The statisitics in SA are similar because I was listening to a report on the radio last week. Little did I know I'd be so close to it this week. On the up side it has made our neighbourhood closer. On the down side we are still pinching ourselves.
Young driver statistics
In 2003, 24% of drivers killed were aged between 18 and 25 years. And yet, this age group only represents 14% of Victorian licence holders.
Chart of the number of drivers aged 18 to 25 killed on Victorian roads each year
Of the 39 young drivers killed in 2003:
*
95% were males,
*
44% were killed on country roads,
*
79% were killed in single vehicle crashes,
*
69% were involved in crashes that occurred during high alcohol times,
*
the days when fatal crashes were most frequent were Sunday (26%) and Friday (21%),
*
56% of crashes occurred between the hours of 8pm and 6am, and
*
51% of deaths occurred on 100km/h and 110km/h signposted roads.
Note: High alcohol times are those times of the day and week when casualty crashes are ten times more likely to involve alcohol than casualty crashes at other times.
http://www.tacsafety.com.au/jsp/content/
NavigationController.do?areaID=12&tierID=1&navID=CC348A57&navLink=
null&pageID=171
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Life in the fast lane
T’was all happening at our place last night. Around 8.30pm there was a screeching car and a huge , metallic crash. My first thought was my new fence had gone! I went outside and saw nothing. So I ventured further outside and there was a turquoise station wagon parked up on my neighbour’s patio area. That moment of truth you always get. I walked over..worried sick. I found a big, young lad, shaken but not hurt, worried what his Dad was going to say. I called out. Nothing. Then my neighbour came through the roller door...stunned. Silent. I asked if he was okay. There is a God. They would normally be outside cooking their dinner on a warm night. The wife had just gone in to get something and he had been sitting next to the patio on his computer. How the boy parked it up there and didn't hit the trellis and didn't go through their wall...the tables and stuff had buffered it, God only knows. Their cat who normally curls up out there was okay. He had driven off the road, across my hebe bush (which is completely pruned now) missed my letter box AND my carport and went straight through the open roller door and neatly up the gap in the trellis fence ...hitting the side back left of their car on the way. How no-one was hurt, injured, killed or maimed is a miracle. How there was so little property damage, relatively speaking…how the hell he did that is beyond belief. We were all stunned but all so grateful: a humbling experience in many ways. The neighbours over the road were standing watching. It was a good job I went in next door because it could have been awful but, as it was, I talked the boy through some of his trauma and anger and got the husband reacting and the wife was onto the police. It was the bizarre parking. The fact no- one was hurt, that there was nothing hugely broken, knocked down. Two cop cars, a fire ambulance, the SES and a huge tow truck…the parents, the neighbours watching. We put on a great show. The boy was totally sober and non influenced. The police weren't sure about his story of being scared by a speeding car coming at him. Poor neighbours... So there you go. Life in the fast lane…and yes, truth is stranger than fiction.
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Life's good
I have just had a great weekend. We have had several days of high 30s and unlike others...I like the heat!!! As you know, if you read my blog, I do not do cold, wet, grey. I confess the heat has made my lovely, lush garden a bit crispy. You can see the signs of sunburn! I feel better and have still been out in the shade working on my garden. But it's mainly been a social weekend with a lot of laughter and gasbagging. Lots of good, healthy discussions and chatter. After my big effort outside this morning(open warfare on ants!!!) I came in and decided to load Firefox. The other day I had an unscheduled scan disk when I booted up the computer and it seemed to be revolving around truncating this and that to do with Mozilla. I couldn't put things in the toolbar and all my bookmarks were gone except the imported IE6 favourites. Bit odd. I've carried on because I've had other things to do. Today I decided to tackle it and was ready for the long haul of tweaking this and fiddling with that. I had Firefox and its email client Thunderbird installed and running smoothly in 10 minutes. Couldn't believe my luck nor the smoothness of the operation. Firefox is pretty intuitive and Thunderbird is like the Mozilla email thingy but a bit classier. So I am happy and just laugh when Firefox tells me it has blocked another popup!! I hear there is a weather extension to go with it...The calendar with Mozilla is really nice. Do I need a weather station??? We'll see.
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Laws with teeth
Testing times for canned spammers
By Jeni Porter
November 27, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/news/
Sauce/Testing-times-for-canned-spammers/2004/11/26/1101219746876.html
If nine months is a long time in politics it has proved almost a lifetime for the fledgling software company that John Howard's son Tim helped set up.
It seems that not even the patronage of the Liberal Party has saved the spammer Net Harbour from some radical surgery.
Net Harbour attracted considerable flak during the election for the unsolicited campaign emails it sent out on behalf of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, Brendan Nelson, and the departed Parramatta MP, Ross Cameron.
But not long after the election Net Harbour vacated its King Street Wharf office and assumed such a low profile that this week no-one was answering phones or general emails.
