Grump

Boots is his name

2011-03-08T15:55:00.000+11:00

Introducing Boots the Possum beater from Tasmania.

The lake

2011-03-08T15:46:00.003+11:00

We stood by the edge of the lake, on the smallest of beaches, a short drop down from the grass bank.

Our toes were on the very edge of the water, tiny ripples touched and untouched the tips of our toes. The water was like ice, but the sun shone on our feet and made them warm. Cold toes warm feet. Is that how it goes?

We held hands for the first time looking out over the lake.

No we didn’t, we had already held hands on the run down the hill. You saved me from falling over and held on to my sleeve and then our hands met. Don’t you remember?

That doesn’t count, we were running and falling and slipping and sliding, hands, feet, arms, bodies were going in all directions. So it doesn’t count.

What is so important about holding hands in any case, I am holding your hand now, holding it tightly so you can’t let go. I’m going to pull you into the freezing lake. We are both going to get totally wet.

No we are not, never no, not happening, a complete zilch.

What if we took all our clothes off and went in nudie rudey.

You must be kidding me, what if the others come down? They could easily find us and we would be sprung.

Sprung, what do mean sprung, haven’t you seen how everyone is looking at us? They can’t keep their eyes off us.

But I haven’t even touched you in front of anyone, we I mean I didn’t even know you fancied me till this morning.

I know, over breakfast, wasn’t that lovely the way we made contact across the toast and milk. Do you think anyone saw us?

That is what I am saying, I looked around after that moment and I could see the faces of Joe and Sal, even Lu and Brin were looking. I think they have sensed it over the weekend. Did you tell anyone, did you know to tell anyone?

No, not at all! You crazy or what?

Come on then take your clothes off, I am and I going in. it won’t kill us and it will wake us up.

You think so, I think it will freeze my tits off and I will look a right goose.

And it will freeze my balls off and I will look like a frozen plucked chicken.

The sun warmed us as we stood by the lake with our clothes piled on the grass bank. Not a breath of wind the sun so warm on our backs, our hands and eyes all over each other, the first time we had seen each other naked. Before I had time to raise the burning issue of body shape and its effect on modern man/woman relationships, we had pushed each other into the water, the freezing water.

No oh no, I didn’t push you, you pushed me. I just hung on to your arm in the vain hope of not being the first to fall in.

Ah ah no, I had bent down to move my clothes away from the edge and you had pushed me and I grabbed your arm to save myself from falling in. Don’t you remember the look on my face as I realized I was on my way in bum over tit. As I fell backwards I saw your face all smiles and laughing, I must of looked petrified of over balancing.

Well whatever we both ended up in the lake, holy cow was it cold! So cold! That sort of cold that stops your heart.

But that was so stimulating, you loved it once we were in, you threw yourself around like a mad thing processed.

You clung to me shivering hopelessly shivering asking to be allowed to be let out. I wouldn’t let you go.

I dove down to try and touch the bottom you tickled me where you shouldn’t

You wanted to make love to me in the water, all those inhibitions out the window.

Did we I thought we played and touched and then dried out on the bank above the little beach with the ripples. We dripped and shook the water off us we danced and played and then fell over.

Did you cut yourself on the grass or was that done pulling yourself up on the tree roots?

Do you want to go back there some day and see what it looks like now?

Yes lets go we could make it in a couple of hours.

Didn’t I have something to do somewhere to go an appointment to attend a parent teacher something or ever? All those things that clutter our lives don’t I have a hundred and one things to do?

We could make it in under two hours, it’s a lovely day and it will be even lovelier being together. Don’t ask any more questions just get in the car and drive. When did we last do something like this?

Don’t ask oh how life gets in the way of doing things, just doing things that come into your mind and doing them.

Take the old telescope that has been collecting cobwebs throw in a towel and my little tent. We could stay the night I know a quiet place we can camp near to the estuary on the other side of the lake.

Red Sky in Morning Shepherd's Warning

2011-02-15T08:55:00.000+11:00

Some morning while walking the dog the sky demands attention.

The boys and their dogs.

Camping Spiders etc

2011-01-17T14:58:00.000+11:00

Here are some photos from the rain shortened camping trip. It has been very wet in SE Australia, we have been lucky to get just a small portion of the rains. All the best to Queenslanders.

Hairy McClarey

A sunbaking Dragon fly

Look at this spider he has the best colour and shape. He kept hiding behind the grass seeds.

These last two are your classic spider shapes.

Cicadas

2010-12-30T11:31:00.000+11:00

This little fellow came a visiting over Christmas.

Merry Christmas from Grump land

2010-12-23T14:59:00.000+11:00

HERE'S HOPING YOU ALL HAVE A LOVELY SAFE CHRISTMAS BREAK. WONT BE AROUND FOR A WHILE.

FROM HERE:

TO HERE:

WOOFXX

Odds and Sods

2010-12-10T16:49:00.000+11:00

Some left overs from the camera that asked to be uploaded.

South Melbourne Beach

2010-12-06T09:35:00.000+11:00

At last a hot/dry day and we headed to the beach. It is only a bay side beach so no big breakers, still refreshing.

For some it is a matter of use what you have, this man actually has a couple of fishing rods attached to this small inflatable.

If you are swimming remember to swim between the flags.

Going to Tasmania? This is the very best way to travel, over night by boat.

Early Morning before the rain

2010-12-02T09:31:00.000+11:00

The balloons were out this morning. They had to land on our park, the rain which is pouring down now was on the way.

You wouldn't want to be up in a balloon now, way too wet.

Some photos from the kids

2010-11-29T15:17:00.000+11:00

They seem to be able to find a different perspective.

Our visitor, full moon and wall pictures

2010-11-26T14:22:00.000+11:00

Taz is our visitor this weekend and you couldn't ask for a better guest. He looks longingly into your eyes, he is gentle to touch and when he touches you. He loves to snuggle up for a cuddle. And he comes back to you in the park. Bonus

Polished

2010-11-17T14:14:00.000+11:00

Sometimes I am asked to polish brass. Here is a letter plate I have just finished. It is in the Art Nouveau style.

More Rain

2010-11-15T14:48:00.001+11:00

One of those wet early morning trips to the shops. Deserted streets, still awaiting the Sunday shoppers and breakfast eaters.

Fancy Nancy

2010-11-10T11:48:00.001+11:00

Nancy took a turn for the worse last night. She had a stroke, not a lot of news as yet and she is now as safe and sound as you can get in this day and age in a large public hospital with her family there with her.
Nancy is in her nineties [never quite sure exactly which ninety she is at the moment but I think it is in the mid nineties. She had a sister who lived to over a hundred. In fact Nancy has had a lot of brothers and sisters. Around about 13.
When Nancy was in her seventies her husband had a stroke and that is around the time I first met her. I didn't know her husband before he had his stroke. Nancy looked after him for the best part of 15 years. Luckily he wasn't too disabled by his stroke. But even so she became a full time carer for him. I was always amazed at how she coped with looking after Bob and staying happy and positive with the world around her. She has 3 children and 6 grand kids and 11 great grand kids. She always has a smile and laugh, she wants to be around her family and makes her great grand kids laugh.
I once read somewhere that people who don't become bogged down with grief or negativity seem to live longer lives and think that is what Nancy represents. I know she has seen most of her brothers and sister pass away but she has stayed positive and alert.
I hope she can recover from this set back and still enjoy her life. I have a very big soft spot for Fancy Nancy as I call her. She loves a drink on special occasions a Champagne with orange nowadays. So here's to you Nancy, all raise your glasses and hope she gets better soon.
X

Signs of Life

2010-11-10T08:44:00.000+11:00

We don't drink Bushells tea like we used to, but there is still an old sign around. This one is high enough to be safe from the Graffiti terrorists.

Some reflections on Summer

2010-11-05T15:19:00.000+11:00

Clouds

2010-11-03T09:52:00.000+11:00

We had the rain then the clouds before the sun came out. Here are some of the Clouds flying past our backyard.

Rain

2010-11-01T12:00:00.000+11:00

It rained solidly on Saturday, so was confined to barracks as we say in the colonies. I took some photos through the barracks window.

Balloons on the skyline

2010-10-28T11:41:00.001+11:00

Every morning I take the dog for a walk in the local park. This morning there was a beautiful clear sky and the balloons were up. Unfortunately I only had my mobile phone with me. I hope you get the feel of the morning. The sun was coming up at the same time as the balloons, it was like they were multiplying in front of our eyes. The Moon was still up that is the white blob in the last photo.

Roses are upon us.

2010-10-25T13:44:00.000+11:00

Sunday morning and the roses were out along with the sunshine.

A couple of houses first, not there yet.

Roses!

I call these Pom Poms. Don't know them by another name!

Sea Side

2010-10-20T15:40:00.000+11:00

Seaside

Eugene sat on his bench, he had claimed this bench from the first day he arrived. It afforded a view along the front. The beach with its sand and small waves a few dozen metres away. Behind him the pedestrian traffic, sparse at this time of the morning.

The wind was blowing from the seaward, bringing an occasional taste of salt to his lips. The breeze not strong enough to worry him, but ‘fresh’ as he described it to himself. He had his Gabardine coat buttoned to the very top and the collar turned up. He wasn’t wearing his coat in this manner to affect a look, he did so on doctors orders.

‘Stay warm, but be sure to get as much fresh air as you can.’ That was about the only advice his GP had offered him before he gave Eugene his OK to travel. Eugene was trying to remember if the doctor had barked anymore instructions at him, as he scribbled on the prescription pad. Oh yes.

‘Don’t forget to take these pills three times a day, after meals as prescribed. They will help stabilise your condition.’

My condition, Eugene thought, there would be little change, no matter what I do. However, he would do, as instructed.

Each morning he had noticed that there was a woman who would sit on the next bench along, it was 15 paces away. Eugene had counted the number of paces on his way along the front. He would of been near enough to hear her talking, but she sat alone . She didn’t look lonely though there was a sense of her being on her own. In need of someone to talk to Eugene was wondering how he could approach her. Today being the third day they had sat at this proximity to each other, he knew it would be best to make his move sooner rather than later.

Eugene uncrossed his legs rose slowly from the bench and made his way towards the other bench, counting the steps as he went. Knowing that as he arrived at 15 paces he would be opposite her and needed to be ready to make his pitch.

‘Do you mind, if I join you?’ He said indicating the space on the bench next to the woman before him. She shifted her weight and made to make room for him to sit down.

‘Of course,’ she said a hint of a smile played around her mouth. He nodded, if he had been wearing a hat it would of looked as if he had lightly touched the rim.

‘Fresh, isn’t it? A cold wind coming in from North sea.’ Eugene looked at her and put his hand out. ‘Hello, by the way my name is Eugene, and I am here on holiday, from England.’ His hand held her small cold hand. She smiled back.

It took only a short while and both Eugene and Jan were enjoying the banter of newly found acquaintances. The weather was dispensed with quickly, both of them came from a culture where the weather is always a topic of conversation. It has to be dealt with. It is part of the how do you do shake hands ritual. Other areas of conversation can progress after this initial “Breaking of the ice”.

Both Jan and Eugene were there on holidays. Well he called it a holiday and she described hers as a vacation. He was trying to pick her accent, maybe she wasn’t from Belgium maybe she was from America. There was definitely a twang from across the Atlantic hidden in there somewhere. Jan had an excellent command of the English language and soon the pair of them were telling stories and exchanges jokes and observations of a more personal kind.

This was like a tonic for Eugene who had not had an engaging conversation in so long. They seemed to hit it off. So much so that Eugene took a gamble and offered to take Jan out to lunch, it was drawing near to midday, how the morning had raced past.

‘I couldn’t, you are too generous.’ Jan replied to his enquiry. ‘In any case I don’t think anywhere around here would be serving lunch at this time of year. It is still so early in the season, in fact it isn’t the season yet.’

‘We could go Dutch.’ Eugene smiled at his little joke,

‘ I have seen a place, a Bistro, I think, they have tables outside, just along a little way. We could choose whether to eat el fresco or inside. Come lets us walked together’ He offered his arm, which Jan took as they stepped out along the beach front. As they approached, they could see the tables arranged in front of the Bistro.

‘Inside, outside, inside, outside.’ Like children they argued over the seating arrangements, finally agreeing to eat outdoors as the watery sun at that moment had come out from behind a cloud and the wind had lost some of its chill.

As they sat down Eugene felt like a young man again. He was back in his early twenties enjoying a bohemian life. A time when you could meet a woman in the morning and be lovers by night fall. Where you shared intimacies as easily as cigarettes. He had often been too afraid to really let go and roll the dice of life. Maybe now he could correct some of those missed opportunities. Initiative that’s it take initiative.

However with the choice of food he decided to err on the side of caution and chose the grilled fish with salad and no chips. He did love his chips but on doctors orders he had sworn off them now for a few months. Jan on the other hand decided on the Veal Scaloppini. When it arrived it smelt delicious and tasted divine.

Eugene ate slowly, trying not to be seen counting the number of times he chewed his food. It was a terrible habit, he knew that, it was something he had inherited from his father, a ruminator by choice. Across the table from him Jan wasn’t holding back, she shovelled it in. Slurping up the sauce with every mouthful. The conversation had slowed, food had taken over as the main activity. Even so an idea was forming in Eugene’s mind. He liked Jan he felt he had clicked with her, two souls adrift but aware of each others needs. She had a lovely smile and her sense of humour was helping him forget himself and enjoy the moment. Already Eugene knew that Jan was a broad minded person. She had that air of ease that hinted at a full life, mixing the lows with the highs and enjoying a few raunchy jokes on the way through.

He put his knife a fork down, Jan did the same smiling at each other over the plates of food glasses of wine and misplaced napkins, their fingers touched, just the tips to start with. They played with the idea of touching each other. Now they held hands, softly enjoying the lightness of touch. Exploring the unfamiliar texture and shapes. Eugene looked up, slightly embarrassed, he saw Jan’s smile and smiled back. They held on to each other, for an eternity, their eyes smiling happily across the landscape of table, napkins and plates.

As Eugene placed the fifteenth forkful of fish into his mouth and started to count in his head. He knew that the remainder of his holiday would be filled with love and surprises. He was feeling better already, in fact he felt a little light headed and a tune had started to resonate, along with the rhythm of his jaw.

