Our little ones

How cute are our kids?!

Abracadabra - love it

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Here are the slides from my presentation to a group of real estate agents today.

Solving the financial crisis and global warming

I rode this morning. It was the usual Thursday morning ride complete with a crash and the attendant postmortem. But it was a chat over coffee that got me thinking.

My mate runs a bike shop. It's successful, as is he, but I could hear the fear in his voice knowing that the full force of the economic crisis is yet to bite. There are going to be lots of job cuts. My brother may well be one of them.

In government there's plenty of hand-wringing and furrowed brows. Unemployment is politically unsavory. So are bank foreclosures. Leaders know that now is the time for serious economic support, hence the $10.4 billion stimulus package recently announced to help families and first home buyers. All good stuff, at least politically.

But I'm wondering why the government isn't doing more to sort out climate change as a major part of kick-starting the economy. Rather than sinking money into unprofitable child care centres and similarly unprofitable auto manufacturers, let's sink money into developing clean energy and infrastructure that reduces the demand for fossil fuels over the long term.

Just stimulating the economy is a short-term fix; politically palatable and achievable inside a single term of government. However, thoughtful, well-crafted economic strategies could provide an instant boost to the economy and go on paying dividends for generations to come. The Rudd government appear intent on doing just that; or at least in part.

Their support of the auto industry includes a $1.3 billion injection into the Green Car Innovation Fund. It's clever strategy and linked to a long view of the future.

Barack Obama's accptance speech - full version

Barack Obama's victory speech

How sad we didn't get Sarah Palin as Vice President of the world

Sarah Palin outlining her foreign policies. Just think, she could have been the next Vice President of the most powerful nation on earth, the person charged with oversight of the US war machine if something happened to the President.

All I'll say is thank God it didn't happen.


Watch CBS Videos Online

Barack Obama's grandmother passes away

It must be incredibly heart-breaking for Barack Obama, on the eve of the most important day of his life, to lose his grandmother to cancer. My thoughts are with him.

Barack Obama advertisement brought me to tears

The latest Barack Obama commercial, a beautifully crafted 30 minute infomercial, brought me to tears. The way Obama appeals to the potential of the human spirit really gets to me. He talks without preaching, without attempting to manipulate, and what he says speaks to my values. I'll be disappointed beyond belief if he doesn't win next Tuesday. If he wins it will be a win for world peace.

I've embedded the video below from Obama's Youtube channel.

When the chips are down

When the chips are down why not take advantage: at least that seems to be the attitude of OPEC. Give it to the West while they're hurting. I say good on them. The more damage they do, the quicker the world will start investing in alternative energy supplies. Noone has a monopoly on wind, wave, and solar power generation.

Probably not a Rhodes Scholar

These guys vote. How did that happen?

Forest activists attacked in the Upper Florentine Valley, Tassie

Pink Floyd (Bob Geldof) - Nobody Home

I just love this song. The Wall is one of my favourite albums ever.

Commonwealth Bank feeling the pinch?

This in from Commsec:

The financial sector is lower by 3.6pct being weighed down by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA). Its shares are down 8.6pct or $3.88 to $41.27 after resuming trade this morning following capital raising to fund the $2.1bln acquisition of BankWest and wealth management group St Andrew’s.

We're told that the banks, who've just been given a 1% (which is really around 14%) cut in the cash rate by the RBA, are feeling the pinch. So what's the Commonwealth's response? Raise $2.1bln to buy out Bankwest. Excuse me if I sound populist, but that smacks of double standards. They took 3 days to raise $2.1bln but complain that funds are tight. I'll bet if I walked in to a branch and asked for a small business loan I'd be told all manner of bullshit about how tight liquidity is at the moment. I'd be asked for my house, my car, and my wife as security.

Seriously. How about giving the battlers a break, then look at building your empire. No wonder the punters are pissed.

My fellow prisonoers: McCain gaffe

Maybe John McCain still thinks he's back in Nam. Maybe he sees no way out of the mess the country is in. Who knows. But would you want this guy running the country?

Sad Guys on Trading Floors

A fascinating series of photos capturing the fear and turmoil in the stock market.