It was only in February this year that the PM and other bigwigs toasted the launch of the small software company with big ideas set up by computer whiz-kid Brad Lancken about six months earlier.
Tim Howard had returned from London to be Net Harbour's founding director of business development.
They set up shop in a smart office with a barbeque and a balcony overlooking the sparkling city wharf and talked expansively about their "customer relationship management product".
AdvertisementAdvertisement
When we asked Net Harbour's chairman, Phil Kiely, what had happened he said there had been "some restructuring done with the whole company".
Kiely, a former chief of Oracle in Australia and a Net Harbour investor, assured Sauce that "the company is still in existence, but there has been some fundamental changes to how they do things".
Kiely couldn't give us an office phone number nor could he say what the changes were. "I would rather you get it straight from Brad," he said, offering to get Lancken to call us.
But Lancken didn't ring.
We were also unable to contact Tim Howard to find out how he fared in the restructure. His father's office was unable to help.
The NSW Liberal Party paid an undisclosed amount for Net Harbour's electronic campaigning, which exploited a loophole in the Government's anti-spam laws that ban companies from sending unsolicited bulk emails. But John Howard paid the costs of the Bennelong blitz out of his own pocket, by reimbursing the party the money it paid to Net Harbour.
By Jeni Porter
November 27, 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/news/
Sauce/Testing-times-for-canned-spammers/2004/11/26/1101219746876.html
If nine months is a long time in politics it has proved almost a lifetime for the fledgling software company that John Howard's son Tim helped set up.
It seems that not even the patronage of the Liberal Party has saved the spammer Net Harbour from some radical surgery.
Net Harbour attracted considerable flak during the election for the unsolicited campaign emails it sent out on behalf of the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, Brendan Nelson, and the departed Parramatta MP, Ross Cameron.
But not long after the election Net Harbour vacated its King Street Wharf office and assumed such a low profile that this week no-one was answering phones or general emails.
It was only in February this year that the PM and other bigwigs toasted the launch of the small software company with big ideas set up by computer whiz-kid Brad Lancken about six months earlier.
Tim Howard had returned from London to be Net Harbour's founding director of business development.
They set up shop in a smart office with a barbeque and a balcony overlooking the sparkling city wharf and talked expansively about their "customer relationship management product".
AdvertisementAdvertisement
When we asked Net Harbour's chairman, Phil Kiely, what had happened he said there had been "some restructuring done with the whole company".
Kiely, a former chief of Oracle in Australia and a Net Harbour investor, assured Sauce that "the company is still in existence, but there has been some fundamental changes to how they do things".
Kiely couldn't give us an office phone number nor could he say what the changes were. "I would rather you get it straight from Brad," he said, offering to get Lancken to call us.
But Lancken didn't ring.
We were also unable to contact Tim Howard to find out how he fared in the restructure. His father's office was unable to help.
The NSW Liberal Party paid an undisclosed amount for Net Harbour's electronic campaigning, which exploited a loophole in the Government's anti-spam laws that ban companies from sending unsolicited bulk emails. But John Howard paid the costs of the Bennelong blitz out of his own pocket, by reimbursing the party the money it paid to Net Harbour.
Friday, November 26, 2004
Top reporting
Just to keep you posted on our superior quality reporting: I was listening to a report on the ASEAN meeting John Howard and Co are attending and the reason we can't sign the ASEAN non agression pact(the Treaty of Amity and Co operation) like all the other countries is because of our US alliance with the US.
Spotted Owl?
There was an owl like this up high in the Ash tree at work today. It was big and reddy brown. Considering it was 37 degrees today, it was doing well. It was astounding to see an owl , so everyone was chattering about it and it was so exciting. We have a big lizard who lives in the same spot and we have beautiful swallows who come and nest under the eves...but an owl. This was so special.
I found the picture on this site:
http://www.24birds.net/f1_birdingtrips/bestbirdstories.html
The bird was sitting up in the tree just like this. We dare not get photos incase we scared it away.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
How old are these people?
Latham tried to bully us': Tas Premier
The Tasmanian Premier claims Labor leader Mark Latham tried to bully him into accepting the federal Party's forestry policy during the election campaign.
Mr Latham criticised Premier Paul Lennon during the campaign for his opposition to the policy.
Mr Lennon says he worked with the party for at least 12 months before the election, bringing the federal office up to speed on the forestry issue in Tasmania, in particular the regional forest agreement.
He says he met with Labor spokesman for mining, energy and forestry, Joel Fitzgibbon, on several occasions.
"I provided him with a lot of information, everything he wanted, but at the end of the day they simply didn't agree with us.
"They wanted to have a different policy and Mark Latham tried to bully us into supporting his position and I simply wasn't prepared to do that."
