealistic dreams are realpolitickally attainable.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59703431/Clean-Energy-Future-Overview

Apart from the idealism of the visionaries is the earth shattering impacting thud of a 26% approval rate at almost every mainstream opinion polls over the carbon tax issue, in that from an outsiders perspective, the assumption may verily be that Australians have sided with the conservative reactionaries.

The fearmongering xenophobes have won in the polls and the Australian Labor Party will fall on the sword of the carbon tax white paper legislative proposal and will probably bow out of office when they return to the hustings at least in the most foreseeable future. In the meantime, the present incumbent administration will have to try to lessen the adverse impact of the negative response by the laity and will try to woo firstly the loyal rank and file then the uncertain swing voters before daring the take on the reactionary ultra right.

The Julia Gilliard-Combet-Brown Carbon tax cabal are on the Australian roads trying the hardsell everywhere and anywhere.

As for the working class battlers out there, well, whats in it for me? To make it easier to dessiminate the hardsell on page 6 of the Clean Energy Future Overview, The government will ensure that those Australians that need help the most, particularly pensioners and the low income earner, will get assistance for the cost of living impact of the carbon tax.

On average, households will see costs increases of $9.90 while the average assistance will be $10.10 per week.

Over 4 million households will be either better off comapred to their average price impact.

This means they will recieve assistance that provides a buffer of at least 20 per cent and above their average price impact.

Almost 6 million households will be assisted to meet their average price impact.

This means they will receive assistance that covers the average price impact of the carbon tax price on their cost of living.

Around 8 million households will get some assistance.

This means they will receive some assistance through payments increases and or tax cuts.

Households that improve their energy efficiency can help the environment and save money.

Because households that do use less energy will still get to keep all their tax cuts and payment increases to carbon tax will still provide them with a financial incentive to their bit for the environment.

Finally, on page 18 of the information booklet, household assistance will be valued at around $14.9 billion through Income tax custs and increased family payments and pension rises.

Tim Tufuga

Brisbane 19th July 2011

http://www.scribd.com/doc/59703431/Clean-Energy-Future-Overview

O lea ua ou faitau i le talafa'asolopito o talitonuga olo'o i Samoa. O le aufia o tagata i talitonuga ta'itasi ma le pasene Atoa o le aufa'i o tagata o lo'o nonofo i Samoa.

Ua fa'alialia e le Wikipedia le aofa'i o tagata

O le talafa'asolopito o le ulufale mai o tagata iinei i Ausetalia mai le amataga o le malo o le federation o Ausetalia se'i o'o mai i nei taimi.

Ma le fa'aaloaloa lava

Queensland Flood Heroes honoured 12th June 2011

The Queensland flood heroes were honoured with a recognition ceremony held at the Suncorp Piazza, Southbank, Brisbane. Amongst the official delegates were the Governor of Queensland Her Excellency Mrs. Penelope Wensley; The Deputy Prime Minister and Australian Federal Treasurer Hon. Mr. Wayne Swan; The Premier of Queensland Hon. Anna Bligh as well as representatives of the Brisbane City Council. whom officiated proceedings.

The HEKE project: The New Zealand government threatens Tim Tufuga with asset seizures.

My response to the New Zealand government's threat for asset seizures for outstanding student loans dating back to 1992.

Ma le fa'aaloalo lava

fa'afetai

Tim Tufuga

30th May 2011

Australian International Development Aid Project (AIDAP) 13th May 2011

The Australian Aid Development Aid Project (AIDAP) had publically announced their fiscal budgetry commitment for the 2011-12 period, in a Senator Claire Moore sponsored public forum, that was held at the Merthyr Uniting church, in New Farm, Brisbane. In this meeting, the Australian AusAID program summary was announced by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and former Prime Minister of Australia, The Honourable. Mr. Kevin Rudd, MP.

The overall big picture of Australian foreign aid, has been considered in global standards as fairly modest. Moreover, the Australian fiscal expectant expenditure on foreign aid to the world, although it is fairly low by international donator nation standards, with Australia's donation ranking at the bottom third ranking 16th out of 23 members of the OECD member nations. In real terms, this is 0.35% of the Gross National Income (GNI), or 35 cents for every $100. The OECD average is 0.49%.

Australian commitment to improving their international responsibilities has been proposed by the present Gillard-Rudd administration by predicting an incremental increase of 0.5% of international financial aid by 2015. Inadvertently then, this commitment is in response to the increasing demand for international responsibility by Australia as a regional and international hegemonic leader.

In the South pacific region, the implications of Australian responsibility is crucial in all portfolios from environment, immigration, labour, tourism ecological, education, finiancial and domestic and international infrastrutuctural developments for various fragile Pacific Islander economies. The commitment to human resource movement to the Pacific periphery has been recognised as salient to foreign aid assistance, including and most importatntly, by the contribution and committment by Australia. Not only has the Pacific Islander economies been reliant upon the formal injection by the core nations but crucially this has been augmented by the private remittances by these same human resource labour relaying monies back to their loved ones in the Pacific Islands.

In summary,

Australia has continued to commit to expanding assistance to Indonesia by building 2,000 schools.

For the South Pacific, improving the education in the Pacific.

Expanding the volunteer and NGO program, including the Australian International Volunteers (AVI) etc.

Eliminating violence against women, in conjunction with the UN women.

Improving water, sanitation and hygiene across Asia and Africa.

Tackling unavoidable blindness, to treat sufferers in East Asia and routine screening 100,000 people.

Expanding humanitarian assistance to Africa and the Middle East, to improve health care for mother's and children and other assiatnce in Africa.

The creation of the Australian Civilian Corp, (similar to the US Peace Corp). deployed to countries experiencing conflicts and natural disasters.

Fa'afetai lava

Tim Tufuga
15th May 2011

The Employment Situation in April | The White House

The Employment Situation in April | The White House

The Reyn/Meidner Plan it may not be but the Post GFC American resolve seems to have made an incremental inroads to job creation and economic recovery under the Obama administration.