On completion of his twenty fifth chew, he swallowed, looked up and asked in an distinctly squeaky voice, laced with emotion.

‘Would you like pudding and a coffee before we go to bed’

He held his napkin to his mouth to cover his reddening face. Jan smiled and reached out her hand again.

‘I would love some dessert and a coffee. And your other offer sounds wonderful.’

Eugene removed the napkin and lifted Jan’s hand to his lips and gave her the lightest of kisses.

Mushroom

2010-10-18T14:20:00.000+11:00

Wrong time of year but the Mushrooms have been getting bigger due to the rain we have been getting.

Roof Top Views

2010-10-11T14:42:00.000+11:00

Yesterday had to do some work on my roof so I took the trusty camera up and here are some of the views from my terrace house roof.

As you can see it was a lovely day, one of the warmest this Spring. Many more to come.

Spring Drive.

2010-10-04T11:45:00.000+11:00

Canola fields, warm winds, leaves are budding. It must be Spring.

Our back yard flowers and Rainbow Lorikeets.

Morning Walk Sunday

2010-09-27T11:55:00.000+10:00

Night Shots

2010-09-24T17:15:00.000+10:00

Bottle Shop

Spiky Tree

Small front garden

Blossom

2010-09-14T15:18:00.000+10:00

A beautiful morning, blue skies and the blossom is out.

Road Trip

2010-09-10T13:52:00.000+10:00

A short road trip this morning photos curtsey of LB.

Spring flowers at last.

2010-09-07T11:41:00.000+10:00

Sometimes all it takes is a flower to tell you the world is turning and Spring is on the way.

A Moment In Time

2010-09-01T16:39:00.001+10:00

A moment in time.

The back door had slammed shut behind me. It was 6 in the morning at the start of a late summers day.

My father had heard the door as he came down stairs to the toilet. Our paths crossed in the small walk through that was the back of our house. He growled at me, I was looking tired and unwashed. I’m sure that he was concerned for my well being, he didn’t show that emotion he just glared at me and indicated that this was not the end of the matter, more like the beginning.

I went up stairs, I closed the door to my bedroom and feeling very low, I climbed into bed still in my clothes and fell asleep.

When I woke up it was early evening, the day had passed without me seeing any of it. The cloud of depression was still there and I really didn’t want to have to talk to my parents about what I had been doing. I didn’t want to talk about either the future or the past 24 hours, but knew it was the immediate past that they would want to discuss. It was in that 24 hours that I had made some big decisions, decisions I knew they wouldn’t approve of. I wasn’t thinking clearly at all and felt trapped unable to come out of my room and face the music.

When I thought the coast was clear I crept down to the bathroom and stole some pills, that I thought were sleeping pills, from the medicine cabinet. I took a handful, enough I thought to end my life. Very quickly I felt sick, nauseas to the point of throwing up. I thought if I lay down again it would pass and I would drop into a coma and die. Well that was the plan.

Within an hour, I was on the toilet unable to control my bowels. It was like, two weeks of food was being ejected from me. It was painful and even when there didn’t seem to be any more to come, it just kept coming. I sat there wondering what the fuck I had taken. Later I was to discover they were laxatives. After about ten minutes I felt a bit better and gingerly got up and made my way downstairs. My aim was to give a frank and honest assessment of my state of mind.

My parents looked at me as if I was a ghost, I expect my exertions had left me a little pale. Being the sort of person I am I decided the way to deal with this situation was to be direct. No beating around the bush. I would tell them straight.

So I preceded to tell them about the lovely people I had met at a party a week before and how we had all met up again yesterday. How we had taken Acid and basically been love bombed by the fantastic music and company. How I had lost track of time and and and . And so I went on until it dawned on me that I wasn’t telling them what I wanted to tell them at all. I was just digging a hole for myself. Giving them ammunition to attack my behaviour. My lack of direction, how I had started on the road to ruination.

So I tried to concentrate, I needed to tell them what I intended to do.

Then came that moment in time. that can be a week, but looking back, it is referred to as a moment. The core of my moment, happened in the next few moments, as I outlined what I intended to do. The conclusion to that moment came a month later.

“I am going to France” I said,” that is what I have decided to do.”

I had decided the night before. I couldn’t tell them how I had made my decision that would of sounded facile, improvised crap. No substance to the decision making.

I was going to France whether they liked it or not. That was fact, I couldn’t care less if they wanted me to go to college. Retake O levels, make a career in teaching primary school kids. Whatever their expectations were, it was my decision to make my own decision.

That moment of clarity had come and the full impact of it was now filling our living room. I could see my Mother’s mouth open. I expected a word or two to come out but not a sound. That was unusual for her. My Father had put on his stern, no you don’t son, look. But even he was silent. This gave me the breathing space to take a deep breath and add my final demands.

“I will work for one month, and then I will travel to Paris. What I ask of you is that you don’t ask for any board or keep for one month. Is that OK with you?”

I think they were that dumbstruck by the directness of the enquiry, that they agreed there and then. From that evening on, there was an uneasy truce until I left. Each day we moved around each other like injured animals. We didn’t have big discussions about what went wrong. We didn’t pull apart what fragile history we had. I wish we had, I would like to think I would want to discuss things with my kids if they told me they wanted to leave home at sixteen. But this was 1969, I think my Mum and Dad were still living in the 1950s . It took them another two decades to forgive me and the wounds from that moment in time could begin to heal.

Taz

2010-08-30T11:11:00.000+10:00

Our Visitor had to go home. We are missing you Taz. X

Bangers and Mash

2010-08-28T11:21:00.002+10:00

Reg's Story.

Reggie sat on his chair in the corner of the room. He looked like a lump of lard half slumped over the table, elbows and hands holding the weight of his large head. He was reading his evening paper. Occasionally he lifted his head to watch the TV.

Every night he sat there, always the same place, his place, I had never seen anyone else sitting there.

I was sitting with my brothers and sister, 4 of us around the table and I have my back to a cupboard. There is a open coal fire with an oven and hot plate, on the other side of the small room and in winter we would roast as we waited for our tea. We are watching the black and white images on the 27” TV screen that sits on a cupboard at the other end of the small room. Above the table are a pair of Canaries are in a cage. Ever so often they start singing to one another, no one seems to take any notice.

Outside it is freezing, the puddles from the rain that fell yesterday are frozen over. The ducks that were on the pond at the end of our street have flown back to the river a mile away. Even the small patch of lawn outside the back door, is like a furry ice rink. We have had Christmas, that was over a month ago. The nights are long, slow, cold, the days short and grey overcast affairs, with little relief from the numbness that inhabits us until Spring .

It was a Tuesday night so we were getting sausages beans and mash. Those big juicy fat pork sausages that spit in your eye when you drive the fork down into them. Reg would be served first, he has two slices of white bread buttered with margarine, a cup of strong dark tea with a dash of milk and two sugars. His face would light up in a smile as Mrs Mac put the plate of food in front of him. Reg liked his food. He eats like a single man. No airs or graces, he has no one to wait for. He knows there were hungry visitors waiting for their turn.

I heard his plate of food arrive, I looked around to feast my eyes on the sausages still sizzling as Reg slowly picked up his knife and fork. I could hear the knife scrap on the plate as I turned back to the TV. Rin Tin Tin was action aplenty.

The next time I turned my head to see Reg’s progress, His head was resting on his plate. The side of his face was lying on the sausages and beans. I could see the end of a sausage poking out from his face, just under his right eye. His left eye stared at the table cloth unblinking. His colour was grey like the TV screen, his cheeks showed his jaw under the five o’clock shadow. I had no idea what had happened, I nudged the arm of my older brother who was sitting next to me. He couldn’t see Reg I was in the way. He leaned around me and I could hear him gasp. I think he knew straight away what had happened.

Just as he jumped up to tell Mrs Mack, the front door opened and closed, away down the hall way. We both looked at the door to the passage. It would open in a minute and Mr Mac would walk in. Mrs Mack heard it too. She came out of the kitchen. My brother and I we are looking red faced and embarrassed. We had seen something first and we were dumbstruck. By now Reg’s head had made a proper mess of the baked beans, they had started to fall off the side of the plate.

Mr Mack opened the door and came in, he smiled at me and my brother. We tried to smile back, I thought we could pretend all was normal and act surprised when the adults saw the disaster lying on the table. I heard Mrs Mack start to shout, she swore at Mr Mack,

“ Shit Stan what has happened to Reg?”

Mr Mack hadn’t seen Reg, he was still greeting us. He looked across at his brother slumped on the table. My brother and I fell back onto our chairs as Mr Mack pushed past. He steadied himself on the table edge. His face had also gone grey. Mrs Mack was trying to lift Reg’s head, the bangers and beans was making a bloody mess of everything.

I felt stunned, my younger brother and sister had now caught on to what was happening. They looked annoyed that they couldn’t hear the TV due to the high pitched crying coming from Mrs Mack. Mr Mack had managed to get Reg’s head off the plate. Reg was now flopped back against the back of his chair, his head falling to the side, despite Mr Mack’s attempts at holding it up.

Mrs Mack looked up, her eyes were cloudy, she knew she had to get us out of this small room. We were no good to anyone being there. She ask my brother to go next door and ask Mrs B to call the ambulance.

“Tell her umm, Yes tell her Reg needs the ambulance. Don’t say any more than that.”

“OK” and he was off, so fast, he tripped on the edge of the hall runner and had to jump up again and rubbing his knee he went as fast as his legs would take him.

The rest of us were told to go wait in the front room. The front room was never used except at Christmas and special days. There was no heating and it was as cold as sin. But we did as we were told. We could hear Mr and Mrs Mack , they were shouting and crying. I think it was then that I knew the worst had happened. I realised that Reg was dead. I had never seen or even known anyone who had died. Except of TV.

Peter came running back, he banged on the front door. I opened it and before I could step aside he was pushing past,heading down the passage to the back room.

“Mrs Mack, Mrs Mack” He could barely contain himself. “The ambulance is on its way, Mrs B wants to know if you need anything, bandages, cloths, anything, she said anything. She is coming over now.”

“No Peter, you go straight back and tell her, thank you very much, just the ambulance, that is all we will be needing.”

Then Mrs Mack lowered her voice, and said.

“Peter, Reg has died, it must of been a heart attack. He has just gone a died.”

I couldn’t see how Peter had taken this news. But I did hear Mrs Mack say,

“Now don’t go telling Marge next door. Just tell her, thanks for the phone call and then come straight back.”

He ran back down the hall, I could see the grim determination on his face, it was too soon for tears, he just needed to be grown up about it.

I stood behind the door to the front room. I started to cry. My whole body seemed to embrace the grief. It wobbled and crumpled. Jim and Pip, came closer and we all held hands. We didn’t know what to do except stand there, holding hands, waiting for the ambulance.

I could still smell the sausages, but there would not be any Bangers and Mash tonight.

Wattle

2010-08-27T11:22:00.000+10:00

When the Wattle is out we know Spring is on the way.

Gum Tree

2010-08-27T11:17:00.000+10:00

Dark cold mornings are with us for a while longer.

Take Up Bowls

2010-08-26T11:47:00.000+10:00

I pass this place most mornings. Thinking I could take up Bowls.

Cranes on the skyline

2010-08-24T11:32:00.000+10:00

Above the roof tops

JD/JS

2010-08-23T16:48:00.000+10:00

Thanks JS and JD

Buddha on the Verandah

2010-08-23T16:42:00.000+10:00

A calming influence at the front door.

Rock Crystal

2010-08-23T16:38:00.000+10:00

This is good for the Ions in the air.

Dunny Door

2010-08-20T10:54:00.000+10:00

An Aussie Dunny Door.

Popeye

2010-08-20T10:50:00.000+10:00

Popeye by a Friend of mine. Thanks LJ

Tilly

2010-08-20T10:49:00.000+10:00

Love light in her Eyes.

Spring is on the Way

2010-08-18T15:53:00.000+10:00

It was a sunny Sunday morning. This looks warm and reminds me that Spring is getting closer.

Shapes

2010-08-18T15:39:00.000+10:00

Sometimes I contemplate this scene while taking a little sit down.

Suburban Mosque

2010-08-16T10:36:00.000+10:00

Winter time is Footy Time

2010-08-16T10:23:00.000+10:00

This is an old football oval that is only used for training now. But it will always remind me of winter weekends and the roar of the fans when a goal was scored. Winter is Football in Melbourne. And that's that.

The Long Rest home

2010-08-16T10:19:00.000+10:00

We all have to go sometime. I see relatives have left flowers in remembrance.

Egg Basket in the Rain

2010-08-16T10:15:00.000+10:00

Don't Eat These

2010-08-06T16:08:00.000+10:00

Full moon rising

2010-08-06T15:54:00.000+10:00

Clear Blue Skies

2010-08-06T15:45:00.001+10:00

Ballooning Close Call

2010-08-06T15:43:00.000+10:00

Rush Hour Journey

2010-06-24T14:49:00.000+10:00

RUSH HOUR JOURNEY
Most days for the past five and half years I have walked from my home to the railway station. Sometimes it is more of a run than a walk, trying to get there in time to catch the 8.05 to the city. The distance in not far enough to warrant taking the car, and I can’t be bothered to mess around with a bike, you know what I mean having to lock it up or carry it on board a crowded carriage. Early on I realised the best way to travel is light.

As I round the first bend of my street I can see the city way off in the distance, often covered in a haze, brewing away down there in the soup, that the EPA call haze. Not that it bothers me much. Once you are in it you hardly notice the acrid edge to the air. This morning in early autumn is crisp and clear, up here in the hills. The temperature over night had just hovered above zero, the sun is bleeding through the mist, releasing a smell of leaf compost and turned earth.

I reach the station, I can hear the train as it crossed the level crossing the bells sounding like an alarm clock telling me to get myself down onto the platform. Today it is a silver train, each morning it is either a silver or green, they all have the large logo of the train company on the side, I think it looks like a couple making out on the side of a carriage, but I have been told it is a happy commuter carrying his/her bag, entering a carriage door. Are we all expected to become Metro sexual?