Mr Lennon says Federal Labor would have a good chance of winning back the northern Tasmanian seats of Bass and Braddon if it dumps its forestry policy.
"What Mark Latham and federal Labor need to do is change their forest policy," he said.
"If they do that, then I believe they will position themselves well to win back Bass and Braddon at the next federal election."
Joel Fitzgibbon says he does not know of any attempt to bully Mr Lennon into accepting the policy.
"I'm not aware of any bullying exercises," he said.
"Paul Lennon and I had a number of friendly conversations.
"In the end they were fruitless because we had different views about what needed to be done in Tasmania, both to protect high-conservation forests and of course to push the industry further up the value chain."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1251477.htm
Yes, he did, no he didn't..yes, he did....no he didn't...
I gather the media think we are stupid and love this type of reporting. No wonder they were asking on the radio this morning where all the intellectuals have gone...not into our reporting. I heard the sports commentator talk about the England team. I thought I'd misheard. No, she said it again...the England team. Our reporter in South Africa reporting on the latest cricket calamity got it half right. She spoke about the English players and the Wales players. I was at work about half way through the discussion on missing intellectuals...so I didn't find out where they have hidden them. English team. Welsh team. Dare I say it's not rocket science??? Seems to be how you dismiss things these days..oh, and you keep calling someone a calamitous failure...and then they are because it was reported in the media. So, to finish on a cliche...where are their heads? No! Don't even think about that one! I'm on a cliche roll. See you around like a rubber ball, folks.
The Tasmanian Premier claims Labor leader Mark Latham tried to bully him into accepting the federal Party's forestry policy during the election campaign.
Mr Latham criticised Premier Paul Lennon during the campaign for his opposition to the policy.
Mr Lennon says he worked with the party for at least 12 months before the election, bringing the federal office up to speed on the forestry issue in Tasmania, in particular the regional forest agreement.
He says he met with Labor spokesman for mining, energy and forestry, Joel Fitzgibbon, on several occasions.
"I provided him with a lot of information, everything he wanted, but at the end of the day they simply didn't agree with us.
"They wanted to have a different policy and Mark Latham tried to bully us into supporting his position and I simply wasn't prepared to do that."
Mr Lennon says Federal Labor would have a good chance of winning back the northern Tasmanian seats of Bass and Braddon if it dumps its forestry policy.
"What Mark Latham and federal Labor need to do is change their forest policy," he said.
"If they do that, then I believe they will position themselves well to win back Bass and Braddon at the next federal election."
Joel Fitzgibbon says he does not know of any attempt to bully Mr Lennon into accepting the policy.
"I'm not aware of any bullying exercises," he said.
"Paul Lennon and I had a number of friendly conversations.
"In the end they were fruitless because we had different views about what needed to be done in Tasmania, both to protect high-conservation forests and of course to push the industry further up the value chain."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200411/s1251477.htm
Yes, he did, no he didn't..yes, he did....no he didn't...
I gather the media think we are stupid and love this type of reporting. No wonder they were asking on the radio this morning where all the intellectuals have gone...not into our reporting. I heard the sports commentator talk about the England team. I thought I'd misheard. No, she said it again...the England team. Our reporter in South Africa reporting on the latest cricket calamity got it half right. She spoke about the English players and the Wales players. I was at work about half way through the discussion on missing intellectuals...so I didn't find out where they have hidden them. English team. Welsh team. Dare I say it's not rocket science??? Seems to be how you dismiss things these days..oh, and you keep calling someone a calamitous failure...and then they are because it was reported in the media. So, to finish on a cliche...where are their heads? No! Don't even think about that one! I'm on a cliche roll. See you around like a rubber ball, folks.
Henmer Sprungs
Hanmer Springs is on the South Island of New Zealand. It's about 2 hours easy drive from Christchurch through almost untouched country side. These mountains are covered in snow in winter and people ski there. The people are great and the air is fresh and clean..except when you smell the thermal pools..erk! Pure sulphur. It's a great little spot but people are increasingly building there. You can't build out the mountains. You turn around in the village and there they are. Huge, majestic and breathtaking. Bit bigger than our Adelaide Hills, which look like crumpled green bedsheets!
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Why can't I be that funny?
Michael Moore filed a theft complaint with the Lansing City Police today stating that "someone has stolen both the brains AND the sense of humor from the Michigan Republican Party."