The world is watching the American hegemonic leadership being inadvertantly challenged by the nascent economic Chinese Dragon menacing the ancien regime of global economic dominance by the leading OECD economies. The job front is considered the benchmark by most laity political minds and for the layman politician job creation is paramount in economic integrity for any incumbent administration in America.

Tim Tufuga

Mayday parade Brisbane May 2nd, 2011.wmv

There were some 30,000 Australian who marched in Brisbane's Mayday Parade. It was a grand occassion to celebrate the achievements of workers throughout Australia. A time to claim the streets of Brisbane for the worker, a time to down tools for a fleeting moment and to walk tall and proud.

The workers of Australia are all to familiar of their place in Australian political history, a history in which class locality has been deligitimised with the equalitarian ethos. This same egalitarianism has resonated within the union trade halls and onto the workplace.

It is the Australian workers right to set aside this day and to claim it as their day to celebrate their hard earned rights in the workplace and to the qualitative improvements of their quality of life.

Tim Tufuga

Brisbane 3rd May 2011

Canberra Marathon 2011 Tim Tufuga

The Canberra Marathon 2011, my fifth 42km marathon run
Posted on April 11, 2011 by timbtufuga
It was a cold, wet and very early Canberra morning when, at after resting for the few precious hours before the big run, I had slept ever so lightly, like many other marathoners, around Canberra city on the morning of Sunday the 10th April, 2011. The run began in earnest a fraction over time. Then the surge forward the race had begun.

Earlier…

I had flown down to Canberra from Brisbane on a Friday afternoon on the 8th April 2011. Prior to leaving home for the Brisbane Airport, I was keeping to my scheduled programme by running a comfortable 8.5km run this morning around Crestmead.

At around 11.30am my sister arrived from driving around Brisbane as a yellow cabbie and she offered me a ride to the airport. I gladly accepted the offer.

Arriving at the Brisbane airport was without any drams at all. The E-ticketing procedures was smooth and uneventful. The security screening procedures was prompt and very efficient which was good.

I had boarded my very first Virgin Blue flight ever. It was to Canberra. I was impressed with the speed of the flight lasting only an hour and twenty minutes.

I had arrived in Canberra airport feeling relaxed and a bit excited about arriving in a newly constructed airport terminal. It had a very new atmosphere about it with light green white colour schemes which seemed to be mild to the visual cortex of my minds eye. The spaciousness and the lack of busying people around the airport seemed to bely the importance of Canberra to Australian society in terms of airtravelling people in and around Canberra. There was enough room to swing a cat in.

I was even more surprised with finding only a solitary coffee cafe in the middle of the airport, adjacent to this centralised coffee cafe was a display of the future airport profile encassed in a glass display. Next to this minature model display of the Canberra airport, was a newsagency with an added foodstuff section, whereby I had bought some small snacks on my flight back to Brisbane on the post-run Sunday afternoon.

Outside of the airport I was eager to find a Canberra airport sign so as to take a snapshot photo. It was proof that I had arrived in Canberra. There was only a tv monitor display with Canberra airport displaying on screen.

I walked out of the airport and into a warm setting afternoon sun and waited for the Airport bus service into the Canberra CBD.

I had arrived at the YHA Canberra, at Akuna Street, within the London Circuit part of the Canberra CBD.

The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) in Canberra I would describe it as a fairly generic YHA hostel. I had once been a backpacker and a member of the YHA Australia, and I had been to most YHA within the three major cities within the East Coast of Australia, and New Zealand, in decades past. Consequently, arriving at the Canberra YHA was pleasantly convenient and within walking distance to CBD shops and in particular the Canberra Centre.

I had settled in on Friday night cooking my own home cooked chow mein which was a spontaneous recipe I had concocted myself. I had allowed a couple of young German female tourists to sample my dinner which was met with their appreciative approval. I gave them the finer points of my version of Asian cuisine which I had only acquired culinarily speaking simply because of its simplicity and highly efficient way in which it is prepared, cooked, and then served, straight from a sturdy wok. It worked well.

I slept late that night and played some pool with some Dutch backpackers and a Melbourne traveller. Got on the internet then slept in my ten bed dormatory amongst the shared sleeping dormatory bedfellows included my two young German girlfriends, whom I had shared my meal with earlier in the night. They had left the following morning for Melbourne.

In the meantime, on a Saturday morning through to the afternoon, I had spent it all at the Australian federal parliament. It was a very worthwhile experience and certainly highly educational.

I did not cook this evening instead I had carbo loaded with some Italian pasta dishes within the European meals buffet within the Canberra Centre. This was also my last major meal before the marathon.

I had an earlier night in my bunk but it was a spasmodic sleep. I was awoken by the various noises throughout the night including having to wake myself for natures beckonings. I had been loading up with fluids all night as well.

In the wee small hours of Sunday morning I was up and using my pen light to negotiate my way through the darkness, i had managed to get dressed and to pack my backpack in order both check out the hostel and to prepare for the run.

Conveniently, I was offered a ride by a Sydney Strider member and a former Intraining club member. I was running for Intraining on this particular morning. I had gladly accepted the offer of a ride to Tolepea Primary school for the start of the race.

The rain did not start until we had actually begun the run. It stayed with us throughout the run. Personally, the coolness of the pettering droplets was welcoming. It was cooling my overheating engines during the run.

The run itself did have its peculiar moments, the moments of anxiety was dependent mainly upon my body signals which was deceptive mainly due to my mind telling me when to increase my tempo and the uncertainties of when it was the opportune moment to make a surge forward in order to lift up my cadence in the run. As it turned out my mid 5 minute cadence was a bit too lethargic compared to the vast majority of runners who were well ahead of me.

I had started the 42km campaign well at the back of the pack and throughout the entire race, I was at the rearguard. I had a last minute surge at the 38 k mark and made my move forward and overtook most people who seemed to have expended their energies by commiting themselves to their surge well before I did and had paid the price for this over enthusiasm. I had resigned with the fact that certainly in this run I was no way near going to do a pb.