In reality at this time of morning, we are not happy commuters. We are trying to push passed as many unsuspecting sleepy heads to find a good seat and get settled, before the train throws you against the back of someone’s seat or worse into another passenger. Sometimes you are lucky and the seat is there in front of you saying sit, please sit I am waiting for you to drop onto me.

I step up to swipe my Lobster card, and then through the auto barrier, the last hurdle before the train. These new cards/electronic tickets are not working as they should. I stick the card into the slot it spits back at me, the barrier stays down. I try again as the next commuter is anxiously waiting for me to get through. We are all hoping to catch this train. Waiting for the next one is not an option, we have to be in the city by 8.45, push and shove will get you on board. Hanging back and waiting can mean you miss out and have to wait.

Finally the lobster works on the third attempt, I push the electronic tag back into my wallet and run with newspaper and briefcase flapping ahead of me. By running in this fashion I manage to cut a pathway to the train doors. There I notice a vacant seat just to the right of the door way, I lurch like a rugby player going for a try. The seat is mine, no arguments today, a straight touchdown.
As I wait, the carriage fills up with anxious faces searching out a seat, a safe haven for the trip ahead. No seat allocations on this route, first in best dressed. I have wondered whether we would give our hard won seats up to the less fortunate. I don’t think the thrust and lunge technique of landing a seat would have fair play written into the script.

The doors close, already the carriage is three quarters full. No seating left and there are people standing along the isle, but not yet blocking the doorways. I have scored a large man next to me. He takes up over half the seat and I am going to have to lay claim to my space. I use my true and well tried method. ‘The opening of the newspaper’. I am a broad sheet person. Can’t abide the drivel the tabloids dish up. No real interest in sensational reporting of sports players sex lives or their cooking tips.

So out comes the paper, I unfold the neatly folded sheets. They open up like an umbrella in a hotel lobby. Conspicuous and threatening. A flourish as I shake the pages open a long drawn sweep of the arms as the sheets a spread open.
Firstly you have to establish a perimeter around you. The paper creates the illusion of size. The noise of the paper being flapped also encourages your neighbour to shy away for a moment, and in that time you grab your ground and hold onto it with a firm fist. Holding with both hands, one onto the front page headlines and the other the sports pages. Once your position is established it is important to hold firm for at least 5 minutes. This can mean you might have to reread the main story twice. Because if you give ground too early you can loose any ground won.

My fellow commuters on this fine autumnal morning are a mixed lot. I enjoy giving them names and occupations. Some mornings not today, I become very black and dark and think of us all trapped in our carriage as the train derails and we have to cope with the dead and dying. That sort of day dream doesn’t surface on days like today.

Big balls sitting next to me has decided he has an itch, maybe he has worms, he is wriggling his backside around the seat. I don’t think anyone else can see it but I can feel him against my leg. Do we ever sit this close next to anyone outside of public transport? I doubt it. I suspect that big balls has decided that the wriggle backside technique can gain him some ground. He might be right and I think I have been out manoeuvred, not to worry only twenty minutes to go and I have the world news and home affairs to read. If I allow big balls to get to me I will arrive at work with a chip on my shoulder and a pain in my arse. So I am taking the Zen approach today. I look across at his pie shaped face, pale and sallow. Too many days spent inside an office on a bad diet. I can understand the wriggling now. I don’t weaken and maintain my arms length approach to newspaper reading. As I fold the pages over I look up deliberately holding his gaze for a second. I use my, ‘I’m going to win this battle of the wits smile,’ He loves it, I can tell, he holds my look, he even seems to be enjoying our seat tussle. Before I look away I glance to the window beyond him. He looks across the isle in the direction I was looking. In that moment I nudge him across half a buttock. Touchdown. He didn’t see it coming, the age old move. They say the eyes have it.
With that little battle won, I offer a parting smile, before I disappear again behind my paper.

The trees have given way to rows on rows of houses. The train snakes its way around the inner suburbs, occasionally disappearing underground through tunnels, or flying over busy roads, filled with trucks and cars, framed by tram wires and intersections. The train driver blasts his horn as he approaches crossings and stations. They are more frequent now. But we don’t stop, barely slow up. The bored drivers stare back at us from behind the barriers, envious of our unimpeded journey.

As we approach the home straight, I can see the travellers who have been standing for the whole trip, moving from one foot to the other. Rubbing their sore calves, with the toes of their shoes. Some have dozed off to sleep while standing. Their head lolling forward resting against their raised arms, hands holding vice like, to the hand grips above their heads. The carriage has found its shape and rhythm. The speed of the train has rocked us into a robotic indifference of our discomforts.
The trains intercom tells us we are approaching Swanston street station. There is a collective movement. Hands drop down to the bags on the floor. Feet begin to shuffle towards the doors. People smile to one another in a well rehearsed ritual. Time to freshen up, put on the happy face get ourselves ready to disembark.
As I glance across at big balls he is pulling himself up into the mass of humanity, that we have managed to be a subset of for the last 35 minutes. I use his large frame as a protective barrier. I want to hide behind him long enough to get a good start out of the carriage. The bull dozer who will push ahead of me. Plough his way against the tide and in his wake I will slip skilfully away and into the maelstrom of humanity that is the city.

Woof

Waste of Taxpayers money

2008-11-12T11:43:00.002+11:00

Australian government wants to give 6 billion dollars to the car industry.

How mad is it to offer 6 billion dollars to the car industry. We are coming to the end of the carbon based economy. We need new companies and government direction/initiatives to change the type of motor cars we use. I can't see Ford or Holden moving in that direction. They have shown very little initiative and have wasted years of profits which could of been used to develop alternative fuel based cars.
In fact I think Holden's latest car cost the best part of a billion dollars and it was so in the mode of powerful petrol driven cars, it was a joke.
Giving money to large corporations who are having difficulties can come unstuck.
I remember Kodak getting a big government payment, and we all know what has happened to film photography.
Same with Ford and Holden. Both companies have failed to understand the future of motorized transport. Fancy spending a billion dollars on designing a new car that doesn't use alternative fuel.
They are both corporate dinosaurs and we shouldn't be giving them another cent. If we sink 6 billion dollars into the car industry and don't expect outcomes like a totally green, air or electric car, then we are throwing our taxpayers money away. Better use it to set up a comprehensive solar/wind power electricity supply grid.
There is so much that needs to be done and very quickly, but instead we get politics and big business getting in the way of sensible alternative developments.
So no don't give billions of dollars to a couple of old failed dinosaurs. Keep it to make a better future for us all.
Woof

Financial Melt down [My Arse]

2008-10-14T10:23:00.002+11:00

What a load of hype we have been subjected to over the last month or so. You would think that the world was coming to an end. Well surprise, it was Wall Street that was having a melt down not us. It is like that old saying that if, "America gets an economic cold the rest of the world gets pneumonia." We are playing into the hands of these mega wealthy, large institutions that brought on their own problems through greed and manipulative behaviour. The multinationals and banks have prolonged a consumer cycle so they could continue to collect their mega profits. HERE is a link to an article about the Bretton Woods System. And here is a quote from Noam Chomsky which heads the article.

Anti-Democratic Nature of US Capitalism is Being Exposed

Bretton Woods was the system of global financial management set up at the end of the second World War to ensure the interests of capital did not smother wider social concerns in post-war democracies. It was hated by the US neoliberals - the very people who created the banking crisis writes Noam Chomsky.

Yes we have been hoodwinked into believing yet again that we were operating in some sort of free will environment. No we are by and large, swept along by forces much greater than we can comprehend. The truly sad thing about this is that our Governments are not blind to these forces they are in fact party to them. Especially in the U.S.A.
So now we are all suppose to focus on saving our savings and retirement funds. our homes, and small businesses. And all the while our environment, that is in dire need of help, will be pushed aside as we grapple with. this other man made problem.

As someone said "If we don't do something about our environment there wont be an economy to worry about."

From what I'm hearing from politicians all over the world is that we have to provide funds so we can all get back to spending as soon as possible. The only answer they have is to stimulate the economy, create a buying spree, that's the answer. That has been part of the problem, too much indiscriminate spending on disposable goods. We use too much of everything, create a big environmental stench and then wonder why the world is getting hotter and the Ice caps are melting.

The politicians of the last couple of decades have happily allowed the world economy to go it's own sweet way. Big business to get bigger and bigger. The crumbs from this economic "Miracle' have been tossed to the masses as Tax cuts and hand outs, in a vain hope they would appease the voters. Well it worked, but with no plan for the future, [And still no plan for the future] all they can come up with now is. 'Lets stimulate the economy, spend more again, hurry up the recovery. so we can all make believe we don't have any problems.

Here in Australia. with a change in the Federal Government. we started to talk about using the surpluses on making our economy sustainable. From electricity generation to household emissions. Everyone was going to be part of the Greening of Australia. That was before this Wall St. induced melt down. Now the focus is back on saving the arses of the big banks and investment houses.
If we could be as decisive in our response to Climate Change as we are to Economic Change, The world would be a much safer, cleaner, happier place to live. For all.
So have a look at THIS ARTICLE ABOUT HOW WE GOT INTO THIS MESS.
Woof x

The mother of all rip-offs

2008-09-24T14:11:00.000+10:00

The Following article is in todays AGE newspaper.
We have had our common wealth ripped from our economies over the last couple of decades and some people should be held accountable.

Hank Paulson has got to be kidding. He wants American taxpayers to hand a cool $US700 billion ($840 billion) to his pals on Wall Street in return for a gigantic bundle of their delinquent assets ... without his pals taking a pay cut.

Could there be a finer reward for failure? Could there be a worse deal for taxpayers?

No stake in the upside, no ceiling on extortionate Wall Street salaries, no guarantee the system will be stabilised. Just the mother of all rip-offs: a deal to privatise Wall Street's profits and socialise its losses.

How about this bit: "Decisions by the (Treasury) Secretary (Paulson) pursuant to the Authority of this Act are non-reviewable and committed to Agency discretion, and may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency''.

Paulson and his pals get an explicit protection against any review by the courts and Congress while taxpayers fork out top dollar for rubbish the banks can't sell. It is the quintessential dudding.

If the Paulson "cash for trash'' plan could avert systemic failure and this is by no means assured - it could have legs but Congress is jacking up at the ample "trust me'' element. And rightly so.

There is no reason to trust Wall Street, or the regulators. As House Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, Congress would not "simply hand over a $US700 billion blank cheque to Wall Street and hope for a better outcome."

Until now Americans have been mostly apathetic when it came to the excesses of their investment banks. But now that Main Street is being asked to bail out Wall Street, again, and in huge measure, the temperature is rising.

Congress wants a brake on salaries, some kind of guarantee that Paulson's pals won't simply load up the truck with billions in bonuses again, this time funded by Ma and Pa Kettle.

The four biggest investment banks on Wall Street, which included Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, shelled out $US30 billion in bonuses last year. Lehman just went under and Bear Stearns was bailed out earlier in the year.

While pushing through his emergency deal, Paulson says he wants to defer the debate on salaries. Someone should take him aside and tell him, "Pal, it's over''. The moral and philosophical underpinning for $US50 million salaries is gone, let alone $US10 million salaries care of government.

These remuneration structures were struck on the basis of a compact with the market, that is that pay is "at risk'' and should reflect performance. That compact is finished. What is the risk if the losses are nationalised?

And what is the performance? The fancy deals and the structured finance rubbish brewed up by this crew gave the world CDOs, CDOs squared and cubed, RMBS, CLOs, ABS, CDS and all manner of noxious excuses for a fee.

From the sub-prime to the ridiculous, this orgy of leverage on leverage mimicked in financial centres as far afield as Australia has whipped the world to the edge of recession and destroyed faith in the entire system.

And now here is another $US1 trillion ($US700 billion is just for starters) to add to Bush's $US9.6 trillion national debt. Where will the money come from? The issue of Treasury bonds. Who will buy them?

Good question. Anyone for some bonds in an entity which can't pay off its debt but has just taken a trillion dollars worth of delinquent assets on its balance sheet?

The US dollar has been sinking thanks to the daunting prospect of a bond market deluged with bits of paper nobody wants: more US Government debt. The more paper on issue the lower the price.

Either the US defaults on its obligations an outcome many regard as "unthinkable'' or taxes will have to go up. Higher taxes, deeper recession. Thanks Wall Street.

All this makes it critical that Paulson and his pals demonstrate to the world that they understand the jig is up. The world changes.

People and pay are central to this understanding. Industrialists or entrepreneurs with their own businesses can pay whatever they like but the failed managers of licensed institutions on corporate welfare can hardly expect a blank cheque from those they have blown up. The contract is finished. Wall Street has not fulfilled its obligations.

As Paulson tries to shove his plan through in the face of congressional opposition the rewards for failure have already shamed the principal of pay for performance.

Fannie Mae boss Daniel Mudd and his opposite number at Freddie Mac, Richard Syron, walked last month with $US9.43 million in retirement and pension benefits on their way out the door. Failed, sacked and showered with money as their two giant mortgage operations were nationalised.

Lehman Brothers chairman and CEO Richard Fuld picked up $US22 million for 2007, the year thousands of his staff found themselves on the street. He took $US35 million the year before.

Merrill Lynch boss John Thain took a $US200 million payout with two offsiders for less than a year's work. Merrill was so close to obsolescence it sold itself to Bank of America for $US50 billion in scrip few days ago just as Lehman was biting the dust.

Thain was given a $US15 million bonus for signing on. Two former Goldman Sachs executives hired by Thain may do even better. Head of global trading, Thomas Montag, has already received a $US39 million bonus since signing on in August. With stock options accelerated by the buyout, he could finish up with $US76 million.

The bank's head of strategy, Peter Kraus, was bestowed with a $US95 million package just to beat what he was on at Goldman.

Paulson himself has shares in Goldman whose value was estimated at $US700 million. He is a direct beneficiary of his own bail-out proposal blind trust or no blind trust.

On the positive news front, the former head of broken insurance company AIG, Robert Willumstad, voluntarily forfeited a $US22 million severance package after he was giving his marching orders. He was only appointed in June.

"I prefer not to receive severance while shareholders and employees have lost considerable value in their AIG shares," wrote Willumstad in an email to his successor Edward Liddy.

Goldman boss Lloyd Blanfein took home $US54 million last year and Morgan Stanley's John Mack $US42 million.

