Happy New Year! I hope all your dreams come to fulfilment and your resolutions take effect.
We decided to have a new car for 2014. The old Territory has done 248000 kms, is creaking at the joints and I had just been alerted to a $3000 job which needed to be done. Now that we have decided to keep the caravan for another 12 months at least, we were looking for a replacement tow vehicle. On the top of my wish list was a new Territory with a Diesel engine but I couldn't justify the cost, as the car might be redundant in a year's time when we might be looking for something smaller. So, we have purchased a late-model Territory with low kilometres. We had an inspection by the RACT, convinced the seller to give us new tyres and a new battery, have arranged to get the heavy duty towbar transferred from the old car to the new, and we start the year afresh.
The salesman was a classic, rubbing his hands together and complaining how little room he had for negotiation. It's all a con, of course, but when he trades in a vehicle, he is faced with expenses to get it ready for for sale: workshop costs of $130 per hour, detailing, $375 site fee in the car yard, and so on. He claims he had only $377 potential profit in the car we bought. My heart bleeds.
I asked him what he was doing for the New Year. Apparently, he and three mates are involved in a project to drink at every pub in Tasmania. This year, they are going to Marrawah, wherever that is. One of the four becomes the DD and the other three sample the wares and rate the establishment. They have one or two beers in each place and move on. I suppose everyone needs a hobby but this one seems particularly self-destructive.
New Year's Day in Launceston is rainy. Probably a day for relaxing and reading.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Christmas humour ....
Two ends of the humour spectrum heard today ....
What do you get if you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite!
What do you call Santa's little helpers? Subordinate Clauses!
What do you get if you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite!
What do you call Santa's little helpers? Subordinate Clauses!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Wednesday, December 25th ....
I hope everyone is having a great Christmas. We certainly are. Madi, Josh and Jamie are here with us, we've just polished off a platter of prawns and are getting ready to attack the roast dinner. This year, we're having lamb and ham, baked by Jamie in the barbecue. Can't wait.
The Archbishop of Brisbane will be a little anxious this afternoon after an unfortunate 15-second grab of his Christmas sermon on the ABC. He was criticising those who don't believe in Jesus because they can't see him. He used the analogy of Santa Claus, 'even though he can't be seen, children still believe he exists.' Um, not a very good analogy. There's a fatal flaw in your logic, Archbishop. Try harder next year.
We've been sitting outside enjoying the sunshine but it's not like Christmases of old. What's missing is the noise of children, playing in the streets with their new toys. Clearly, the new toys are for indoors and, apart from the occasional tweet, they're probably quite silent. There it is, the complaint of the grumpy old man - it's not like the old days.
The Archbishop of Brisbane will be a little anxious this afternoon after an unfortunate 15-second grab of his Christmas sermon on the ABC. He was criticising those who don't believe in Jesus because they can't see him. He used the analogy of Santa Claus, 'even though he can't be seen, children still believe he exists.' Um, not a very good analogy. There's a fatal flaw in your logic, Archbishop. Try harder next year.
We've been sitting outside enjoying the sunshine but it's not like Christmases of old. What's missing is the noise of children, playing in the streets with their new toys. Clearly, the new toys are for indoors and, apart from the occasional tweet, they're probably quite silent. There it is, the complaint of the grumpy old man - it's not like the old days.
Monday, December 23, 2013
Tuesday, December 24th ....
After 2000 years, it's getting harder to find an interesting way to say Merry Christmas but here's a new twist on an old theme.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Monday, December 23rd .....
There's at least one family who will have a miserable Christmas. A husband and wife were on the Rhapsody of the Seas on their way to Noumea at the end of last week, when the man fell overboard about 2 o'clock in the morning. His body was noticed in the water about 6 hours later. It's not as rare as you think, falling overboard. Another man dived from the rail of the Sun Princess in May, after an argument with his wife about where to have dinner. And, two Australians disappeared from a cruise ship in Boston Harbour recently. They might have to make wearing life jackets compulsory if this trend continues.
Listening to the radio this morning, and the announcer was lamenting about the demise of backyard cricket. Apparently, it's not because today's kids are bone-lazy and more interested in computer games; rather, it's because of the disappearance of backyards. As land becomes more expensive and houses bigger, back yards shrink. The special guests to comment on this phenomenon was an architect and, wait for it, the Director of the Institute for Backyard Studies. Ta-ra!
What an absolutely amazing find! The Institute for Backyard Studies was formed to explore Shed Culture and other themes of Blokiness. It makes short films, researches eccentric blokes (like Henry Hoke who invented the wooden magnet and the shearer's pizzle guard) and develops useless machines like the smoke ring generator unveiled at a recent expo at Carlton. Check out their website. I hope they get into education. If they ever start awarding degrees, the bloke who failed his MBA from Harvard might still,qualify for the MBS (Master of Backyard Studies). Apparently, the first principle of Shed culture is 'Never Throw Anything Out.'
The attached photo shows the inimitable Barry Morgan surrounded by a smoke ring.
Listening to the radio this morning, and the announcer was lamenting about the demise of backyard cricket. Apparently, it's not because today's kids are bone-lazy and more interested in computer games; rather, it's because of the disappearance of backyards. As land becomes more expensive and houses bigger, back yards shrink. The special guests to comment on this phenomenon was an architect and, wait for it, the Director of the Institute for Backyard Studies. Ta-ra!
What an absolutely amazing find! The Institute for Backyard Studies was formed to explore Shed Culture and other themes of Blokiness. It makes short films, researches eccentric blokes (like Henry Hoke who invented the wooden magnet and the shearer's pizzle guard) and develops useless machines like the smoke ring generator unveiled at a recent expo at Carlton. Check out their website. I hope they get into education. If they ever start awarding degrees, the bloke who failed his MBA from Harvard might still,qualify for the MBS (Master of Backyard Studies). Apparently, the first principle of Shed culture is 'Never Throw Anything Out.'
The attached photo shows the inimitable Barry Morgan surrounded by a smoke ring.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Sunday, December 15th ....
My brother put me on to Pinterest and, because I was browsing while watching the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special, I did a search to see whether anyone else was collecting stuff about the Doctor. Wow! I couldn't believe the amount of stuff there was. I can see I've found a whole new world of time-wasting opportunities.
My favourite 'companion' is Amelia Pond, the girl,who waited. If you don't follow the series, you'll have no idea what that means but, trust me, her story is fascinating. Also, she's Scottish and has red hair, so that's two ticks to start with.
David Tennant played Doctor #10 and by a strange coincidence his wife is the daughter of Doctor #5. We Dr Who tragics find that sort of stuff fascinating.
Dr Who is a phenomenon. The hero is a doctor, not an avenger nor a warrior. He is armed with a screwdriver, to fix things, rather than a gun to destroy things. It's the longest-running sci-fi series anywhere in the world. And it's made in Wales.
I've attached a couple of posters gleaned from the web. One, of course is Amelia; the other shows Doctors Numbers 5 and 10, father-in-law and son-in-law.
My favourite 'companion' is Amelia Pond, the girl,who waited. If you don't follow the series, you'll have no idea what that means but, trust me, her story is fascinating. Also, she's Scottish and has red hair, so that's two ticks to start with.
David Tennant played Doctor #10 and by a strange coincidence his wife is the daughter of Doctor #5. We Dr Who tragics find that sort of stuff fascinating.
Dr Who is a phenomenon. The hero is a doctor, not an avenger nor a warrior. He is armed with a screwdriver, to fix things, rather than a gun to destroy things. It's the longest-running sci-fi series anywhere in the world. And it's made in Wales.
I've attached a couple of posters gleaned from the web. One, of course is Amelia; the other shows Doctors Numbers 5 and 10, father-in-law and son-in-law.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Friday, December 13th ....
Looking back at the cruise on the Voyager, I have to say that there was a great deal to like about it. I would be very picky if I found any real fault. Sometimes, it was a bit crowded in the Promenade but the weather wasn't always good and people couldn't hang around the pool as they might have done otherwise. We were always able to find a quiet place to sit. The food was good and the crew worked hard to give us a memorable trip.
We had a few days in Wollongong after the cruise, checking up on Uncle Archie. We had a great day out in Gosford, traveling by train and having lunch at the Central Coast Leagues Club and enjoyed catching up with Robyn and Sandy and Janet. When we visit a big city, we see the drawbacks of Tassie life but the first sign of a hot day makes us think again.
The cruise gave us a chance to think about where we are in life and whether we need to make changes. It's clear there are some issues we're dealing with: our unit is unsatisfactory, the wine business is not shaping up as we thought, we're limited in the travel we can do, and so on. The 14 days of relaxation on the high seas gave us the impetus to face up to the problems and change our direction.
We realise that We're not as resilient as we were. The simple life is our goal and that ideal was far out of reach with the path we found ourselves on. I think it was Robert Frost who recommended to choose the path less trodden, so we have.
We've given notice that we'll be leaving the unit before Christmas, we've pulled out of the business and we feel liberated. Our short-term plans are to make no big decisions before Easter next year. We have a house-sitting job to do for January and will then travel in the van until our next cruise in early-March. Jamie is booked to fly to the Philippines on January 20th and will be away for a month. By May, we should be able to decide on where we live. In some ways, we feel we've outgrown Tasmania but who knows what the future might bring.
.
We had a few days in Wollongong after the cruise, checking up on Uncle Archie. We had a great day out in Gosford, traveling by train and having lunch at the Central Coast Leagues Club and enjoyed catching up with Robyn and Sandy and Janet. When we visit a big city, we see the drawbacks of Tassie life but the first sign of a hot day makes us think again.
The cruise gave us a chance to think about where we are in life and whether we need to make changes. It's clear there are some issues we're dealing with: our unit is unsatisfactory, the wine business is not shaping up as we thought, we're limited in the travel we can do, and so on. The 14 days of relaxation on the high seas gave us the impetus to face up to the problems and change our direction.
We realise that We're not as resilient as we were. The simple life is our goal and that ideal was far out of reach with the path we found ourselves on. I think it was Robert Frost who recommended to choose the path less trodden, so we have.
We've given notice that we'll be leaving the unit before Christmas, we've pulled out of the business and we feel liberated. Our short-term plans are to make no big decisions before Easter next year. We have a house-sitting job to do for January and will then travel in the van until our next cruise in early-March. Jamie is booked to fly to the Philippines on January 20th and will be away for a month. By May, we should be able to decide on where we live. In some ways, we feel we've outgrown Tasmania but who knows what the future might bring.
.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Friday, December 6th ....
The end is in sight and Marilyn has already packed her bag. I'm avoiding that task but will have to get on to it some time this afternoon. There's a matinee performance in the theatre at 1.30 but there should be plenty of time after that. Again, there's a crowd of people around the shops. Yesterday, there was to be another sale of watches in the evening but we couldn't sail until after 11pm so the sale was postponed until today. It's the third time that watches have been promoted but there seems to be as much demand no as there ever was.
We sailed late because the wind was too strong for us to get out of Port Philip Bay safely. Apparently, there are only a certain number of channels and the one allocated to us was too narrow to be used in windy conditions. The captain has put on a bit of speed and we are still expected to arrive in Sydney on time at 6am.
Last night's performers were the Aussie Boys, obviously based on the Jersey Boys but singing only Australian songs. I suspect it was one of these manufactured groups put together by a management company to fill a perceived niche. The Boys in the Band from the other night was very similar. The three young men were dressed in suits, like the Jersey Boys, but with no ties. Surprisingly, two of them had Roger David bum-freezers but the third one had a very nicely-cut suit which looked quite expensive. Not a very important observation but makes you think.
Later in the evening was The Quest! We first came across this on the Legend of the Seas. It's an adults-only scavenger hunt. The audience is divided into eight teams. Each team selects a male and a female captain. The cruise director calls out, one at a time, what they have to find: two business cards, five belts strung together, three different-coloured shoe laces, and so. It's hilarious as each team scrambles around trying to find the objects within the group. It gets even more hilarious when he asks for 2 men in the same pair of trousers, or five bras. No inhibitions here. One task was to provide the most unusual trick using the human body. One fellow claimed he could dislocate his hip, another turned his eyelids inside out. Our team won that quest because one of our team could wrap her legs behind her head. Creepy! We finished up by transforming one of our male team into a female, no trousers, accessorised, and made up. Just like the Footy Show. Why do some men enjoy pretending to be ugly women?
Our team won, by the way.
We sailed late because the wind was too strong for us to get out of Port Philip Bay safely. Apparently, there are only a certain number of channels and the one allocated to us was too narrow to be used in windy conditions. The captain has put on a bit of speed and we are still expected to arrive in Sydney on time at 6am.
Last night's performers were the Aussie Boys, obviously based on the Jersey Boys but singing only Australian songs. I suspect it was one of these manufactured groups put together by a management company to fill a perceived niche. The Boys in the Band from the other night was very similar. The three young men were dressed in suits, like the Jersey Boys, but with no ties. Surprisingly, two of them had Roger David bum-freezers but the third one had a very nicely-cut suit which looked quite expensive. Not a very important observation but makes you think.
Later in the evening was The Quest! We first came across this on the Legend of the Seas. It's an adults-only scavenger hunt. The audience is divided into eight teams. Each team selects a male and a female captain. The cruise director calls out, one at a time, what they have to find: two business cards, five belts strung together, three different-coloured shoe laces, and so. It's hilarious as each team scrambles around trying to find the objects within the group. It gets even more hilarious when he asks for 2 men in the same pair of trousers, or five bras. No inhibitions here. One task was to provide the most unusual trick using the human body. One fellow claimed he could dislocate his hip, another turned his eyelids inside out. Our team won that quest because one of our team could wrap her legs behind her head. Creepy! We finished up by transforming one of our male team into a female, no trousers, accessorised, and made up. Just like the Footy Show. Why do some men enjoy pretending to be ugly women?