Negotiating the course was pretty much a sightseeing tour for me. I had been around the Australian federal parliament area the day before taking photos from my camera. Incidently, my camera had disappeared in my Quantas flight back to Brisbane on the Sunday afternoon.

The run around the federal Parliament zone was the highlight of my tourist run around the Capital city of Australia. Then the crossing over the Burley Griffin man made lake was also interesting if not for the scenery, then, certainly, for the historical value of the lake and the name of the man to whom the architectural design of Canberra itself is brought to my attention here, namely the American S. Burley-Griffen.

The hardest part of the marathon, in which I think that all will agree, would have to be the climb up the Beloconen road portion along the Black Mountain portion of the run. It was a mild and yet seemingly perpetual incline to the top of the hill then a turn around going back down the same way. It was a southern then easterly direction in which we had returned to the hub of the Canberra parliamentary area. Then we had returned back to the foot of Tolepea park for the first of our two lap race.

On the second return to the foot of the Tolepea park we headed straight ahead northbound towards the Tolepea Primary school to the finishline and whence we started the race, whereupon we had crossed the finish shute to the beeping sounds from the blue carpet strips and onto the clicking cameras welcoming the arrival of the exhausted but very relieved runners.

The view of the dangly medals seemed to dull the surging pains and the grimace expressions upon exhausted faces. Internally, the inflated lactic acid legs, coupled with the tenderness of weary leg muscles, would ineluctably welcome in the post-run aches and stiffness.

It was all worth it in the end and we are always grateful of a hard earned medal, with some rehydration fluids, that is a tangible symbol of our achievement on this day, the 10th April, 2011.

www.bebo.com/c/photos/album_detail?MemberId=9665020199&PhotoAlbumId=12785640759

The Canberra Marathon 2011, my fifth 42km marathon run.

It was a cold, wet and very early Canberra morning when, at after resting for the few precious hours before the big run, I had slept ever so lightly, like many other marathoners, around Canberra city on the morning of Sunday the 10th April, 2011. The run began in earnest a fraction over time. Then the surge forward the race had begun.

Earlier…

I had flown down to Canberra from Brisbane on a Friday afternoon on the 8th April 2011. Prior to leaving home for the Brisbane Airport, I was keeping to my scheduled programme by running a comfortable 8.5km run this morning around Crestmead.

At around 11.30am my sister arrived from driving around Brisbane as a yellow cabbie and she offered me a ride to the airport. I gladly accepted the offer.

Arriving at the Brisbane airport was without any drams at all. The E-ticketing procedures was smooth and uneventful. The security screening procedures was prompt and very efficient which was good.

I had boarded my very first Virgin Blue flight ever. It was to Canberra. I was impressed with the speed of the flight lasting only an hour and twenty minutes.

I had arrived in Canberra airport feeling relaxed and a bit excited about arriving in a newly constructed airport terminal. It had a very new atmosphere about it with light green white colour schemes which seemed to be mild to the visual cortex of my minds eye. The spaciousness and the lack of busying people around the airport seemed to bely the importance of Canberra to Australian society in terms of airtravelling people in and around Canberra. There was enough room to swing a cat in.

I was even more surprised with finding only a solitary coffee cafe in the middle of the airport, adjacent to this centralised coffee cafe was a display of the future airport profile encassed in a glass display. Next to this minature model display of the Canberra airport, was a newsagency with an added foodstuff section, whereby I had bought some small snacks on my flight back to Brisbane on the post-run Sunday afternoon.

Outside of the airport I was eager to find a Canberra airport sign so as to take a snapshot photo. It was proof that I had arrived in Canberra. There was only a tv monitor display with Canberra airport displaying on screen.

I walked out of the airport and into a warm setting afternoon sun and waited for the Airport bus service into the Canberra CBD.

I had arrived at the YHA Canberra, at Akuna Street, within the London Circuit part of the Canberra CBD.

The Youth Hostel Association (YHA) in Canberra I would describe it as a fairly generic YHA hostel. I had once been a backpacker and a member of the YHA Australia, and I had been to most YHA within the three major cities within the East Coast of Australia, and New Zealand, in decades past. Consequently, arriving at the Canberra YHA was pleasantly convenient and within walking distance to CBD shops and in particular the Canberra Centre.

I had settled in on Friday night cooking my own home cooked chow mein which was a spontaneous recipe I had concocted myself. I had allowed a couple of young German female tourists to sample my dinner which was met with their appreciative approval. I gave them the finer points of my version of Asian cuisine which I had only acquired culinarily speaking simply because of its simplicity and highly efficient way in which it is prepared, cooked, and then served, straight from a sturdy wok. It worked well.

I slept late that night and played some pool with some Dutch backpackers and a Melbourne traveller. Got on the internet then slept in my ten bed dormatory amongst the shared sleeping dormatory bedfellows included my two young German girlfriends, whom I had shared my meal with earlier in the night. They had left the following morning for Melbourne.

In the meantime, on a Saturday morning through to the afternoon, I had spent it all at the Australian federal parliament. It was a very worthwhile experience and certainly highly educational.

I did not cook this evening instead I had carbo loaded with some Italian pasta dishes within the European meals buffet within the Canberra Centre. This was also my last major meal before the marathon.

I had an earlier night in my bunk but it was a spasmodic sleep. I was awoken by the various noises throughout the night including having to wake myself for natures beckonings. I had been loading up with fluids all night as well.

In the wee small hours of Sunday morning I was up and using my pen light to negotiate my way through the darkness, i had managed to get dressed and to pack my backpack in order both check out the hostel and to prepare for the run.

Conveniently, I was offered a ride by a Sydney Strider member and a former Intraining club member. I was running for Intraining on this particular morning. I had gladly accepted the offer of a ride to Tolepea Primary school for the start of the race.