The list goes on. Some of the investment bank's hedge funds clients have even been paying themselves more than $US1 billion.

Regulatory oversight and the ramifications of Bush's tax-cuts-for-the-rich policy alongside his catastrophic jaunt in Iraq have come home to roost.

On top of its $US9.6 trillion national debt, America is heading for its first $US1 trillion deficit this year. Paulson's bailout will add another $US1 trillion to the bill.

America is in trouble.

mwest@fairfax.com.au

Water Madness

2008-08-05T09:24:00.002+10:00

The current bunch of politicians here in Australia are struggling with the problem of, the lack of water. There are a couple of main areas of concern.
Watering the ever increasing city population, and saving the Murray Darling river system. The city dwellers rely on dam water to drink, wash, water, play etc. We do everything in the same water. We haven't developed a two tier system of water delivery. We also haven't been very good at recycling water either. In fact we have just relied on rain to fill our dams and up until a few years back that is exactly what happened. Now it doesn't and we think it has something to do with climate change. If that is the case, it is going to be a long slow process to change that back.
The Murray river falls into a similar category except it's water is taken to irrigate the farms that feed us and provide export dollars. So in a way we have been exporting our water through water usage.

Now when you are up against a rock and hard place you should really look to finding solutions that all of us can contribute to. And to a certain extent that is what we have been doing, at least here in the city. We have been on water restrictions for a few years now and we have been saving a lot of water. We have learnt to live with less.
The state government in Victoria has decided to opt for a desalination plant, [the biggest in the southern hemisphere] There are many reasons not to use this method of water collection I refer you to this Article in the Age on some options that we could use here that makes sense.

I heard today that the Federal government is having problems securing water from the Murray river. You see over the years the States and Federal governments have sold off water rights to the rivers to farmers. Now they want it back to SAVE the river and the license owners can see the government coming with millions of dollars in compensation.
My question is why don't we compulsorily reprocess the water. Save the river and find ways to make it a strong sustainable river again. We could get water from Tasmania that could help achieve this. No good paying people for the water that doesn't even exist at the moment. Forget the economists view of this world for a while and start seeing it as sustainable problem. That is, it may not have to be a totally economic answer, but through good leadership we can find solutions that are sustainable.
Any which way you look at these problems, the supply demand model that has been used for the last 100 or more years may have run it's course. At least for the time being, and in specific areas.
Woof.

Money and Politics

2008-07-11T17:19:00.004+10:00

I haven't posted in a while. It is winter down here so it must be something to do with hibernation. I have also been very busy, reading all your blogs, even if some of you have dropped off the perch ,London Lass being one of them . The article below was published in The Age a few days ago.

Our governments over here both state and federal are forever hiding deals behind Contracts they call 'In Confidence'

From public transport to health, education to new roads. Across the board we are being hoodwinked. Often at the behest of big business, accountants and economists.
Woof

Money is the root of all political evil

Kenneth Davidson
July 10, 2008

Two decisions on advertising have had a toxic impact on good governance.

POLITICIANS are bastards. But they are not necessarily born that way. I still believe that even the most cynical politician enters the game with at least a smidgen of idealism. But they are as much shaped by society as shaping it.

Reporter Royce Millar, who has been covering the details of Melbourne planning processes for a long time, gave Age readers an insight into how much the Victorian Labor Government is worth to the big end of town.

A good example is the sale for $80 million of 27 hectares of land, which housed 300 intellectually disabled residents in the Kew Cottages, for a medium-to-high-rise housing development. The money would be used to socially integrate the inmates into the suburbs and build additional new accommodation for those on the acute waiting list. Bollocks. The most cost-effective way of extending quality accommodation for the intellectually disabled would have been on site, a sensible proposition when there are 3000 intellectually disabled people on an urgent waiting list for this type of housing.

Furthermore, the site is unsuitable for housing redevelopment. Princes Street, which runs past it, is already gridlocked in the morning as cars attempt to get onto the Eastern Freeway and into the city via Hoddle Street. The problem is compounded by EastLink, which will pour another 20,000 cars onto the Eastern Freeway in the morning peak. This intensification of the problem of CBD congestion will be used as further justification for the north-west tunnel.

This is classic planning Melbourne style — one slice at a time. If there is any life left in politics in Victoria, Premier John Brumby will rue responding yesterday to Millar's article by stating: "There are corporations who want to donate to political parties … that's a good thing, that's a sign of a healthy democracy."

For arrogant stupidity this must rank with Transport Minister Lynne Kosky's 2007 statement: "Do I want to run a train system? I don't think so."

If Brumby were sincerely interested in a healthy democracy, he would begin by publishing information about the decision-making of his Government so voters could make up their own minds whether they are better off funding schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure as public-private partnerships rather than out of borrowings or consolidated revenue. If sincere, he would undertake proper environmental impact statements and public benefit cost analysis of major projects such as channel deepening or the Wonthaggi desal plant, and he would explain why the Government has refused to conduct an independent inquiry into the decision to persist with franchising public transport.

This is a bipolar Government. It makes decisions on water, brown-coal electricity generation and freeways while ignoring how these decisions relate to the global water, climate warming and "peak oil" crises. Money politics is the root of this bipolarity. It encourages secrecy, excluding the bigger picture. It undermines public ownership of decisions even when they are defensible, fuels cynicism about politicians and political processes and encourages public apathy, a characteristic of public life more readily identified in dictatorial regimes without the superficial trappings of democracy.

But let's be fair to our politicians. The huge sums paid by corporations to political parties detailed by Millar are not pocketed personally by the politicians. They are used by political parties to fight elections. Most of the money ends up as profits for the owners of the electronic media.

The cost of a 30-second TV spot covering Melbourne in peak viewing time is about $10,000 and the same spot covering the whole of Victoria will cost about $15,000 dollars. Commercial TV stations run on ratings. Politicians spouting politics, as distinct from behaving badly in restaurants, are a ratings turn-off. The average coverage of most elections on commercial stations during the height of an election campaign is a couple of minutes each day.

For most voters, who get their primary information about the world from the electronic media, their main impression of the campaign will come from these ads. Advertising is about persuasion, not information.

To their credit, a majority of the 1991 federal parliament passed legislation banning political advertising during elections on the electronic media. The legislation was challenged by the commercial broadcasters. A majority of the High Court found in favour of the broadcasters on the grounds that they found the legislation violated an implied constitutional freedom of political communication.

Who could possibly believe that election advertising was vital to free speech except the High Court and the media moguls concerned they might lose (then) about $30 million every three years from state and federal elections?

This High Court majority also found in 2005 that the government could spend $40 million on taxpayer-paid advertising of the most partisan nature (WorkChoices) without specific parliamentary authorisation or even the legislation being presented to parliament. These two decisions have had a toxic impact on good governance of Australia because of the power they put into the hands of ordinary politicians such as John Brumby, who will do whatever sharp practice the courts will allow to stay in power.

Kenneth Davidson is a senior columnist. Email: kdavidson@theage.com.au

Mugabe must go

2008-06-16T16:45:00.004+10:00

South Africa must rid it's self of Mugabe. It has been too long this nasty bit of work has caused too much suffering to be allowed to dictate the out come of this election.
I have heard he is being propped up by a group of military and civilian cronies who are determined to not let the opposition take power.
South Africa, the country, have sat back and allowed this to happen. The leadership in S.A. is aiding and abetting a friend because of his past standing in Southern Africa. It stinks and the time is near for the international community to step in. Zimbabwe is falling apart and if Mugabe wins again it will slip into war and civil unrest.
I can't even write the number that represents the percentage of inflation.

Australia has said we need to do something and I hope our Prime Minister can affect some sort of international response.
Woof

2008-05-29T16:38:00.001+10:00

On the day that Qantas announced the removal of some domestic flights [Due to rising oil prices], Kenneth Davidson in his article in The Age.

' Fuel price debate ignores real issue' concludes by saying

"We are entering the era of global peak oil. Together with global warming and water shortages,

it will demand statesmanship not in evidence in the present political debate."

He is spot on with this observation. We are entering a new era of uncertain times. Many things we took for granted over the last few decades have come into sharp focus.

The disturbing thing, is that, where as we have become more and more reliant upon the private sector to take over the ownership and running of our utilities. We should really be looking to government leadership to tackle the major problems that present themselve

Economists and planners seem to think that private industry is best suited to running our essential industries, based on the supply demand, profit loss, free enterprise is best.

I would like to propose a counter argument. That is that in a time of major change and the possibility of social implications due to those changes we need governments who are prepared to take control of the decisions. So that a national and ultimately a global response can be coordinated. National and local governments will be able to coordinate infrastructure changes so as to minimise the social disruption. It is no good thinking that market forces will get us out of this Carbon related problem. They can and must play their part. But we need a national effort, a global effort. Just like in WWII when governments seconded ships and planes to help in the war effort. Governments today should utilize private industry to help in the massive task of cleaning up the atmosphere, sorting out global warming and water shortages. Not by using the existing relations

In good times, times of plenty, we happily sold off our commonwealth. Now the time has come to harness what we have left of that wealth of infrastructure and with statesmanlike leadership, utilize all areas of our society to transform ourselves from a carbon polluting society, to a green, reusable, sustainable one. Maybe in a couple of decades we will once again be in a position to offer the private sector a slice of our commonwealth to profit from. But by then it will be, wind power and solar panels, not coal fired powered plants

Oil Gas call it what you like

2008-05-28T14:59:00.002+10:00

Having just bought a new/secondhand car, which I hope will use less fuel than our existing large Ford. I have been thinking about Petrol. Here in Australia the price has gone to $1.60 plus per litre. A lot less than some places probably more than others. What ever, it is becoming a real concern of most motorists with the cost at least doubling in the last year. Now we have the added worry about how much we have left.
Here in Aus. we have been governed for the last 11 years by a political party that was in denial about energy and carbon, along with many other denials too. What that has meant, is that we haven't been making alternative plans for a post oil world. Unlike the article I have cut and pasted below most of us wont have the privilege to go carve ourselves out a farm in the hills and live off the land. We have to find collective solutions that do not include oil.
Recently a state politician of the labor conviction a minister no less. Argued in cabinet that offering subsidies for solar power should be cut, because it would make electricity distribution to the no solar assisted homes more expensive. And he won his case.
If governments hadn't sold off the utility suppliers, in the name of competition is a better way to supply cheaper services. The government could of taken some control over supply and costs and still provided that subsidy.
These important decisions that are becoming increasingly pressing and urgent to resolve, have been hijacked by economists and experts, who are hung up on profits and incentives. Despite the blatantly obvious changing world around them and a need at least during this time of change. [From carbon based energy. to renewable] to have government intervention to maintain supply and develop alternatives. Then if we are again in a period of stability and have a guaranteed energy supply we once again can contemplate some sort of deregulation.
So have a read below how some of the better off are going to set themselves up for the future. I'm thinking about driving my fuel efficient car.
Woof.

Samantha Gross, Buskirk, New York
May 27, 2008

A few years ago, Kathleen Breault was just another suburban grandma, driving countless hours every week, stopping for lunch at McDonald's, buying clothes at the mall, watching TV in the evenings.

That was before Breault heard an author talk about the bleak future of the world's oil supply. Now, she is preparing for the world as we know it to disappear.

Breault cut her driving time in half. She switched to a diet of locally grown foods near her upstate New York home and lost 32 kilograms. She sliced up her credit cards, banished her television and swore off plane travel. She began relying on a wood-burning stove.

"I was panic-stricken," the 50-year-old recalled, her voice shaking.

"Devastated. Depressed. Afraid. Vulnerable. Weak. Alone. Just terrible."

Convinced the planet's oil supply is dwindling and the world's economies are heading for a crash, some people around the country are moving onto homesteads, learning to live off their land, conserving fuel and, in some cases, stocking up on guns they expect to use to defend themselves and their supplies from desperate crowds of people who did not prepare.

The exact number of people taking such steps is impossible to determine, but anecdotal evidence suggests that the movement has been gaining momentum in the last few years.

These energy survivalists are not leading some sort of green revolution meant to save the planet. Many of them believe it is too late for that, seeing signs in soaring fuel and food prices and a faltering US economy, and are largely focused on saving themselves.

Some are doing it quietly, giving few details of their preparations - afraid that revealing such information as the location of their supplies will endanger themselves and their loved ones.

They envision a future in which America's cities will be filled with hungry, desperate refugees forced to go looking for food, shelter and water.

"There's going to be things that happen when people can't get things that they need for themselves and their families," said Lynn-Marie, who believes cities could see a rise in violence as early as 2012.

Lynn-Marie asked to be identified by her first name to protect her homestead in rural western Idaho. Many of these survivalists declined to comment for similar reasons.

These survivalists believe in "peak oil," the idea that world oil production is set to hit a high point and then decline. Scientists who support idea say the amount of oil produced in the world each year has already or will soon begin a downward slide, even amid increased demand.

But many scientists say such a scenario will be avoided as other sources of energy come in to fill the void.

On the PeakOil.com web site, where upward of 800 people gathered on recent evenings, believers engage in a debate about what kind of world awaits.

Some members argue there will be no financial crash, but a slow slide into harder times. Some believe the federal government will respond to the loss of energy security with a clampdown on personal freedoms. Others simply don't trust that the government can maintain basic services in the face of an energy crisis.

The powers that be, they've determined, will be largely powerless to stop what is to come.

Determined to guard themselves from potentially harsh times ahead, Lynn-Marie and her husband have already planted an orchard of about 40 trees and built a greenhouse on their three hectares. They have built their own irrigation system. They've begun to raise chickens and pigs, and they've learned to slaughter them.

The couple have got rid of their TV and instead have been reading dusty old books published in their grandparents' era, books that explain the simpler lifestyle they are trying to revive. Lynn-Marie has been teaching herself how to make soap.

Her husband, concerned about one day being unable to get medications, has been training to become a herbalist.

By 2012, they expect to power their property with solar panels, and produce their own meat, milk and vegetables. When things start to fall apart, they expect their children and grandchildren will come back home and help them work the land.

She envisions a day when the family may have to decide whether to turn needy people away from their door.

"People will be unprepared," she said. "And we can imagine marauding hordes."