Our team won, by the way.
Thursday, December 5th ....
We had an uneventful day on Wednesday, sailing across the Tasman Sea. There were lots of birds: albatrosses, fulmars and shearwaters particularly, but the weather was miserable and most people (except the smokers) stayed inside. The smokers have been allocated the starboard sides of Decks 4, 11 and 12. This seems a lot and is a nuisance if you want to walk around the deck. There aren't too many smokers but they spread out and claim their territory so making a circuit is like running the gauntlet. One throwback smokes cigars so he is certainly one to avoid.
The Wednesday night act was an impressionist, singing like Frank and Sammy and so on - a bit trite but he had a nice patter to go with it. To make sure we got the message, pictures of the artists flashed up on a screen behind him. Then, all of a sudden, the pictures changed to cute babies. Not another one! We'd already suffered this indulgence from Colleen a few nights before and now a bloke is playing the same sentimental card! It turned out that he was Colleen's husband and it was the same precious baby. Who needs it!
Anyway, we survived this and looked forward to Melbourne where we had decided that we would get off, no matter what. The weather was pretty ordinary but we got out our jumpers and rain jackets and set off. The first trial was to line up, with hundreds of others to buy a Miki ticket. It seems you can't buy a ticket on a tram anymore, so we handed over $7 each for a Seniors Visitors Pass. It only costs $2.50 for a day ticket in NSW so we felt a bit ripped off. There were literally hundreds of people trying to get on the tram. The Diamond Princess was also in dock so there were probably 5000 people trying to get into the city, with no extra trams put on.
Eventually, it was our turn and we scrambled aboard, even finding a seat. Opposite us was a couple from Tamworth, travelling on the Diamond. They hadn't bothered with a ticket, realising that no one would be checking in the bunrush. They really didn't know where they were going so we steered them to Bourke Street. Later on, we were standing in the rain, waiting for a 109 tram to take us back to the ship, when we saw them on a 112, heading for St Kilda. Clearly they had got on the wrong tram, and it serves them right. Country bumpkins, trying to cheat the system!
I felt for the international visitors, expecting some Australian sunshine, but we know how fickle the Melbourne weather can be and weren't surprised. It was nice to get back to the ship for a bowl of hot soup.
The Wednesday night act was an impressionist, singing like Frank and Sammy and so on - a bit trite but he had a nice patter to go with it. To make sure we got the message, pictures of the artists flashed up on a screen behind him. Then, all of a sudden, the pictures changed to cute babies. Not another one! We'd already suffered this indulgence from Colleen a few nights before and now a bloke is playing the same sentimental card! It turned out that he was Colleen's husband and it was the same precious baby. Who needs it!
Anyway, we survived this and looked forward to Melbourne where we had decided that we would get off, no matter what. The weather was pretty ordinary but we got out our jumpers and rain jackets and set off. The first trial was to line up, with hundreds of others to buy a Miki ticket. It seems you can't buy a ticket on a tram anymore, so we handed over $7 each for a Seniors Visitors Pass. It only costs $2.50 for a day ticket in NSW so we felt a bit ripped off. There were literally hundreds of people trying to get on the tram. The Diamond Princess was also in dock so there were probably 5000 people trying to get into the city, with no extra trams put on.
Eventually, it was our turn and we scrambled aboard, even finding a seat. Opposite us was a couple from Tamworth, travelling on the Diamond. They hadn't bothered with a ticket, realising that no one would be checking in the bunrush. They really didn't know where they were going so we steered them to Bourke Street. Later on, we were standing in the rain, waiting for a 109 tram to take us back to the ship, when we saw them on a 112, heading for St Kilda. Clearly they had got on the wrong tram, and it serves them right. Country bumpkins, trying to cheat the system!
I felt for the international visitors, expecting some Australian sunshine, but we know how fickle the Melbourne weather can be and weren't surprised. It was nice to get back to the ship for a bowl of hot soup.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Tuesday, December 3rd ....
Yesterday, was the day for visiting Milford Sound, which is always a highlight. First, though, we sailed into Dusk and Doubtful,Sounds while the pilot told us about the history and geology of the area. His title is Fiordland Pilot and he seems to relish his job. On Saturday, he sailed through the Sounds on Pacific Pearl, then sailed around to Dunedin with them to meet up with us.
We've been lucky; on 5 trips to Milford Sound the weather has always been wonderful, and it is a glorious place if the sun is shining. No doubt, the international passengers on our ship will take away wonderful memories of NZ. We overheard a conversation behind us between an exasperated man and his confused wife. She couldn't understand the concept of a pilot, and did he belong to the ship, and which government paid his wages. And, if we are still in New Zealand, why is this called Melbourne Sound? The clincher was her question, how does the pilot get on and off the ship? They have stairs! was the reply through clenched teeth.
Another very good show last night with the singers and dancers in a production called Music in Pictures. Sunday night's show is best forgotten; I've seen better school productions. Today, we were treated to the Ice Odyssey. The ice rink is 60 feet x 40 feet and there are 11 skaters in the cast. It was spectacular and, when you consider we're on a ship, nothing less that amazing. They had five presentations of the same show over a few days because they can only seat 6 or 700 around the but, of course, it means that everyone has a good seat.
Our next port is Melbourne, on Thursday, then up the coast to arrive in Sydney on Saturday morning. All is going well.
We've been lucky; on 5 trips to Milford Sound the weather has always been wonderful, and it is a glorious place if the sun is shining. No doubt, the international passengers on our ship will take away wonderful memories of NZ. We overheard a conversation behind us between an exasperated man and his confused wife. She couldn't understand the concept of a pilot, and did he belong to the ship, and which government paid his wages. And, if we are still in New Zealand, why is this called Melbourne Sound? The clincher was her question, how does the pilot get on and off the ship? They have stairs! was the reply through clenched teeth.
Another very good show last night with the singers and dancers in a production called Music in Pictures. Sunday night's show is best forgotten; I've seen better school productions. Today, we were treated to the Ice Odyssey. The ice rink is 60 feet x 40 feet and there are 11 skaters in the cast. It was spectacular and, when you consider we're on a ship, nothing less that amazing. They had five presentations of the same show over a few days because they can only seat 6 or 700 around the but, of course, it means that everyone has a good seat.
Our next port is Melbourne, on Thursday, then up the coast to arrive in Sydney on Saturday morning. All is going well.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Sunday, December 1st ...
We never did get into Dunedin today. By 12 the captain announced that today was now, officially, a Sea Day and a beefed-up program of activities was now available. Quite impressive, in the circumstances.
Marilyn and I lined up to watch Man of Steel in 3D and were exhausted at the end of it. It's hard work, saving the world but I think it was the extraordinary noise and unbelievable destruction which tired us out. I hope everyone who sees the film understands that it is fantasy and mass- destruction is not an answer to every problem. Somehow, though, I suspect there are people who take it seriously.
So, we're heading now to Milford and the other sounds on the SW coast. This is always a favourite part of the cruise and we hope the weather is kinder to us.
Marilyn and I lined up to watch Man of Steel in 3D and were exhausted at the end of it. It's hard work, saving the world but I think it was the extraordinary noise and unbelievable destruction which tired us out. I hope everyone who sees the film understands that it is fantasy and mass- destruction is not an answer to every problem. Somehow, though, I suspect there are people who take it seriously.
So, we're heading now to Milford and the other sounds on the SW coast. This is always a favourite part of the cruise and we hope the weather is kinder to us.
Sunday, December 1st ....
It's almost 11am and we're sitting off Otago Bay waiting for the wind to die down so we can head in to our berth at Port Chalmers. The captain says the wind is gusting up to 70 knots and it's just too dangerous at the moment. There's a container ship off to port, also waiting for a break. The Pacific Pearl has already left. Our captain has said, smugly, that the Pearl doesn't have the manoeuvrability to cope with this situation so they're off looking for calmer conditions.
Meanwhile, we wait. Those who've booked on day excursions are starting to fidget. It looks like their day is ruined. And, of course, the locals can see their anticipated profits blowing in the wind. Apparently, Dunedin is having its Christmas Parade today and a lot of our passengers were looking forward to seeing it. I can't imagine why.
Last night we were treated to an Australian singer called Colleen Austen - brassy, big voice but quite a good act. I don't understand why some singers think it's appropriate to show pictures of their children and relate, breathlessly, how they met their husband. But Colleen did.
She sang songs made famous by female singers: Dionne Warwick, Helen Reddy, Shania Twain (OMG!) etc but her best medley was songs by Dusty Springfield. A bit too much screeching for my taste but the songs are fantastic. In one Burt Bacharach song, she couldn't quite reach in high note. She gave it a good try and each time she missed it she muttered under her breath 'Close.' But, all-in-all, a good performance.
One interesting story she told was about how she got on this ship. She flew to Singapore and joined the Radiance of the Seas, got off somewhere and joined Rhapsody, off at Port Hedland and flew to Sydney for a Queensland cruise, off at Brisbane and flew to Wellington to join Voyager. What a life!
We've passed the halfway mark of the cruise. We've eaten well, been entertained well, won trivia (just once and with a score of only 12) and we're very relaxed. As always, we've made resolutions for the future - to simplify our lives, avoid taking on more responsibility and make more time for ourselves. Let's hope it works this time
Meanwhile, we wait. Those who've booked on day excursions are starting to fidget. It looks like their day is ruined. And, of course, the locals can see their anticipated profits blowing in the wind. Apparently, Dunedin is having its Christmas Parade today and a lot of our passengers were looking forward to seeing it. I can't imagine why.
Last night we were treated to an Australian singer called Colleen Austen - brassy, big voice but quite a good act. I don't understand why some singers think it's appropriate to show pictures of their children and relate, breathlessly, how they met their husband. But Colleen did.
She sang songs made famous by female singers: Dionne Warwick, Helen Reddy, Shania Twain (OMG!) etc but her best medley was songs by Dusty Springfield. A bit too much screeching for my taste but the songs are fantastic. In one Burt Bacharach song, she couldn't quite reach in high note. She gave it a good try and each time she missed it she muttered under her breath 'Close.' But, all-in-all, a good performance.
One interesting story she told was about how she got on this ship. She flew to Singapore and joined the Radiance of the Seas, got off somewhere and joined Rhapsody, off at Port Hedland and flew to Sydney for a Queensland cruise, off at Brisbane and flew to Wellington to join Voyager. What a life!
We've passed the halfway mark of the cruise. We've eaten well, been entertained well, won trivia (just once and with a score of only 12) and we're very relaxed. As always, we've made resolutions for the future - to simplify our lives, avoid taking on more responsibility and make more time for ourselves. Let's hope it works this time
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Friday, November 29th ....
Each morning, very early, one of the elves on the ship comes around and changes a piece of the carpet in each lift to signify the day of the week. It's a brilliant idea, as it is too easy to lose track. Yesterday, our lift showed it was Thursday but there was a rumour doing the rounds that at least one of the lifts at the front of the ship thought it was Friday.
The elves had also been busy in other areas. Overnight, a huge Christmas tree appeared in the Promenade. At least 20 feet high, it towered over everything. So, this week we're celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas. It's all a bit much!
We're in Wellington today; it's a beautiful day, sunny but windy. Out itinerary is a bit odd. We didn't arrive in Tauranga until 2pm, in Napier at 3, and Wellington at 10am. We're used to arriving about 7am and leaving about 5, and we're not sure why this ship is different. In any case, it doesn't bother us. We haven't been ashore yet and probably won't be in Dunedin either.
The elves had also been busy in other areas. Overnight, a huge Christmas tree appeared in the Promenade. At least 20 feet high, it towered over everything. So, this week we're celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukah and Christmas. It's all a bit much!
We're in Wellington today; it's a beautiful day, sunny but windy. Out itinerary is a bit odd. We didn't arrive in Tauranga until 2pm, in Napier at 3, and Wellington at 10am. We're used to arriving about 7am and leaving about 5, and we're not sure why this ship is different. In any case, it doesn't bother us. We haven't been ashore yet and probably won't be in Dunedin either.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Wednesday, November 27th....
Day 5 and we woke more relaxed than we've been for ages. Marilyn had ordered breakfast through room service so we took it slowly. It's now 11 o'clock and I'm having coffee in the Promenade cafe while Marilyn is catching up on her sleep. My job is to wake her at 12 for lunch, in between peeling grapes and buying her champagne.
We're in Tauranga and there's almost no one left on board. Even those who don't pay for shore excursions have walked down the gangway for a wander in town. It's nice not to have to deal with the inevitable crowds that come with over 3000 passengers. And some of the passengers are so big. It's unfair to criticise but the cause of slimness is not helped by the offerings in the buffet. Yesterday, among all the healthier options, you could still get hamburgers, ribs, fried chicken and pizza, the four American food groups.
The food, of course is fantastic. Of course, you can overeat if you want to but if you have discipline or a dedicated wife, you can eat very well. And we do.
This promenade on the ship is a very nice feature. It puts all the shops together to maximise the selling potential but also has good cafes, a pub, music and so on. I've attached a few photos of this area.
We're in Tauranga and there's almost no one left on board. Even those who don't pay for shore excursions have walked down the gangway for a wander in town. It's nice not to have to deal with the inevitable crowds that come with over 3000 passengers. And some of the passengers are so big. It's unfair to criticise but the cause of slimness is not helped by the offerings in the buffet. Yesterday, among all the healthier options, you could still get hamburgers, ribs, fried chicken and pizza, the four American food groups.