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/blog/index.php
If you read the whole article on Micheal Moores site it is really quite funny. The media makes us so very serious sometimes and we forget how to laugh. It's funny when someone thinks of how to turn all this seriousness on its ear. Like Will Anderson, one of our comics who was in the Montreal comedy festival made me think and laugh. He was saying how one of the bombs dropped in Iraq cost 1.5 million dollars(who are these people they can afford to throw away money like that on other people's heads?). Will said he figured that 1.5 million dollars worth of anything thrown from a plane was bound to do a lot of damage...1.5 million dollars worth of fridges or TV sets..whatever. The thing with humour is it makes you realise we are bonkers sometimes the way we behave. Like there's an English guy who has moved over here and we often get birds nesting in the cavity walls or possums in the roof, especially in the country areas. He was saying he thought the birds were some type of Australian insulation. People don't know what to think of Australia if they don't know it. I mean, I was listening to a current affairs programme today and one of the crocodile farmers (yes, we farm them!!) said the current weather conditions, even though they are a bit odd for us at the moment, were perfect for crocodiles. He was saying they were laying up to 70 eggs when normally they would lay 30-50. So I wondered if the wild ones were busy laying too!! He also said you could alter the temperature and get male crocdiles rather than female ones! All very fascinating. Right now it's in the 30s and lovely. No more cold and wet!!
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/blog/index.php
If you read the whole article on Micheal Moores site it is really quite funny. The media makes us so very serious sometimes and we forget how to laugh. It's funny when someone thinks of how to turn all this seriousness on its ear. Like Will Anderson, one of our comics who was in the Montreal comedy festival made me think and laugh. He was saying how one of the bombs dropped in Iraq cost 1.5 million dollars(who are these people they can afford to throw away money like that on other people's heads?). Will said he figured that 1.5 million dollars worth of anything thrown from a plane was bound to do a lot of damage...1.5 million dollars worth of fridges or TV sets..whatever. The thing with humour is it makes you realise we are bonkers sometimes the way we behave. Like there's an English guy who has moved over here and we often get birds nesting in the cavity walls or possums in the roof, especially in the country areas. He was saying he thought the birds were some type of Australian insulation. People don't know what to think of Australia if they don't know it. I mean, I was listening to a current affairs programme today and one of the crocodile farmers (yes, we farm them!!) said the current weather conditions, even though they are a bit odd for us at the moment, were perfect for crocodiles. He was saying they were laying up to 70 eggs when normally they would lay 30-50. So I wondered if the wild ones were busy laying too!! He also said you could alter the temperature and get male crocdiles rather than female ones! All very fascinating. Right now it's in the 30s and lovely. No more cold and wet!!
Saturday, November 20, 2004
The pond
On the way back down the hill there are two huge ponds in the gardens with big goldfish. It was truly relaxing and a good day out.
Carrick Hill
The new section of Carrick Hill and the superb views of Adelaide as we headed for the tent with the demonstrations from Noumean chefs. Brilliant!
The French Festival 2004
The French Festival at Carrick Hill today was trois fois plus fun! It celebrated New Caledonia and the Kanak culture. I'm all set to go now!!
North Terrace facelift
By contrast North Terrace was looking really light and airy and benefitting from all the redevelopment work which has been going on and on. The Jacarandas in bloom were looking lovely.
Sky City
Back of the central railway station, opposite the side of Parliament House. The casino. people were going in there quite early this morning. I thought the whole area was looking rather in need of a facelift.
Friday, November 19, 2004
This is our talk today. So sad.
CRUEL FATE: Carole Schaer should not have been at work
By EDITH BEVIN, MATT WILLAIMS, JAIME MORGAN and CHRIS SALTER
19nov04
CAROLE Schaer had planned not to be at work when divorce papers were served on her estranged husband.
Expecting the papers to be served today, she had planned a holiday to Port Lincoln with her partner of six years, Peter Upton.
The papers were delivered on Tuesday – four days earlier than she expected.
The next morning, Ms Schaer was gunned down, allegedly by her estranged husband, Simon Schaer, while she was at work in Myer's city store.
Mr Upton told The Advertiser they had planned to marry in a small ceremony in January.
He said he fell for the 61-year-old Myer saleswoman when he was buying a wallet just before Father's Day, 1998.
"I just fell in love with her bubbly personality and good looks," Mr Upton said.
"She's lived with me for most of the past six years.
"She's left a big hole here."
Friends said that Ms Schaer, and Mr Schaer, 69, had separated about eight years ago.
Mr Upton said they had not had any contact or problems with Schaer during their relationship.
"I've never met him – I wouldn't know him if I saw him," Mr Upton said.
"We were going to Lincoln for a week to let the papers be delivered and let things rest and then we were planning marriage in January.
"The papers were served on him the day before (he allegedly shot her) – someone made a mistake, they served the papers too early."
Schaer appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday charged with Ms Schaer's murder. He had spent the night in police custody in the nearby City Watch House.
He showed no emotion in court yesterday.
During his brief appearance before Magistrate Richard Brown, Schaer looked straight ahead and listened intently. He was remanded in police custody to reappear in court early next year.
Former neighbours of the Schaers, Gordon and Gail Baxter, of Kings Park, said they were shocked when they opened The Advertiser yesterday morning.