So can Peter Laskowski. Living in a woodsy area outside of Montpelier, Vermont, the 57-year-old retiree has become the local constable and a deputy sheriff for his county, as well as an emergency medical technician.

"I decided there was nothing like getting the training myself to deal with insurrections, if that's a possibility," said the former executive recruiter.

Laskowski is taking steps similar to environmentalists: conserving fuel, consuming less, studying global warming, and relying on local produce and craftsmen. Laskowski is powering his home with solar panels and is raising fish, geese, ducks and sheep. He has planted apple and pear trees and is growing lettuce, spinach and corn.

Whenever possible, he uses his bicycle to get into town.

Whenever possible, he uses his bicycle to get into town.

"I remember the oil crisis in '73; I remember waiting in line for gas," Laskowski said. "If there is a disruption in the oil supply it will be very quickly elevated into a disaster."

Breault said she hopes to someday band together with her neighbours to form a self-sufficient community. Women will always be having babies, she notes, and she imagines her skills as a midwife will always be in demand.

For now, she is readying for the more immediate work ahead: There's a root cellar to dig, fruit trees and vegetable plots to plant. She has put a bicycle on layaway, and soon she'll be able to bike to visit her grandkids even if there is no oil at the pump.

Whatever the shape of things yet to come, she said, she's done what she can to prepare.

Articles worth a read.

2008-05-07T13:27:00.001+10:00

Here is an email I sent to Informniac

Sometimes it is better to show how others see your world they can bring a different perspective.

Dear MJ
I read this ARTICLE in our city paper The Age. It is about the changing nature of Melbourne and how success as a city can affect your standard of living. I have another one HERE about the dumbing down of the debate around the election in America. The writer is a very clear and impressive journalist. We unfortunately are continually being sold a pup in these so called democracies we live in.
Woof

2020 Summit

2008-04-24T13:16:00.002+10:00

A week ago the Federal Parliament had a summit called 2020. They invited a thousand people from around Australia to attend and discuss the future. If you thought we had a couple of really important issues facing our future as a Planet let alone a country, you wouldn't real know it from the reports coming out. Not to say some ideas put forward, are not good ideas, but they are not novel. One major concern was for Australia to become a republic. Not new, in fact we had a referendum on this only a few years ago. And it was rejected.

Over the last year or two we have been made aware of the growing concern amongst scientists that as a planet we are heading down a dangerous track. Where our norms, in weather which affects so many things, from, Food production, through to sea levels are changing much quicker than we thought they would. We need to approach our responses as if we are on a war footing. We can no longer pretend it is someone/somewhere elses problem. If we have any chance of seeing the next millennium we need to make big changes to the way we live.

See below, for one persons take on the 2020 Summit from Age columnist .

Woof.

The great summit missed the mark on the really important issues.

THE two biggest constraints on Australia's social and economic development between now and 2020 are the dying River Murray (officially solved) and Australia's foreign debt (officially ignored). Neither issue was addressed by the 2020 Summit.

If the summit had been a serious exercise it would have begun with these questions: What are the alternative scenarios for Australia's development, which is the most preferred and what are the barriers for its achievement?

These scenarios might be: low immigration, which would give Australia a better chance to adjust to the environmental issues by muddling through; high immigration, causing major dislocation and requiring high tax levels to replace energy-intensive infrastructure and lifestyles incompatible with a sustainable environment; and, business as usual, justified by our history, which has shown that something always turns up or because global warming will turn out to be a scientific furphy.

Economic scenarios might involve revisiting the protection debate. There are meagre returns from further reductions in protection for manufacturing industry but the finance industry gets fabulous assistance. When push comes to shove, the central banks exist to prop up the financial system when the banks lend to the point of self-destruction in a deregulated financial market. It is happening now. Should the banks be re-regulated? What quid pro quo should the community demand for its largesse? Are financial markets sacred?

The $60 billion Future Fund circulates through the sharemarket, whose prime purpose is to provide liquidity for speculation rather than new capital for new enterprise. Tax concessions to the superannuation industry amounted to $27 billion this year and are rising rapidly. The commissions and fees charged on this financial churning cost billions of dollars. Do wage-earners get real value for money apart from the hope that their retirement coincides with the peak of an asset price bubble rather than the trough?

Are there better ways to allocate the nation's savings to boost real investment and distribute the returns equitably? What about examining the role of the Reserve Bank and central banks in general?

Despite the denigration of Keynesian economics when it serves particular right-wing agendas, the standard central bank response to the first sign of recession is to pump liquidity into the economy. Given the erosion of the power of trade unions, this credit expansion hasn't emerged in the form of wage-push inflation since the early 1980s. This is why the resultant inflation has been expressed through asset price bubbles, which don't show up in inflation as measured. Arguably the social consequences of this inflation are worse — rising wealth differentials and the demise of affordable housing for first-home buyers except on city outskirts.

Given the challenge of global warming and peak oil, debate about tax reform should be focused on what changes are necessary to encourage environment-friendly investment and lifestyles instead of the old debate about the "tax burden", which is completely divorced from what taxes buy.

Measures to stimulate consumption of fossil fuels total more than $4 billion a year. Why should the fringe benefits tax reward those who use their company cars mostly for private use while lesser mortals pay income tax and GST on their public transport fares?

Climate Change Minister Penny Wong squashed a move in the environmental group to recommend that no more coal-fired power stations be built. Why? Already base-load solar photovoltaics and solar thermal and geothermal energy can competitively meeting the full growth in electricity consumption with a $20-$30 a tonne charge on carbon dioxide emissions.

The governance group resurrected the republic debate without touching the central issue of whether the president would be elected or appointed by the parliament. If the president is elected, power will be leached out of the parliament into the president's office, as has occurred in the US, unless there is a constitutional amendment to prevent a hostile Senate blocking supply.

The debate should be about the future of the Westminister system, which is based on the accountability of the executive to the parliament.

The place to begin is the High Court decision in 2005 to approve the Howard government's authority to spend $40 million advertising its WorkChoices legislation. This, even though legislation had not been presented to parliament and was covered by a one-line omnibus appropriation for the Industrial Relations Department of $1.4 billion designed to produce the "outcome" of "higher productivity, higher paid workforces" plus "efficient and effective labour assistance".

The assault on accountability was made possible by the shift from cash accounting, where parliament appropriates money for specific purposes with objective descriptions, to accrual accounting, where appropriations are classified by "outputs", which have become little more than political slogans.

When the budget is brought down in May we will discover whether, thanks to an inept High Court, the rotting door of executive accountability has been kicked completely down or whether the Rudd Government will resist the temptation and restore some credibility to the budget papers.

Kenneth Davidson is a senior columnist.

Back From Holidays

2008-04-07T15:04:00.002+10:00

Back from the Easter break.

While I was away Zimbabwe has sunk even further into disarray, If only the world could get rid of Robert Mugabe, he is an evil man who has been allowed by South Africa to get away with the most awful crimes against humanity.

HE MUST GO. NOW.

A guy called Sir Rod Eddington has finished a report on transport needs in Melbourne and has recommended billions of dollars be spent on roads and rail. Read about it here.

Macquarie bank has been criticised for it's methods. I have been saying for years that banks like Macquarie are stealing our Common Wealth, we have been so hoodwinked by bankers and economists that it would be laughable if it wasn't for the fact we will be a poorer society due to their schemes. Read about it here

And lastly a proposal to the state government, is that we have different types of water. Some [Desalinated] would be 6 times the price of Dam water and would be available with out restrictions. You know who will get to use that. The rich.

Woof

Melbournes Water

2008-03-13T14:34:00.001+11:00

Here is an article in Todays Age by Kenneth Davidson. Yet again our government is misrepresenting the facts to increase our water costs.
See Below.
Woof

Water policy direct from La La Land

Kenneth Davidson
March 13, 2008

Spurious Government projections point to a privatisation agenda.

THE Brumby Government's water policy is looking less and less sustainable every day. There are a range of options that are all cheaper and environmentally more sustainable than the Government's decision to build a $3.1 billion desalination plant at Wonthaggi, and the $1 billion north-south pipeline designed to divert water from the Goulburn reservoir to Melbourne Water.

The need to generate these additional supplies is based on water projections that are so flawed they border on the ludicrous, or the outright dishonest. The Government predicts a water supply crisis based on running a regression curve through the three drought years of 2004-2006, which shows the reservoirs that supply Melbourne drying up by 2010.

However, on the Government's own say so, the pipeline and the desalination plant will not begin delivering water until 2010 and 2011 respectively; but even if the plant is working by 2010 it wouldn't cover the shortfall projected by the Government.

Neil Rankin is the author of a recent and excellent supply/demand analysis of Melbourne's water until 2016. A science school teacher and member of the Kilcunda Your Water Your Say Action Group, Rankin writes that three years is far too short a period on which to base a long-term strategy, and would not be taken seriously by statisticians or scientific modellers. He might have added that when pap like the Government's predictions are used as the basis of policy to justify spending $4 billion dollars, one might have expected critical review by various government departments. But there hasn't been a word from the experts at Melbourne Water or the Department of Sustainability and Environment, from bureaucrats in the Department of Treasury and Finance, or from the Infrastructure Department. Clearly, the Victorian Government is in the middle of a dense forest in La La Land.

What this army of apologists for the financial engineers who have taken over the infrastructure priorities of this state — and are in the process of taking over the infrastructure priorities of the nation if the appointments to the national Infrastructure Board and the broadband inquiry are any guide — should have done is projected demand based on a 10-year rainfall regression that includes 2007 statistics.

It has taken a schoolteacher and a group of volunteers fighting to save their local environment to point out that the emperor of Spring Street and his retinue of advisers have no clothes on. In short, what this group has put together is a far more scientifically honest. and hence realistic, forecast, with 2007 levels of per capita consumption scaled for population increase and severe climate change. This shows that in 2016 the supply of water will be double the level of consumption.

Even if there was unrestricted consumption and a 25% increase in consumption above current levels, the excess of supply over consumption would still be about 60% in 2016.

The group that has put together these figures has been trying to see Water Minister Tim Holding for three weeks to discuss them. They want to see their analysis subjected to detailed examination and debate. They fear that if they send it to the minister it will be dismissed in a load of spin.

As readers of my recent columns discussing the alternatives to the desal plant and the north-south pipeline will appreciate, a lot of concerned people have been writing to Holding wanting to know why these alternatives have not been examined before the Government commits to what are arguably the worst alternatives available. Some of the ministerial replies have been passed on to me. They suggest the Government is determined to avoid sensible discussion of the alternatives.

The big question is: who prepared the shoddy projections on which the Government is basing its plans? It doesn't appear to be Melbourne Water. If Melbourne Water was involved then there is a complete disjuncture between the forecasts and Melbourne Water's operating and capital budget projections between 2008 and 2012.

The not-so-secret agenda of Labor governments across the country and the corporatised urban water authorities appears to be to find ways to increase the price of water as a prelude to setting up a water market leading to privatisation of water infrastructure.

The peak industry body is the Water Services Association of Australia. It is chaired by Dr Kerry Schott who has impeccable connections with Labor governments. She was appointed managing director of Sydney Water in 2006 from the position of deputy secretary of NSW Treasury. Before that she spent 15 years as an investment banker in the infrastructure area, including roles as managing director at Deutsche Bank and executive vice-president at Bankers Trust Australia.

If the Brumby Government really believed water was going to run out by 2010, rather than using the forecasts as an excuse to set up a couple of dodgy public-private partnerships that won't be ready in time, it would already have instituted a crash program in conservation, water harvesting, recycling, rolling out of rainwater tanks and maintaining draconian water restrictions to meet the crisis.

It isn't. Because it knows its projections don't hold water. It can't be long before voters know this too.

John Howard

2008-03-12T11:03:00.003+11:00

John Howard has jumped out of his box. He has done it over seas and in what could only be called friendly company. I have been wondering where he went after he lost the last election and finally it was declared he had lost his seat too.
This is the man who was the miracle PM he had managed to survive for 11 years in the top job. Well when he came down he came crashing down. You would of thought he may of learnt a thing or two after his loss. But no, out he comes with support for his old policies and reasons for not saying SORRY to the Aboriginals. He still thinks signing Kyoto was a mistake.
Why we ever let this man run our country during such important times, I cannot understand. Even his own party is disowning him as fast as they can. He can't understand that either.
I'm sure that if he was to say the things he is saying in America over here, he would be roundly criticised.
Woof

Melbourne Grand Prix

2008-02-26T11:19:00.002+11:00

If you say it fast enough it can sound like a male appendage. And that is what it is and always has been. We supposedly won it from Adelaide. Plonked it in a sensitive street-scape, infuriated the local population, including the business owners, who initially thought it was going to be a financial bonanza, only to find themselves locked in and the punters all left their area and partied elsewhere.

All in all it has cost the state of Victoria a bucket load of money. Now running at around 30 plus million a year. The attendances have dropped, but we are not allowed to know by how much cause the organiser can manipulate the figures. They even count all the drivers as attendees.

The main winner is Bernie Eccelstone, he amasses his fortune running the F1 circuit. He appears to be a very greedy man. This now reflects in the way the F1 circuit is run.

The Melbourne grand prix has to renew it's license by the year 2010, and to win a further term it needs to allow night racing. Which of course would further infuriate the local population.

I believe most Melbournians have had enough of this polluting rich mans hobby, and will lobby their government to not sign up for another 10 years. Lets hope so.
Here is an article on this subject.
Woof.

Sorry

2008-02-13T16:13:00.002+11:00

13th February 2008. Today the Australian Parliament said SORRY to the STOLEN GENERATIONS. of Aborigines.
Well done, about bloody time. Hopefully now we can build on that appology and start the long road that will bring equality to all Australians.
Woof x
Rudd says Sorry.

Hark Ye Hark Ye Bloggers Unite

2008-02-13T10:04:00.000+11:00

A message for all you bloggers who think they can write here is a message from Vi

It is all in a good cause, see below. So give it a go.

Woof

The delightful Sarah Peach has come up with a fab idea.

We are going to publish our own blog book of short stories! She's not doing it all alone, she's recruited myself, Ms Robinson, Ariel and Sarah from He loves me not.