The food, of course is fantastic. Of course, you can overeat if you want to but if you have discipline or a dedicated wife, you can eat very well. And we do.
This promenade on the ship is a very nice feature. It puts all the shops together to maximise the selling potential but also has good cafes, a pub, music and so on. I've attached a few photos of this area.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Tuesday, November 26th ....
Fun can be found in observing one's fellow-man and delight abounds in analysing him.. That's a pseudo-quote; I just made it up but it does sum up one of the joys of cruising. Humanity is a motley collection of individuals and cruising seems to release some inhibitions and many people show their true colours.
One of the people in this afternoon's quiz was certainly one of those. The quizmaster warned us that some of the questions could be tricky. 'My maiden name's Trickey,' this woman called out, 'and my initial is 'B'. I couldn't wait to get married and I chose a man called Earley. '
"You must have a hundred stories about that,' said the quizmaster. 'Oh, don't start her,' said her husband.
Later in the quiz, we were asked, 'How many bones in the human vertebra?' The answer is 26 but Mrs B Earley informed us loudly that she has an extra one, and so do all her sons. 'Does anyone else want to share secrets about their bodies?' asked the QM.
It's 3pm and we've just arrived in Auckland. It's a bit overcast but we might go off for a stroll. We sail at 10pm but we'll come back quickly to enjoy the ship when there are only a few other passengers.
One of the people in this afternoon's quiz was certainly one of those. The quizmaster warned us that some of the questions could be tricky. 'My maiden name's Trickey,' this woman called out, 'and my initial is 'B'. I couldn't wait to get married and I chose a man called Earley. '
"You must have a hundred stories about that,' said the quizmaster. 'Oh, don't start her,' said her husband.
Later in the quiz, we were asked, 'How many bones in the human vertebra?' The answer is 26 but Mrs B Earley informed us loudly that she has an extra one, and so do all her sons. 'Does anyone else want to share secrets about their bodies?' asked the QM.
It's 3pm and we've just arrived in Auckland. It's a bit overcast but we might go off for a stroll. We sail at 10pm but we'll come back quickly to enjoy the ship when there are only a few other passengers.
Monday, November 25th .....
It's my father's birthday today; if he had lived, he would have been 95. And I think he would have loved this ship and felt right at home. It's extraordinary that, among the handful of passengers we've spoken to, two couples were from Scotland. Last night, a young man wore a kilt for formal night. They're everywhere.
We had a quiet day today: we spent an hour or so at the Art auction but didn't do much else. What a load of rubbish was offered as fine art - several paintings featured olives washing cars and so on, like a bunch of alien M & Ms. Who would want it? One patron with too much money and too little taste bought a metal creation showing a naked female (back view) clearly born with no shoulder blades. Over $8000 to buy it and $295 dollars to ship it home.
At 5 o'clock, we were invited to the frequent floaters reception at Studio B. On Royal Caribbean, it's called the Crown and Anchor Society. We were amazed that Studio B is an ice rink, with bleacher seats. We envisaged the captain coming out on skates to greet us but, instead, we were treated to an ice show. Very good skaters from places like Slovenia, France and Germany did lifts and jumps and so on. Great stuff. From tomorrow, we can hire skates and set out on the ice ourselves. Or not!
We, again, went to the evening show, this time called Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme. Some good stuff but mostly the songs were belted out, which brought some to their feet but left us cold. Last night spoiled us; any show will pale by comparison (or is 'pall by comparison? Who cares? The Grammar Ninja is on holiday)
We had a quiet day today: we spent an hour or so at the Art auction but didn't do much else. What a load of rubbish was offered as fine art - several paintings featured olives washing cars and so on, like a bunch of alien M & Ms. Who would want it? One patron with too much money and too little taste bought a metal creation showing a naked female (back view) clearly born with no shoulder blades. Over $8000 to buy it and $295 dollars to ship it home.
At 5 o'clock, we were invited to the frequent floaters reception at Studio B. On Royal Caribbean, it's called the Crown and Anchor Society. We were amazed that Studio B is an ice rink, with bleacher seats. We envisaged the captain coming out on skates to greet us but, instead, we were treated to an ice show. Very good skaters from places like Slovenia, France and Germany did lifts and jumps and so on. Great stuff. From tomorrow, we can hire skates and set out on the ice ourselves. Or not!
We, again, went to the evening show, this time called Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme. Some good stuff but mostly the songs were belted out, which brought some to their feet but left us cold. Last night spoiled us; any show will pale by comparison (or is 'pall by comparison? Who cares? The Grammar Ninja is on holiday)
Monday, November 25th ....
It's Day 3 and we're well into the Cruise. After a very stressful beginning to our holiday it's great to feel so relaxed. We had booked to fly to Sydney on the 9.25am flight from Launceston, arrive in Sydney by 11, short train trip the Quay and book in by lunchtime for a 7pm departure. I just ignored the gentle whispers from Marilyn that she would rather travel the night before and stay overnight in Sydney. What could go wrong?
It was the 6am text from Jetstar which set the cat among the pigeons. Your flight has been delayed until 1.10pm, arriving in Sydney about 3pm. All of a sudden, we were cutting it fine. I rang Jetstar, spoke to a nice girl in Manila who booked us on a flight at 11.20. This wasn't on the schedule but she assured me it was genuine and that was that. Not good enough, said Marilyn, we need to go the airport, now.
As you can imagine, the airport was packed with delayed passengers trying to get organised, but we did manage to discover we were still booked on the 1.10, which was now 1.50 and could even be later. The 11.20 is only going to Melbourne, anyway. Blood pressure is rising. Marilyn is saying: We should have .... Doesn't help.
However, here we are. Everything was all right in the end; there was an earlier flight and we were in our cabin by 4.30. The ship didn't leave until nearly 9 so we had nothing to worry about.
The ship is spectacular. I was ready not to like it - too big, too brash, too American but my fears were unjustified. The indoor promenade is wonderful, the atmosphere is great and all is good. We are booked in to the Carmen dining room which is the bottom level of a three-tier dining complex. The food is great, drinks not too expensive and plenty of things to do.
Last night, we saw one of the best shows we've ever seen. The Boys in the Band sing songs from the Four Seasons, Beatles, Bee Gees and any other boy groups you can imagine. It is fantastic, reminiscent of The Jersey Boys show, with the extra benefit of the other groups. I particularly loved the tight choreography, very stylised and slick.
After that, we ended up in the Schooner Bar and listened to a pianist, Katia, until the early hours. I thought she was Russian but she was as Australian as you or me, or maybe even more than me. She took requests and played Khe San and It's a Long Way to the Top with no trouble. I requested Piano Man and something from Adele. Wow! Her versions were unbelievable. She played Skyfall brilliantly and had to play it again, so many people enjoyed it. She's already getting a regular following and we certainly intend to spend our evenings in that bar.
It's raining outside but we are reclining in comfort, enjoying the lack of responsibility. Life is good.
It was the 6am text from Jetstar which set the cat among the pigeons. Your flight has been delayed until 1.10pm, arriving in Sydney about 3pm. All of a sudden, we were cutting it fine. I rang Jetstar, spoke to a nice girl in Manila who booked us on a flight at 11.20. This wasn't on the schedule but she assured me it was genuine and that was that. Not good enough, said Marilyn, we need to go the airport, now.
As you can imagine, the airport was packed with delayed passengers trying to get organised, but we did manage to discover we were still booked on the 1.10, which was now 1.50 and could even be later. The 11.20 is only going to Melbourne, anyway. Blood pressure is rising. Marilyn is saying: We should have .... Doesn't help.
However, here we are. Everything was all right in the end; there was an earlier flight and we were in our cabin by 4.30. The ship didn't leave until nearly 9 so we had nothing to worry about.
The ship is spectacular. I was ready not to like it - too big, too brash, too American but my fears were unjustified. The indoor promenade is wonderful, the atmosphere is great and all is good. We are booked in to the Carmen dining room which is the bottom level of a three-tier dining complex. The food is great, drinks not too expensive and plenty of things to do.
Last night, we saw one of the best shows we've ever seen. The Boys in the Band sing songs from the Four Seasons, Beatles, Bee Gees and any other boy groups you can imagine. It is fantastic, reminiscent of The Jersey Boys show, with the extra benefit of the other groups. I particularly loved the tight choreography, very stylised and slick.
After that, we ended up in the Schooner Bar and listened to a pianist, Katia, until the early hours. I thought she was Russian but she was as Australian as you or me, or maybe even more than me. She took requests and played Khe San and It's a Long Way to the Top with no trouble. I requested Piano Man and something from Adele. Wow! Her versions were unbelievable. She played Skyfall brilliantly and had to play it again, so many people enjoyed it. She's already getting a regular following and we certainly intend to spend our evenings in that bar.
It's raining outside but we are reclining in comfort, enjoying the lack of responsibility. Life is good.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Tuesday, November 19th ....
It was Probus this morning, with the guest speaker talking about growing up on a snake farm in Africa. It was interesting and he talked about snakes he had met and the time the Royal Family had visited the farm. At the end of the talk, he invited questions and the hands shot up. That's good, I thought, they must have enjoyed it and wanted to know more.
Not so! Everybody just wanted to tell their own snake story. I imagine nobody listened to the tale and were just waiting their turn to take the floor. Even the fellow in front of me, who snoozed through the whole thing had his hand up. 'That'll be you in a few years time,' said my darling wife.
The meetings are a delight because the old fellows seem to save up their comments and jokes until the meeting and can't wait to get them out. The fellow who slept was bursting to tell an off-colour joke and was surprised when the ladies sat po-faced and didn't laugh.
The attached picture is my official photo in the 10000 Tasmanians project. The Japanese photographer taking the shots is making an archive of what Tasmanians look like today and, in 100 years time, people will look at it in wonder. I know when I look at photographs of my ancestors, they are a different race.
Not so! Everybody just wanted to tell their own snake story. I imagine nobody listened to the tale and were just waiting their turn to take the floor. Even the fellow in front of me, who snoozed through the whole thing had his hand up. 'That'll be you in a few years time,' said my darling wife.
The meetings are a delight because the old fellows seem to save up their comments and jokes until the meeting and can't wait to get them out. The fellow who slept was bursting to tell an off-colour joke and was surprised when the ladies sat po-faced and didn't laugh.
The attached picture is my official photo in the 10000 Tasmanians project. The Japanese photographer taking the shots is making an archive of what Tasmanians look like today and, in 100 years time, people will look at it in wonder. I know when I look at photographs of my ancestors, they are a different race.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Monday, November 18th ....
We've felt a bit flat after the Craft Fair and need a shake before we start the busy winemaking season . Anyway, that's our excuse for booking a cruise. It's the Voyager of the Seas, leaving Sydney on Saturday next, 23rd November. We're not sure what cabin we will end up in but she'll be right.
What an extraordinary ship it is. When she was built, she was the largest cruise ship in the world. The heart of the ship is an indoor promenade or mall with shops, cafes and even a pub, The Pig and Whistle. There will be over 3000 passengers. Can't wait!
We arrive back on December 7th and expect that Jamie and Pamela will have already made the Elderflower Wine. The flowers are starting to appear around town and should be at their best in about two weeks. We only have a dozen or so bottles left from last season so the new vintage will be welcome.
What an extraordinary ship it is. When she was built, she was the largest cruise ship in the world. The heart of the ship is an indoor promenade or mall with shops, cafes and even a pub, The Pig and Whistle. There will be over 3000 passengers. Can't wait!
We arrive back on December 7th and expect that Jamie and Pamela will have already made the Elderflower Wine. The flowers are starting to appear around town and should be at their best in about two weeks. We only have a dozen or so bottles left from last season so the new vintage will be welcome.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Friday, November 15th ....
I've just been watching a repeat of a Spicks and Specks episode from 2007, where they finished with a clip of the Finnish Men's Shouting Choir. What a fantastic clip! It started with a man in a suit marching across the ice towards a huge ice-breaker. Another twenty or so other men joined him, lined up and waited for him to begin conducting.
It was almost musical but the close-ups were wonderful. Unshaven faces with odd hairstyles and yellow teeth were not particularly pretty and the effort of shouting made them even uglier. Maybe we should have a shouting choir in Tasmania. All we need is a frozen sea and an ice-breaker.
It was almost musical but the close-ups were wonderful. Unshaven faces with odd hairstyles and yellow teeth were not particularly pretty and the effort of shouting made them even uglier. Maybe we should have a shouting choir in Tasmania. All we need is a frozen sea and an ice-breaker.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Wednesday, November 13th ....
At our meeting last night, we had a short debrief of the Craft Fair. We ran out of time and several members feel they were short-changed so we'll have to set more time aside later. Every year we have this process and every year we hear the same comments. However, there are always some important issues among the dross, so it's a worthwhile exercise.
There are always some funny stories, too and this year was no exception. Like, the one about the duck, followed by a string of ducklings, which tried to cross the road at the peak of traffic congestion. Tim, the lollipop man, stopped all traffic and ushered the ducks safely across, even helping the ducklings traverse the high kerb on the other side.
One of the best stories is about the local radio which we play over the PA system. For some reason, the programs arranged for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning were totally inappropriate. I know that some people might like nostalgic replays of old British comedy songs, but not at the Craft Fair. The icing on the cake was when the RSL Pipe Band were preparing for their performance and Andy Stewart bellowed over the PA, 'Donald, Where's your Troosers?'
You couldn't script it.
There are always some funny stories, too and this year was no exception. Like, the one about the duck, followed by a string of ducklings, which tried to cross the road at the peak of traffic congestion. Tim, the lollipop man, stopped all traffic and ushered the ducks safely across, even helping the ducklings traverse the high kerb on the other side.