"I thought when we saw it on the television yesterday that it might be her, but they didn't mention her last name or his name," Mr Baxter said.
"We just can't believe it. They were such a lovely couple."
Mrs Baxter said they called Simon the "gentle giant".
"He was always willing to help neighbours around the house. He helped us fix our garage and he was a lover of animals."
The Baxters moved interstate for four years and when they returned, Mr and Mrs Schaer had moved out.
"Not only was she a physically beautiful lady, she was such a wonderful person too. She was always happy to have a chat and offer her help whenever the need arose.
"It's very sad."
Friend of more than 20 years Fay Mason said Ms Schaer was a "beautiful person".
"She was not only a beautiful woman physically – she also had a beautiful personality," Ms Mason said yesterday.
"She really was a very sweet person, very vulnerable – she was a very forgiving person."
Schaer had been teaching at the South Australian Woodcarving Academy. Friends said they were surprised at the shooting.
"I didn't even realise that he had a wife," one friend said.
"He never gave any signs of having those sort of problems – he was just a really happy guy."
Schaer had left his two rottweilers in the care of a former student, telling her just hours before the shooting that he was going on holidays.
© Advertiser Newspapers Pty Limited
By EDITH BEVIN, MATT WILLAIMS, JAIME MORGAN and CHRIS SALTER
19nov04
CAROLE Schaer had planned not to be at work when divorce papers were served on her estranged husband.
Expecting the papers to be served today, she had planned a holiday to Port Lincoln with her partner of six years, Peter Upton.
The papers were delivered on Tuesday – four days earlier than she expected.
The next morning, Ms Schaer was gunned down, allegedly by her estranged husband, Simon Schaer, while she was at work in Myer's city store.
Mr Upton told The Advertiser they had planned to marry in a small ceremony in January.
He said he fell for the 61-year-old Myer saleswoman when he was buying a wallet just before Father's Day, 1998.
"I just fell in love with her bubbly personality and good looks," Mr Upton said.
"She's lived with me for most of the past six years.
"She's left a big hole here."
Friends said that Ms Schaer, and Mr Schaer, 69, had separated about eight years ago.
Mr Upton said they had not had any contact or problems with Schaer during their relationship.
"I've never met him – I wouldn't know him if I saw him," Mr Upton said.
"We were going to Lincoln for a week to let the papers be delivered and let things rest and then we were planning marriage in January.
"The papers were served on him the day before (he allegedly shot her) – someone made a mistake, they served the papers too early."
Schaer appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court yesterday charged with Ms Schaer's murder. He had spent the night in police custody in the nearby City Watch House.
He showed no emotion in court yesterday.
During his brief appearance before Magistrate Richard Brown, Schaer looked straight ahead and listened intently. He was remanded in police custody to reappear in court early next year.
Former neighbours of the Schaers, Gordon and Gail Baxter, of Kings Park, said they were shocked when they opened The Advertiser yesterday morning.
"I thought when we saw it on the television yesterday that it might be her, but they didn't mention her last name or his name," Mr Baxter said.
"We just can't believe it. They were such a lovely couple."
Mrs Baxter said they called Simon the "gentle giant".
"He was always willing to help neighbours around the house. He helped us fix our garage and he was a lover of animals."
The Baxters moved interstate for four years and when they returned, Mr and Mrs Schaer had moved out.
"Not only was she a physically beautiful lady, she was such a wonderful person too. She was always happy to have a chat and offer her help whenever the need arose.
"It's very sad."
Friend of more than 20 years Fay Mason said Ms Schaer was a "beautiful person".
"She was not only a beautiful woman physically – she also had a beautiful personality," Ms Mason said yesterday.
"She really was a very sweet person, very vulnerable – she was a very forgiving person."
Schaer had been teaching at the South Australian Woodcarving Academy. Friends said they were surprised at the shooting.
"I didn't even realise that he had a wife," one friend said.
"He never gave any signs of having those sort of problems – he was just a really happy guy."
Schaer had left his two rottweilers in the care of a former student, telling her just hours before the shooting that he was going on holidays.
© Advertiser Newspapers Pty Limited
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Bingo!