Sad Guys on Trading Floors

Qantas jet falls ahead of stock market plunge

I couldn't help but notice the irony of the front page of today's West Australian. It seems that Qantas jets may be the precursors to rapid falls in interest rates and the stock market. Let's hope they don't crash one properly.

Gates No Longer World's Richest Man - Forbes.com

How is it that we still measure wealth and riches by what we own?

Gates No Longer World's Richest Man - Forbes.com

Something my dear Aunty Marj wrote

Here's something my dear Aunty Marj wrote last year.

Well now, here it is 3:30 a.m September22nd 2007.

I have my cup of Lazarus brew along side me and my computer. I suppose I should explain why I call my coffee “Lazarus Brew”. I have a theory about that. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He opened Lazarus’s tomb and went inside and said “Lazarus come forth” and stuck a cup of Starbucks coffee under Lazarus’s nose. And behold Lazarus came forth.

As yet, the birds haven’t started taking roll call, and daylight will be a little bit longer arriving here. We are heading into shorter days and longer nights. I wish it wasn’t so, for I love the long days and short nights. Our bodies start to go into another cycle for autumn that gets us ready for the cold  winter days and nights.  I ‘specially love my flower garden. It’s too early in the a.m for me to see how they’ve managed through the night. Sometimes we can get some rather nasty surprises this time of the year when Mother Nature decides to give us a taste of the yet to come...and the lovely flowers bow their sweet little heads...upset, for they will have to leave soon. And they have enjoyed my talking to them and telling them how lovely they are.

It’s quiet times like this my mind goes back to memories of the dearest kind. And how fortunate I was to be at a certain point at a certain time to have been there...


In 1973, I made the long and tiring trip back to Australia, to bring my Mother to the U.S. for a prolonged visit, and decided to go west first and visit one of my sisters and her Hubby and 4 wonderful sons, Rod, the oldest, then John, Peter, and Tim who  lived in a huge shed, on 968 hectares, 43 miles from the nearest town, 16 miles from the nearest school in a district called Jerdacuttup. I think they were about 4 miles from the nearest neighbour, and had hundreds and hundreds of sheep, several horses, one of which was a pony by name of “Flicka” (and I was to find out in a couple of days had more herding sense than I), a couple of milk cows, chooks, a white turkey (that a fox relieved them of and departed to his very delighted wife and little foxes the next night),  and a terrible drought in progress.

The grass was nonexistent. The sheep looked as if someone had played a terrible joke and just put dirty wool over bones. The dams were mud holes. I had never seen such devastation, and my heart ached for the family. The land was an ongoing brown/black/grey with no demarcation of horizon. It was all so depressing  and I couldn’t help but wonder how the family could possibly survive this awful catastrophe. In all the years I had lived in Australia I had never seen a drought; and that too was going to change after I left West Australia and flew north to Queensland, for they, also, in Central Queensland, were in the grip of the same situation - no rain for 3 years.


However, let me get back to Jerdacuttup and the real reason I started this remembrance of the dearest kind.

To live and survive  under the most abject conditions takes and makes a child into the man or woman he/she will become. And my Sister Betty and her Husband Ron, and their children, and the many who tamed West Australia, leave a legacy of endurance of what surely must have been what looked like a hopeless cause and turned it into what they had left behind . A vital Culture…Civilization.

One of my nephews, a 9 year old, by the name of Peter ,was already showing that the world was waiting for him. There was something about him in his eyes...almost spiritually at times. On one hand he seemed as old as the hills, as if he’d been here, or there, before. At the same time, he could have charmed the socks off an Eskimo. He had one fervent wish at that time, to have a Harmonica. That wasn’t hard to take care of. 

In order to save as many sheep as they could, his Dad and whoever was available, (the day before, it happened to be me) would herd the sheep down about 2 miles to what was called a Brigelow scrub where they could at least get some foraging . The sheep were so weak if they fell down the rider would have to get off his/her horse and pick them up and set them on their poor bony legs again. However, the poor things would be back the next a.m in the upper pasture again weakly and pitifully calling for forage of substance and water. My heart sank. The wind had come up and the sand was blowing and stinging and penetrating everything. There was no top soil left, only stinging sand. Sand everywhere with almost gale force wind driving the sand into every nook and cranny.

