Altruism

Been very busy getting our son Martin outfitted for his new job starting Tuesday.  He is to be the Maintenance Man at a riverside hotel near Fremantle, which will involve cleaning, gardening, general maintenance and some technical stuff looking after any problems with the hotel’s TV systems.   We have spent some time looking into toilet systems and water tap repairs.  Hope he isn’t presented with a major problem that both of us cannot easily solve.

The Australian government is very nice to unemployed citizens and when they have eventually gained employment, support them with limited funds for clothing, tools, public transport costs and other personal items to ensure they can start work looking and feeling good with themselves.

I collected some good computer gear over the last week and some have already been placed with needy folks.   When I am given people’s discards I assure the donor (s) that I will do a ‘clean install’ of the operating system to wipe all previous data.  One machine presented with a dead DVD drive, so I pulled the Mac apart and replaced it with one of a pile of spares I have. It took three ‘tear downs’ before I found a good drive.  I can now do a ‘tear down’ of that model eMac blindfolded.   Last night a young African fellow came to my house to collect a laptop I had prepared for his family.

There are a couple of welfare organisations who lean on me regularly with requests for  computers and I am happy to help out where I can, but I have not fully explained who I am and how I work by myself.  I am not a registered charity and receive no funding or tax relief for the costs involved. A recent request was for three computers for a family who live at least 50 kilometres from my house.  Often the reception I get when I deliver a machine, set it up and give the recipient half an hour instructions with telephone backup, suggests that it is thought that I am employed within the government welfare system.  Regardless of that, I still think it is all worthwhile.  Altruism Kev!
There are a few other organisations, such as the 'Men's Sheds' which do similar work to me, but there is a cost, albeit small; around $60.00, for one of their refurbished computers and no deliveries, training or backup thankyou.

I have previously mentioned an old old pocket watch I have. It is a Waltham Traveller and it needs a glass rim and glass and a clean.  It was made in the U.S. in 1898. I found it in a drawer in the house and I am sure it is not from either side of our families.  Perhaps my late wife Joan bought it and was going to have it repaired and give to me as a present?  I will never know.    I decided to let a jeweller in a local shopping centre have a look at it and give me a quote on its restoration.  He came back with the ridiculous amount of $1,000.  When I said no and started to walk out he offered to buy it from me.  No further conversation there!