What a silly day. Not so much silly as weird. Like people coming in and disrupting my office while I was in the middle of doing something and they didn’t even notice. Reality checking was so far away today. A man of 69 appears to have shot dead his wife, 61, in a store in town and probably set their apartment on fire before he killed her. This is so unlike Adelaide. Then a train derailed in Queensland and it appears its driver was going too fast. 120 people hurt but no one killed which was a miracle because so many carriages derailed on this high-speed train. (High speed for us!) What is going on with everyone? Here it was unusually hot and we have had all this cold and wet. Maybe the heat went for people and boiled their brains. What was that probable domestic all about at 69 years old? It’s so weird. I got home and thought all would be well…apart from my broken fridge which’ll be replaced Friday…hoorah (believe it or not they were going to charge me 30 dollars to unwrap it and plug it in! I love the service we get these days.) Anyway, there was a note in the letterbox to say a courier had tried to deliver some software I’d ordered would I ring and maybe they’d charge me for re delivering it! What’s wrong with leaving at the post office like everyone else does?? So I rang. The girl was a bit sharp and tut tutting. Would someone be home on Friday? Was I sure? If someone brought it round, would I be there? I was somewhat taken aback. I don’t suffer from the heat. I love it. I thought maybe she was a bit hot and bothered so I didn’t say things like…well, you’re working, so am I. If you say someone will be home, do you deliberately go out to miss the parcel you wanted delivered?? I thought of all these things. I talked her through it. Yes, someone would be home…the fridge was coming! No, no one would go out just so the house would be empty again when driver number 16 arrived. Can’t wait for the fridge and the software…and I fixed the discman!!! Couldn’t believe it. The laser eye unit had slid into the wrong place so I slid it back and Bingo! By Friday night it will be as though Monday hadn’t happened. In the meantime, it has just been too weird for me.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Blue!!
I guess blue befits the current status. It's as blue as the ocean I see each day where I live and where I work...so you'll just have to imagine the white capped waves. It's been cold, wet, windy...but today was nice and tomorrow will be 37!! Then back to cold, wet , windy!!!
Patience!
Backslant.com can't seem to supply my lovely beach any more, so I am trying some other skins. Bear with me. I love the tiger lily but the text isn't very accessible. I'll try some other things!! My week of broken things..dead fridge, dead discman and now a dead blog!! Oh well..look upon it as a challenge, I guess.
Monday, November 15, 2004
It's a weird world
I seem to live in a state of perpetual confusion about humanity at the moment. I was tickled pink when I fell upon the site where the Kerry voters had put up their photos and sorry messages. It made me feel like there are 49% who feel like me. I went to the polls and the next day got up and Howard was still there. Four terms. And he has put us into an illegal war where we are killing people we don't even know and we didn't know where they were and why they were suddenly a threat. I don't know about you, but when I feel threatened I know who is scaring me and where they are and why. Seems to me there won't be too many Iraqis left at this rate. Where are their candles and memorial services? Doesn't it matter so many have been hurt and killed? Baghdad. I grew up on stories of Baghdad. Ali Baba and the forty thieves, the Arabian Nights. I loved the pictures of the mosques with their big bubble tops, the idea of Kailiffs and Sultans and genies and exotic women with dark expressive eyes. The colours, the clothes. To me , as stereotypical as it was, in my childhood it was the stuff of great dreams. Baghdad was about achieving the impossible. The big clay pots to hide in. The exotic languages spoken. It was arguably one of the most influential places created in my mind by all the richness of its culture distilled through my own. Magic carpets. Harem pants. It meant strength, imagination, limitlessness. I look at it exploding and the rubble, the blood, the hell. What have we done? Given we have cruise missiles which can turn left and right at street corners and whoosh past windows as a silver streak...why didn't we put one into Saddam Hussein, if that were so important? I wonder how the people of Baghdad are enjoying their liberation.So to see 49% of Americans get on the Net and show their faces with a lovely note, made me feel so much relief. I don't feel alone and I know we have all tried and voting just doesn't work anymore. At least we haven't run out of ideas...we are becoming quite clever at overcoming the negative military methods. I couldn't believe it when I heard some politician laughing at the notion of negotiating. Like talking to people is all wrong. Well, I am so glad I have the Net and can see all these blogs. We speak as we feel. We share our thoughts. People are old enough and intelligent enough to decide whether they agree or disagree with us. That's what I like. As for threats...there are better ways of doing it than carpeting childrens heads with bombs in a country whose citizens were no threat to me and it has been proven to be that way. Violence begets violence. Why does that come as a surprise? What would you do if someone blew up your street, your city, your family, your hospital, your children? At the turn of the millennium we celebrated our oneness and our difference. It felt good to watch all the countries welcome the millennium in their own way. We were all together in that. We are together on the blogosphere. We do and can connect. May we never stop trying.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Enough of the labelling!
The technosexual is: a dandyish narcissist in love with not only himself, but also his urban lifestyle & gadgets; a straight man who is in touch with his feminine side but has fondness for electronics such as cell phones, PDA's, computers, software, and the web.
