Who do I vote for?

I am getting fed up with election politics with its Pork Barreling promises and half truths.   What to do?  I thought of giving my vote to the Greens, but they can only be, at best, a minor player in any government formed.  Their manifesto looks good...see it here.

The Greens can be a party to...’Keep the Bastards Honest’ which is a quote from The Democrats’ leader Don Chip.  Don has left us and The Democrats could well be considered a spent force.

In my electorate, Fremantle, the incumbent Labor Party candidate is certain to retain her seat.  Labor has held the seat without interruption since 1934, however the city of Fremantle has gone green and The Greens may pick up a few more votes this election.  

The Freo mayor has been very green, declaring Fremantle nuclear free and banning plastic shopping bags.

A tongue-in-cheek look at The Greens.....

Dr Rudi in Bali

Yesterday I had an eye examination prior to getting a new pair of specs.  The initial examination was retinal digital photos of my eyes to look at blood vessels, retina and optic nerve.   The woman operating the camera setup introduced herself as Faye.... I, with one of my lame jokes, asked if it was fait accompli. She replied, ‘no, it is Faye Jones’.  Confusion reigned and I had to get back in my box and shut up.  

Today I had a dentist appointment for a teeth descale and two small fillings.  I was in the chair for about 30 minutes and the bill came to $427. My health benefit fund  helped by subsidising the total with $256 and I ended up paying $170.

Whilst I was flat out on the dental lounge I noticed that I had my legs crossed and my arms folded.  I asked the young dentist if that was common.  It is common.  I recalled doing that every time I have been in dentists' rooms.  

Next time (if there is a next time) I will wait until I visit Bali again and have Dr Rudi do anything at around 20% of what Australian dentists charge.   It would have to be some major work to make the trip worthwhile.

At the moment there are airfare/accommodation deals for 5 days in Bali ex-Perth for around $600.   Might see if I can find someone to travel with and just jump on a plane.

Alone again

I am alone again. Yay!!    Our son has gone to Melbourne for a week’s break.  I had become used to being alone after my wife Joan’s death.  It is difficult living with someone other than your life partner.    My habits are quite different to my son’s.....mine are the good ones of course.

I must start looking for a rental unit for him even if I have to subsidise the rent each week.   When I was reading the diary of Anne Frank where eight people of different ages from two families spent two years in very close quarters having a few tanties over minor things, I saw myself.  Must try and relax about the things that get to me.

Helen and James invited me over for a seafood dinner last night.  Helen is every bit as good a cook as her mother.   Great food and good conversation.

Hung, drawn and quartered

I have a friend who is an ex-student of mine from Rockingham Senior High School around 1978.  We, and now I, have kept in touch with Sean over the years and we have stayed with his family, his lovely wife Denise and their kids Cody and Bae in Sydney and they with us when they return to W.A..   Sean recently asked me if I could look at his mother Penney’s stereo amplifier as it was making some strange noises.   Today, Penney dropped by and I managed to wave the magic wand over it and it now works well.     In actual fact I figured it was a build-up of carbon on the volume control and opened it up and blasted it out with compressed air.  All good!     I love those easy jobs!

As the population of this vast state increases we read of more violence from its citizens. Letters to the newspapers demand that the government ‘Bring back the birch’.  Others say that a return to harsher school discipline such as using the cane is needed.  Sorry, that just won’t work in these times.  Maybe the miscreants should be Hung, Drawn and Quartered.

Here is something I read today in The Writers Almanac.  Free subscription and a great daily read.

On this date in 1305, William Wallace was executed for treason in London. Wallace was a Scottish national hero. He'd fought unsuccessfully against the English for Scottish independence. In the 14th century, a convicted traitor was typically "hanged, drawn, and quartered": first he was dragged behind a horse to the execution site, which was often some miles away. Then he was hanged until he was nearly dead, at which point he was cut down and disemboweled; his entrails were often burned in front of him. At this point, he might be beheaded, and the final step — quartering — involved tying each of his limbs to four separate horses, which were then spurred to run in opposite directions.

A history book called The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I (1898) reports that Wallace was drawn — that is, dragged behind a horse — for treason, hanged for robbery and homicide, disemboweled for sacrilege, beheaded for outlawry, and quartered for "various depredations."

The Diary of a Young Girl

I have been re-reading the diary of Anne Frank.  It is a remarkable, well written story, told by a young girl about two families living in hiding in Holland in a secret hideout over a period of  two years until they were betrayed and transported.  Anne’s father was the only survivor from the camps of the eight people in hiding.   