One of the best stories is about the local radio which we play over the PA system. For some reason, the programs arranged for Sunday afternoon and Monday morning were totally inappropriate. I know that some people might like nostalgic replays of old British comedy songs, but not at the Craft Fair. The icing on the cake was when the RSL Pipe Band were preparing for their performance and Andy Stewart bellowed over the PA, 'Donald, Where's your Troosers?'
You couldn't script it.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Saturday, November 9th ....
On the Saturday of the Craft Fair, we had the Awards Presentation. It started at 6.30 and one of the late-comers mentioned that the police were setting up an RBT at the corner of the street leading up to the venue. What a cheek! Clearly, we were being targeted because the set-up would not have caught anyone else.
I did tell everyone at the start of the evening but they all forgot and there were one or two a bit unsure of whether they might be in trouble. One of the judges was particularly worried so I suggested Marilyn walk her up to the next street, and I would drive her car around to pick her up. (It's called 'compounding a felony'). All went well, I was duly breath-tested, allowed to drive on and delivered the car to her.
Marilyn and I walked back to our car and joined the back of the line waiting to be tested. 'What if he recognises you?' said Marilyn. 'Don't worry, I'll put on my glasses', I said. (Works for Clark Kent!). We drove up, rolled down the window. 'Good evening, sir. Just blow in here. Hang on, you were here a few minutes ago.'
It's a bugger being recognisable.
To make matters worse, we were heading out to the Raspberry Farm for dinner. On the way back, the RBT station had been moved to the top roundabout in Deloraine, and we all got caught again. Luckily, we had Martin driving and he hasn't had a drink in 20 years. It's a shame, though, that the police obviously knew our plans and set out deliberately to catch a rogue Rotarian or two.
I did tell everyone at the start of the evening but they all forgot and there were one or two a bit unsure of whether they might be in trouble. One of the judges was particularly worried so I suggested Marilyn walk her up to the next street, and I would drive her car around to pick her up. (It's called 'compounding a felony'). All went well, I was duly breath-tested, allowed to drive on and delivered the car to her.
Marilyn and I walked back to our car and joined the back of the line waiting to be tested. 'What if he recognises you?' said Marilyn. 'Don't worry, I'll put on my glasses', I said. (Works for Clark Kent!). We drove up, rolled down the window. 'Good evening, sir. Just blow in here. Hang on, you were here a few minutes ago.'
It's a bugger being recognisable.
To make matters worse, we were heading out to the Raspberry Farm for dinner. On the way back, the RBT station had been moved to the top roundabout in Deloraine, and we all got caught again. Luckily, we had Martin driving and he hasn't had a drink in 20 years. It's a shame, though, that the police obviously knew our plans and set out deliberately to catch a rogue Rotarian or two.
Friday, November 8th ....
Instead of stories about the Fair, let me tell you about a special fund-raising event at Rotary. It was called Pasta, Plonk and Poetry. I wrote a poem for the occasion but the plaudits went to our Rotary District Governor and his wife who narrated The Ballad of Barry and Freda, first performed by Victoria Wood on her Christmas Show in 2009. Here's a little bit. If you don't know it, you'll find it on YouTube.
Freda and Barry sat one night.
The sky was clear.
The stars were bright.
The wind was soft.
The moon was up.
Freda drained her cocoa cup.
She licked her lips.
She felt sublime.
She switched off Gardeners' Question Time.
Barry cringed in fear and dread
As Freda grabbed his tie, and said:
Let's do it!
Let's do it,
Do it while the mood is right!
I'm feeling
Appealing
I've really got an appetite.
I'm on fire
With desire.
I could handle half the tenors in a male voice choir.
Let's do it!
Let's do it tonight!
But he said:
I can't do it.
I can't do it.
I don't believe in too much sex.
This fashion
For passion
Turns us into nervous wrecks.
No derision!
My decision
I'd rather watch The Spinners on the television.
I can't do it.
I can't do it tonight.
.... And so on.
Freda and Barry sat one night.
The sky was clear.
The stars were bright.
The wind was soft.
The moon was up.
Freda drained her cocoa cup.
She licked her lips.
She felt sublime.
She switched off Gardeners' Question Time.
Barry cringed in fear and dread
As Freda grabbed his tie, and said:
Let's do it!
Let's do it,
Do it while the mood is right!
I'm feeling
Appealing
I've really got an appetite.
I'm on fire
With desire.
I could handle half the tenors in a male voice choir.
Let's do it!
Let's do it tonight!
But he said:
I can't do it.
I can't do it.
I don't believe in too much sex.
This fashion
For passion
Turns us into nervous wrecks.
No derision!
My decision
I'd rather watch The Spinners on the television.
I can't do it.
I can't do it tonight.
.... And so on.
Friday, November 8th ....
I thought I might relate a few anecdotes about the Fair but they would have little interest for anyone but Rotarians so I won't bother. At our final-night dinner, we had lots of stories and much laughter but you would need to have been there to enjoy it.
Jamie organised a stall for Tasmanian Specialty Wines and made a few dollars. Madi and Josh helped out as well. The icing on the cake was an order for about 150 bottles of wine to put in Christmas Hampers. At last, there's money coming in.
Our friends Sue and Martin arrived for a visit the night before the Fair started. I dragged them along to a couple of evening functions so we could spend some time with them and that was great. I think Martin particularly enjoyed meeting the Premier; he certainly spent some time talking to her. They've gone off for a couple of days and we expect them back about Monday, when we can give them our full attention.
Last year, I celebrated the end of the Craft Fair by buying myself an iPad. This year, I bought a new e-reader. Marilyn has taken to borrowing my old one, leaving me to read on the iPad. This is great, of course, but I found that the battery was running out at the wrong moment so I've invested in a proper reader. JB HiFi were selling the Sony Mk 2 for $99 and I can't resist a bargain. It's a more elegant machine than the Mk 1 so I'm happy with it.
Jamie organised a stall for Tasmanian Specialty Wines and made a few dollars. Madi and Josh helped out as well. The icing on the cake was an order for about 150 bottles of wine to put in Christmas Hampers. At last, there's money coming in.
Our friends Sue and Martin arrived for a visit the night before the Fair started. I dragged them along to a couple of evening functions so we could spend some time with them and that was great. I think Martin particularly enjoyed meeting the Premier; he certainly spent some time talking to her. They've gone off for a couple of days and we expect them back about Monday, when we can give them our full attention.
Last year, I celebrated the end of the Craft Fair by buying myself an iPad. This year, I bought a new e-reader. Marilyn has taken to borrowing my old one, leaving me to read on the iPad. This is great, of course, but I found that the battery was running out at the wrong moment so I've invested in a proper reader. JB HiFi were selling the Sony Mk 2 for $99 and I can't resist a bargain. It's a more elegant machine than the Mk 1 so I'm happy with it.
Friday, November 8th
The past three weeks have been a blur, with the Craft Fair becoming an all-consuming monster. There's a lot that can only be done in the last few days so I didn't have much time to keep the blog up to date, what with painting and building stalls and answering interminable phone calls.
But we've survived and can now focus on getting our lives back into a more normal routine.
The Fair becomes more and more complicated. This year, we added regular Facebook and Twitter updates to the normal demands and seemed to deal with about twice the normal requests for media interviews. On Monday, I was relieving the regular parking Marshall when WIN TV turned up for some comments. I duly complied, with one eye watching to see what mess the drivers were making in trying to find a spot for their vehicle. Oh, the price of fame!
Anyway, the Fair was a great success and I can hand over the reins to my successor on a good note.
But we've survived and can now focus on getting our lives back into a more normal routine.
The Fair becomes more and more complicated. This year, we added regular Facebook and Twitter updates to the normal demands and seemed to deal with about twice the normal requests for media interviews. On Monday, I was relieving the regular parking Marshall when WIN TV turned up for some comments. I duly complied, with one eye watching to see what mess the drivers were making in trying to find a spot for their vehicle. Oh, the price of fame!
Anyway, the Fair was a great success and I can hand over the reins to my successor on a good note.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Monday, October 21st ....
Has Scott Morrison no sense of irony? I know he has no sense of decency but does he realise he has left his party open to accusations of hypocrisy? Apparently not.
What a low act it is to direct his department to call asylum seekers ‘illegals’ and to call refugees ‘detainees’. It is not illegal to seek asylum, it is not against international nor Australian law. This is a clear case of negative labelling which has been used for generations to build up a fear and hatred of our enemies. We called the Germans ‘the Boche, the ‘Huns’ and the ‘Nazis’. The Japanese were the ‘Yellow Peril’, the Vietnamese were ‘the Gooks’ and so it goes. It dehumanises them and our leaders do this so that it easier for us to accept that our soldiers are killing them.
The refugees who come to Australia are not the enemy. In most cases, they are genuinely desperate people looking for safety but labelling them ‘illegals’ and reminding us they are thrown into detention like common criminals sets them apart from the comfortable, white anglo-saxon community so we don’t have to concern ourselves about them.
Here’s the hypocrisy - Mr Morrison, it’s not illegal to seek asylum but it is illegal to rort your expenses. Maybe you could have a word with your corrupt, criminal mates who rip off the Australian people on a regular basis and tell them to get their own house in order before slandering other people.
What a low act it is to direct his department to call asylum seekers ‘illegals’ and to call refugees ‘detainees’. It is not illegal to seek asylum, it is not against international nor Australian law. This is a clear case of negative labelling which has been used for generations to build up a fear and hatred of our enemies. We called the Germans ‘the Boche, the ‘Huns’ and the ‘Nazis’. The Japanese were the ‘Yellow Peril’, the Vietnamese were ‘the Gooks’ and so it goes. It dehumanises them and our leaders do this so that it easier for us to accept that our soldiers are killing them.
The refugees who come to Australia are not the enemy. In most cases, they are genuinely desperate people looking for safety but labelling them ‘illegals’ and reminding us they are thrown into detention like common criminals sets them apart from the comfortable, white anglo-saxon community so we don’t have to concern ourselves about them.
Here’s the hypocrisy - Mr Morrison, it’s not illegal to seek asylum but it is illegal to rort your expenses. Maybe you could have a word with your corrupt, criminal mates who rip off the Australian people on a regular basis and tell them to get their own house in order before slandering other people.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Monday, October 14th....
I found a link on my Facebook to a review of a new book about letters. It's compiled by Sean Usher who has made a hobby of collecting letters from the rich and famous. The sample in the review contains a letter from the Queen to Eisenhower including a recipe for drop scones,one from Gandhi to Adolf Hitler, and one from Elvis Presley to President Nixon offering to become a secret agent. Brilliant!
I've attached a link to a letter from a senior man in the BBC refusing to take on the production of Fawlty Towers.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/interactive/2013/oct/12/fawlty-towers-bbc-rejection-letter
Madi and Josh have just left. They came down for the weekend to do some work in the winery and a lot was achieved. We filtered a large batch of plum, bottled and labelled nearly 300 bottles of Raspberry and blended and filtered 120 litres of Wildberry. That lot of Wildberry is now ready for bottling and will produce about 350 small bottles.
I've attached a link to a letter from a senior man in the BBC refusing to take on the production of Fawlty Towers.
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/interactive/2013/oct/12/fawlty-towers-bbc-rejection-letter
Madi and Josh have just left. They came down for the weekend to do some work in the winery and a lot was achieved. We filtered a large batch of plum, bottled and labelled nearly 300 bottles of Raspberry and blended and filtered 120 litres of Wildberry. That lot of Wildberry is now ready for bottling and will produce about 350 small bottles.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Sunday, October 13th ....
I opened my Facebook this morning and waded through the dozens of posts I get, including old photos of Drummore in Scotland, pictures of cute dogs and cats, inspirational verses, 'selfies' from various narcissists and other vital information. But among them today were the results of a poll on how unhappy people are that Tony Abbott is PM. It was seriously skewed so I put it aside as just another bit of the spurious stuff which inundates the Internet.
A few hours later I was looking again and was astounded to discover that I had supposedly shared it with everyone on my list. I've never shared anything in my life let alone such an obvious load of rubbish. To make things more interesting, the whole lot has just disappeared. I don't pretend to know how Facebook works but it's clearly not the innocent time-waster I thought it was.
A few hours later I was looking again and was astounded to discover that I had supposedly shared it with everyone on my list. I've never shared anything in my life let alone such an obvious load of rubbish. To make things more interesting, the whole lot has just disappeared. I don't pretend to know how Facebook works but it's clearly not the innocent time-waster I thought it was.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Thursday, October 10th ....
I've been off-line for a few days. We had a delivery of bottles to the winery early in the week and the truck, backing down the driveway, cut our NBN connection which is just a flimsy length of fibre stretched from a pole on the boundary to our roof. The linesmen came in this morning to repair it and have arranged for another team to put it underground next week. In the meantime, we're back in business and not expecting any more deliveries for the foreseeable future.
Madeleine and Josh arrived last week and their little dog, Mushu, came the next day. Madi (she spells it Maddii, but that is 2 superfluous letters) is taking over Jamie's house at Dilston while she finishes her schooling. It's extraordinary how domesticated she is, boasting about her cooking on Facebook. The Wild Child has become the hausfrau.
On Sunday, Marilyn and I took an order of 10 dozen wine to the Berry Patch at Turners Beach and took the chance for a walk on the beach. The sand was covered with seaweed churned up by the recent storms and the northerly wind was icy, but we enjoyed it anyway.
It's just three weeks to the Fair and things are starting to hot up. Jamie will have a stall at the Fair, giving tastings, selling wine and Pink Ladies. I'm hoping that the weather will be fine because it's not much fun in the mud. One year we had one venue flooded and it was a nightmare.