Now this is where a 9 year old Lad named Peter, still fills a place in my heart. I saw him and his Dad come out all rugged up and young Peter had a bandanna tied around his face. He was the sidekick for the day. I expected any second for the wind to pick him up and toss him to one side. Somehow, they both got on their horses. Only Peter was riding “Flicka”. The know it all about herding sheep . The horses were having a time trying to maintain with the driving wind and sand.  And I could see what looked like hundreds of sheep lying on the ground too weak to get up. I knew there’d be a lot of getting on and off the horses to pick them up and get them started again.

I turned to my sister Betty and I could see she, also, had some misgivings about this . The Lad was awfully young and it was a matter of real concern. So we, Bet and I , turned to start the wash. We’d have to hang it up in the shearing shed and hope we could shake the sand out after it all dried. The day seemed endless. Our minds were on the two riders. And finally, coming on dark we heard the riders come in. What a pitiful sight Father and Son were. They were both exhausted. Their faces were sand blasted red, but it was the eyes that shocked me. They looked like burning coals in a stove. Betty hurried to get some water for them to try and rinse the sand out of their eyes. I’ll always remember Peter’s remark as he tried to get some relief for his burning eyes: "Mum, doesn’t it say in the Bible, 'if thine eyes offendeth thee, pluck them out?'" Bless his cotton sox.


So now you know why a 9 year  old lad left me with memories of the dearest kind.

Written with love.

Aunty Marjie Maureen

The stock market

Jeez, how bad is the stock market at the moment. I bought some Macquarie shares at $53 a couple of months ago. Today they're less than $30. Youch. Hope it turns around soon. I suspect we've got some pain to come. Will one of our banks be a casualty?

Preparation for the Bankwest stair climb

I nominated for the Bankwest stair climb yesterday. The event is on October 5 and I'm in the middle of my preparation in the hope of posting a reasonable time.

I've been doing drills on Jacob's Ladder. 3 laps, 2 steps, walking; 3 laps, 2 steps, 24 kilos dumbells; 3 laps, 3 steps, running; 3 laps, steps, running; 3 laps, 2 steps, walking. I've also been doing some 5 lap sprints. My best time is 12:08 for 5 laps. Yesterday I did 10 laps in 29:05. The weather was hot and I left a fair bit in the tank, particularly on the last lap when I avoided the temptation of running the last couple of flights. This morning I experimented with using the hand rails to help pull me up. It definitely provides a surge and brings another part of the body into play.

Speaking to Pippa on the ladder this morning reinforced the importance of taking it easy for the first 8-10 laps. What I might do is break the climb into 4 stages (12, 25, 40, 50) and cruise slowly through the first and look to build momentum over the last 25 laps. Good in theory but it'll be a matter of keeping my head on when everyone else wants to sprint to the first flight and then start running.

Jacob's Ladder

A quick one. Last night. 8 laps, 20:09. Knocking on the door of sub-25 minutes for 10.

Why Channel Seven's Paddy Welsh is a dickhead

Yesterday Tamsin Lewis got her arse kicked. Badly. In the heats of the 800 metres she came last. Maybe she made a mistake racing two heats in a day. We'll never know. None of that really matters now. The race is over, we move on. Not so Paddy Welsh.

After the race she was interviewed - or should I say, grilled - by Channel Seven's Paddy Welsh. And for those few short minutes she was subjected to not just a grilling but a humiliation at the hands of a reporter who's only interest was his own voice. Lewis was sobbing, trying to talk through her tears, clearly distraught at her performance, in obvious distress about what had just occurred. But could Welsh give a shit? Not at all. He ploughed on through her distress asking questions that added to her pain. His was a mission of humiliation and indignity, not of someone seeking perspective or answers. His interview was nothing short of self-serving and gratuitous. A male carelessly watching while a woman cried in humiliation.

Paddy Welsh, for your efforts during this interview I award you the gold medal for the 800 word dickhead handicap.

I planted vegetables

I planted vegetables yesterday. Filled the soil with sheep shit and composted vegetables and fertiliser and soil conditioner. Worms wriggled amongst the rotting food scraps. Big and fat and well fed, their shit soon to become food for new plants.