The rain did not start until we had actually begun the run. It stayed with us throughout the run. Personally, the coolness of the pettering droplets was welcoming. It was cooling my overheating engines during the run.

The run itself did have its peculiar moments, the moments of anxiety was dependent mainly upon my body signals which was deceptive mainly due to my mind telling me when to increase my tempo and the uncertainties of when it was the opportune moment to make a surge forward in order to lift up my cadence in the run. As it turned out my mid 5 minute cadence was a bit too lethargic compared to the vast majority of runners who were well ahead of me.

I had started the 42km campaign well at the back of the pack and throughout the entire race, I was at the rearguard. I had a last minute surge at the 38 k mark and made my move forward and overtook most people who seemed to have expended their energies by commiting themselves to their surge well before I did and had paid the price for this over enthusiasm. I had resigned with the fact that certainly in this run I was no way near going to do a pb.

Negotiating the course was pretty much a sightseeing tour for me. I had been around the Australian federal parliament area the day before taking photos from my camera. Incidently, my camera had disappeared in my Quantas flight back to Brisbane on the Sunday afternoon.

The run around the federal Parliament zone was the highlight of my tourist run around the Capital city of Australia. Then the crossing over the Burley Griffin man made lake was also interesting if not for the scenery, then, certainly, for the historical value of the lake and the name of the man to whom the architectural design of Canberra itself is brought to my attention here, namely the American S. Burley-Griffen.

The hardest part of the marathon, in which I think that all will agree, would have to be the climb up the Beloconen road portion along the Black Mountain portion of the run. It was a mild and yet seemingly perpetual incline to the top of the hill then a turn around going back down the same way. It was a southern then easterly direction in which we had returned to the hub of the Canberra parliamentary area. Then we had returned back to the foot of Tolepea park for the first of our two lap race.

On the second return to the foot of the Tolepea park we headed straight ahead northbound towards the Tolepea Primary school to the finishline and whence we started the race, whereupon we had crossed the finish shute to the beeping sounds from the blue carpet strips and onto the clicking cameras welcoming the arrival of the exhausted but very relieved runners.

The view of the dangly medals seemed to dull the surging pains and the grimace expressions upon exhausted faces. Internally, the inflated lactic acid legs, coupled with the tenderness of weary leg muscles, would ineluctably welcome in the post-run aches and stiffness.

It was all worth it in the end and we are always grateful of a hard earned medal, with some rehydration fluids, that is a tangible symbol of our achievement on this day, the 10th April, 2011.

www.bebo.com/c/photos/album_detail?MemberId=9665020199&PhotoAlbumId=12785640759

Two Samoan Colonels within the US Airforce whom have flown military sorties in Iraq.

COLONEL STEPHEN L. SU’A-FILO

Colonel Su’a-Filo is now the 154th Operations Group Commander.

Prior to being promoted to Colonel and his new command position, Su’a-Filo held the 154th Deputy Operations Group Commander position where he advised and assisted the 154th Operations Group Commander on operations and training programs, policies for three flying squadrons, a radar control squadron, and a support squadron. He also monitored all flying training, weapons control, standardization, safety, flying hour management, manpower, finances and air defense alert programs.

Su’a-Filo recently served as the 204th Airlift Squadron (AS) Commander from 2007 to 2009, leading them through the first ever combined C-17 Guard/Active Duty “Operational Readiness Inspection” in February of 2009, achieving the grade of “Excellent.”

Colonel Su’a-Filo is an Evaluator Pilot in the C-17A and a Command Pilot with over 7,240 total flying hours including Combat Support Sorties. He has flown the T-37, T-38, KC-135A, Q, R, T, EC-135J, KC-10, and the F-15 fighter aircraft. He has performed frequent visits to flying and ground-controlled interception units and provided policy direction and guidance to unit commanders. He worked and continues to work closely with the 15th Air Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard (HIANG) Headquarters in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Colonel has served on numerous real world deployments to Turkey, Italy, Iceland, Russia, France, Croatia, Australia, Guam, India and participated in numerous training deployments in Thailand, Philippines, Australia, England, Japan, South Korea, Alaska, and Germany.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Colonel Su’a-Filo is the son of Paul Fogalepolo Su’a-Filo of Upolu and Dorothy Coverdale Su’a-Filo of Hull, England.

Su’a-Filo graduated from Kahuku High School in 1976. He then served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and afterwards attended and graduated from the University of Hawaii and received his commission through the ROTC program in 1984.

He is married to Francine “Cookie” Mililani Hong and are proud parents of seven children.

COLONEL STANLEY ULUALOFAIGA SNOW, JR.

Colonel Snow has held several leadership positions throughout his career, most recently as Full-Time Supervisor of the 109th Air Operations Group (AOG) of the Hawaii Air National Guard. There he served as Chief of the Combat Operations Division unit to augment the 613th Air and Space Operations Center, Pacific Command.

Snow was responsible for offensive and defensive combat operations throughout the entire Pacific area theater of operations.

He served a two-year mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington, D.C. where he knew Faleomavaega and his family during his work with the Insular Affairs Office.

After completing his mission, Snow graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1983 where received his commission as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force ROTC; he also was student brigade Commander of the BYU Air Force ROTC program.

Colonel Snow began his career in Alaska as an A-10 pilot before becoming a fighter instructor at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. He then earned a Master of Aeronautical Science in Aerospace Operations and Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1998.

The Colonel is currently a Command Fighter Pilot with more than 3,100 total military flight hours. He has flown the F-15, AT-38B, A-10 and C-130 aircraft. His extensive experience includes time as military flight instructor and in combat service over Iraq.

His prior service in the Hawaii Air National Guard includes positions as Chief of the 154th Wing Control Center where he commanded post operations of the four squadron composite wing. Snow served as Commander of the F-15 Alert Program and as point of contact to PACAF Air Defense Commander for all fighter operations issues regarding the Hawaiian Air Defense mission.