Madeleine and Josh arrived last week and their little dog, Mushu, came the next day. Madi (she spells it Maddii, but that is 2 superfluous letters) is taking over Jamie's house at Dilston while she finishes her schooling. It's extraordinary how domesticated she is, boasting about her cooking on Facebook. The Wild Child has become the hausfrau.
On Sunday, Marilyn and I took an order of 10 dozen wine to the Berry Patch at Turners Beach and took the chance for a walk on the beach. The sand was covered with seaweed churned up by the recent storms and the northerly wind was icy, but we enjoyed it anyway.
It's just three weeks to the Fair and things are starting to hot up. Jamie will have a stall at the Fair, giving tastings, selling wine and Pink Ladies. I'm hoping that the weather will be fine because it's not much fun in the mud. One year we had one venue flooded and it was a nightmare.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Thursday, October 3rd ....
I can't believe that the Public Service is being encouraged to change the spelling of program to programme. This particular issue was laid to rest many years ago. The accepted spelling in Australia is 'program'. John Howard decreed that it should be 'programme', which he thought was more British and so it became. Typically, he didn't know what he was talking about. The traditional spelling in both Britain and America is 'program'; it became programme only during the 19th century in a period when the English elite loved all things French and adopted lots of French words and phrases - c'est la vie.
Shakespeare used program but Honest John clearly thought he knew more about language than the Bard.
Kevin Rudd reverted to the more-correct spelling in 2007, but now Tony is harking back to the foibles of his mentor and turning back the clock. What a trivial thing to hang his hat on.
Spelling should be simplified if possible. It's ludicrous to prefer a spelling which adds two superfluous letters.
The Grammar Ninja has spoken.
Shakespeare used program but Honest John clearly thought he knew more about language than the Bard.
Kevin Rudd reverted to the more-correct spelling in 2007, but now Tony is harking back to the foibles of his mentor and turning back the clock. What a trivial thing to hang his hat on.
Spelling should be simplified if possible. It's ludicrous to prefer a spelling which adds two superfluous letters.
The Grammar Ninja has spoken.
Thursday, September 3rd ....
The weather yesterday was about as bad as it can get in Tasmania. The temperature never rose over 11degrees, there was a gale blowing off the Southern Ocean and it rained non-stop. A day for sitting in front of a log fire reading a book and drinking hot chocolate.
However, Marilyn and I were booked in to do a Defensive Driving course at Symmons Plains raceway. We're crazy!
It was organised by the local council and we were invited because of our Community Car involvement. The rest of the participants were employes of the Council, including two ladies from the office, Robbie who is the senior mower driver and a handful of various maintenance men. The Council supplied the vehicles: a couple of Camrys, a Nice little Dualis and various Hiluxes and Navaras.
Being asked to drive at 100 kph, in a howling gale and heavy rain, and being told to hit the brakes when the whistle blew was a challenge but we all survived, and passed. Most of the cars did very well, but the Hilux, not having ABS, was a nightmare. We drove the Dualis, which is quite impressive.
Today was fine so I managed to get some mowing done. The grass here is different to Dilston and the soil is fantastic. There are plenty of weeds, too, and some of them I've never seen before.
However, Marilyn and I were booked in to do a Defensive Driving course at Symmons Plains raceway. We're crazy!
It was organised by the local council and we were invited because of our Community Car involvement. The rest of the participants were employes of the Council, including two ladies from the office, Robbie who is the senior mower driver and a handful of various maintenance men. The Council supplied the vehicles: a couple of Camrys, a Nice little Dualis and various Hiluxes and Navaras.
Being asked to drive at 100 kph, in a howling gale and heavy rain, and being told to hit the brakes when the whistle blew was a challenge but we all survived, and passed. Most of the cars did very well, but the Hilux, not having ABS, was a nightmare. We drove the Dualis, which is quite impressive.
Today was fine so I managed to get some mowing done. The grass here is different to Dilston and the soil is fantastic. There are plenty of weeds, too, and some of them I've never seen before.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Tuesday, October 1st ....
The birth of a baby is a joyous time and the new parents can't help making plans for the future. Some mums and dads lay down a good bottle of wine to be drunk at the child's 21st birthday. Others set up an education fund, putting money aside regularly to fund schooling or university in the future. Or maybe parents think about the need for a house deposit at some future time and start saving for that.
A Mum in England has a different idea. She has a 4-month old baby girl and has started a fund which will be used to pay for the little girl's first boob job when she needs it. Mum was a glamour model and got her first big break after she had a boob job. Clearly she expects bub to follow in her footsteps and expects she will benefit from a little cosmetic surgery when the time comes. Mum's not rigid in how the money will be spent. If baby would prefer a bottom lift or a tummy tuck, then that would be OK too.
Of course, baby might grow up to look like her father and no amount of cosmetic surgery would help. She might also turn out to have a brain and will prefer to become a doctor or lawyer. How disappointed she will be to find out that no provision has been made for University and she will have to take the boob job or lump it.
A Mum in England has a different idea. She has a 4-month old baby girl and has started a fund which will be used to pay for the little girl's first boob job when she needs it. Mum was a glamour model and got her first big break after she had a boob job. Clearly she expects bub to follow in her footsteps and expects she will benefit from a little cosmetic surgery when the time comes. Mum's not rigid in how the money will be spent. If baby would prefer a bottom lift or a tummy tuck, then that would be OK too.
Of course, baby might grow up to look like her father and no amount of cosmetic surgery would help. She might also turn out to have a brain and will prefer to become a doctor or lawyer. How disappointed she will be to find out that no provision has been made for University and she will have to take the boob job or lump it.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Monday, September 30th ....
It's not often that we come across a genuine local hero - in this case, someone who has never played in a Grand Final or won Australia's Got Talent or found a cure for cancer. He's simply a man who's taking a stand on what he sees as injustice and unfairness in our society. He is Fr Rod Bower of Gosford Anglican Church. His message speaks up for the boat people who have been demonised and used as a political football by both sides of politics.
His pulpit is the large sign outside his church and he makes his statements in big letters which are now being picked up and shown more widely in social media. One day, his sign read Tony, please don't call asylum seekers illegal. I don't like it. Signed God'
Today, Facebook has an animation of a series of signs on the theme, 'do you see what I see?, instead of a sovereign border issue, Fr Rod sees men, women and children, nationless, desperate, afraid, with nothing more to lose but their lives. His final screen says, 'please try to see what I see'.
Part of his criticism is aimed at News Limited which he sees as supporting the manipulation of a human tragedy for political gain. So, he has displayed such classics as 'Rupert's News is very, very limited' and 'think before you accept Rupert's propaganda.'
He also has broader messages such 'Jesus had two dads and he turned out all right' and 'it's not just up to DOCS, it's up to us as well'. One I particularly liked says, 'some people are gay. Get over it. Love, God'
On the church's website, there's a welcome message: We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich or dirt poor. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.
We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail.
Local hero, indeed!
His pulpit is the large sign outside his church and he makes his statements in big letters which are now being picked up and shown more widely in social media. One day, his sign read Tony, please don't call asylum seekers illegal. I don't like it. Signed God'
Today, Facebook has an animation of a series of signs on the theme, 'do you see what I see?, instead of a sovereign border issue, Fr Rod sees men, women and children, nationless, desperate, afraid, with nothing more to lose but their lives. His final screen says, 'please try to see what I see'.
Part of his criticism is aimed at News Limited which he sees as supporting the manipulation of a human tragedy for political gain. So, he has displayed such classics as 'Rupert's News is very, very limited' and 'think before you accept Rupert's propaganda.'
He also has broader messages such 'Jesus had two dads and he turned out all right' and 'it's not just up to DOCS, it's up to us as well'. One I particularly liked says, 'some people are gay. Get over it. Love, God'
On the church's website, there's a welcome message: We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich or dirt poor. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.
We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail.
Local hero, indeed!
Monday, September 30th ....
I wrote yesterday's blog, not realising that 50 years ago, on that day, the Everly Brothers were beginning a tour of Britain with two shows in London. The other headliner was Bo Diddley and the support act was The Rolling Stones.
I'll be painting today, making the Rotary Pavilion look at its best for the Craft Fair. There are also about 60 bottles left to be labelled so I'll get that done too. Pamela pointed out to me the other day that I hadn't been putting some of the labels on the front of the bottle. Bottles are round so how can you tell where the front is?
She showed me a string of little bumps at the bottom - that's the front, and a string of letters and numbers which is on the back. Clearly it's got something to do with bottling machines so I don't know why we should bother.
I'll be painting today, making the Rotary Pavilion look at its best for the Craft Fair. There are also about 60 bottles left to be labelled so I'll get that done too. Pamela pointed out to me the other day that I hadn't been putting some of the labels on the front of the bottle. Bottles are round so how can you tell where the front is?
She showed me a string of little bumps at the bottom - that's the front, and a string of letters and numbers which is on the back. Clearly it's got something to do with bottling machines so I don't know why we should bother.
Sunday, 29th September ....
We've been watching Serangoon Road and, in a sad moment, we could hear the Everly Brothers singing 'Love Hurts' in the background. The first record I bought, I think in 1958, was 'All I Have to Do is Dream' and 50 years later, Marilyn and I scored 99 singing that same song in a Karaoke Fund-raiser in the Philippines.
'All I Have to do is Dream' and 'Love Hurts' are two of the songs written by the wonderfully-named Boudleaux Bryant. They're still karaoke favourites today.
'All I Have to do is Dream' and 'Love Hurts' are two of the songs written by the wonderfully-named Boudleaux Bryant. They're still karaoke favourites today.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Sunday, September 29th....
There was another bit of Tassie-bashing in the news this week. It seems that about 50% of Tasmanian adults are functionally illiterate. That is, 1in 2 Tasmanians can't read a newspaper or a recipe or even the instructions on a medicine bottle. This is an awful statistic but it's not just Tasmania - the national average is 47%! But instead of focusing on this national disgrace, it was more fun to pick on Tassie, the land of the in-bred, backward village idiot.
It's easy to smugly sneer at those who get their words wrong and who don't know the difference between 'affect' and 'effect' but, for those people, it's a tragedy. The ABC interviewed Don MacKenzie from Sorrel who has decided it's time he learnt to read and write so has joined Adult Literacy classes.
The 49-year-old has been illiterate for most of his life after he dropped out in Year 8.
"My reading and writing before I came to these classes was totally crap, I never used to be able to pronounce real long words," Mr McKenzie said.
"Maths, well, I still need a hell of a lot of work to do on that."
"I used to lock myself up a fair bit inside. When we used to go shopping I used to just sit in the car," he said.
"What I was afraid of was going into the shop and then I can't understand what the labels...I'd get the wrong thing."
"I'd think, 'well I'm not gonna do that just in case I'm getting the wrong thing and I could end up poisoning someone'."
Mr McKenzie has never been formally employed.
Mr McKenzie is working hard to break the cycle with his 12 children aged 13 to 30, some of whom also have low literacy skills.
"I've got one that's really high needs, she's a 13-year-old," he said.
"She never used to like reading books and stuff and I said 'look, I'm going back to school now and I'm learning how to read and write. How about you come back and sit down next to me and read a book with me and have a go with me?'
"She said 'yeah, that'll be good Dad' and now she loves it. I've noticed a real lot of improvement in her reading.
"She can actually write her name now, where she never used to."
Don McKenzie says he is trying to convince his 27-year-old son to come to adult literacy classes with him.
This problem is inter-generational and it's certainly not limited to Tasmania. It's a shame that Julia Gillard was not able to finish her educational reforms; I'm afraid that Christopher Pyne doesn't have the same passion or vision. His suggestion, for example, to cap university places to improve 'quality' is laughable. Artificial caps simply make it harder for students from poor socio-economic circumstances to get a place at Uni. The privileged Tobys and Camillas from the Eastern Suburbs or Toorak will still get there. And, of course, that's what Christopher means by quality.
It's easy to smugly sneer at those who get their words wrong and who don't know the difference between 'affect' and 'effect' but, for those people, it's a tragedy. The ABC interviewed Don MacKenzie from Sorrel who has decided it's time he learnt to read and write so has joined Adult Literacy classes.
The 49-year-old has been illiterate for most of his life after he dropped out in Year 8.
"My reading and writing before I came to these classes was totally crap, I never used to be able to pronounce real long words," Mr McKenzie said.
"Maths, well, I still need a hell of a lot of work to do on that."
"I used to lock myself up a fair bit inside. When we used to go shopping I used to just sit in the car," he said.
"What I was afraid of was going into the shop and then I can't understand what the labels...I'd get the wrong thing."
"I'd think, 'well I'm not gonna do that just in case I'm getting the wrong thing and I could end up poisoning someone'."
Mr McKenzie has never been formally employed.
Mr McKenzie is working hard to break the cycle with his 12 children aged 13 to 30, some of whom also have low literacy skills.
"I've got one that's really high needs, she's a 13-year-old," he said.
"She never used to like reading books and stuff and I said 'look, I'm going back to school now and I'm learning how to read and write. How about you come back and sit down next to me and read a book with me and have a go with me?'
"She said 'yeah, that'll be good Dad' and now she loves it. I've noticed a real lot of improvement in her reading.
"She can actually write her name now, where she never used to."
Don McKenzie says he is trying to convince his 27-year-old son to come to adult literacy classes with him.