Ricky Montaliv
http://www.technosexual.org/
Ricky Montaliv
http://www.technosexual.org/
The speech
I have just found the March 7th 1850 speech given to the President by Senator Daniel Webster. It is a very well thought out, passionate speech. We are so deprived of oratory these days. He argues strongly for union, unity, freedom of the press and, most strongly, for the abolition of slavery in the new America. You can find it here:
http://www.skidmore.edu/~tkuroda/hi324/webs1850.htm
and I shall leave you with the closing words of his speech:
And now, Mr. President, instead of speaking of the possibility or utility of secession, instead of dwelling in those caverns of darkness, instead of groping with those ideas so full of all that is horrid and horrible, let us come out into the light of day; let us enjoy the fresh air of Liberty and Union; let us cherish those hopes which belong to us; let us devote ourselves to those great objects that are fit for our consideration and our action; let us raise our conceptions to the magnitude and the importance of the duties that devolve upon us; let our comprehension be as broad as the country for which we act, our aspirations as high as its certain destiny; let us not be pigmies in a case that calls for men. Never did there devolve on any generation of men higher trusts than now devolve upon us, for the preservation of the Constitution and the harmony and peace of all who are destined to live under it. Let us make our generation of the strongest and brightest links in that golden chain which is destined, I fondly believe, to grapple the people of all the States to this Constitution for ages to come. We have a great, popular, constitutional government guarded by law and by judicature, and defended by the affections of the whole people. No monarchical throne presses these States together, no iron chain of military power encircles them; they live and stand under a government popular in its form, representative in its character, founded upon principles of equality, and so constructed, we hope, as to last for ever. In all its history it has been beneficent; it has trodden down no man's liberty; it has crushed no State. Its daily respiration is liberty and patriotism; its yet youthful veins are full of enterprise, courage, and honorable love of glory and renown. Large before, the country has now, by recent events become vastly larger. This republic now extends, with a vast breadth, across the whole continent. The two great seas of the world wash the one and the other shore. We realize, on a mighty scale, the beautiful description of the ornamental border of the buckler of Achilles: -
Now, the broad shield complete,
the artist crowned with his last hand,
and poured the ocean round;
In living silver seemed the waves to roll,
And beat the buckler's verge,
and bound the whole.
http://www.skidmore.edu/~tkuroda/hi324/webs1850.htm
and I shall leave you with the closing words of his speech:
And now, Mr. President, instead of speaking of the possibility or utility of secession, instead of dwelling in those caverns of darkness, instead of groping with those ideas so full of all that is horrid and horrible, let us come out into the light of day; let us enjoy the fresh air of Liberty and Union; let us cherish those hopes which belong to us; let us devote ourselves to those great objects that are fit for our consideration and our action; let us raise our conceptions to the magnitude and the importance of the duties that devolve upon us; let our comprehension be as broad as the country for which we act, our aspirations as high as its certain destiny; let us not be pigmies in a case that calls for men. Never did there devolve on any generation of men higher trusts than now devolve upon us, for the preservation of the Constitution and the harmony and peace of all who are destined to live under it. Let us make our generation of the strongest and brightest links in that golden chain which is destined, I fondly believe, to grapple the people of all the States to this Constitution for ages to come. We have a great, popular, constitutional government guarded by law and by judicature, and defended by the affections of the whole people. No monarchical throne presses these States together, no iron chain of military power encircles them; they live and stand under a government popular in its form, representative in its character, founded upon principles of equality, and so constructed, we hope, as to last for ever. In all its history it has been beneficent; it has trodden down no man's liberty; it has crushed no State. Its daily respiration is liberty and patriotism; its yet youthful veins are full of enterprise, courage, and honorable love of glory and renown. Large before, the country has now, by recent events become vastly larger. This republic now extends, with a vast breadth, across the whole continent. The two great seas of the world wash the one and the other shore. We realize, on a mighty scale, the beautiful description of the ornamental border of the buckler of Achilles: -
Now, the broad shield complete,
the artist crowned with his last hand,
and poured the ocean round;
In living silver seemed the waves to roll,
And beat the buckler's verge,
and bound the whole.
Election Fraud
There seems to be mounting concern about the election results in America. We haven't had much of it reported here.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1106-30.htm
It used to be we'd be watching the so called third world countries voting and worrying they had no right to elect their own leaders fairly. Some claim it's sour grapes because Kerry lost...I mean, nearly half their nation voted for him, the same as a huge percentage voted Labour here. You used to go out and vote and then just talk about the elections weeks afterwards. Now it just seems to be another thing which is malfunctioning. We used to get news and information. Now we get one scam after the next. Like the Hardy asbestos case here. I sound like my Grandma...I don't know what the world is coming to.
Every day I get up and there are horrible headlines. Crashes, explosions, threats. We had and 18 year old girl who secretly gave birth to her baby and then is supposed to have killed it because it was found the next day with head injuries. Dark days indeed. I think there was a period in Art around the 1850s called the Nightmare era. It was similar in the world then and it spawned the writings of Kafka, Dumas, Trollope and the famous Arabian Nights by Sir Richard Burton. It's when Senator Daniel Webster gave his 7th March speech to endorse the Compromise of 1850 to try and avert civil war. It's also when the University of Sydney was founded, our oldest university.