I planted vegetables. Broccoli, beetroot, onions, and coriander. Mixed together to keep away those thick, fat, hairy caterpillars that know how to eat a seedling in an evening banquet. Evil, they are, evil. But later they turn into butterflies and look innocent.

I planted vegetables. But I'm yet to eat anything except a tiny leaf of baby spinach left behind by a hungry, hairy plant eating machine. So far I've fed snails and slugs and butterflies-in-waiting, but not myself. Water and sheep shit and time; then perhaps I'll feast.

I think the JW's are giving me nightmares

I'm feeling unusually wound up at the moment. It may have something to do with the Jehovah's Witnesses being in town over the weekend. I went to the coffee shop at the Burswood and was told I couldn't park in my usual parking space. They were concerned I was just there to pick up some cheap parking while I went to a convention about god. News just in Mr Parking Attendant, I'm not a god botherer. Please, don't tell me where to park.

The JW's were parked all over the end of our street. How lovely. All these cosy little families with kids dressed up in suits and their Sunday best. They were off to learn about the end of the world and how evil us crack whores are. Good for them. I hope the kids get over the experience one day. Perhaps, after a couple of hundred years, they'll realise that sex before marriage isn't the end of the world, that two guys going at it isn't going to send you to eternal damnation, and that saying "fuck" isn't going to do, well, fuck all really. Best I say a few quick words to the god of Nihl tonight on their behalf. Oh for a dose of good old, life has fuck all meaning.

So there, got that off my chest. I'm supposed to be writing thesis words right now. Instead I'm sitting on the third floor of the Curtin library with a view out over a bunch of red brick buildings and people walking along straight red brick paths. Life is full of straight lines going nowhere. There's a cold wind blowing so people are rugged up. The sun makes little difference.

I had a scary dream last night. I had a double barrel shotgun. Someone pissed me off so I shot them but I don't remember killing them. Then some other people grabbed their shotguns and started shooting at me. I couldn't load mine quick enough so I only managed to fill one chamber with a cartridge and then fire. It bought me enough time to start running away. I jumped a fence and started to run through some bush. There was an army style jeep with a woman trying to shoot me. I woke up really frightened. Who needs the movies when you've got dreams like that?!

I still don't know what I'm going to do for my next job. Why can't we get paid to be students and do fuck all?

Batleb: the legend

If you can't see this video below visit YouTube and search for Batleb. It's a classic that's worth watching a few times.

Synchronicity

I'm watching White Heat as I write this. James Cagney is a mean little bastard.

I had a good day writing. Wrote another good paragraph. The funny thing is that I'm moving in a rather unexpected direction. One of the features about dooce is that she grew up as a Mormon and left the church in her early 20's. This fact is now becoming quite central to my analysis of the blog; and I can't help noticing the similarities between her life and mine. Religion played a big part in her formative years as it did mine. She walked away from the church, so did I. She struggled with issues with her family and finding her place in this world, and so did I. It's a fascinating parallel. I can't help but see the synchronicity of me writing a thesis about subjectivity and power and identifying a blog on which a struggle against religious power is documented.

Beautiful.

What happened today

I've got a sore back. It's usually related to tight hamstrings. More stretching is on the agenda. I suspect it comes from riding.

Wrote a good paragraph today and read some interesting stuff about how the human subject is created. All in all a productive day. I spent some time working out of Farells restaurant. I seem to be a bit more productive away from home.

I haven't had a hot shower since about the 21st of May. I'll make it a challenge to go through winter without using hot water for my showers. Each shower gets less of a challenge than the previous.

I'm still not drinking alcohol at home unless we have guests. I'm feeling sharper as a result.

A bit of nothing

Good day writing. Around 450 words and plenty of new understanding about my little French buddy Foucault. Power is a subtle non-existent non-force that seduces and induces.

Bit tired right now. Listening to Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls.

On the ladder 6am tomorrow with Sammi. Let's hope she can walk tomorrow.

Another day of writing

Overslept by about half an hour this morning but I still made it to the ladder by 6:15. One of the regulars gave me a bit of shit about turning up late.

I went to Fremantle with Rita this morning. While Rita worked I went to Gino's for a coffee and wrote a good few hundred words. They have great coffee and free internet for customers. Cool. The energy of a coffee shop gave my writing a lift. I stalled during the afternoon as I started wading into the Foucauldian section of my thesis.