Blogland is such a fantastic place, where we can write down things that have gone on with our lives, and find all these amazing people out there, who, like us, have a story to tell. And the beauty of blogging, is meeting others like ourselves, or even totally different but still connect and we've sort of created our own 'internet families'.

Sometimes I wish I could have my computer in bed with me to read the stories. But I'm afraid, I'd fall asleep drooling all over it, then blowing it up.

So it would be great to read it all in a book!

The only problem is, I'm gonna be reading all the stories before they go in the book! But hey, the rest of you will enjoy it I'm sure!

The title of the book is 'You're not the only one'. (Since you aren't, there are so many of us out there!)

We are inviting you to write a story to go into the book. It's quite broad, it can be from your children, relationships, illness, work, whatever. Or even how blogging has changed your life somehow, making you understand things about yourself that you didn't know before (cause, I reckon blogging is really apart of therapy!) We are looking for humourous, or moving, or inspirational. (or all of the above!)

Here are the guidelines....

Submit stories that have not been published outside blogland. A piece from your own blog is fine, but nothing published previously in hard copy.

Maximum words is 1500. The shorter, the better, as there will be more chance of it getting published.

You must be a blogger and have a live blog. It's open to all countries.

It must be about something you've been through personally. Amusing or serious, whatever style you like.

You can submit in your blogname and remain anonymous if you like.

If you intend to submit, then it would be great if you pimped this on your blog. The more coverage, the more submissions, the more chance of the book to sell.

All entries are to be sent in to bloggersforcharity@yahoo.co.uk

All entries must be in by the 29th February 2008.

Oh, and we aren't doing this to make money you know.

All this hard sweat and tears is for a reason. The charity we have chosen is War Child. It's an international charity, since it's going to be an international blog book. We are publishing through http://www.lulu.com/ . There is no upfront fee, but Lulu takes £4.70 per book sold if we make it no longer than 200 pages. We are pricing the book at £9 so £4.30 goes straight to charity.

Because we can't go anymore than 200 pages, not all submissions may be added. But give it your best shot! No bribing will be taken (unless, of course, one of you can magically bring my Chief back from the war to me!)

I'm really excited about this, and I hope you are too. Even if you aren't interested in submitting, it would be great if you could plug us on your blog, and pass the word.

Oh, and if you would like to use the 'war child' logo on my side bar, in your blog (or on a post yourself) please feel free to save it and use it.

In support of War Child, registered with the Charity Commission no. 1071659

Ancient Greeks

2008-02-07T14:35:00.000+11:00

I believe that from way back the Ancient Greeks would of have thought about the cycle of nature and how we fit into it. Whether I am correct in that believe or not, it doesn't seem that strange that we put 2 and 2 together and made 4, and when it comes to what you sow you reap. Got the picture?

So it follows that if you start using something that you dig up from the ground you might work out over time, how it got there, and how you might replace it.

Carbon is an amazing element. It effectively absorbs the sunlight and we get to release it either within a few years or as in the case of Oil, Coal, and Gas millions of years later. We have been pulling Carbon out of the ground for at least a hundred years, and long before that, we cut down trees to burn. We must of known early on how these deposits of Carbon had been saved for our use. We may not of known how to replace them exactly as they are found, but we could work out how to save something similar. Trees are an obvious choice, however now we are really wanting to replenish our used energy store, we are going directly to the sorce i.e. solar.

If we had used the principle of what you sow you reap, we should of been finding ways of replenishing our energy use for the last 50 years. I wonder how many other things we are missing out on, just because we can't think out side the consumption box.

Woof.

Port Phillip Bay

2008-01-30T15:50:00.000+11:00

Melbourne is situated within a bay Called Port Phillip Bay . It has become a place where Melbournians swim, fish and play water sports. The Yarra river runs into the bay and when Melbourne was being established in the latter part of the 19th century a port was established on the river and fed by ships coming through Port Phillip bay. It has been described as a 19th or twentieth century port, but not suitable for the 21st century and beyond.

There are alternative places that could serve Melbourne and Victoria as a deep-water port. One being Western Port bay which is a deep water bay. Which is literally just around the corner. [See Port Phillip Bay link above] It has towns along the foreshore that could be developed into port cities. In fact a proposal to make Hastings a port was floated back in the 1960s.

As it is, we are just about to embark on a billion dollar dredging exercise, to create a deep water shipping channel for the new generation container ships. Even with a number of environmental impact studies and Federal Government approval, there is a ground swell of opposition.

The Premier [Mr Brumby] supports the recommendations, but I think he is missing the point. That being, that Port Phillip bay is used in a very different way to a century ago. The people of Melbourne don't want their bay side polluted by dredging up a 100 years of toxic waste and sludge. Even the main users of the Port of Melbourne [shipping companies] are not unanimous in their support for the billion dollar dredging.

I think, yet again, it is a case of the experts told them so, so therefore we will do as they say.

There are many ways to skin a cat, and putting a deep water port in a deep water bay may be the best way to go. As long as we insist on using heavy rail to cart the containers to distribution points around Victoria it should work well.

So honk your ships horn if you think we should send a message to Mr Brumby.

Oh and by the way, I have read that our former Federal treasurer Peter Costello, who jumped after the last general election. Has been offered an eight figure annual income to work for the Macquarie bank. I wonder, if his often kind support for their take over plans has anything to do with that. A bit like the former Premier of NSW Bob Carr getting a decent wedge from Mac Bank when he retired from politics.
Woof.

Back on your Bike

2008-01-21T14:05:00.000+11:00

A new year and at last I'm climbing out of my holiday/xmas/hot summer hibernation.

Over the xmas hols the state government here in Victoria decided to ban Bicycles on trains during the morning rush hour period. This is despite the relevant transport minister being supposedly in favour of bikes as a means of transport.
Of late the public transport system is being used more, due in part to a hike in petrol costs and also the greater awareness of Global warming. This has meant that the railway carriages have been full in the mornings as commuters get to work. Some travellers want to use public transport in conjunction with their bikes. So here is the rub, busy train, person gets on with bike, potential for conflict.
The transport minister had a couple of options, one was to restrict the carrying of bikes on trains. The other was to make arrangements for an extra carriage during the morning rush hour to accommodate the extra patronage, including people with bikes.
He chose the first, I don't know why, perhaps cause the government no longer run the railways and their contracts with the private operator is locked into so many carriages. Who knows? All I can say is there will be many more commuters with their varying needs in the not so distant future. The government should look forward with enlightenment not put their collective head in the sand and behave like they have.
Woof.

Water in Victoria

2007-12-14T11:43:00.000+11:00

Below is an Article from The Age newspaper today outlining the problem with the current water plan.

Woof.

Utilities are wasting our precious water

ACCORDING to conventional wisdom, Victoria's government-owned or regulated institutions are frantically conserving water for a growing economy in a record drought.

The canard concludes that we need a $3.1 billion desalination plant.

In reality, Victorians are saving lots of water but the responsible utilities waste it faster.

The desalination plant is intended to serve Melbourne but its Wonthaggi location demands an extraordinary 85-kilometre pumping system to deliver the water.

The plant will consume enough electricity to run a town and produce an estimated 1 million tonnes of atmospheric carbon each year. It will be greenwashed by robbing every iota of wind energy now produced in Victoria.

The desalination plant is designed to produce 150 gigalitres — 150 billion litres — of drinking water each year. It will extract about 400 gigalitres of sea water and return about 250 gigalitres in a plume of concentrated brine. Each day the plant will also produce about three semi-trailer loads of contaminated salt for burial.

Consumers will foot the bill, but the plant's public institutional proponents are not compelled to reciprocate with innovation or accountability. Discarded water volumes could potentially double planned water augmentation without going near a desalination plant.

For example, 116 gigalitres of drinking water is used to cool Latrobe Valley electricity generators each year, when sea water or air coolers could provide alternative solutions.

The Melbourne Water Corporation sends almost 300 gigalitres of partially treated waste water into Bass Strait each year even though the water could be recycled for Melbourne's industry belts. Discarding this treated water is akin to sending all of Melbourne's bottles, cans, papers and cardboard to landfill instead of recycling them.

It is thinking that belongs to the era when the Yarra was a sewer and the Maribyrnong River flowed red beyond the meatworks.

In Melbourne, rainfall run-off is channelled straight into the Yarra and Port Phillip Bay, wasting more than 200 gigalitres each year.

Melbourne's water retailers rigorously enforce household water restrictions, yet the water companies themselves are losing nearly 50 gigalitres of drinking water each year. Last year, Yarra Valley Water lost about 22 gigalitres but still advertises itself in a monopoly market.

In Bendigo, the state education office recently wasted 2½ million litres of water from a leaking pipe. This equalled nearly 10% of daily water consumption for Bendigo and surrounding townships.

Meanwhile, ordinary consumers shower with buckets while their gardens wilt and water prices rise.

An elderly Sydney gardener is alleged to have been killed recently in the first case of "water rage". Shocking, but hardly surprising, because the tension is all being focused on consumers.

Some influential water industry leaders are now predicting that the proposed desalination plant and the new Goulburn Valley pipeline will leave Melbourne awash with expensive drinking water.

Even Victoria's utilities regulator has flagged the potential glut. The Essential Services Commission recently questioned a proposal to introduce a "fourth tier" pricing escalation, saying "such a strong disincentive to use water may be questioned".

The desalination plant will be built as a public-private partnership and its owners will pay about a third more interest on their loans compared with government borrowings. The cost of operation and investment return could reach $500 million a year, in a contract that would typically bind taxpayers for 30 years or more.

Such contracts usually operate on a take-or-pay basis. The owners might even demand compensation if water consumption is reduced by government strategies, and this will see new and spurious justifications for buying water.

Desalination costs will rise as arid nations compete for expertise, and as Victoria fights a bidding war with the oil kingdoms of the Middle East. Foreign water corporations will be drooling at the prospect.

The desalination decision was made by former State Government leaders apparently seduced by big spending rather than big thinking around demand management.

Ironically, Australians are highly amenable to the cultural shifts demanded by the climate crisis. A recent Lowy Institute survey showed that 92% of Australians want to see the climate change tackled seriously and almost 70% of Australians are accepting of the necessary investment. If provided with knowledge rather than propaganda, Victorians are capable of embracing a strategy that better captures rainfall, reduces squandering by utilities and provides industry with an option to use recycled water.

In the interim, Victorians should take a leisurely drive to Wonthaggi and prepare for the delight of a lifetime as they crest the gentle hill at Kilcunda. Here, the drab grazing land gives way to a seascape that is simply glorious. From 2009 that scene will be violated by bulldozers building a de facto carbon factory.

It is an ecological blasphemy that will plague us for a lifetime.

Tony Cutcliffe is a director of policy forum and consultancy The Eureka Project.

Economists

2007-12-11T14:21:00.000+11:00

Economists have a lot to answer for. Over the past decade here in Australia, our governments of both persuasions have tried to sell off everything that was owned by the people. They have also encouraged the population 'To Go For Growth' As the Liberal party ran as one of it's election slogans said.

The answer to the economists dream is to have a bigger population, consuming more products, while travelling as many kilometres as humanly possible on or in whatever carbon guzzling machine is most appropriate.

Now as we are being told by scientist from around the world in one large collective voice we have to become green and lean. Buy local is the new slogan, we have known this for ever and a day. Not economists they have asked us to buy global. Allow Brazilian farmers to sell us their orange juice, no matter that it puts our farmers out of business, if they can't compete then they shouldn't be in the market place.

In fact the whole emphasis has been to consume more of just about everything, except maybe water and that is because we have had a drought for 10 years. I'm sure it was the economists that told the state governments that it didn't matter that they would have to double the price of water, building a desalination plant [the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere] was an economic miracle. Because governments tend to believe 'Experts' and 'Experts' have said build it.

We need to clean out this current mob of economists and money men. They will be the ruination of us all. Even Carbon is worth trading in. Don't for a minute think it will make an once of difference to our carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. It will become another piece of paper to trade and make wealthy financiers wealthier.

I wonder which economist told the airlines of the world it makes economic sense to fly twice as many flights around the world some at such low costs per passenger it wouldn't even cover the pilots drinks tab. I read recently that a flight from Australia to Europe is equal in carbon consumption to an average Australian household for two and half years.

Scientist will finally win these debates about carbon and renewable energy. But not before a handful of economists will cost as billions in lost opportunities to be Lean and Green.
Woof.

Goodbye and Good Riddance

2007-11-28T11:00:00.000+11:00

Goodbye Mr Howard and your right wing politics. As I had predicted and hoped for John Howard's government were decidedly beaten in the weekends election.
The reason I could see it coming was that the outer suburbs of our major cities where Howard had been elected at each previous election over the last 11 years, had turned against him. The voters out there are Mums and Dads with Mortgages and by and large employed in small to medium size businesses. The work place laws introduced by Howard were not popular, so they deserted him. Two other factors may of helped the Labor cause. John Howard was very slow in accepting Climate change and that is a big worry for many people now, and they don't want an old fart with all the privileges of high office telling them it is better to give tax cuts to millionaires than put money into alternative energy creation.
Howard along with his treasurer Peter Costello, have managed to waste 10 years of economic good times. They lauded their achievements but didn't plough the surpluses they so happily took through consumption taxes back into longer term policy. That is why I say good riddance. I hope the Liberal party learns from this drubbing and thinks about the future of this world next time they are elected and not some stupid right wing agenda to feather the nest of aspirational greedy millionaires.
Best of luck to Kevin Rudd
Woof

Cricket and Polls

2007-11-20T16:21:00.000+11:00

Cricket and Opinion Polls, two things I could say who gives a flying fig about at this very moment.

We have had two test matches this summer, Australia versus Sri Lanka, the first ended in a massive defeat to Sri Lanka and likewise the second even if the end score looks closer, the Aussie declared at some unlikely score of 2 for 210 in their second innings. What is the point of having these test matches. Australia I think is the only nation that has this incredible appetite for winning at cricket. I know other nations like India [touring here this summer] and Pakistan, West Indies etc. all have 'Proud Traditions', but none of them have this military type approach to winning.

So what happens, we have these one sided test series that leave a lot of cricket fans and potential cricket fans, with boring days of cricket with no suspense what so ever. Even the commentators have become geriatrics, maybe because, no younger guys want the gig. I have no idea what to do about it except to turn off the coverage which I have done for a number of years now.