Maybe we just go through similar things as our ancestors. Why don't we learn?
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1106-30.htm
It used to be we'd be watching the so called third world countries voting and worrying they had no right to elect their own leaders fairly. Some claim it's sour grapes because Kerry lost...I mean, nearly half their nation voted for him, the same as a huge percentage voted Labour here. You used to go out and vote and then just talk about the elections weeks afterwards. Now it just seems to be another thing which is malfunctioning. We used to get news and information. Now we get one scam after the next. Like the Hardy asbestos case here. I sound like my Grandma...I don't know what the world is coming to.
Every day I get up and there are horrible headlines. Crashes, explosions, threats. We had and 18 year old girl who secretly gave birth to her baby and then is supposed to have killed it because it was found the next day with head injuries. Dark days indeed. I think there was a period in Art around the 1850s called the Nightmare era. It was similar in the world then and it spawned the writings of Kafka, Dumas, Trollope and the famous Arabian Nights by Sir Richard Burton. It's when Senator Daniel Webster gave his 7th March speech to endorse the Compromise of 1850 to try and avert civil war. It's also when the University of Sydney was founded, our oldest university.
Maybe we just go through similar things as our ancestors. Why don't we learn?
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Food for thought
I heard this on the radio today and it really made me think!!!
If you behave as though it doesn't matter and it does matter...it does matter. If you behave as though it matters and it doesn't matter...it doesn't matter.
It made me think of another little thing I have always kept in my thoughts. If you are right you have no need to be angry and if you are wrong you have no right to be angry.
If you behave as though it doesn't matter and it does matter...it does matter. If you behave as though it matters and it doesn't matter...it doesn't matter.
It made me think of another little thing I have always kept in my thoughts. If you are right you have no need to be angry and if you are wrong you have no right to be angry.
Monday, November 08, 2004
Truth
NUMBER:30752
The Columbia World of Quotations 1996
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.ATTRIBUTION:Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), U.S. president. American Declaration of Independence (1776) published in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 1, ed. Julian P. Boyd (1950).
It is unknown how much of these lines was Jefferson’s sole responsibility. In June 1776 he had composed a rough draft: “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
BIOGRAPHY:Columbia Encyclopedia.
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Unsprung spring
More clouds, more rain! Where's spring? It's freezing. Now, at 7 o' clock at night it's decided to be sunshine and blue skies! I found a little wee skink in the garden with its tail missing as usual. Was pretty slow. Probably sulking over this winter in spring as I am!!
Saturday, November 06, 2004
Military shoot at school!
Lautenberg Demands Action After F-16 Shoots Up School
Incident Happened On Training Mission
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Just In (Friday): Chopper 10 Photos Of Shell Holes In School's RoofThe photos show large holes in the roof. The holes are outlined in colored chalk, apparently as part of an investigation.The holes apparently came from the shells that were discharged into the school by a National Guard fighter flying 7,000 feet above and nearly 4 miles from the school.The school will now reopen on Monday after the incident, which made national headlines.Parents whose children attend the New Jersey intermediate school want answers after a National Guard jet fighter shot up the school during a practice run.
http://www.nbc10.com/news/3890831/detail.html
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Only 50% bad
On second thought, calm down and look again. It's only 50% bad. The rest looks like spring and there's even a lovely new face in the garden.
It's raining again
Look out the window and what do I see?? Winter!!! Rain, wind, grey skies AGAIN! I am sooooo fed up with this stupid , cold weather. It's November for heaven's sake.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
This one's for the artists.
I find myself full of platitudes and sayings. My response at the moment are the truisms of my life. I'll share them with you but ..and I won't say, at the end of the day...in the end, I think the artists are going to have to explain and interpret this current time on planet earth. Their art will be all revealing. All I can say is ...you can't always get what you want. Life wasn't meant to be easy. You win some, you lose some. Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. Appearances are deceiving. He who has the information has the power. May God have mercy on your little cotton socks. I am full of all these sayings. This is what is coming out of me today. Unbelievable. Mothering myself. If you can't beat them , join them. My automatic response to that is ...no way. But the saying which sticks is a Victorian one...it's not the knock at the door you need to worry about, it's the serpent which slithers under it. Nearly half of Australia didn't vote for Howard. Nearly half of America is not voting for Bush. For either of them to claim victory seems really odd to me. Mind you, I was never any good with maths. But I think the artists will understand it all and interpret it for me. I just don't get it. I keep hearing America is the most powerful nation in the world. What does that mean? A thousand million Chinese can't be wrong and a thousand million Indians have a point of view and collective voice. And then another saying comes to mind...there's safety in numbers. No man is an island. We are all one. See, they just keep coming!! So I'll ask a question. If size doesn't matter, what does?
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