I had a shit night's sleep last night. Woke up just after 3am and didn't get back to sleep for ages. I'm starting to get tired as I write this.

The sound

I looked for something heavy inside.
Instead I found a light.
It took me to a sound still hearing.
Nothing to see hear.

Am I soft?

I slept in this morning. No ladder, no meditation. On a day like today I don't feel powerful or in control. It's as if life happens to me rather than me creating life. I did though have a shave and a cold shower the latter of which took some discipline. I take power out of knowing that I can be the master over fear and sluggishness.

I met with both my new and previous honours supervisors today. I'm glad I started writing today and didn't go on holidays. On a good day I can write 1000 words but when I'm breaking new ground, as I am with Foucault's theories, I'm down to a few hundred words a day. I wrote 56 today.

I hope it's pissing down in the morning. It feels great to be out in the wet and cold when everyone else is in bed sleeping. Is this all just a way of trying to convince myself that I'm not soft?

Tree's getting a budget hair cut

Our big Jacaranda tree received a hair cut today. It was hanging over the neighbour's fence and shading the vegie patch so it's nice to let a bit more sun through. The old bloke from over the side fence made sure the tree got the prune he wanted. I hope he's happy with the efforts.

I showed Rita a bit about budgeting for Zodiax today. I get concerned about a business that doesn't have budgets and where accountability isn't built into processes. It sounds as though she's going to do something about better financial controls, which will help me feel a whole lot easier.

I did the ladder this morning. Rita came with me. It was cold but as I reflected later it's rare that I regret getting out and getting amongst it, which I can't say about the opposite.

Jussy's staying with us tonight. He's off to Karratha in the morning to work on the railways for Rio Tinto. He's pretty excited and the money is great.

I'm keen to get a job once I've finished my thesis. It's been a long slog without a decent salary. I'm thinking of trying for a government management position, but I'm open to other possibilities.

Catching up with relatives

I spent most of today at my mother-in-laws catching up with relatives from Kalgoorlie. It was nice to chat about farming and shearing and share trading. People from the country are attractively uncomplicated.

This morning I decided that I won't drink alcohol at home until I've finished my honours thesis. It's a way to keep focussed during the months ahead and it will also allow me to go out and have a good time with friends.

I didn't do Jacob's Ladder today as a result of the catch up with the relatives. I miss doing something physical during the day. I'll be back there in the morning.

Tomorrow our big Jacaranda tree gets trimmed. I hope it will allow a bit more sun onto the vegie patch. The tomatoes are growing far too slowly for my liking.

Finally it was great to see the Bombers beat Carlton. Great game. The Eagles flogging by Geelong will be long forgotten within two years. As Worsfold said he played in a game (I think against the Roos) where they only kicked one goal. Two years later they played in a grand final and the year afterwards won a premiership. The West Coast are rebuilding and they'll be all the better for this weekend's experience.

About today

I rode this morning. Shit it was cold. But it was nice to be out on the bike having a bit of fun. I'll probably do the ladder in the morning. My legs will probably feel a bit tired.

I'm feeling a bit feral at the moment. Drank half a bottle of wine and devoured a packet of potato chips this afternoon. What a fine diet. Hmmm, and helped myself to some chocolate after dinner.

I watched a movie about Burma this afternoon. Jeez that country is in bad shape. They really don't care too much for democracy. I wonder what it's going to take to open that country up? Sure glad I live in Australia. I admire the reporters and film makers that bring these stories to the rest of the world. They're very courageous.

Why I feel better about the future

I've been feeling skeptical about the future lately. Terrorism, global warming, rising food prices, and tensions in the middle east all add to a recipe that pose plenty of questions over our future. It seems that no matter what I read or watch the future doesn't look great. But last night I was given justification to hope for the future. And my hopes lie in a group of young people who, in the not too distant future will, I hope, become our next leaders.

These new leaders will come from those who are still in school, people such as the uni friends I enjoyed drinks with last night. They're articulate, respectful, environmentally aware, and open-minded; a far cry from some of the narrow-minded, self-interested people running the country at the moment. They're not full of their own importance but are concerned for those around them. They know how to enjoy themselves, how to have an intelligent conversation, and how to be compassionate human beings.