Since 1992, Colonel Snow has also worked as an International and Domestic Airline Pilot for United Airlines. He has flown over 6,200 hours as a qualified B-747 and B-777 pilot and currently works as Airline Captain of the A-320 Airbus based in San Francisco.

Additionally, Colonel Snow is an Upper-Division Adjunct Instructor for the Aviation Department of Utah Valley University’s Provo Airport Campus, teaching the Global Navigation/International Flight Operations on-line course.

He is the son of Stanley Snow Sr. of Fagatogo and Taavale Tulimalefo’i Asuega Ainuu of Pago Pago. Colonel Snow is married to Yolanthy Leinalani Tagiafoga “Lani” Kanahele, and are proud parents of four children.

“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow for their promotion to this much esteemed rank,” Faleomavaega said.

“Seeing the achievements of these two sons of Samoa as they rise in rank in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard is an inspiration to our people and sets a standard of excellence for all who serve and will serve our country in the future.

They have continued to further their military careers by taking on leadership roles that require the highest levels of skill, dedication and responsibility. Surely their extensive experience will prepare them for their new assignments. More importantly, their character will enable them to serve with dignity throughout our Pacific community and the world. I know that both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow will serve us well.”

“I would also like to express my appreciation to both Colonel Su’a-Filo and Colonel Snow for their assistance during the recent tsunami relief mission to American Samoa.

Colonel Su’a-Filo served as the pilot on several flights out of Honolulu, including my flight to American Samoa, shortly after the tsunami. Colonel Snow also played a vital role in coordinating Hickam AFB operations as the Air National Guard Liaison to the 15th Air Wing Command Center and PACAF Air Mobility Division. He also maintained direct contact with the Deputy Director of Airport Operations throughout the relief mission. I thank both of these self-sacrificing leaders in their service to our people.”

“I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate both the Su’a-Filo and Snow families and wish them the very best as they continue to be the support system behind these two highly accomplished officers of the Air Force,” Faleomavaega concluded.

(Source: Office of Congressman Faleomavaega Eni Hunkin)

This Samoan could fly one of those RAAF FA18 Superhornets, in Amberley Airforce base, South West of Brisbane, for the 82nd wing, 1st and 6th sqd. So who said Samoans can't reach for the skies? We havent had a Samoan landing on the moon yet!

Tofa Soifua

Tim Tufuga
Brisbane

ps. Congressman Faleomavaega is a distant relative of mine, on my late mother's side. He is a Tuiletufuga, and, is, therefore, a kin of mine from my Apia family side, which means we are family.

The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council

The Queensland Carpetbagger: Pauline Hanson heads to the NSW Legislative Council
Posted on March 23, 2011 by timbtufuga


New South Wales State Election, 26th March, 2011:

A Carpetbagger she very well may be, but, this Queenslander knows the odds when it comes to political professionalism and surviving the turmoils of a public life. Pauline Hanson’s political acrimonious career may be considered as controversial over the years and she may be best be remembered politically in parity and synomonous with the British National Party, and the Enoch Powell racialist hysteria, of rightwing xenophobic politics. Since this indelible political stigma Pauline Hanson, has become less bellicose and controversial over the years but more of a professional politician knowing how to extract some election campaign funds in order to maintain her quality of life.

Pauline Hanson needs only to poll 4% of the Legislative Council vote within her electorate to be entitled to a federal campaign reimbursement. (Anthony Green 2011). In 2004, Pauline Hanson had received $199,886,77 in Federal funds. In 2007, she received a further $213,095,49 for her bid for parliamentary incumbency. It is also ironic to think that on the very issue of campaign funding she was charged, arrested, arraigned, convicted and imprisoned for election campaign funding fraud. She was later pardoned and vindicated for this wrongful imprisonment.

Now, what of the Carpetbagger? She has become somewhat convinced that she has an even chance in polling at least the required 4% for election campaign funding reimbursement and she can happily walk away after plundering the New South Wales election campaign funding coffers.

Meanwhile, what of her politics? The date September 10th, 1996, in the delivery of her maiden speech remains her indelible mark upon Australian political history. There is almost nothing after this date in which Pauline Hanson’s contribution to Australian political life could be considered as significantly relevant.

Pauline Hanson, is really just another Carpetbagger.

Fa’afetai lava

Tim Tufuga 24th March 2011

Better Eyes for F-18 Super Hornets

The Royal Australian Air Force have acquired 24 APG-79 AESA array radar system affixed upon their FA-18 Superhornets, some 24 are now fully fitted and are fully operational within RAAF bases throughout Australia, particularly at the Amberley Air Force Base, South West of Brisbane. The 82nd Wing of the 1st and 6th squadron, of teh RAAF, have 24 FA-18 Superhornets stationed on location.

The APG-79 AESA system represents the latest state of the art electronic warfare capability for the Australian defense system which is unparalleled within the South East region air defense capabilities. Suffice it to suggest, that the current generation 4, multi-role fighter jet, which has been recently made operational within RAAF was procured specifically to replace the antiquated F111 Aardvark. The FA-18, Superhornet, was made fully operational within Australia in 2011, and will become, with the augmentation of the APG-79 AESA Array Radar system, the latest military exponent to be made fully operational throughout the South East Asian region.

However, come 2014, will we see the highly anticipated arrival of the JSF-35 Strikefighter multi-role fighter jet, which is considered a generation 5 level fighting craft which will match the Chinese most recent public release of their generation 5, multi-role fighter aircraft.


http://youtu.be/4tsH-Q8jZk0 Joint Strike Fighter, JSF-35, will enjoin the 82 Wing 1st sqd, and the 6th Sqd, of the RAAF come 2014, when, some 100 JSF 35, which have been procured and manufactured within the USA, specifically for the RAAF.

The JSF35 will be fitted with AN/APG-81 AESA Radar, designed by Northrop-Grumman, plus 6 additional passive infrared sensors, the AN/AAQ-37, called the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) in particular, gives the JSF-35 a hightened sensitvity in the skies, which will sense the departure points of Surface to air missles, their locality, and to vector co-ordinates for eliminating the threat. These sensors also detects air to air launched missiles by hostile aircrafts.