This problem is inter-generational and it's certainly not limited to Tasmania. It's a shame that Julia Gillard was not able to finish her educational reforms; I'm afraid that Christopher Pyne doesn't have the same passion or vision. His suggestion, for example, to cap university places to improve 'quality' is laughable. Artificial caps simply make it harder for students from poor socio-economic circumstances to get a place at Uni. The privileged Tobys and Camillas from the Eastern Suburbs or Toorak will still get there. And, of course, that's what Christopher means by quality.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Saturday, September 28th ....
I'm reading a book at the moment called Weirdo and it's driving me mad. One of the characters talks in some kind of dialect, saying things like “she get it all from Alex, the boy what live next door to her. He go to the art college and whatever he do, she have to copy.” I know it's up-to-date to talk like uneducated black Americans but it's just as easy to talk properly.
In the past I've been accused of being too particular about grammar. Some people have accused me of being a Grammar Nazi, but that's just being petty. I know I sometimes shout at the TV screen when someone says 'less' when they mean 'fewer' but that shows my passion for the English language. I haven't reached the stage yet of correcting my friends' email or commenting on errors on their Facebook page, although I certainly notice them.
'Grammar Nazi' does sound a bit unkind but there are some other options: I prefer Grammar Nerd but, if I have to have some label, I choose 'Grammar Ninja'. Travelling the countryside, righting wrongs and preserving the essence of our mother-tongue.
By the way, I found a website called, 19 jokes that only Grammar Nerds would understand. Here's a sample:
How do you comfort an upset grammar nerd? Say, 'There, Their, They're'.
I've attached a number puzzle which appeared on my Facebook. Good luck!
In the past I've been accused of being too particular about grammar. Some people have accused me of being a Grammar Nazi, but that's just being petty. I know I sometimes shout at the TV screen when someone says 'less' when they mean 'fewer' but that shows my passion for the English language. I haven't reached the stage yet of correcting my friends' email or commenting on errors on their Facebook page, although I certainly notice them.
'Grammar Nazi' does sound a bit unkind but there are some other options: I prefer Grammar Nerd but, if I have to have some label, I choose 'Grammar Ninja'. Travelling the countryside, righting wrongs and preserving the essence of our mother-tongue.
By the way, I found a website called, 19 jokes that only Grammar Nerds would understand. Here's a sample:
How do you comfort an upset grammar nerd? Say, 'There, Their, They're'.
I've attached a number puzzle which appeared on my Facebook. Good luck!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Thursday, September 26th ....
What an extraordinary finish to the America's Cup! Team USA won the last eight races in a row to steal an amazing victory - with an Australian skipper, an Australian strategist and only 1 American in the team. So, there will be celebrations in a number of countries today, all accepting their share of the credit.
Once upon a time, nobody would have considered having a team which was not 100% of one nationality. Now, winning has become much more important and we are prepared to set aside true national pride for the sake of a hollow victory. In some ways, it's great that national boundaries are no longer as important but it's a bit rich to talk about Team USA when the only significant contribution to the team was the money. Maybe I'm getting old, or cynical.
Once upon a time, nobody would have considered having a team which was not 100% of one nationality. Now, winning has become much more important and we are prepared to set aside true national pride for the sake of a hollow victory. In some ways, it's great that national boundaries are no longer as important but it's a bit rich to talk about Team USA when the only significant contribution to the team was the money. Maybe I'm getting old, or cynical.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Tuesday, September 24th ....
I've always been fascinated by numbers and I think that's one of the reasons I enjoy books by Lee Child. You can be sure that in every book, there will be some interesting facts about numbers, like the most recent I've read which points out that if you divide 1 by 81, the answer is 0.12345679 recurring forever. Other people might say, who cares? I'll accept that but it interests me.
Sometimes I come across some interesting statistics like the ones in a Guardian article on Sunday. The author was scratching his head about the US lunacy about gun ownership and he threw in some numbers to give some sort of context. Baldly, some 32000 people die every year in US from gun shots but it's much more telling to look at the numbers who have died in the past 45 years from being shot by privately-owned guns and it's almost 1.4 million! Since the world was shocked by the death of Robert F Kennedy in 1968, 1.4 million other Americans have been shot and died. That's more than have been killed in every war in which Americans have fought since 1775. It's madness.
If 32000 people were being shot every year in an African country, the UN would be calling for intervention.
It's extraordinary how Americans seem to be blind to the reality of the problem. It's like their focus on the War on Terrorism. Since 2001, the US has spent over $360 billion on the fight against terror. It must be working because fewer that 20 people have been killed by terrorists in those 12 years. But 364,000 people have been shot by other Americans in that time.
Surely it's time for a change. It was sad to see President Obama wearily commenting on the latest horror in the US, knowing that he can do nothing about it.
Sometimes I come across some interesting statistics like the ones in a Guardian article on Sunday. The author was scratching his head about the US lunacy about gun ownership and he threw in some numbers to give some sort of context. Baldly, some 32000 people die every year in US from gun shots but it's much more telling to look at the numbers who have died in the past 45 years from being shot by privately-owned guns and it's almost 1.4 million! Since the world was shocked by the death of Robert F Kennedy in 1968, 1.4 million other Americans have been shot and died. That's more than have been killed in every war in which Americans have fought since 1775. It's madness.
If 32000 people were being shot every year in an African country, the UN would be calling for intervention.
It's extraordinary how Americans seem to be blind to the reality of the problem. It's like their focus on the War on Terrorism. Since 2001, the US has spent over $360 billion on the fight against terror. It must be working because fewer that 20 people have been killed by terrorists in those 12 years. But 364,000 people have been shot by other Americans in that time.
Surely it's time for a change. It was sad to see President Obama wearily commenting on the latest horror in the US, knowing that he can do nothing about it.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Monday, September 23rd (2) ....
One of the nice things about being away is the possibility of catching up,with people we haven't seen for a long time. Of course, seeing Madeleine was a delight and she seems to be getting on with life. Her boyfriend, Josh, is devoted to her and they're obviously a good match. Madi is clearly the boss and Josh is happy to be told what to do. They're coming toTasmania next week to see whether they might like to settle here.
We also caught up with Madi's half brothers, 10 and 8. We took them out for a treat - ice cream, Timezone and comics. You'd think it was Christmas, they were so excited. Haven't comics changed though? No more Donald Duck at a shilling on Dad's payday. It's Manga now at $10 a pop. And you start reading them from the back. Crazy!
Our friends, Ron and Sue, drove down from Toowoomba to meet up with us. We've known them since Hobart days and have kept in touch. Other friends, Margaret and Cyril from Townsville are now living in Brisbane so we met them for lunch at the Treasury Casino. Cyril has been very ill and has had both radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Nasty! However, he is still cheerful and kept us amused with stories about the doctors and medical students he's met.
We managed to spend some time on the river ferries in Brisbane and went to a Cruise Expo, so the grass didn't grow under our feet. More and more, we're measuring a place by the quality of the public transport and Brisbane certainly scores well. We bought a Go card which makes it easy. Oh, how different it is in Tasmania! And no sign of improvement.
Monday, 23rd ....
It's been a while since I've felt moved to write to the blog. In the past few weeks we've been to the Gold Coast and have been busy in the winery but nothing has occurred to encourage me to put finger to keyboard to record it. In a few hundred years when people are investigating my life, they may look on this period as a time of reflection, even of gloom. I look on it honestly as an episode of laziness.
I don't think I like the Gold Coast much. It's a false place, focused on providing superficial thrills for tourists. The food is expensive and forgettable. The resort staff smile and seem to be friendly but forget you immediately you leave. Is there a real life going on there? Do the locals play tennis, watch the football or join Rotary? Or do they work seven days a week scratching a living from squeezing the tourists? I know that every time I go to the GC, it becomes a little more Asian. You might as well be in Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok - same restaurants, and same cheap souvenir shops.
I avoided TV while I was away and came back to the news of Mr Abbot's cabinet. Back to the sixties, indeed. It beggars belief that any group of 80-odd people could only produce one competent woman In the top 20%. There are only three possibilities: there is something wrong with the females in the group, or there is something wrong with the selection process, or both. Whatever, it doesn't augur well for the future decision-making in our country if having a penis is a criteria for being competent.
Jamie is busy labelling bottles in the winery while I pretend to be involved, occasionally sealing up another box. I was busy at the weekend with a Rotary working bee so today is a day of rest.
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Sunday, September 8th ....
I'm totally exhausted today after a solid 14-hour day yesterday at the election. A lot of the work is low-key but the hard part comes when the counting starts. The Senate paper is the killer; the Tasmanian one was as big as a towel and we had to count them on the floor. Not an easy job for a team of middle-aged workers!
Still, it was a great day and I loved seeing all the Deloraine characters, coming out for a rare excursion to the big city. The farmers come in their workboots and smelling of the dairy, the oldies dress up for the occasion and first-timers nervously watch how everyone else acts. The party supporters outside shiver in their candidate's t-shirts and the local P&F takes the chance to have a fund-raising sausage sizzle. Democracy in action!
You can tell the mood of the electorate by the pamphlets they carry in. The Libs took no chances and had boxes to spare, the ALP ran out mid-afternoon and the Family First gave everyone a little sermon with their how-to-vote card. So many people came in with just the one pamphlet that we expected it would be a foregone conclusion. Surprisingly, at our polling booth, things were pretty evenly balanced between Lib and Lab, with a decent result for the local Green as well.
The hatred of Green politics is so intense in Tassie that we even had a Stop the Greens party standing for the Senate. They didn't get much support; the Pirate Party received more votes.
Still, it was a great day and I loved seeing all the Deloraine characters, coming out for a rare excursion to the big city. The farmers come in their workboots and smelling of the dairy, the oldies dress up for the occasion and first-timers nervously watch how everyone else acts. The party supporters outside shiver in their candidate's t-shirts and the local P&F takes the chance to have a fund-raising sausage sizzle. Democracy in action!
You can tell the mood of the electorate by the pamphlets they carry in. The Libs took no chances and had boxes to spare, the ALP ran out mid-afternoon and the Family First gave everyone a little sermon with their how-to-vote card. So many people came in with just the one pamphlet that we expected it would be a foregone conclusion. Surprisingly, at our polling booth, things were pretty evenly balanced between Lib and Lab, with a decent result for the local Green as well.
The hatred of Green politics is so intense in Tassie that we even had a Stop the Greens party standing for the Senate. They didn't get much support; the Pirate Party received more votes.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Sunday, September 1st ....
I can't get over this story doing the rounds about the 15-year old girl in the Maldives who has had her sentence of 100 lashes revoked. On the surface it sounds like a positive but the underlying story is appalling.
It seems the girl had been sexually abused by her stepfather. He has been charged, as he should be, but the girl has also been charged with 'fornication' and was sentenced to 100 lashes. Excuse me! What she needs is counselling.
Now, we hear that her sentence has been revoked because it might upset the tourists. And that reason was said with a straight face!
Why are we supporting this country with our tourist dollar? This is a country where as many as 200 people, mostly women, are flogged for fornication every year. How does that work? I thought fornication would need at least the same number of men as women.
It's also a country where slavery is still legal. It can't be deleted from the statute books because the Koran allows it. So does Leviticus in the Judeo-Christian bible, but nobody accepts that as an excuse any more.
Maybe flogging a 15-year old rape victim is not as bad as the use of chemicals in Syria but both are human rights violations in my book. Instead of cruise missiles, though, we might have more success by withholding our tourist dollars. Boycott these barbarians until they join the 21st century.
It seems the girl had been sexually abused by her stepfather. He has been charged, as he should be, but the girl has also been charged with 'fornication' and was sentenced to 100 lashes. Excuse me! What she needs is counselling.
Now, we hear that her sentence has been revoked because it might upset the tourists. And that reason was said with a straight face!
Why are we supporting this country with our tourist dollar? This is a country where as many as 200 people, mostly women, are flogged for fornication every year. How does that work? I thought fornication would need at least the same number of men as women.
It's also a country where slavery is still legal. It can't be deleted from the statute books because the Koran allows it. So does Leviticus in the Judeo-Christian bible, but nobody accepts that as an excuse any more.
Maybe flogging a 15-year old rape victim is not as bad as the use of chemicals in Syria but both are human rights violations in my book. Instead of cruise missiles, though, we might have more success by withholding our tourist dollars. Boycott these barbarians until they join the 21st century.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
Wednesday, 28th August ....
Sometimes we have particularly interesting speakers at our Rotary meetings and last night's was certainly one of those. I happened to be Chairman so I had the benefit of sitting with her and introducing her. It was Diane Fingleton, a name that I remember from newspaper reports about 10 or 11 years ago.
It's an interesting story. She was a solicitor with Legal Aid in Brisbane and she was offered appointment as a magistrate. It was at the time when affirmative action was putting women in senior jobs but there was lot of resentment from the Establishment who saw their mates missing out. The problem was that she eventually became Chief Magistrate, appointed by Peter Beattie, an ALP Premier. Not good enough, old boy!
The man who thought he should have got the job, and his mates, made life very difficult for her. You know how it works: insolence, condescension, half-hearted support, etc. it came to a head when a couple of other magistrates tried to undermine her authority and she wrote one of them an email accusing him of disloyalty.
Next thing she finds herself charged with workplace bullying. The old boys ganged up on her and she found herself in court, found guilty and sentenced to 12 months gaol. On appeal, this was reduced to 6 months. The only concession made was that she was put in protective custody with child killers and others who might be vulnerable in an open prison.
She managed to get leave to apply to the High Court who voted 6:0 that it was the most serious miscarriage of justice which had ever been brought before them. It should never have got to court. Unbelievable!
I remember the newspaper reports at the time. She was portrayed as a labour lackey, promoted above her ability and a thug to boot. In reality, she had an excellent degree, was well experienced and very well-suited to the position. To talk to her now, she is intelligent and personable, the most unlikely ex-con you could expect to meet.