Quite simply they're an inspiration. Let the future begin.

New post

On my research journal

I'm gutted

West Coast blew a 36 half time lead tonight to lose by a kick. I'm just devastated. Here's my take on a few players.

Goodes: too fit, too fast, too smart. A match winner despite a slow start.
Selwood: not as fit as is his mouth is fast. Had his legs run from under him by Goodes.
Hunter: far from his confident best. Couple of very costly mistakes.
Kirk: did he get knocked out? Still, got up and performed well.
Houlihan: rising star, needs to put on some weight.
Butler: learn to kick goals from the 5o son.
Kerr: Mister Courageous.
Everett: A slow, lumbering, but very clever Spider.
Cox: rucks like a rover.
Lynch: top performance from The Unit. Marked and tackled well. Set up forward momentum.
Seeby: too soft around the stoppages.
Jones: tough, but tried to get too fancy and caused a crucial turnover.
Embley: an ember of his burning best. Went missing when the game needed to be won.
Staker: needs to sharpen up under pressure in front of goals.
Wirrapanda: clever, clever, clever.

The season is now over for West Coast. They'll now want to blood as many new players as they can, so don't read too much into any of their performances from here to the end of the season. Will be nuisance value for some clubs vying for a spot in the eight; which is where they'll be next season.

What's the payoff in losing?

I've blogged a bit about the Dockers lately. Their losing streak continues. The question I pose here is "What payoff do the Dockers enjoy by losing winnable games?".

Over the past few weeks the Dockers have made a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They've been in front in the final quarter - and lost - in each of the past four weeks (happy to be corrected here). At times the margin has been substantial. Still they manage to lose.

As an example they had a significant (nearly 40 points?) lead over Geelong at home. They choked. They were going to hand out a hiding in Melbourne leading by nearly 60 points. Again they choked. To do this once is forgivable, but to do it time and again raises questions. What is the payoff in being perpetual losers? Do they perceive themselves as being unworthy of winning? Perhaps. Do their working class roots dictate they have to struggle for the rest of their existence against more affluent, successful clubs? Maybe. Are they afraid of success? Possibly. I'm not sure what the payoff is for them losing. But I believe there is one.

It's about time they figured out the reasons why they give up winnable leads. At the moment they're an embarrassment to the state.

Roger Hayden out for 3-5 weeks

Too bad for Roger Hayden. He's going to be out of the Dockers' line up for 3-5 weeks after receiving a punctured lung in the game against the Dogs last weekend. It's a loss the Dockers don't need. Hayden is a reliable defender who sets about his work in a polished, disciplined manner, unlike some of his team mates who are uncommitted wannabes.

Here's wishing Hayden a speedy recovery.

Time for Rick Hart to go

What's wrong with the Dockers? Admittedly the Dogs are second on the ladder and are a tough ask to beat, but I'm saying that's where the Dockers should be - second on the ladder. Have a look at their list. They've got some of the best mid-fielders in the league, their forwards are the dream team - they don't come much better than Tarrant and Pav for some fire power in front of goal - and yet still they can't deliver and choke on win-able leads.

The Eagles on the other hand are in rebuilding mode. I can't remember a club that's done well despite a big injury list. Have a look at some of the players they had out of the team on the weekend. Lecras, Hunter, Kerr, Hanson, Hurn, and Waters are all champions capable of turning a game around. All are having a rough trot with injuries. Worsfold is doing the right thing and building the club for next year.

Given an injury-free run, the Eagles are going to be hard to beat next year. The Dockers on the other hand will continue to be perpetual under-performers. Perhaps it's time there was a change at the top. I'm talking here Rick Hart and some of the directors. Obviously they take comfort from snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Mac spelling preferences

I own a Macbook Pro and use Pages for word processing. I keep getting prompted to use the American spelling but I live in Australia. Quite frankly it's giving me the shits. If you know how to change it I'd appreciate your help.

Dockers go down to Geelong

Reports that the Dockers were desperately unlucky to lose to the Cats are off target and miss the point. Put simply the Dockers weren't good enough and deserved to lose.