Opinion polls the panacea of the masses. Feed them another opinion poll, get the electorate excited, this age long election is being held together by endless polls. No matter, that they all say the same thing [A win to Labor] a small deviation here or there, up a percentage point for 'preferred prime minister' down a point in two party preferred swing. Hey cut it out there are too many variables to know exactly what you are talking about and you only tell us the sexy bits.
Time to put away the papers and turn off the news flashes we need an election free zone. And did you know that in the long and short of it all, neither side have the answers they are by and large reacting to things out of their control with the illusion of being in the driving seat making all the right decisions. They couldn't lie straight in bed, god bless them, dear born agains that they are.
Woof.

John Howards Time in Office

2007-11-13T14:57:00.000+11:00

Have a look at this article from The AGE by Ross McMullin. It outlines the deceit and lies that have surrounded John Howard's time in Office.
Woof

Spend

2007-11-12T15:12:00.000+11:00

The two major parties in this election are promising billions of dollars in hand outs, much of which is aimed at buying a vote. However the biggest vote buying, 'spend' came in the first week of the election. The 32 billion dollar tax relief proposed by Mr Howard. I have already commented on how I find that intolerable. I have thought some more about it in the light of election promises, and just the way elections can focus the mind.
The main thing we need to be doing over the next 10 years is to reduce greenhouse gases by making our world less dependent on fossil fuels. We need to make, solar, wind, tides, etc our main source of energy. We need our reliance on petrol/diesel cars to end. And an added thing we need to do here in Australia is find ways of supplying safe water in a what has become a much drier continent.
We want our politicians to consult with the public to work together to find solutions. Not to tell us that with expert advise they have found the one and only solution and we have to live with it. There are often many ways to skin a cat and we need to debate some of them. The Howard government has promoted a get rich approach to lifestyle and it is going to come home to bite us all in the arse. It has made us complacent and encouraged us to bury our heads in the sand over climate change and the future. Up until a year ago you would hardly of thought that we had a crises of this magnitude looming. I put a lot of that down to John Howard and his approach to leadership. If you look back over his 11 years it has all been about running surpluses and giving tax relief to the wealthy. He has done this by selling the crown jewels, spreading the tax base, [GST] and cutting services. No forethought what so ever, just that wealth creation, will in some way magic it's way into all the households. I don't think.
Some of the advisers are economists, they seem to think the only way to get things done is to make it attractive financially, for enough, for them to initiate change. Driven by profit, well it only works to a certain extent. As shown by big business. They stop being inventive and look purely for profit.
We need our politicians to commit to changing the way we do business in Australia, get rid of the status quo and find green ways of seeing our future.
Very soon now it will be the people speaking up not the lobbyists for big business. People will demand their councils provide the correct infrastructure to sustain our consumption. It will be people who say, 'forget the tax cut give us a break on installing and running alternative hot water services and solar panels.
Why these issues are barely being questioned in this election, says heaps for the current way of doing business as a government. Get elected and then rule by executive power. And only listen to the lobbyists from big business or political donors. Enough is enough let the people be heard.
Woof.

Climate change, An Election. Denial.

2007-11-01T15:00:00.000+11:00

It's all here in an article from Kenneth Davidson in The Age. If we don't get our head out of the sand as far as global warming and Politicians start telling the truth about what we need to do to adapt then we are fooling ourselves and depriving future generations.
Have a read of THIS
Woof.

Melbourne recycle your water

2007-10-30T12:20:00.000+11:00

The local council at Swan Hill has passed a motion asking the Premier of Victoria to make Melbourne recycle it's water, then it wouldn't have to take water from the Swan Hill area.
Here is the article. And reproduced below. I have been saying this for a few years now.

Woof.

Call for recycling instead of pipeline

Royce Millar
October 30, 2007

MELBOURNE should recycle its water rather than piping fresh water over the Dividing Range from the drought-stricken communities along the Goulburn River.

That is the view of Swan Hill's council. This week it will ask the Municipal Association of Victoria's state conference to back its call for the State Government to invest in recycling for Melbourne instead of building the north-south, or Sugarloaf, pipeline.

The Swan Hill motion notes that water recycling works well overseas and that purification technology is advanced and "could offer long-term solutions" to Melbourne's burgeoning water demands.

It also doubts the Brumby Government's guarantee to limit the volume of water diverted from the Goulburn to Melbourne to 75 gigalitres a year. "Unfortunately, political history demonstrates such guarantees have a limited life," it says.

The council's motion is likely to get wide rural backing but it is not clear whether it will secure the metropolitan support necessary for success at the association's meeting.

Senior local government figures are understood to be anxious that a successful resolution could embarrass the Brumby Government.

Municipal association president Dick Gross could not be contacted yesterday.

Some Melbourne councillors have already backed the Swan Hill campaign. Moonee Valley Mayor and Greens member Ben Opie said he supported the motion because much more needed to be done to boost levels of water re-use and harvesting in Melbourne.

Cr Opie said local councils were introducing recycling and other water measures but projects were limited.

"Local government budgets don't stretch far enough," he said.

Swan Hill Mayor Gary Norton said his council supported irrigation upgrades to reduce water seepage and evaporation "but we don't like the trade-off", meaning the pipeline.

He said it was not clear whether he would have the numbers to get his motion up on Friday. "But win or lose, we've got the message out there," Cr Norton said.

The State Government backed the pipeline as part of a two-pronged, $4.9 billion water strategy announced this year that also includes the controversial desalination plant at Williamsons Beach, near Wonthaggi.

Under the pipeline plan, up to 450 billion litres of water would be saved through a $2 billion upgrade of the 80-year-old Goulburn irrigation system, including the lining of open channels and installation of automated channel control.

Melbourne would receive 75 gigalitres of the water and the remainder would be shared between the environment and agriculture. The water would be piped 70 kilometres from the Goulburn River, near Yea, to Sugarloaf Reservoir, north-east of Melbourne.

Revolution

2007-10-29T14:11:00.000+11:00

Over the last 500 years or so there have been a number of revolutions. In this context the main aim for human kind has been to free themselves from enslavement and oppression. The biggest of the revolutions have been to free the populous of oppressors like Kings and Emperors. Who in turn have extended their power via hierarchical power bases with brutal regimes in place to make them work.
These types of thoughts got me thinking about the present need for change. Climate change is going to impact on our lives like the Kings and Queens of yesteryear. There are in place big organisations that are trying to preserve the status quo for their own good. Our politicians have also become the lackeys for these powerful Organisations. They lobby and pollies listen. Elections are fought on the favours of big business.
So for the revolution to happen we need to sideline big business and find a new way of deciding what is important for our future. Because we are not going to get the answers from self interested large businesses that only want profits for their shareholders.
Woof.

Soar Panels ????

2007-10-16T16:55:00.000+10:00

Here is an Article in The Age about Australia loosing it's solar panels.

Woof.

Tax Cuts

2007-10-16T15:34:00.000+10:00

Why has Howard announced such large tax cuts. Does he want to buy my vote? If so he is going about it the wrong way.
There used to be a saying about a government that gives large tax breaks, it has either over taxed you in the first place, or isn't giving you value for money in providing services, such as Health, Education, etc.
Some of the most pressing needs at the moment are climate change, water, and alternative energy sources. If as a government you can't find ways of spending those tax cuts on improving those areas, you are bereft of ideas.
This election should be about the next 10 to 20 years a crucial time in our history. If you looked at the governments, 'steady as you go,' approach you wouldn't believe there was a problem.

So buck up Mr. Howard get with the message, Solar panel plan, Alternative energy base load plan, A water plan for the Southern states of Australia, reduce our carbon footprint plan. ETC ETC.

We don't want you to run this election on your past, you have been a conservative 1950s man. Step up or ship out.

In fact I hope you loose your seat to Maxime Mckew. You didn't know when to retire, and you have shown yourself to be really dirty when it comes to politics.
Woof.

John Howard's Road to Damascus

2007-10-12T11:04:00.000+10:00

John Howard's road to Damascus, started yesterday when he woke up to the fact that indigenous people of Australia have been wronged, how wronged and how he will deal with his awakening is yet to be seen.

A cynic may say that with only two sleeps, before he calls a general election is a bit opportunistic, but Gerard Henderson [ a political commentator] says no. It is the real John Howard saying he wants the constitution to acknowledge the Aboriginal people. He hasn't accepted the stolen generation report and done nothing to advance Aboriginal causes in Australia. In fact he has hindered any real advancement. Now he brings it up on the eve of an election.

On another religious subject. The Health Minister Tony Abbott is getting into a stouch with the church leaders over work place reform, and whether it is christian to have laws that favour the employers over the employees. Have a read from The Age article.
Woof.

Governments on the wane

2007-10-08T10:15:00.000+10:00

Governments that are on the wane can behave in strange a weird ways. The current crop of ministers, who are in the dying days of the Howard government are doing the same.

Firstly there is the Joe the Workplace Minister he his criticising a report into workplace agreements a big issue in the peoples minds at the moment, and all he can do is rubbish the author and researchers for the report. In fact he
The treasurer Peter thinks his opponent Wayne to be an unlikeable person so therefore a non starter as a treasurer, this personal opinion is supposed to be important. It is a bit like a school yard comment.
The Health minister tries to link running and funding of hospitals to a spurious Union link, and doesn't make much sense at all.
Lastly, Kevin the immigration minister says no more Sudanese refugees, because they can't assimilate into Australian life. But when he tries to justify his decision he just sounds racist.

The way that politics is played out has some traits to it that make you wonder.

One is that it is portrayed as bigger than it actually is. so we have an over blown sense of its relevance.

Two the mix of governance and political survival is blurred in many areas, including funding of political parties and the spending of public money on quasi Government information.

Here is the Link to the Age article that outlined some of the above.

Woof.

Footy it's the same the world over

2007-09-29T13:27:00.000+10:00

Footy in an election year. What pisses me off is that politicians become footy fans on or around grand final time. Especially in an election year.
John Howard has announced he intends to go to both codes of grand final this year. Firstly the Australian Rules footy. AFL that's today Saturday here in Melbourne. And tomorrow he heads off to Sydney for the Rugby League NRL grand final. Whether he has any true interest about the outcome, is neither here nor there, it is seen as a, must be seen at, event. So I imagine the Leader of the opposition, Kevin Rudd will also be seen somewhere in public making his predictions and giving his support.

One wise spark wrote in the letter page of The Age, that he wondered if it was tax payers money that will pay for the airline tickets and accommodation, I think the Prime minister should pay for his own ticket. Cause really who wants to be bothered with a senior pollie at a footy match.

On another note. We need to reuse our rain water as a community and stop using tap water to water the gardens.
Woof.

Are you Experienced

2007-09-19T13:54:00.000+10:00

Are you Experienced was the question Jimmy Hendrix asked us all back in 1967, 40 years ago. Well that is the line coming out of the coalition parties here in our election year that is truly upon us.
Of course, it is as usual, a load of old bollocks, on behalf of the seasoned old farts known as the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

I don't remember it being a prerequisite, to being a member of parliament or a cabinet minister, that you have experience in the job. In fact you often can't have experience because you have to be elected at a parliamentary election before you can sit as a politician.

I don't have any statistics on how many cabinet ministers were ministers before they were ministers or prime ministers, if you understand what I mean. It is very easy to say, especially when you have been in office for 11 years. The opposition wont of been in power and therefore no experience in office. [Where's that rocket scientist when you need him?]

John Howard was asked a question about the cut in interest rates in America and immediately launched into a political spiel about the need for experience in times of financial uncertainty.

You can just tell the mantra that will be pushed out every time the government is asked to comment on anything. From the oppositions policies, [supposedly bereft of any substance] or broader issues like the financial woes of the U.S.A. or the decline in the share market. The government ministers will say, 'It will all be a lot worse under a Labor government, because they are a bunch of inexperienced ex Union officials.'

[Watch out lock up your sons and daughters, ex union officials worse than communists]

As I said awhile back, I just want them to call this election and get it over with. It is going to be so dirty [especially from the prime minister]. He is now a desperate man fighting for his last gasp of political air. Even his own parliamentary seat is in doubt. He could be the first prime minister in 80 years to loose his seat.
Woof.

Maggie Thatcher had it too.

2007-09-10T10:33:00.000+10:00

Why is it that politicians are the last to realise they are on the nose and should step aside? Around the time that Maggie Thatcher was rolled someone commented that politicians are the last to see that they are no longer wanted. It is like a tide of change has to build a head of steam for it to wash back to the politician.

It goes a bit like this.

Firstly and few members of the public start to say things about the prime minister, just chatting away in the pub. What a dork he/she is couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery sort of thing. This becomes a nightly event. Every time their head comes on the TV there are calls to get him off! etc. Then maybe a year later perhaps months depending on the electoral cycle, a journalist, probably not strictly a political journalist. Writes a piece criticising the prime ministers autocratic way or lack of policy or bias, whatever the criticism it starts a ball rolling, and before you can say, jack knife, the serious journos are in on the act, and they can really lay the boot in. Where as for 2 to 3 years they have been considered in their reporting, they all of a sudden pull the plug on fair play and reveal private conversations and the rot has started.

Finally some back benchers in the prime ministers party start to whine about their leader.

He is out of touch, he can't win the next election, looming up on the calender.

Even then the stubborn, weary, not so wise prime minister, doesn't get it. He says he is going to work harder, he will win on his record, experience over inexperience. ETC ETC.

By then the change has already happened, it is only a matter of time. The bulk of the swinging electorate have swung away and made their decision so no contest.

Why prime ministers have to be pushed I really don't know. Except to say, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Now lets have the election we have to have.
Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Petrol Prices

2007-09-04T16:09:00.000+10:00

Here in Melbourne like most mainland states in Australia, the price of petrol goes up every week and down again. And guess what, all the petrol outlets go up together and down again. When they have been accused of collusion, they say, 'they don't price fix and they are just discounting fuel to benefit the consumers.' But of course they have to put it back up again to make money. They also say the price of fuel is based on the Singapore crude price.

Having set the scene, we have an enquiry by the Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) that started a week or so ago, for the government, into fuel pricing, it is an ongoing enquiry and it hasn't reported yet.