On a personal note, she and her brother, Tony, were the first members of her family to go to University. Tony was a swimmer and won a scholarship to Harvard. He wrote a book about his life and it was made into a film called Swimming Upstream, starring Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. I downloaded it last night.
It's an interesting story. She was a solicitor with Legal Aid in Brisbane and she was offered appointment as a magistrate. It was at the time when affirmative action was putting women in senior jobs but there was lot of resentment from the Establishment who saw their mates missing out. The problem was that she eventually became Chief Magistrate, appointed by Peter Beattie, an ALP Premier. Not good enough, old boy!
The man who thought he should have got the job, and his mates, made life very difficult for her. You know how it works: insolence, condescension, half-hearted support, etc. it came to a head when a couple of other magistrates tried to undermine her authority and she wrote one of them an email accusing him of disloyalty.
Next thing she finds herself charged with workplace bullying. The old boys ganged up on her and she found herself in court, found guilty and sentenced to 12 months gaol. On appeal, this was reduced to 6 months. The only concession made was that she was put in protective custody with child killers and others who might be vulnerable in an open prison.
She managed to get leave to apply to the High Court who voted 6:0 that it was the most serious miscarriage of justice which had ever been brought before them. It should never have got to court. Unbelievable!
I remember the newspaper reports at the time. She was portrayed as a labour lackey, promoted above her ability and a thug to boot. In reality, she had an excellent degree, was well experienced and very well-suited to the position. To talk to her now, she is intelligent and personable, the most unlikely ex-con you could expect to meet.
On a personal note, she and her brother, Tony, were the first members of her family to go to University. Tony was a swimmer and won a scholarship to Harvard. He wrote a book about his life and it was made into a film called Swimming Upstream, starring Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis. I downloaded it last night.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Sunday, August 25th ...
As I write this, Marilyn has just brought me a cup of coffee in the mistaken belief that I am checking my emails and replying to them. In the past I have referred to Marilyn as 'my better half', 'the light of my life' and 'a gem'. Now Mr Abbott has given me a new term of endearment - 'a woman of calibre'. Of course he was talking about highly-paid women who want to have children, but you see my point.
Talk about foot in the mouth! Yes, yes, I know what he was trying to say and I certainly agree with him, but he has to be more careful in playing the elite card, and there is another concern behind his words: does he really believe that a woman's calibre can be measured by the amount of money she earns?
But let's look at the sentiments behind his comment. I know my heart sinks when I see the young women in our local supermarket, scruffy, smoking and foul-mouthed, and wonder at the future for their kids. A decade or more of baby bonuses and family benefits has made motherhood an attractive career choice for poorly-educated and feckless females who have no imagination beyond the next dole payment. You see them hanging around the mall in groups with their prams and screaming toddlers, filling in their days with mindless chatter. It's rare to see a father but, if you do, he looks to be about fifteen, with a bewildered stare and his jeans hanging around his bum.
Is this the future? Are these Tysons and Tyanas the citizens of our brave new world? I can see what Abbott is trying to do, encourage those at the deep end of the gene pool to breed, but doesn't he have the wit to be politically correct? He's leaving himself wide open to criticism when he speaks his mind and every explanation from his minders weakens his position.
However, I think his implied assumption that a woman's worth can be measured by her earning potential is another issue entirely. Some commentators are saying that he is focusing his attention on young female lawyers, reluctant to get off the promotion treadmill and anxious about the mortgage on the big house in Hunters Hill or Toorak. I know that the law is a preferred option for bright young women today but I wonder how many choose that profession for the chance to benefit our society or do they just see the potential dollars at the end? What about those who match their intellect with a strong desire to do good and join Medecins Sans Frontieres, or some such.
The other problem, of course, is that this a very odd thing to be his 'signature policy'. Is this the most pressing issue facing Australia today? I don't think so.
Talk about foot in the mouth! Yes, yes, I know what he was trying to say and I certainly agree with him, but he has to be more careful in playing the elite card, and there is another concern behind his words: does he really believe that a woman's calibre can be measured by the amount of money she earns?
But let's look at the sentiments behind his comment. I know my heart sinks when I see the young women in our local supermarket, scruffy, smoking and foul-mouthed, and wonder at the future for their kids. A decade or more of baby bonuses and family benefits has made motherhood an attractive career choice for poorly-educated and feckless females who have no imagination beyond the next dole payment. You see them hanging around the mall in groups with their prams and screaming toddlers, filling in their days with mindless chatter. It's rare to see a father but, if you do, he looks to be about fifteen, with a bewildered stare and his jeans hanging around his bum.
Is this the future? Are these Tysons and Tyanas the citizens of our brave new world? I can see what Abbott is trying to do, encourage those at the deep end of the gene pool to breed, but doesn't he have the wit to be politically correct? He's leaving himself wide open to criticism when he speaks his mind and every explanation from his minders weakens his position.
However, I think his implied assumption that a woman's worth can be measured by her earning potential is another issue entirely. Some commentators are saying that he is focusing his attention on young female lawyers, reluctant to get off the promotion treadmill and anxious about the mortgage on the big house in Hunters Hill or Toorak. I know that the law is a preferred option for bright young women today but I wonder how many choose that profession for the chance to benefit our society or do they just see the potential dollars at the end? What about those who match their intellect with a strong desire to do good and join Medecins Sans Frontieres, or some such.
The other problem, of course, is that this a very odd thing to be his 'signature policy'. Is this the most pressing issue facing Australia today? I don't think so.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Friday, August 23rd ....
So Bradley Manning has now declared that he is a woman and wants to be known as Chelsea. What are we to make of this? Bradley said he gave the secret stuff to Wikileaks to start a discussion about some of the behaviour the US gets up to in the name of fighting terrorism. Boy, I'll bet he didn't anticipate the lack of humour shown by the Pentagon, or the very fine print of the First Amendment which takes all the fun out of criticising big government. Maybe, when that proved to be a disaster, he is trying to foment another conversational topic.
And why Chelsea? Sure, he can pick any name he likes, but why Chelsea? I googled Chelsea and found that it is a name which grew out of the 1960s and is growing out of favour in every country except USA and Australia. I found the following analysis of the few people in the world who are called Chelsea.
. Your first name of Chelsea has given you an expressive, diplomatic (?) and refined nature.
. Although you have a good appreciation of material values, business ability, and skill in organizing and managing others, your success is restricted by a lack of self-confidence and initiative.
. You have very expensive tastes, and your desires could well exceed your initiative in providing for them through your own efforts.
. Personal appearance is important to you (did you see the picture of Bradley/Chelsea in a blonde wig?)
. You are always well-groomed yourself, and you judge others by your own standard.
. You do not like to rough it or use much physical energy (he was in the army, for goodness sake)
. Through your diplomatic ways you are able to call on the assistance of others to avoid such matters (you'll need all the diplomacy you can muster to survive 30 years in jail)
. You have good business judgment but lack the confidence to carry out your own ideas unless assisted by an associate (is the associate's name Julian?)
. From a desire to eat too many rich foods, your health could suffer through kidney and generative troubles or any problems affecting the fluid functions of the body.
I don't want to make fun of Bradley. He must be an extraordinarily brave person to become a whistleblower but it is really bad luck that he did it in America. If he had tried the same caper in Australia and changed his name to John Gay, he might have got away with a few hours of community service.
By the way, does he now go to a Women's Prison?
And why Chelsea? Sure, he can pick any name he likes, but why Chelsea? I googled Chelsea and found that it is a name which grew out of the 1960s and is growing out of favour in every country except USA and Australia. I found the following analysis of the few people in the world who are called Chelsea.
. Your first name of Chelsea has given you an expressive, diplomatic (?) and refined nature.
. Although you have a good appreciation of material values, business ability, and skill in organizing and managing others, your success is restricted by a lack of self-confidence and initiative.
. You have very expensive tastes, and your desires could well exceed your initiative in providing for them through your own efforts.
. Personal appearance is important to you (did you see the picture of Bradley/Chelsea in a blonde wig?)
. You are always well-groomed yourself, and you judge others by your own standard.
. You do not like to rough it or use much physical energy (he was in the army, for goodness sake)
. Through your diplomatic ways you are able to call on the assistance of others to avoid such matters (you'll need all the diplomacy you can muster to survive 30 years in jail)
. You have good business judgment but lack the confidence to carry out your own ideas unless assisted by an associate (is the associate's name Julian?)
. From a desire to eat too many rich foods, your health could suffer through kidney and generative troubles or any problems affecting the fluid functions of the body.
I don't want to make fun of Bradley. He must be an extraordinarily brave person to become a whistleblower but it is really bad luck that he did it in America. If he had tried the same caper in Australia and changed his name to John Gay, he might have got away with a few hours of community service.
By the way, does he now go to a Women's Prison?
Friday, 23rd August ....
It's good to see that white-collar crime still enjoys its preferential status here in Australia. John Gay, the erstwhile CEO of Gunns Timber, has just been sentenced for insider trading. As his company was crumbling around him, he sold $3.1 million worth of shares knowing that their value would plummet within days.
A deal was worked out that he would plead guilty on the understanding that he would not admit that he knew that the shares would drop, only that he should have known that this was a possibility. This is a CEO who was paid $1 million salary and recklessly brought his company to bankruptcy by stubbornly trying to build a pulp mill in an unsuitable area even when all the odds were stacked against him.
Oh, and his sentence was a $50,000 fine. Thank goodness he wasn't caught shoplifting or he might have been sent to gaol.
Gunns had been Tasmania's biggest company for many years but is now in receivership. They built a new head office in Launceston about 5 or 6 years ago, when it was riding high. It was a modem single storey structure which soon became the focus for demonstrations by the residents of the Tamar Valley opposed to the site of the pulp mill.
The site has been bought by Bunnings for a new megastore and a couple of weeks ago the bulldozers rolled in and demolished the relatively new building. No attempt was made to salvage anything; even the airconditioners were still in place. I know it was probably cheaper to do it that way but we're obsessed with recycling in every other area and I wonder how worthwhile it s to keep washing out our milk cartons when the same effort is not expected of industry..
A deal was worked out that he would plead guilty on the understanding that he would not admit that he knew that the shares would drop, only that he should have known that this was a possibility. This is a CEO who was paid $1 million salary and recklessly brought his company to bankruptcy by stubbornly trying to build a pulp mill in an unsuitable area even when all the odds were stacked against him.
Oh, and his sentence was a $50,000 fine. Thank goodness he wasn't caught shoplifting or he might have been sent to gaol.
Gunns had been Tasmania's biggest company for many years but is now in receivership. They built a new head office in Launceston about 5 or 6 years ago, when it was riding high. It was a modem single storey structure which soon became the focus for demonstrations by the residents of the Tamar Valley opposed to the site of the pulp mill.
The site has been bought by Bunnings for a new megastore and a couple of weeks ago the bulldozers rolled in and demolished the relatively new building. No attempt was made to salvage anything; even the airconditioners were still in place. I know it was probably cheaper to do it that way but we're obsessed with recycling in every other area and I wonder how worthwhile it s to keep washing out our milk cartons when the same effort is not expected of industry..
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Wednesday, August 21st ....
I'm a bit of a political junkie so I can't stop switching on the TV to see what Tweedledum and Tweedledee are up to. But, it only makes me more depressed when I hear Joe Hockey struggling to make sense of their Paid Paternal Leave policy, and Kevin Rudd flailing around trying to find that killer-blow. I watched him in a press conference in Brisbane this morning when he was asked whether his idea of a special economic zone had been dreamt up on the plane trip to Darwin. As he explained, hand on heart, that he had been talking about this with colleagues for a long, long time, Tanya Plibersek in the background dropped her eyes and flicked them from side to side. I don't know much about body language but I think she was signalling her discomfort and that she was hearing a lie.
I've lamented before that this country deserves better but, unfortunately, neither of the two leaders seems to have the desire nor the capability to rise to the occasion.
Maybe, we need a write-in space on the voting paper or a 'Neither of the above' box. A commentator the other day said that if 'neither of the above' was on the paper, he or she could well be our next prime minister.
I've lamented before that this country deserves better but, unfortunately, neither of the two leaders seems to have the desire nor the capability to rise to the occasion.
Maybe, we need a write-in space on the voting paper or a 'Neither of the above' box. A commentator the other day said that if 'neither of the above' was on the paper, he or she could well be our next prime minister.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Friday, August 16th ....
I've just been reminded that it's been a week since my last post. And what a week it's been. We could be suffering the least interesting election campaign ever. Neither side is offering a real vision for the future of Australia and I'm absolutely fed up with the personality attacks from both sides.
I'm watching ABC 24 and there's a news story running across the bottom of the screen:
'Chinese zoo under fire for disguising hairy dog as a lion.'
It just shows that some people will believe anything. (If you're paying attention you might see the relevance of that anecdote to our election campaign.)
By the way, I'm working at a polling booth on September 7th so I'll be at the heart of it for a few hours.
We watched an interesting movie the other night. The Last Station is the story of the last days of Leo Tolstoy. I had no idea that his beliefs sparked the birth of a movement of people who espoused vegetarianism, chastity and passive resistance to a tyrannical government. Even Gandhi was influenced by this movement. Christopher Plummer played Tolstoy and Helen Mirren was his much younger wife, Sophia. Great stuff!
I can hear the garbage truck coming up the street. When I was out earlier, all the bins were lined up at the kerb. Apparently, there's been an announcement that, if the bins are overfull, they won't be collected. Last week, the recycling bins were out as well and about one in five wasn't collected. So what happens now? These householders are going to have to get rid of all that rubbish before the next collection in a fortnight and more stuff is starting to pile up.