They lack the fitness to go a full game at full tilt. It's notable that the Cats overran them at the end of both the second and fourth quarters. I don't know why anyone would want to be a Dockers supporter. They have the talent. Let's face it, you don't get up by 38 points over Geelong through not playing a good brand of footy. But they don't seem to be able to deliver when it all counts - and that's frustrating for their supporters.

They've got some young guns that have huge potential but need another season or two under their belts to harden up. By then some of their better players will be past their prime so I can't see things changing in a hurry. I sure hope they don't take any encouragement from tonights efforts.

The only thing they showed tonight is they know how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Como property damaged by vandals

Wow wouldn't you be shit off if you were the property manager (and owner) of the property in Como that's just been vandalised. Wonder if it'll be covered by insurance?

ANZAC day dawn service

Is our society going soft or am I becoming a grumpy old man?

It was great to see such a large turn out at the dawn service this morning. Men, women, old, young, all sorts of nationalities, all shapes and sizes. Each made their way along Fraser Avenue, across the grass, by bike or by foot, each with the goal of commemorating the spirit of the ANZAC. War is an ugly, ugly beast and no right-minded person wants its experience. But to yearn for peace is not enough. We, each of us, must be willing to fight for it, defend our right to it, to do what we can to keep it. Peace requires effort - and courage, sacrifice, determination.

So why is it that so many make the effort to attend the dawn service, then spend the time whispering and fidgeting, as if they can't bear the silence and the stillness. Why is it they can't stand to attention (well at least standing still would be a start) in silence while wreaths are laid? Why do they need to kiss and cuddle while old diggers shed silent tears for fallen mates? Why can't they make that tiny sacrifice for just a few short minutes.

Maybe I'm hard, or harsh, or overly critical. Maybe I should just be more grateful that so many made the effort to turn up at all. Maybe I was looking through eyes that could see my own softness reflected in those moments of inattention. Maybe war is just so sad.

Whatever the case I hope to never experience war. I hope for a world where wars are won through words and smiles. I hope for a day when peace is dominates the news. I hope for a place where all can enjoy abundance not a privileged few.

So thanks to all those who turned up to the dawn service. You make Australia what it is.

Adam Spangher dropped

Adam Spangher has been dropped from the West Coast squad set to play the Bulldogs this weekend. He deserved to be dropped...but.

Spangher is still finding his feet and getting up to speed with AFL at the elite level. I noticed him miss some important tackles and he made a number of mistakes in defense which simply aren't good enough. During the third quarter last week he caused a costly turnover that would have warranted him being dragged. Instead he was left on the field and he showed in the final term why he is worthy of the teams patience. He has genuine speed and, when he's on song, some real talent with the ball.

No doubt he'll go back to the WAFL (assuming he's not injured) and put last week's experience to good use. If he can build up some real toughness around the ball and keep his head whilst under pressure he'll go on to make a very serviceable player.

I'm against bio-fuels

I'm against bio-fuels.

The demand for bio-fuels turns good farming land into the factory for the production of fuel for motor vehicles - mainly driven in affluent societies - and drives up food prices. Why feed cars when we could be feeding our fellow human beings? The world's rich are doing little to help. As demand for bio-fuel increases we'll see pressure on struggling farmers to cut production of crops that could feed their families and grow corn for fuel. As the cycle escalates we'll see the wealthy buying out small farmers to get their hands on the means of producing lucrative bio-fuel crops. Little will be done to care for the land, and even less for the communities affected.

The real answer to global warming is less consumption, constrained population growth, and genuinely renewable energy supplies. Get rid of bio-fuels before we create anarchy.

It's never too late

I'm a bit excited for Mum and Dad. At the ripe old age of 80-odd they've just bought a flash new 101 centimetre Sony LCD TV. Being as how they didn't get a TV until they were in their 70's this is just a buzz. Mum will love watching the tennis even more now.

I hope they get to watch it for many years to come.

Reflections from an ordinary mind: Thesis statement and outline

Reflections from an ordinary mind: Thesis statement and outline

Cincinnati Functional Fitness Session with Dustin Carter

Dustin Carter, I hope you go a long way. You're already an inspiration.

Does a surfing lesson make me a surfie?