The NRMA a motoring body like the RACV have released their own findings that show since the announcement of the enquiry, the major petrol companies have actually reduced the cost of fuel, and the typical cycle of high to low pricing has stayed in the low zone much longer.

[This is despite a rise in Singapore crude, which normally produces an immediate price rise at the bowser.]

The NRMA draws the conclusion that the petrol suppliers have been ripping us off [we all knew that, but couldn't prove it] and are now deliberately keeping the price lower to look good in the eyes of the enquiry. In fact the NRMA have called for the price of fuel to be regulated like, gas, electricity and water. That is a big call for a motoring organisation.
I have heard that if big business is allowed to control over 60% of the economy we would have real problems to contend with. Governments are there to, in part, protect us from the excesses of big business. Are the Shells and BPs of the world making smaller profits since the price rise in world oil? I don't think so.
Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Citizenship Test

2007-08-29T14:29:00.000+10:00

Recently the Federal government has devised a citizen test. It has met with some disapproval. Below is an article from The Age giving one persons opinion. If you want to see it on line go to The Age article.

For much of my life I have had to deal with tests or the lack of them. What I mean is, I have never been happy sitting an exam or test. I don't like the idea of being assessed by people who I have never met and may not like to meet. We have all heard of inappropriate testing from Hitler and his Aryan race to the more benign 11 plus exam they had in the U.K. that could determine a persons schooling and work choices at age 10-11 years. Now the Australian government want to test migrants on things like who was Australia's first Prime Minister. Duh.
Read On.
Woof.

Catherine Deveny

It's time for a real test that requires real Australian qualities.

YOU can shove your citizenship test up your poxy date. No one has the right to decide what being Australian is. I was born here and I have no idea. But I do know what it isn't, and what being Australian isn't is testing people on what they know about some white pen-pusher's idea of Australia. This is the country whose citizens pride themselves on not knowing the words to their own country's anthem.

If I wanted to be an Australian citizen and I was told that I had to pass a test first, I'd bugger off to New Zealand.

Who are we trying to keep out with this test? How will knowing the name of Australia's first prime minister or the date of Federation keep out terrorists, wankers or bludgers? The citizenship test questions are irrelevant and offensive. Here's my citizenship test and if you don't like it you can rack off and go back to your own country. You know what the most un-Australian thing in the world is? Migrants. And we don't want them coming here with their fancy food, classy culture, rich traditions and willingness to contribute.

LANGUAGE

1. Do you understand the meaning, but are unable to explain the origin of, the term "died in the arse"?

2. What is a mole?

3. Are these terms related: chuck a sickie; chuck a spaz; chuck a U-ey?

4. Explain the following passage: "In the arvo last Chrissy the relos rocked up for a barbie, some bevvies and a few snags. After a bit of a Bex and a lie down we opened the pressies, scoffed all the chockies, bickies and lollies. Then we drained a few tinnies and Mum did her block after Dad and Steve had a barney and a bit of biffo."

CUSTOMS

1. Macca, Chooka and Wanger are driving to Surfers in their Torana. If they are travelling at 100 km/h while listening to Barnsey, Farnsey and Acca Dacca, how many slabs will each person on average consume between flashing a brown eye and having a slash?

2. Complete the following sentences: a) "If the van's rockin' don't bother … b) You're going home in the back of a …

c) Fair suck of the …

3. I've had a gutful and I can't be fagged. Discuss

4. Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a wedgie?

5. Do you have a friend or relative who has a car in their front yard "up on blocks"? Is his name Keith and does he have a wife called Cheryl?

FOOD

1. Does your family regularly eat a dish involving mincemeat, cabbage, curry powder and a packet of chicken noodle soup called either chow mein, chop suey or kai see ming?

2. What are the ingredients in a rissole?

3. Demonstrate the correct procedure for eating a Tim Tam.

4. Do you have an Aunty Myrna who is famous for her tuna mornay and other dishes involving a can of cream of celery soup?

5. In any two-hour period have you ever eaten three-bean salad, a chop and two serves of pav washed down with someone else's beer that has been nicked from a bath full of ice?

6. When you go to a bring- your-own-meat barbie can you eat other people's meat or are you only allowed to eat your own?

7. What purple root vegetable beginning with the letter "b" is required by law to be included in a hamburger with the lot?

CULTURE

1. Do you own or have you ever owned a lawn mower, a pair of thongs, an Esky or Ugg boots?

2. Is it possible to "prang a car" while doing "circle work"?

3. Who would you like to crack on to?

4. Who is the most Australian: Kevin "Bloody" Wilson, John "True Blue" Williamson, Kylie Minogue or Warnie?

5. Is there someone you are only mates with because

they own a trailer or have a pool?

6. Would you love to have a beer with Duncan?

The people to be granted citizenship are the ones who call it a crock and cheat.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Public Transport

2007-08-25T13:17:00.000+10:00

If you are interested in public transport especially here in Melbourne have a read of this article by Kenneth Davidson in The Age

Yet again he has hit it on the head. We should have some Nuremberg style trials for the politicians both state and local, that think privatising public assets and wasting our common wealth on international companies who want to run our Utilities at rip off rates is good policy cause we just can't have governments getting their political toes wet anymore.

And Secondly

If the wallies out there who think they can be carbon neutral, cause they drive a diesel car and carry a green shopping bag. Beware we are being conned, lets start by using less of everything, to consume is to waste.

Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

ABC Discussion

2007-08-24T10:14:00.000+10:00

I heard a panel discussion on Radio National this morning, with Michael Kroger [Liberal party heavy weight] involved. Of course taking up the cudgel for the Liberals in a discussion re the party political leaders and how they are faring in the pre-election bun fight to win office.

Michael at every opportunity said the Labor leader and his team had no experience in running a country and therefore should not be entrusted with the opportunity to do so in the future. If he said it once he said it 10 times, at every twist and turn he would refer back to their lack of experience.

It wasn't until another member of the panel a woman [sorry can't remember her name] told him that Peter Costello [now triumphed as our greatest treasurer] didn't have any experience before he too was elected to government. Kroger jumped in with,

"No I was talking about the prime minister John Howard. He was the Treasurer in the Fraser government."
Woman replies "And not a very good one at that", so if this is the type of experience one needs, to be a, 'minister with experience', so be it.

We are definitely in for a very dirty campaign and I foresee John Howard's credibility will be tarnished by it, it already is.

Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

News

2007-08-20T14:31:00.000+10:00

Kevin Rudd our opposition leader visited a strip club, why that sort of news is news worthy I have no idea. 3 years ago to boot. I used to eat lovely meals at 3 am in Paris when I worked there back in the 1970s in strip clubs. It is just not a newsworthy event.

The money markets around the globe have gone crazy. Well I be it is a bit like hearing a guy has blown a million bucks down the casino. Who gives a fig. Here in Australia just about every news segment is proceeded by a financial update, which usually means a run down of the top stocks traded up and down. I have argued for a long time that for most of us we have no interest in stocks and shares and those that do will know in any case. It is a bit like sport who needs to know if player A hit player B and is being penalised for it. Which ever which way we get to hear this crap. And somehow we care.
Go read a blog or a book.
Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Liar Liar pants on fire

2007-08-15T10:14:00.000+10:00

I knew this was going to be a hard few months. prior to our next general election.

Now we have holier than thou politicians proclaiming innocence when it comes to quotes of dissent and subterfuge. These men and women are potentially the most influential people in our society.

If the Treasurer speaks we are all told about what he says. A wrong word in the wrong ear can push interest rates up and put money markets in a spin. So they are skilled in the art of non speak and evasion. It is Yes Minister all the way.

If I had a 65 year old plus colleague telling me he is going to step aside and then doesn't I think I would be pissed off. Especially if you can't talk about it or canvas your intentions with out causing a political storm.

I don't blame Costello I blame Howard he should of stepped aside and made way for a new leader. In the world of politics, I would expect them to lie about there ambitions cause if you admit to every conversation you have you'd be like the rest of us and not be the treasurer.
Woof

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Health Care

2007-08-08T12:00:00.000+10:00

Here is an article in The Age re private health funding.

Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Mr Howard's age

2007-08-07T10:28:00.000+10:00

About a year ago, I was wondering about the Liberal party keeping John Howard as their leader.
I thought it was a mistake to let him choose when he retires, he had apparently made a deal with Peter Costello a year before to stand aside and then he reneged on it.
Now their own polling is telling them, the electorate see John Howard as too old to be Prime minister, and that he lies.
Well would you put up as your best candidate to lead your party, and the country, and old fart who lies?
Johns response to this criticism " You collect a bit of baggage when you have been in office for a decade or more."

Can't any of them see that selling politics is like selling a brand. Many in the electorate want their prime minister to appear to be relevant, and not an embarrassment, and that is how older people are perceived when they continue to act younger than their age.

We all know he wont be prime minister for long. The Libs just want to keep him on, to try and win the un-winable election. It has already back fired. They would of been better off breaking in his successor Peter Costello.

Treasurers are usually disliked [taxes, fiscal etc] but leaders can win the electorate over. Give it away John and your supporters. Give a younger man a turn.
Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

John Howard time to redress

2007-08-03T10:06:00.000+10:00

Now that John Howard has shown he is capable and willing to act unilaterally. Read Tasmanian Hospitals. I thought I would make a list of things I would like him to address.

1] Get rid of negative gearing on investment properties. It is making home ownership prohibitive in Australia.
2] Make private equity take overs and Overseas companies pay capital gains tax, and in fact make them much more accountable for their actions. We don't want them taking our commonwealth to make a few individuals mega rich at our long term detriment.
3] If he wants to step on states rights, stop the desalination plant here in Victoria and come up with a recycling plant.
4] Remove the now 6 billion dollar health rebate for private health insurance, it is doing nothing to improve our health. It is really just putting money into private health funds. In fact sack the economist that came up with that idea.
5] Acknowledge the indigenous people of Australia and work with them to improve their lives in a positive inclusive way.

There are many more things and I will probably add them as the election gets nearer.
Woof

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Medicare being crippled

2007-07-30T15:40:00.000+10:00

Below is an article from The Age about our the private health subsidy that is now costing us 6 billion a year.

The likes of Tony Abbot [Health Minister] and John Howard should be in public office if they think the wants of big business and this includes health insurers, should influence health funding. Go back to practicing the law and let people with compassion for the poorer members of our society run the government. Governing is not about making surpluses and pandering to big business. It is about providing a fair go for the lower paid members of our society.

So have a read or go to the Article here.

Woof.

The $6 billion "corporate welfare" paid to subsidise private health insurance each year is putting Medicare under threat, a former top bureaucrat says.

A summit in Canberra on Monday heard that major health system reform was necessary to make sure all Australians had access to affordable health care.

Almost half of the population had missed out on health services they needed because they could not afford them, while another 15 per cent suffered financial pressure after paying for health care, figures presented at the National Health Reform Summit showed.

Centre for Policy Development chair John Menadue said government subsidies for private health insurance (PHI) were approaching $6 billion a year, including $4.8 billion for the private health insurance rebate, lost tax from the Medicare levy exemption and TV advertising.

"The trend to a two-tier health system in Australia is a serious threat," Mr Menadue, a former head of three government departments including Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam, said.

"When the government subsidises wealthy people in PHI to jump the queue, we are on the way to crippling Medicare.

"(Health Minister) Tony Abbott says that the Howard government is the best friend Medicare ever had. Words are one thing. Actions tell a different and alarming story."

Mr Menadue said the money would be better spent directly on mental, indigenous, preventative or dental health.

"Administration of the $6 billion annual subsidy to PHI should be transferred to Treasury, who would quickly recognise it for what it is - corporate welfare and not a health program," he said.

More than 40 health groups - including peak bodies for GPs, rural doctors, nurses and physiotherapists - are attending the meeting to push the government to reform the health system.

Mr Abbott was originally listed as speaking at the forum but declined to attend.

Mr Menadue said the health minister and his predecessors had been too timid to undertake a major redesign of the health system.

He said the government should set up a national independent authority to drive health reform, and call a public inquiry into the health system.

"Tony Abbott speaks of health as a 'dog's breakfast', but has made no serious effort to fix the mess," he said.

"Our health leaders lack the will for health reform because they are strongly influenced by the vested interests that abound in health."

Melbourne's Health Issues Centre CEO Centre Tony McBride told the forum that community consultations held across four states had found cost prevented 45 per cent of people accessing essential health care in the past 12 months.

Another 15 per cent had experienced financial hardship as a result of paying for care.

"Now it's not a representative sample, but even so these are very, very high figures, figures that I think would be concerning any health minister," Mr McBride told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

The private insurance subsidies meant wealthier Australians could access services such as dental care, but those who could least afford to pay for dentistry were getting nothing, he said.

Mr McBride added that many surveys showed people were willing to pay more for health care if the service was of good quality and equitable.

"So I think there are some good grounds for increasing the amount of money we give," he said.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

Steiner in our state schools

2007-07-25T10:08:00.000+10:00

Yep there is Steiner education going on in our state school system. I have known about this for some time. Someone I knew did the course and became a Steiner teacher.
I first met them back in the 1970s and they were off with the fairies quite literally. Well they are still off and have brought their mad ideas to main stream schooling.

Rudolf Steiner had some very strange ideas, including thinking white people were more intelligent than black, and that there are fairies.

I used to see an image of a Germanic boy scout [Grown up] with hairy knobbly knees singing mad tunes and talking rubbish.

If you want to hear more about Steiner being taught in our Victorian State school system try the ABC Religion report.

Woof.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com

A couple of quickies

2007-07-24T08:52:00.000+10:00

Our Autorney General Philip says that the Tampa affair, which cause such a stink a few years back wasn't illegal and this was confirmed by the High court. May I remind the minister that Hitler made sure that all his deeds were legal. It ain't hard to make your actions legal when you are the government. It doesn't make it morally o.k.

John Howard is looking old and worn out. And now we have the biography to confirm many of our suspicions about the power behind the man. Jannette. Maybe he should stop listening to her and take a long holiday. I suspect that not only will the coalition be beaten at the next election and thus put them in the political wilderness but that John Howard may loose his seat too. I suppose that isn't too bad a thing. It saves us from having a bi-election soon after the general election.

Any additional comments can be sent to mark_brickel@hotmail.com