 Her diary is a personal account of those two years in hiding, her personal thoughts and the inevitable difficulties of living in close contact with others. It was written as letters to her alter ego, Kitty.     Her diary ends abruptly with no indication that the hideout had been compromised.  Several investigations were held to address suspicions about who actually informed the Sickerheitsdienst (SD), but no single person was charged.  The diary having been published by this time, was probably the catalyst for investigations.  

A pleasant funeral

AB’s funeral went well with a large group of family, friends and three ex-pupils.

An ex-student of mine attended and it was great to catch up with him.  He is a relative of Bronwen and I did know that at the time I taught him.  Bronnie, or AB as she liked to be called, never married and spent most of her life teaching, travelling and mentoring friends and rellies.

Later in the day I helped a friend by doing a bit of lifesaving on his PC.  I am not into the Windows operating system, but downloaded a piece of ‘tuneup’ software to run on it and that seems to have worked.  His computer was being quite irrational and I didn't have much hope that this download was going to be a fix.            A trial version of AVG Tuneup is useable for just 24 hours.

My nearest shopping centre is in a nearby suburb which elicits quite a bit of scorn from non residents.  Yesterday I dropped into a small supermarket there to buy some supplies.  When I got home I realised I had lost my iPhone, having left it in the shopping basket.  I dashed back to the store and asked, with no real hope, if a phone had been handed in.  Bingo....it had.  A much relieved Kev tried to find out if the store manager got a name so that I could thank him/her, but he wasn’t available.  I will follow it up today.

Election Ho Hum

The run-up to the Australian Federal Election continues.  Candidates have been caught out showing poor knowledge of their party’s policies, making confused statements about topics such as refugees etc.  There should be a good selling DVD of the complete collection of faux pas statements made.  On second thoughts make one for each of the three main Parties’ muck-ups to ensure sales.

I guesstimate that about 80% of voters will vote how they always have, no matter what good policies opposition candidates espouse.  Followers of football clubs don’t suddenly change sides because of some scandal.    I am part of the rest of the population who actually considers the merits of announced policies and how they can be costed and votes accordingly...I hope.  At least I am willing to listen to all sides of the argument. We are what changes government at the ballot box and lots of people consider that a bit of flimflam.

RIP Bronnie

I have a funeral to attend this week.  It will not be a sad affair.  Bronwyn died yesterday at the grand old age of 104.    My friend Jack and I were taught by ‘Bronnie’ in grade six in the late 1940s.  She was an inspirational teacher, well liked by students and families.

Of recent years she was a resident in a nice residential nursing home where we visited her a couple of times.   On the occasion of her 100th birthday she remembered both of us, our siblings and parents. A later visit at around 102 years of age saw her struggling to remember us except that she knew that she had taught us.

I would think that it is pretty rare that a couple of 73 year olds would be attending their primary school teacher’s funeral who died at the age of 104.

 Bye Bronnie!

              Kev, Bronnie and Jack just 4 years ago on her 100th birthday

Who do you think you are?

A recent episode of “Who do you think you are?” on SBS TV was about a woman tracing her family back to the 1700s.    She has a Jewish background and I found it very interesting. 

Her family and indeed most of the Jews of Europe of the time, were persecuted by Christianity and Islam.   She began her search in Holland, which in the 18th century, was one of just a few nations that didn’t demand that Jews wore something to identify themselves.....  Shades of Nazi Germany in the 1940s

I don’t believe that either side of my family have Jewish roots, but I feel empathy with Israel.  History has treated Jews very badly and the state of Israel is not going to be dictated to by anyone.

Mel Brooks did a song and dance routine on ‘The Inquisition’ in his movie...History of The World Part 1.  

One verse........Hey,Torquemada, waddaya say?

                       I just got back from the Auto-da-fe´

                       Auto-da-fe´, what’s an Auto-da-fe´
                       It’s what you oughtn’t to do, but you do it anyway

Federal Election

The Australian Prime Minister yesterday announced the date for the Federal Election.  September 7th will see most Australians front up to schools and community halls throughout the nation to vote for a Prime Minister.   Voting in State and Federal elections is compulsory.

Australia doesn’t have presidential style elections, we vote for political parties, not personalities.....or that is how it is supposed to be, but there is no doubt in my mind that we will be voting ostensibly for a Prime Minister.   He will be the leader of the winning party.

Pundits tell us that the election will be decided in the eastern states of NSW and Queensland.   Because of the time difference between east and west Australia (2 hours at this time of year)  Western Australians don’t hold sway in elections, because in most elections we are still voting when the results are coming in from eastern states’ polling booths.