The most likely threat to the airspace dominance of the JSF35, certainly within the next two decades within South East Asian skies at least, could only come from the Chinese airforce.

http://youtu.be/o3v7-MdIXYk

Ia manuia

Tofa

Tim Tufuga Brisbane.

Julia Gillard Press Conference: Multi-Party Climate Change Committee Car...

The carbon price mechanism which have been proposed to Australia is really a unilateral policy initiative by the Australian Federal labor government which has been taken with some reservations by President Obama. However, Australians will initiate this venture which will be a precedent by other OECD member nations.

"Carbon pollution is a threat to our future... we need to price carbon, we need to put a price tag to pollution"! The message is simple and clear!

Tim Tufuga ALPQ

Running for the Heart Research Institute of Australia

Talofa lava and Gidday from Brisbane,

This year has started off very tumultuously with natural disasters throughout Australia and across the Tasman, in New Zealand. Somehow, I feel abit paranoid about providence and the affects and effects of fatalism which has been very unkind to my environment.

For starters, I live in Brisbane, where we have had recent flooding, which has prompted me, along with some 23,000 other Brisbane residents, to feel compelled and obligated to become a "do-gooder", admittedly, this is something which comes natural for me, people, even if I am an atheist and a devout irreligious citizen of both Australia and New Zealand.

I was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, which has now become famous throughout the globe for all the wrong reasons. As they say, "you may take the boy from the village but you can not take the village out of the boy". Well, I am a New Zealand born Samoan, and although, I am a very dark brown skinned Polynesian man, I was born in a very temperate and cool city called Christchurch. This going back a few decades mind you, say back in the 1960s when the flower power era was nouvou and Vietnam and Cuba were sending fearmongering Capitalists to war in an Asian country no one up until then had known ever existed, well, at least for most of the modestly educated diggers whom were sent there to fight for ideological politicians.

I like to do a bit of narssicistic self promotion over the internet which is my own right to do so since no one in their own right mind would or should give a shit about anything I have to say anyway. It is all irrelevant unless you do take notice and respond. I don't care if anyone ever reads any of my blogs at all. Suffice it to suggest, just like my sister would agree with me in stating, that this is a very therapuetic pyschological cathartic exercise, in prose. Unlike an Anne Frank foreboding moribund diary, these entries are not fatalistically tragic nor action packed, in fact, these entries are simply a window into a world of which I view the world and which I share it with you. I gain nothing from this exercise except a purely individualistic glimpse into my life even as moribund, morose, exciting, sensationalist and outright mundane. I don't care for anyone's opinions let alone a pyschological profile of yours truly.

So, I have received a commendation certificate for helping out flood victims along with some 23,000 other volunteers. SES and Australian military personnel are simply doing their duties and are not included in this 'mud army' accreditation, the difference is that the SES, politicians and the Military personnel are fully taxed funded employees whereas we, the volunteers, spent our own personel effects, brooms, shovels, cleaning agents, clothes, and our own elbow grease, to proffer a civic and civil duty to our community.

Now, on a less than self gratifying sense of achievement, I am about to embark on yet another adventure on the roads, by running my fifth 42km marathon in as many years.

I have run the Gold Coast 42km marathon, then my second 42km ever, in 2008, for the Cancer Council of Australia. I had tried, in vain, to fundraise for my 42km effort. Unfortunately, I had not fundraise a cent from any donating people, and so I donated my own money to the Cancer Council of Australia, only $25 though, I was unemployed at the time. Not only did I fork out my own money to contribute to Cancer sufferers throughout Australia, I was jeered and heckled as I was running the 42km marathon.

I have, therefore, assumed that people are not mind readers, and that if someone does do a good deed for others it may be miscontrued, or may be not so misconstrued as serving some other ulterior motive by people with more skeptical views bordering on my true insincere motivations for doing some endurance events and paying for it from my own meagre sources and income. I was ignored by people which is good in a way because in truth I would always shy away from public profiling especially by strangers within the media. So I had resigned myself with having to be labelled as a "do-gooder" ego-centric, at least, in my interpretations.

So, factually speaking people, as an unemployed man, running a 42km marathon, and even forking out what little meagre resources from my wallet to fundraise monies for some stranger dying in a hospital bed for his or her cancer medication, I thought, that being human and showing an inkling of humanity is considered as self serving and self precating to most people. In truth, I do agree about some of these motives. In fact, I had considered all these actions as suitable for my resume and curricula vitae, so in a sense, they are so correct. I have always considered doing such a do gooder deed as feather on my cap as a decent human being and a fully self actualised man.

In the meantime, I have decided to re focus my energies once again on endurance events and after doing the Ironman triathlon in 2010 for the second time I had decided to do the Canberra marathon for the first time. However, since this will be my fifth marathon as already mentioned, I will be more wary of the tortures that my body will undoubtedly be expected to endure. Not only will I feel this torture physically but more than likely financially as well.

So, I will have to approach my fundraising efforts for the Heart Research Institue (HRI) differently. Instead of trying to cold call and door knocking and seeing people scoff at me seeing a mesomorphic ex-rugby player, stating that I am about to run another 42km marathon, I will allow Fairfax papers, and the Canberra Times newspapers assist me in my fundraising efforts.

http://everydayhero.com.au/Tim_Tufuga

Once, again. I am sceptical about the enthusiasm by sado-masochists endurance athletes especially if they are muscle bound and weighing 82km as I do. But, I do endure and I will cross the finishline with some sense of regret of my oft mediocre efforts in my four previous outings. This time, I hope to have a self satisfying grin on my tortured face when I complete number five.

Good day to all. Tofa soifua

Tim Tufuga

3rd March 2011

Casuarina Cup 2011.

