Thoughts with Aussie PS''ers..

[tlh]

My thoughts are with those who have been affected from the fires.

 

[Steel]

Prayers for those affected. So sad.

 

[Tuckins1]

Dust and prayers to all who are affected!!!

 

[AmberGretchen]

Thoughts and prayers outgoing to all those affected by this tragedy - how horrible

 

[bee*]

Sending my thoughts and prayers. I don''t know how people could set those fires on purpose. What disgusting people!

 

[arjunajane]

Thankyou everyone for all the thoughts and prayers..unfortunately the news just keeps getting worse

 

[Kaleigh]

Sending prayers to all that are affected. This is so sad, and am so sorry.

 

[Dandi]

The death toll has already exceeded 180. In the last 2 days millions of dollars have been donated to appeals set up to help all those affected by the fires. People are so incredibly giving at times like this. Kind of restores your faith, even after such horrendous acts by others.

 

[AdiS]

Sending my thoughts and prayers to all that are affected. I've been following this on the news... so sad.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

It is beyond our comprehension.
but when we had a week of 110F with no nasty strong wind, and then a day a week later of 115.7 (45.6C) with furnace like north wind blowing from across desert country, it was always going to be nasty. The drought has been getting worse every year for a decade.
KA BOOM
the fires went crazy, the arsonists all came out, and we have a disaster that makes an agnostic like me wonder why we are being punished so severely????

I live within 30 to 50 miles of the worst fires. I have ridden from my home and back to most of these places on sunday bike rides. Everone I know has a story of a neighbour, best friend, or relative. I have beeen spared 1st degree relationships with those who lost loved ones or property. But every day the search and rescue teams get into bush areas and find more bodies and destruction.

If there is a hell on earth these people visited it

 

[softly softly]

I hope I never see another day like last Saturday, but the fact is that if we keep having heat waves like this year those conditions could very well repeat themselves every year until the drought breaks and 12 years in it''s getting harder to believe that is going to happen.

 

[sparkles]

Speechless.

Prayers to those in distress and those whose lives have been lost.

The Australian government will charge those responsible with murder. Throwing of cigarette butts out of cars is a problem Australia wide. Lets hope the government will also enforce punishment for this act of stupidity.

 

[Scorpioanne]

It makes me so sad, a friend of mine and her husband (who works for the counrty fire authority) live just outside Melbourne. She told me that whole towns have gone up in flame and people she knows have lost their homes (and lives too maybe). She keeps sending me photos and articles, it makes me feel better as if she can e-mail me thay are ok.
I agree, arsonists should be charged with murder as it is a terrible thing.

 

[somethingshiny]

I''m so sorry to those of you who''ve already suffered. I pray that it doesn''t get any worse for any of you. Continued prayers for those who''ve suffered this tragedy.

 

[honey22]

quick update - the death toll is over 200, I have stopped watching the television, I want to cry everytime it''s on. It''s so sad. The Red Cross have so far collected over 35 million to help these people, it''s an astonishing amount of money. That''s the true blue Aussie spirit, you just help someone worse off than you, no matter what. It''s heartwarming to see the community as a whole gather round and help those in need, it''s nice to see humanity still exists in this day.

My cousin was on Today Tonight last night, she lost her entire home and all her possesions in the fires. To cut a long story short, she claimed her insurance money and went to the bank to pay out her loan (which apparently becomes due in full when there is no longer a house as equity), and she was told that as she was paying out (and breaking) her fixed loan contract, she would be charged a ''break fee'' of $24K!!! That''s right, 24 thousand dollars!!! Can you believe that crap!!??!?!?!? Today Tonight put her story on the telly last night and the bank has backed down and issued a statement that no fire victim would be charged any fees or charges to discharge their loan, but it totally sucks that they tried it in the first place. These people have lost everything, if they had to pay the extra $25k, they wouldn''t have been able to afford to rebuild their homes. It''s disgusting. To think if she hadn''t have got her story told on national television, they bank would have got away with it.

So many people (many who don''t have a lot to begin with) have opened up their wallets and homes to strangers in need, and one of our biggest banks, who made billions of dollars in profits last year tries to do this. I am just appalled!!!

 

[softly softly]

Honey you are right that is absolutely disgusting and I''m glad your cousin didn''t let them get away with it, but how dreadful for her to have to deal with that on top of everything else. I was reading that some victims have been having trouble accessing emergency relief with Centrelink representatives demanding proof of identification from people who have literally lost all possessions and documents.

On another note this got my blood boiling. How could any newspaper editor think anything about this was cause for a joke:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2009/feb/10/mailonsunday-australia

 

[MishB]

Date: 2/11/2009 11:17:49 PM
Author: honey22
quick update - the death toll is over 200, I have stopped watching the television, I want to cry everytime it''s on. It''s so sad. The Red Cross have so far collected over 35 million to help these people, it''s an astonishing amount of money. That''s the true blue Aussie spirit, you just help someone worse off than you, no matter what. It''s heartwarming to see the community as a whole gather round and help those in need, it''s nice to see humanity still exists in this day.

My cousin was on Today Tonight last night, she lost her entire home and all her possesions in the fires. To cut a long story short, she claimed her insurance money and went to the bank to pay out her loan (which apparently becomes due in full when there is no longer a house as equity), and she was told that as she was paying out (and breaking) her fixed loan contract, she would be charged a ''break fee'' of $24K!!! That''s right, 24 thousand dollars!!! Can you believe that crap!!??!?!?!? Today Tonight put her story on the telly last night and the bank has backed down and issued a statement that no fire victim would be charged any fees or charges to discharge their loan, but it totally sucks that they tried it in the first place. These people have lost everything, if they had to pay the extra $25k, they wouldn''t have been able to afford to rebuild their homes. It''s disgusting. To think if she hadn''t have got her story told on national television, they bank would have got away with it.

So many people (many who don''t have a lot to begin with) have opened up their wallets and homes to strangers in need, and one of our biggest banks, who made billions of dollars in profits last year tries to do this. I am just appalled!!!

Honey, you aren''t in Victoria are you? Would you please let me know if there is anything I can do for your cousin and her family, anything specific they need?

 

[elle]

My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by this tragedy.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

This is so sad.
I''m sending good thoughts and vibes your way.

 

[sparkles]

I watched the video on youtube of the Koala being given water by one of the Fireman - heartWARMING!

I read the article on how a man tried to save some people in a burning vehicle and couldn''t because of the heat of the car and then had to watch them screaming whilst being burnt alive - heartWRENCHING!!!