Thankfully the run up to the election/slanging match is relatively short. 

Ruby the observer

Daughter Helen invited me over (we live about 750 metres apart) for a drink and dinner last night.  He husband James is on a mine site at Boddington about 127 kilometres from Fremantle.  Helen and I are driving to the mine site on Saturday to deliver James his contact lenses.  James’ employer will not allow him to wear spectacles under safety glasses.

One of their two dogs, Ruby, likes to sit on a chair and watch the fish in their fish tank.  Ruby also drinks from an outside fish pond and the fish gather round her lapping.  Somehow they know that she is not going to snap at them.

                                                          click to enlarge

Meantime, in the fish tank, there is a bit of a pecking order being sorted out.  A lovely new yellow addition to the menagerie is constantly being hassled by the largest fish in the tank, so much so that when the lights are turned off, all the other fish except the new one, dash into the crevices in the rocks to hide.  It will be interesting to see if that situation changes.   Much like humanity eh?

Redback spider?

Yesterday our son Martin came home early from work.  He had been bitten by a spider and his right arm was swollen like a football.  His immediate boss drove him to Martin’s GP and he was given a Tetanus shot and anti histamines.  This morning his arm is still swollen and his boss advised him to take the day off if it had not improved considerably. Martin is a maintenance man at a hotel.  He didn’t see the spider that bit him and it is assumed that it was a Redback, which can be very debilitating. 

Later this morning a couple of W.A. Museum men are visiting to get background information on a Papuan dance mask I donated in 1963.  It has been in storage all these years and it seems that they are going to let the public see it and want as much info as I can supply about its provenance.   I have quite a few other Papua New Guinea artefacts, but they aren’t getting any of them.  Once you donate to a museum you cannot change your mind and get the donation back.

Friends in Sydney have a collection of rare PNG artefacts that would rival most museums.  On my recent trip to Sydney town we gathered at their house and once again I was amazed at their collection.  What will happen when we ‘croak it’.  Are the 'kids' interested enough to display our collections?

On the road again

Our son Martin nervously awaiting pickup to go to their gig venue.  As it happened, the gig was a great success and they are to make a CD.    The band is unsure whether to seek regular work.  

WAMUG

I belong to a local group of computer users named WAMUG; the Western Australian MacIntosh Users Group.    Their (I guess our) online discussion group is invaluable for discussing problem solving when something needs tweaking on your Mac or peripherals.  There are a number of experts who give good advice without hesitation; two of them are professionals and do so without charge to list members.

My two year old iMac started flashing the screen when I dropped a file on the desktop.  It was a bit of a worry and I consulted Mr Google.  There were numerous reports of the same thing around the world, but no real solution offered.   I wrote to the list and Ronni, the list’s Guru of Gurus suggested a simple fix, which did indeed fix the problem. Thanks Ronni.

Membership of WAMUG costs $30 per year.  And each year I have been a member I have deemed that to be a very worthwhile  subscription.   Also, many of the computers given to me for redistribution are sourced from WAMUG members or their contacts.

I recently subscribed to a list called  A Word a Day.  Recent words include olid,

sook and zymic.   

You should expect some new words in future posts.

Book of Funk

Our son Martin is a bass player in a band named The Book of Funk.  They are playing to an audience of new and older followers tomorrow night at the Fremantle Workers Club.  The last time the band performed together was almost 20 years ago and sadly one of the original members has died.

They have been practising for weeks, but are a little nervous yet

They are pictured here in a hole I was digging in our backyard for an in-ground trampoline.   When I last heard them they were great.  Lets hope they can repeat the BOF sound.

learning something new

Yesterday I learnt something quite simple which solves an almost daily problem; fitting a new bin liner to my kitchen tidy.  Place the bag in the bin and the flap which is over the edge is twisted tight and the twist tucked under the edge.   Simple, but effective....a bit like me.  Thanks Maria.

Helen and James have a large salt water fish tank.  It has a virtual Great Barrier Reef of rocks and coral.  Fish, snails and crabs make interesting watching in the bright lighting.  Helen showed me the immediate transformation once the light is turned off.  Fish hide in rocky crevices and the Green Wrass dives into the sandy bottom of the tank.   Instinct?  Turn the lights back on and they all come out to play.  Recently a snail in a largish shell was eaten by a hermit crab and voila....new home for a crab.