The Casuarina Cup 2011 has been and gone and what a very eventful tournament it really was. It was hot, sultry and full of action. The event was marred somewhat with numerous injuries by some participating players whom had some very unfortunate misadventures onfield. The local Paramedics were busy carting away some immobolised injured players of which the most tragic was a compound fracture of a very very unlucky young lady who fell awkwardly and fractured were ulna and radius (forearm) and a very grotesque injury imaginenable causing some very traumatised fellow players teary and shaken. Other injuries included an achilles heal tendon tear, a torn knee ligament, a dislocated ac joint, and a fractured ankle, being amongst the more serious injuries which had marred an otherwise successful Casuarina Cup for 2011.

Overall, people had tried to put these accidents behind them and tried to savour the bitter victories and glorious defeats that was the Casuarina Cup 2011.

As for the officials, such as the administrators and referees, we had weathered the storm of countless stoppages, eg, aforementioned injuries, the usual and expected backchatting, the appreciated compliments, as well as, the occassional insult and reprimand. We had to endure it all. We made our fair share of misjudgements which were very few and far in between. Overall, no vendettas were issued against most referees? during and after the tournament, so, thankfully, we survived the ire of some very unsportsmanlike behaviour, as may have been noted with some rumours that had circulated after the 2010 event. Some people presumed that there was some underlying racism involved, which may have marred the 2010 event, especially with the after tournament presentations by some irate teams in 2010.

Needless to say, Casuarina Cup 2011, has been and gone and we are thankful that we have made back home safely if somewhat battered and bruised from the near tragic events which had left an insipid aftertaste from the 2011 tournament.

Ia fa'afetai lava mo le matamata. Ma ia manuia tatou ma le oufia.

Soifua

O Tim Tufuga
Casuarina NSW
Brisbane Qld.

INSIDE JOB: New Documentary Exposes How 'Banksters' Continue To Steal Ou...

The Great Ponzi Financial Crises.

E mo'i lava!

Fa'afetai i le matamata

Tim Tufuga

Roadrun from Crestmead to Brisbane City 6th Feb 2011

Sunday 6th February, 2011. My long run training run. I run to Brisbane City.

I do this regularly, it is just the first time I have done a runcam of my roadrun into the City from home.

Tofa mo lenei taimi.

Tim Tufuga
Brisbane

Training at the ANZ stadium 4th Feb 2011

Running training:

The ANZ stadium to do speedwork training around the 400 metre track. The ANZ stadium was formerly known as the QEII stadium, the home of the 1982 Commonwealth games.

O lea ole a toeina ae o lea lava kolegi. O le olaga o le tagata tamo'e ma fai triathlon iinei i Kuinisilani.

Tim Tufuga
Brisbane

Runcam 12km roadrun Crestmead to Browns Plains 2nd Feb, 2011! (shortened...

A shortened version of my roadrun from my home.

This video is just to show off my runcam.

Apart from clarity and stabilising issues, it works well.

Tim Tufuga roadrun 2nd Feb 2011.

My runnercam doing one of my many midweek tempo roadruns. This is a run from my home, in Crestmead, Logan City, South of Brisbane, to the Browns Plains Grand Plaza.

A 12 km run. I did it in 1 hour 10 min. at easy tempo pace.

This is part of my 42km Canberra marathon 2011 training regime.

Tim Tufuga QSM refcam 02022011.

2nd February, 2011, Cyclone Vasi has arrived, meanwhile, back in Brisbane. I do a Refcam of a Premier Touch game, QSM, in Annerley, South of Brisbane. Yes, it is the summer season 2011, for Premier Touch. A time for fitness and recreation for health conscious energetic people!

Life goes on, for Queenslanders!

Tofa mo lenei fo'i taimi!

Tim Tufuga
(QSM referee)

Brisbane, Australia

Tropical Cyclone Yasi 1st FEB 2011

The largest cyclone in Queensland in decades is bearing down off the North Queensland coast. It is twice the size of Cyclone Larry (2006). Cyclone Yasi, will be a category 5 cyclonic event, similar to Hurricane Katrina (2005), in the USA.

Cyclone Yasi is 2/3 the size of Queensland. A larger system than Hurricane Katrrina in size. It is the largest cyclone system seen in Queensland, and, in Australia, in decades.

Subsequently, this will bring massive downpour, and devastating wind gusts, and flooding in Queensland once again!

Queensland has about five or six cyclones around this time of the year, however, it has never been as astounding and astronomical as Cyclone Yasi. This will be a once in a life time event. Queensland has just endured the flooding in recent weeks now it is bracing for Cyclone Yasi. Yes, somewhat a Murphy's law, insofar as, Queensland summer season is concerned.

Ia talosia e sao manuia o tagata o le a aafia i lenei fo'i afa, o le Afa o Yasi, o le a o'o mai, iinei o le pitunu'u o Kuinisilani i Matu, i le aso o taeao, i le afiafi, o lenei masina o Fepuali, 2011, i le aso lua, ma le taeo o le aso tolu.

Tofa mo lenei fo'i taimi.

Tim Tufuga

Brisbane, Australia

Penny Wong explains the Government's flood levy

A great initiative by a responsible and astute government in response to an unprecedented natural disaster in Australian history!

Victoria Cross to Cpl Ben Roberts-Smith 2011

This Australia Day will be remembered by many Australians, at home and abroad, for those individuals representing Australian interests, which must include servicemen like Trooper Corporal Ben Roberts-Smith (SASR), whom has become Australia's most recent recipient of the Victoria Cross.

This soldier has demonstrated the true measure of the qualities required for the Special Air Service Regiment troopers in action.

This person is an inspiration for all true grit warriors in any culture, race and language.

A true Australian Toa!