Well, as you'd expect every park bin is full, every unlocked jumbo bin has been loaded up and a few bags have started to appear under trees in quiet streets. We're being swamped in rubbish!
I'm watching ABC 24 and there's a news story running across the bottom of the screen:
'Chinese zoo under fire for disguising hairy dog as a lion.'
It just shows that some people will believe anything. (If you're paying attention you might see the relevance of that anecdote to our election campaign.)
By the way, I'm working at a polling booth on September 7th so I'll be at the heart of it for a few hours.
We watched an interesting movie the other night. The Last Station is the story of the last days of Leo Tolstoy. I had no idea that his beliefs sparked the birth of a movement of people who espoused vegetarianism, chastity and passive resistance to a tyrannical government. Even Gandhi was influenced by this movement. Christopher Plummer played Tolstoy and Helen Mirren was his much younger wife, Sophia. Great stuff!
I can hear the garbage truck coming up the street. When I was out earlier, all the bins were lined up at the kerb. Apparently, there's been an announcement that, if the bins are overfull, they won't be collected. Last week, the recycling bins were out as well and about one in five wasn't collected. So what happens now? These householders are going to have to get rid of all that rubbish before the next collection in a fortnight and more stuff is starting to pile up.
Well, as you'd expect every park bin is full, every unlocked jumbo bin has been loaded up and a few bags have started to appear under trees in quiet streets. We're being swamped in rubbish!
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Friday, August 9th ....
I've spent the morning helping to lay a concrete floor in one of the pavilions we use for the Craft Fair. The building is owned by the Redline Bus Company but we've done a deal with them to contribute towards the cost for a guarantee that we can have the use of the place for the next few years. Part of the deal was that we would contribute 40 hours or so of labour and this morning was the first stint of that. Talk about Dad's Army ... The geriatric gang we put together was matched only by the old fellow who was in charge of the project. Happily, he had a couple of energetic off-siders who did most of the work while we chatted in the corner.
No wine-making today. It was a big day yesterday and we bottled most of a batch of raspberry. The process is labour-intensive. One person operates the bottling machine, one bottle at a time; another works the capping machine, one bottle at a time. The third tries to look busy. No conveyor belts nor robots for us. It's truly hand-made.
It seems we are rapidly running out of bottles so Jamie is getting some quotes from various distributors. He's also refining the labels ready for a print run. Pamela has been getting her labels from a local fellow who screen-prints them in small lots at 45c per label. Jamie wants to get the cost down to about 10c without sacrificing quality so he's getting quotes from bigger operators.
It's already clear we need to streamline the operation to make it more efficient and structured so we're re-organising everything. Great fun!
No wine-making today. It was a big day yesterday and we bottled most of a batch of raspberry. The process is labour-intensive. One person operates the bottling machine, one bottle at a time; another works the capping machine, one bottle at a time. The third tries to look busy. No conveyor belts nor robots for us. It's truly hand-made.
It seems we are rapidly running out of bottles so Jamie is getting some quotes from various distributors. He's also refining the labels ready for a print run. Pamela has been getting her labels from a local fellow who screen-prints them in small lots at 45c per label. Jamie wants to get the cost down to about 10c without sacrificing quality so he's getting quotes from bigger operators.
It's already clear we need to streamline the operation to make it more efficient and structured so we're re-organising everything. Great fun!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Wednesday, August 7th ...
I had a go at the Vote Compass being touted by the ABC. Very interesting and it put me just where I thought I would be. (And that's my secret!). What I liked about it was that it focused on issues rather than personalities or the rubbish they espouse.
No winemaking today; things to do in Launceston for Rotary so my chapped, bottle-washing hands are having a rest. I went to a tele-conference on a project trying to help with hunger and malnutrition. A local scientist has compiled a database of 25000 food plants and It is being used to develop better crops for areas of the world where people can't grow enough food for the population. I think it has lots of potential.
I'm writing this and trying to watch QI at the same time. Some of the things they talk about are so bizarre. Apparently, a dog has the same ecological footprint as two Toyota Landcruisers. That's a worry and I know people who have a Landcruiser and two dogs, and that's a bit over the top.
No winemaking today; things to do in Launceston for Rotary so my chapped, bottle-washing hands are having a rest. I went to a tele-conference on a project trying to help with hunger and malnutrition. A local scientist has compiled a database of 25000 food plants and It is being used to develop better crops for areas of the world where people can't grow enough food for the population. I think it has lots of potential.
I'm writing this and trying to watch QI at the same time. Some of the things they talk about are so bizarre. Apparently, a dog has the same ecological footprint as two Toyota Landcruisers. That's a worry and I know people who have a Landcruiser and two dogs, and that's a bit over the top.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Tuesday, August 6th ....
We had terrible weather last night - strong winds and rain - but it's much nicer today. We had another day in the winery putting the finishing touches to some Raspberry before bottling on Thursday. I don't know how many bottles I've washed. The reclaimed bottles have a front and back label. The front label is some sort of vinyl so survives the cleaning process but the back one is paper and needs to be removed. It's not particularly hard, just tedious.
In between bottle washing and filtering., I've been reading the latest novel by JK Rowling, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. When the novel, The Cuckoo Calling, was released, it was an immediate success and some of the critics suspected that the author wasn't really a first-timer. Sure enough, JK put her hand up and accepted the acclaim. It real is good.
Tomorrow is a day catching up with commitments to Giant Steps. There's a ceremony in the morning to open a new playground. Somebody has invited Eric Abetz to attend. Not my favourite polly by any means. The year before I started at Giant Steps, the school had a financial crisis and went to their local federal member (Eric) for some assistance. They were given $25000, a paltry sum which wasn't even enough to pay the staff's back wages. The school only survived because staff took pay cuts, reduced their hours or took voluntary redundancy.
I arrived in March and Eric was one of the local worthies who came to see me. Unlike the others he had no good wishes for me; he simply wanted to tell me that it was no use asking him for any further financial help. He had done all he could and would do no more. $25000! It was just a fraction of what he spent on self-promotion every year. Clearly, disabled children didn't matter in his world.
The only other contact I had with him was when he wanted to show off one of my staff who had completed a Work For the Dole scheme and actually got a job out of it (one of the very few). He invited Peter and me to the Liberal Party Conference which happened to be occurring in Deloraine. When I arrived, I found I had to pay for my dinner!! Money not wisely spent. The only two politicians who have ever been seriously supportive of Giant Steps have been John Beswick, the State Liberal Minister for Education who went against the advice of his advisors to offer Giant Steps annual funding, and Bill Shorten who has done more for disabled people than any other politician, before or since.
In between bottle washing and filtering., I've been reading the latest novel by JK Rowling, under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. When the novel, The Cuckoo Calling, was released, it was an immediate success and some of the critics suspected that the author wasn't really a first-timer. Sure enough, JK put her hand up and accepted the acclaim. It real is good.
Tomorrow is a day catching up with commitments to Giant Steps. There's a ceremony in the morning to open a new playground. Somebody has invited Eric Abetz to attend. Not my favourite polly by any means. The year before I started at Giant Steps, the school had a financial crisis and went to their local federal member (Eric) for some assistance. They were given $25000, a paltry sum which wasn't even enough to pay the staff's back wages. The school only survived because staff took pay cuts, reduced their hours or took voluntary redundancy.
I arrived in March and Eric was one of the local worthies who came to see me. Unlike the others he had no good wishes for me; he simply wanted to tell me that it was no use asking him for any further financial help. He had done all he could and would do no more. $25000! It was just a fraction of what he spent on self-promotion every year. Clearly, disabled children didn't matter in his world.
The only other contact I had with him was when he wanted to show off one of my staff who had completed a Work For the Dole scheme and actually got a job out of it (one of the very few). He invited Peter and me to the Liberal Party Conference which happened to be occurring in Deloraine. When I arrived, I found I had to pay for my dinner!! Money not wisely spent. The only two politicians who have ever been seriously supportive of Giant Steps have been John Beswick, the State Liberal Minister for Education who went against the advice of his advisors to offer Giant Steps annual funding, and Bill Shorten who has done more for disabled people than any other politician, before or since.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Monday, August 5th ....
There's snow all around the Tiers this morning. I had to go out early to drop something off at Giant Steps and was amused to see one of the patients standing outside Deloraine Hospital having a smoke, dressing gown, bare legs, slippers, thin cardigan. You have to be prepared to make sacrifices if you want to smoke nowadays.
Bottle-washing today. We've had to 'recover' a bit of wine which was probably bottled before fermentation had completely stopped. It had become 'spritzig' which lots so people like but not what we want. So it's gone back into a vat for more filtering. We can't afford to throw out all the bottles so they're being recycled. Jamie cuts off the aluminium foil top, and I clean the bottles with caustic soda and lots of hot water. The blueberry wine has stained all the bottles so we need to remove that with the caustic soda before rinsing and sterilisation.
On Saturday I was using a pair of faulty rubber gloves and now have a nasty caustic soda burn on two of my fingers. Occupational hazard!
Bottle-washing today. We've had to 'recover' a bit of wine which was probably bottled before fermentation had completely stopped. It had become 'spritzig' which lots so people like but not what we want. So it's gone back into a vat for more filtering. We can't afford to throw out all the bottles so they're being recycled. Jamie cuts off the aluminium foil top, and I clean the bottles with caustic soda and lots of hot water. The blueberry wine has stained all the bottles so we need to remove that with the caustic soda before rinsing and sterilisation.
On Saturday I was using a pair of faulty rubber gloves and now have a nasty caustic soda burn on two of my fingers. Occupational hazard!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Friday, August 2nd ....
Thank goodness we're back on line. The modem arrived this morning so we're now connected to the NBN. At least, if Malcolm Turnbull locks the rest if Australia into the 19th century copper network, Some of us will already be on fibre.
Our new home number is 03 6319 1900. The package we've signed up for includes free phone calls in Australia so we hope to reduce our mobile packages. One can only hope.
Nothing much is happening today. Marilyn is baby-sitting and Jamie is organising the computers in the winery. Tonight we're going to a Trivia competition to raise money for the local community house.
Our new home number is 03 6319 1900. The package we've signed up for includes free phone calls in Australia so we hope to reduce our mobile packages. One can only hope.
Nothing much is happening today. Marilyn is baby-sitting and Jamie is organising the computers in the winery. Tonight we're going to a Trivia competition to raise money for the local community house.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Thursday, August 1st ....
I’m constantly reminded that we live in Tasmania; after
yesterday’s glorious sunshine, today is bleak and damp. When we were working in the winery at the weekend,
the temperature inside the shed was 12 degrees, but it will be much lower
today. Thick shoes, warm jackets and
gloves may be the order of the day.
I’ve just been watching the morning show on ABC and Joe
Hockey twisting himself in knots trying to criticise the policy of increasing
tax on cigarettes. The best argument he
could come up with that it would increase the cost of living pressure on
pensioners. Sorry, Joe, your argument
sounded very hollow, coming from a party which accepts huge donations from tobacco companies, and even the interviewer seemed unable to hide his giggles.
Joe is becoming increasingly querulous as the election comes
closer. He has developed a very
unattractive whining tone in his voice and certainly doesn’t come over as the
dignified statesman we would like to look after our money. I can remember him on Sunrise years ago with
Kevin Rudd and they both came across as likeable, trustworthy and
electable. How things have changed in
the meantime!
It’s sad that politics has moved into a realm where it’s all
about pandering to the lowest common denominator. Our politicians should be
providing leadership rather than swinging to the rhythm of polls which simply
reflect the trivia of people’s lives.
Polls don’t deal with the big picture.
Where are the visionaries who can rise above the mundane to form a
proper blueprint for Australia’s future?
The current parliament has been dominated by the tussle between Kevin
and Julia and all the energies of the Opposition has been focused on
undermining and denigrating the work of government. It’s costing us billions to run this soap
opera for the media machine and the entertainment of the masses. Surely, parliament should be more than that.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Wednesday, July 31st ....
It’s Wednesday, the sun is shining and all’s right with the
world. We’re spending today getting the
details finalised for the new business: registering the name, getting an ABN
and opening a bank account. Pamela and I
will put in a few dollars to give us some working capital; there are some
things we need to order like filter papers, new cartons and so on and we’re
going to be short of bottles when all the wine is ready.
Jamie is designing new labels and setting up a website. I’ve organised for an NBN account. The fibre is already connected so we’re just
waiting for the modem. We’ve gone for a
mid-range package which is 4 times faster than our current ADSL and has free
national calls and heaps of download capacity.
Our website will have an e-commerce facility so you can all order our
wines on-line and we’ll send them to you in the post.
There’s a Task Schedule on board in the winery. We have some wine ready for a final filtering
and have to get an order for 7 dozen for Ashgrove Cheese ready in the next few
days. Most of what we need is already
bottled but Michael wants some cherry. Pamela scratched around in a cupboard
and pulled out a demi-john of dark, dark wine.
No label, just a breathtaking aroma.
After a few sips, we decided it was probably cherry. It’s wonderful and nobody will quibble if it’s,
in fact, blueberry.
I have no experience of fruit wines but, if somebody had
told me it was a Cabernet, I would have accepted that. Blueberry is like a Merlot, the Elderflower I
had the other night is like a late-picked Riesling without the sticky
sweetness. A whole new world has opened
up.
After the weekend filtering we have several demi-johns
cluttering up the house. It was collected
from the bottom of the vats and is perfectly good wine but not crystal
clear. Pamela says it will make great
mulled wine or work well in marinades.
Maybe we could market marinades or wine vinegar!
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