Love those Aussies!

“http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=463690&in_page_id=1811


F*** off, mate! How the Aussies repelled Iranian gunboats (unlike our own hapless sailors)
By RICHARD SHEARS


It was a stand-off on the high seas like that which led to the arrest of 15 British sailors and marines by the Iranians earlier this year.


But this time the potential captives were Australians and they were a little less meek in their response.


While pointing their guns straight at the heavily-armed Iranian boats, the sailors simply told the troops to "**** off". And they did.


Their no-nonsense approach was very different to that of the muchc-riticised crew from HMS Cornwall, whose capture in the Gulf in March led to a diplomatic crisis.


Details of the Australian incident, which occurred well before the British humiliation, emerged yesterday.

The Australian naval authorities had been bombarded with requests after a television report of rumours about the confrontation.


Their Defence Department confirmed that its sailors had used "colourful language" and pointed their weapons, but declined to comment on the way the Britons had responded in similar circumstances.


Spokesman Commander Steve Gilmore said: "The response of our sailors highlights what is unique about the Australian sailor.


"The courage that was shown in demanding circumstances, the loyalty, the team work were there throughout, and we're very, very proud of the way that the team worked.


"The Australian officer in command seized the initiative and demonstrated very sound judgment and excellent leadership."


He said that during the incident, believed to have occurred in 2004, the 14 Australians, who were on rubber dinghies, had held off the crew of Iranian gunboats by pointing their weapons, yelling curses at them and telling them in no uncertain terms to go away.


Earlier this week the official report into the debacle with the British troops concluded that no individual was to blame for what was described as "collective failure of judgment".

But the response of the British sailors has been described in some quarters as "meek" and "cowardly".

After their capture in the Shatt al Arab waterway between Iran and Iraq, they were held as hostages for more than ten days, during which time some were shown on Iranian television apologising for straying into the country's territorial waters.


They were also seen shaking hands with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, effectively thanking him for their release, and were later criticised for selling their stories.


The youngest, Arthur Batchelor, was also ridiculed after revealing he had cried himself to sleep when his captors took away his iPod.”

“Just re-installed an Aussie swamp cooler for the summer for a handicapped friend. Big enough for 2000 sq,ft. house and I could carry it around by myself. Propeller fan, 2 1/2" element and generally no-tool simple and light. An american unit would have looked and felt more like a Hummer with the hood open.”

“What is this "swamp cooler?"”

“Evaporative cooling device.”