Who Dares Wins

Malo Tau, Malo le Toa o Ausetalia!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Roberts_Smith

SBS. Immigration Nation - The Lucky Country #3

A three part series which was aired recently on the Special Braodcast Service (SBS) Channel from the 9th, 16th and the 23rd January 2011. This has explained my 30 years experience throughout Australian institutions, interactions with employment agencies, government officials, educational institutions, the police services, pubs, nightclubs, and the justice system. It is difficult to simply call a spade a spade when it is much easier to call it by some other name, which the vast majority of Australians like to dismiss and fudge out racial discrimination slurs. My father, being a member of the sporting elites in Samoa, in lawn bowls, having represented his country in four Commonwealth games; he was also a scholarship recipient to Saint Bedes College in Christchurch New Zeaalnd and onto Canterbury University, New Zealand, back in the early 1960s. My father did not personally experience the bigotry and prejudice at institutional level in which his illegitimate offsprings, living in Australia, would experience. Subsequently, my father was dismissive of my claims of institutional racism and ochlocratic thuggery in the streets, by the police services and the justice system ipso facto, by the same people he had assumed were civilised white Australians. My late mother would beg to differ.

However, this programme has succinctly revealed the covert prejudice as experienced by the indigenous people for over two centuries and now recently by the shock troop migrants such as my late mother my sister and I, the period in particular for myself is the early 1980s.

Finally, this programme, does call it for what it always was the convention, the experience felt by a vast majority of the socio-political conditioning processes within Australia, by finally calling a spade, a spade! Enjoy the BLACK HUMOUR!

Ia manuia le matamata!

O Tim Tufuga
i Brisbane, Australia!

Ps, I had lived in Australia for 30 years, but, it was not until 29 years later, in 2008, that I had finally, and, reluctantly, become naturalised as an Australian citizen.

Why? because, I realised that even across the Tasman, in New Zealand, where I was born, they, the riff raff Kiwis left there still, were becoming as equally as bigoted, institutionally speaking, as well.

Moorooka state school 22nd Jan 2011.

On the road of recovery in Queensland floods. The Australian Labor Party members assist in the relocation of Rocklea State School pupils and resources to Moorooka State School as a temporary post Brisbane flooding contingency plan.

Tim Tufuga 22nd January 2011.

Brisbane flood clean up 15th Jan 2011

Day one of operation clean up for Volunteer Queensland in coorperation with the Brisbane City Council converge into MacGregor State High School then deployed throughout South East Queensland for post flood clean up.

Rocklea Queensland flood clean up on 16th Jan. 2011

My second day volunteering in the post Brisbane Flood 2011 clean up. The second day, I enjoin the Waterford Electorate ALP members clean up crew deployed to Rocklea, Queensland, south of Brisbane, on Sunday 16th January, 2011.

Flooded Brisbane from the air - ABC Brisbane - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Flooded Brisbane from the air - ABC Brisbane - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Brisbane flood has added to the state-wide devastation throughout Queensland. This has become the worse natural disaster in Australian history, certainly for the state of Queensland, which may be quantified to approximately $10-12 Billion dollars, or 1% of the Australian GDP.

Tens of thousands of families throughout Queensland are dispossessed and dislocated from the ravages of the flood waters. Brisbane has become the latest victim of the Queensland flood with the Wivenhoe dam succeeding in preventing a larger scale disaster with controlling the downflows of the Lockyer Valley rainwater. Brisbane has become the ultimate watershed with the Brisbane river fanning outwardly through the Brisbane CBD and Suburbs much to the chagrine and consternation of locals, some 36,000 households being affected.

Power cuts, and water quality issues have become the immediate concern for locals. The secondary concern is sanitation issues, water borne diseases and contamination concerns are now being realised.

The last concern is the clean up which will run into the billions of dollars, then the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructures, the flood affected trauma for individuals and families intermingled with the fascination and awe by all onlookers which has made the recent events a historical event completely unprecendent for the most recent generation of Brisbane folk.

Australians have become circumspect with the present disaster outcome and realise the futility of their human efforts in preventing the ravages of nature.

The cause of this freakish weather conditions is not exactly divinely inspired, but, far from this situation is the impact of the documented El Nino weather patterns which is cyclical and patterned in a normally five year cycle, however, this recent condition is a bi-centennial event. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Ni%C3%B1o

Ua tupu nei lenei fa'alavelave o le lolovaia o Kuiniselani atoa sa amata i le masina o Novema 2010 ma le timuga i le masina o Tesema 2010, i le masina atoa, ua mafua ai le lolovaia lenei i Perisipene mai le aso 11,12,13 o le masina lenei o Ianuari, 2011.
O le mafuaga o lenei lolovai o le tulaga e ta'ua o le El Nino po'o o le matua tele o le timuga e ta'i lima o tausaga ona tupu lenei tulaga. Ae o lenei tulaga ua fa'aali mai o se tulaga e le masani lava i le tele o le timuga e pei ua tupu i aso, ma le masina, ua tuana'i nei i Kuinislani atoa.

Ua fealolo nei le lolovaia o Peresipene aua o le Wivenhoe Dam sa fau aua o le lolovaia i le 1974, o lenei Wivenhoe Dam sa fa'apea e le toe lolovaia ai o Peresepene ae ua fa'aali mai ua le mafai lava ona te'ete'e ma taofi le tele o le vai mai timuga mai o masina ia e tolu, mai Novema, Tesema, 2010, ma Ianuari, 2011. O le Wivenhoe Dam sa uma ona fau i le tausaga 1985. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wivenhoe_Dam

O le aufia o le tau o lenei fa'alavelave e $10-$12 Piliona tala tupe Ausetalia, ona toe fo'i lea o le ola masani iinei i Kuinisilani, ma Ausetalia atoa. E tusa o se 1 pasene o le GDP o le tupe malo o Ausetalia. Ua fa'apea e atoa se fia o masina ma tausaga ona toe fa'afo'i Kuiniselani i le tulaga masani. E le pei O le sunami o Samoa aua o lenei lolovai e a'ufia iai o Kuiniselani atoa ma le itu matu o Niu Saua lese.

Fa'afetai lava i le faitau.

Ia manuia le a'u fa'itau.

Tofa soifua

Tim Tufuga mai Brisbane Australia 13th January 2011