Today brought a new experience - surfing. A few days ago I found a surfing teacher on the beach of Legian. He was spot on. Jeffery showed myself and two ladies we met by the pool how to stand up and we had a ball for a couple of hours. I can now say that I’ve surfed and I’m keen to go again before we leave.

Tonight we kicked back with a cheap-n-cheerful meal at a small cafe near our hotel.

We’re off to ride an elephant tomorrow, which will be another new experience.

Ten things I've noticed in Bali

Still water
Litter on beaches
People are more inclined to make eye contact and stare
People are more inclined to smile and say g’day
Yes mister, you want trans-spot?
The moodiness of a tropical thunder storm
The luscious taste of tropical fruit for breakfast
The hardness of Bali beach sand
The beauty of the touch of a masseuse
Unbelievable sunsets touching still water

One World

Just saw this video on YouTube. It's apparently the most responded to video of all time

A shed that taught me a lesson

DSC02150
Originally uploaded by peterfletcher38

The shed in the background is a monster, but it taught me much.

It taught me how important it is to feel good about myself. By feeling OK and comfortable and relaxed there's a lot that can be absorbed and let go.

After building that shed I now feel like a shiny stone at the bottom of the river, with the water rushing frantically by while I am just a stone. A beautiful, shiny, stone.

Why I'm fed up with the yanks

Amazon is undoubtedly a clever company. Their e-commerce platform sets a standard to which others will only ever aspire. I tip my hat to their technical skills and business acumen. But sometimes this acumen doesn't extend to being culturally sensitive.

I recently received an email from Amazon, and this is what they had to say:

As someone who has purchased books related to supporting a business enterprise, we thought you might be interested in an exciting new product from Amazon Services: WebStore by Amazon.

WebStore by Amazon gives you a branded e-commerce site backed by the support, selection and expertise of Amazon. You can be confident that your WebStore is going to be up when your customers come clicking. Better yet, WebStore is easy to set up and comes with a number of great marketing features so you can start selling in minutes!

Need help migrating? WebStore is offering promotional packages to help you quickly design and migrate your store. Sign up for WebStore today and check out our promotional offers.

What an exciting offer. My wife owns a retail business that could benefit from this exciting piece of technology so I decided to sign up.

Now keep in mind here that Amazon know where I live. They've shipped books to me previously as they noted in their email. So it came as something of a surprise when, during the sign-up process that the telephone verification of my account didn't work. Unlike my experience with Google, after clicking "call me now" the telephone didn't ring. I waited, and pressed the button several more times, waited a bit more, then decided to send an email. I simply asked them if there was something that needed to be done at my end so they could dial an international phone number.

To their credit they did respond to the email. But this is what they said:

In order to complete your registration on our web site, you would need
to provide a U.S. phone number where you could be immediately reached.
We require this as part of our account verification system; you would
need to enter a PIN over the phone in order to complete registration.

If you are unable to provide a U.S. phone number where you can be
immediately reached for PIN verification, you will not be able to
register on our web site at this time.

At this time, only sellers with a U.S. checking account, a U.S.
billing address, and a U.S. phone number are eligible to apply for
Amazon Payments.  Unfortunately, the lack of an international standard
for identity verification has made it impossible thus far for us to
offer this service to our international sellers.

Since Amazon Payments is required in order to sell on our third-party
selling platforms, we realize that this may hinder your ability to
sell on our site.  I would encourage you to explore the
options available to you in order to establish these requirements.  We
do have international sellers who have established U.S. checking
accounts and U.S. billing addresses, enabling them to receive payment
via Amazon Payments, and who are currently enjoying the benefits of
this service.

For a starter, if they have no intention of allowing me to set up an online store because I live in Australia, why send me the email in the first place? Secondly, don't be so arrogant to tell me where I should start a bank account. I want my bank accounts to remain in Australia thanks very much.

It's these, and lots of other, clumsy efforts at globalism that, in my view, disenfranchise the non-US world. Whilst no-one can excuse terrorism, we can understand the anger, frusrtation, and resentment that the American hubris tends to create.

I'm all for technology and global opportunity, but I'm also all for cultural diversity and respect for other traditions.

Come on Amazon, you can do better than that!