Oz buckles down for terrorism! Bicycles, bombs and bullshit!

Well, I guess the Japanese DID invade Singapore on bicycles!

Will forward through channels

LOL

Damn bicyclists! Not to fret deb. I've forwarded that to everyone on my e-mail address list. lol

Check this out, deb:

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/10/26/LatestNews/LatestNews.14369.html

Maybe they're not all that crazy.

Oh goddess Bandylu!

Now they will have to check each Bogong moth for explosives - that's going to be tough!

What is the world coming to? Kamikaze koalas? Plastic explosive made to look and smell like vegemite?
It's just not cricket!

Could be, JD, could be!

Good description

This was breaking news off the London Times website... The Australian Government will send a "Terrorist Kit" to every household in the country this week, explaining what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. This second stage of a $15M AD advertising campaign ncludes a refrigerator magnet with the government's terrorist hotline. I'm sorry. (I wonder if the USA will be getting these soon?)

I'm also amazed that $15M would do it. There really aren't very many of you, are there?

Nope. But we manage to elect some pretty bloody stupid leaders.

It has aroused a storm of laughter here - I am wondering if I will open mine to find a little cartoon enjoining me to "duck and cover"?

and it's 15M AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS. That's (to steal one of setanta's lines) $1.25 American.

AU $15M is not US $1.25M, it is about US $9M.
I hope that Australians will never need the knowledge on how to act under conditions of the terror attack, but it is the best example that knowledge is power. Globalization refers not only to the world economy, but, unfortunately, to the world Islamic terror as well. And if all the necessary precautions are made, it will be much more difficult for the terrorists to fulfil their evil tasks.

steissd - it's not $1.25M, it's $1.25 - it's an old joke about the value of the australian/canadian dollars next to the u.s. dollar.

in other words

fifteen million australian dollars are worth one dollar and twenty five cents american.

Ah, OK. At first, I thought that you used erroneous or obsolete exchange rate. In fact, AU $1 is approximately US $0.59.

Oh dear. I laughed, Beth.

Er, Steissd, terror already hit. Heard of Bali?

Since we are following the US into Iraq (against the wishes of the populace - without UN sanction, but nemmind) and since we intervened in East Timor, anyone sensible in Oz expects terror.

I just can think of better things to do with 15 million...

Well, when you get your booklet, I hope you'll share. I'm wondering if it is like our "Earthquake Preparedness Guidelines." Our Homeland Security has only just kicked in. We MIGHT be getting a kit, too.

I'm thinking those refrigerator magnets will be big sellers on ebay.

Dlowan, is there a sufficient Muslim population in Australia? Do the security services monitor activities of the Muslim community centers if the latter exist on the Australian soil? If some precautions are taken, terror threat to the Australians may be minimized. You do not have such a "natural reserve" of terror as Gaza Strip or West Bank close to your border, therefore I assess Australia's chances to avoid a major domestic terror attack as sufficient. Certain immigration policies regarding applicants from the Muslim countries, similar to the current policies of the U.S. INS, may also be in favor of national security.
Of course, the Australian tourists should avoid visiting countries with numerous Muslim population (and Indonesia is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world). There are lots of safer places in Asia: Japan, China, Thailand, S. Korea, etc. It is just a good advise, I surely do not dictate to your compatriots where to go and where not.

hi out there: re.BICYLE - when we came to canada in 1956 me met a swiss army officer who told us that the swiss army relied heavily on BICYCLE BRIGADES - little maintenance, no gasoline and just think how fast you are going down the alpenpiste -no kidding. anyone visit with the swiss army lately? here is an old joke we used to tell as teenagers during WW II(as archie bunker would say)NEWSFLASH : the italian army has engaged a british army bicycle patrol; heavy fighting has ensued: italians have managed to wrest away a pair of handlebars from the british: VICTORY IS NEAR....i know it's a poor joke...no offence meant...i was just a teenager who didn't know better