On our recent cruise to New Caledonia, brother Graham and I joined a small group to meet the Captain on the bridge.    Whilst we were listening to the Captain tell us about the voyage and the rather complex steerage and navigation equipment, two crewmen interrupted the Capn. announcing  ‘Captain, we’ve got a leak in the engine room’.  The Skipper made a smart click of the heels and with a salute replied....’permission granted’.

A pre-election quick-fix to the refugee problem

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has announced a pre election quick-fix of the problem refugees who arrive by boat on our shores.  He has signed a deal with Papua New Guinea which effectively makes them eligible for PNG residency but not Australian residency.  Somehow, with some serious funding for PNG institutions,  Papua New Guinea has agreed to accept them as permanent residents and later eligible for citizenship.

I reckon this is designed to deter boat people rather than give them a safe place to live.  They want to come to Australia, not to a country which is likely to give them another set of problems assimilating with the indigenous population which already has shown great displeasure with the number of Chinese entering their country.  

Iranians, Afghanis and Sri Lankans etc would want to form close knit communities which in itself could cause resentment.  Land around the main cities and towns is scarce and even the indigenous population has large squatter camps of villagers who drift to the towns looking for something better than village life.  Port Moresby and Lae, the two largest cities, have high crime rates.

Yep; once the word gets out about what they may face in PNG, I am sure the number of boats arriving on Australian shores will drop significantly. 

Refugees arrive in Indonesia and make their way towards Australia in leaky old fishing boats of which many have sunk with  a high death toll.

Fashionistas

                                                      Click to enlarge

What is it that makes a fashion designer?  The fellow in this photograph was in yesterday’s newspaper decrying the demise of the local fashion industry.  I have never been into such a fashion store...he would scare me.  He looks like I might look, after waking up on the couch after an all-night bender.   

Another Perth designer is Ruth Tarvydas.  She is in her Mid 60s (or so it is rumoured) and offers herself to young, 'big and bad' men.

Read about Ruth here.

These people seem to attract the wealthy of society and I wonder if it is just the designs they produce or the snobbery of their clientele?     Most of them wouldn’t have seen the inside of a K Mart or an OpShop.  Hold on.....that looks suspiciously like the jacket I gave to the Good Sammies a few weeks ago.

Back in your box Kev!

Election Coming up

I wrote about the new political Party started by the billionaire Clive Palmer.  His nominee for the seat of Fremantle was Teresa van Lieshout.  She commented on my blog post.   It seems that she has been disendorsed from the party for supposedly ‘not toeing the party line’.  She has different views on refugees...very different; and different views on education.  

She went public about her disendorsement on radio in newspapers and Facebook.   The Facebook tirade is interesting.   She tells us that she is one of Australia’s smartest people. She alone can fix the Australian education system.  If you can spare the time it is worth looking at for a better understanding of this woman.   Good luck!  Here it is.

I have prepared a laptop for a young woman who is being helped by a welfare agency.  She is 18 and about to give birth.  She is living in a house shared with seven others, studying on line and her own laptop has died.  The only laptop I have at the moment is a bit slow and I was informed that there is no table to set up a desktop computer for her.   She is very happy to get the laptop until she can find better accommodation which is very difficult here in Western Australia.     I can only imagine her situation; living in a house with seven others sharing cooking, laundry and toilet facilities.  When the baby comes things will probably get worse.  I wonder if her family has abandoned her?  

                                                 'An oldie but a goodie'

Isle of Pines New Caledonia

The cruise ship Pacific Pearl is a comfortable ship for passengers with a large cabin and balcony, which is what we had.   I think I heard that there were around 2,000 passengers aboard, many of them school age kids on their holidays.

There are a number of eating places ranging from buffet meals to full A la carte dining.  There is one restaurant which charges for entry and meals which I figured was a private venture on board.   Other ‘services’ such as weight loss classes etc etc seemed to be private ventures.

Many of the activities on board did not interest us.  Things a such as Bingo and trivia competitions we gave a miss.  That being said there is plenty to keep oldies busy and interested.  They even had kid-minding activities.

                                           Brother Graham on Pacific Pearl

The main port of call in New Caledonia is Noumea.  It is not an unattractive place and there are some interesting French Colonial buildings and a very nice harbour.   Next year New Caledonia is to vote on independence from the French.  They have a complex voting system and there is considerable concern from  French citizens in New Caledonia that they will lose their little colony.

The ship spent a day at The Isle of Pines some distance from Noumea.  The ship dropped anchor about 5 kilometres off shore and five tenders took loads of around 100 passengers each run for an island visit.  They ran continuously to and from the ship all day.  

Captain James Cook discovered the island in 1774.   It was probably a lookout in the rigging who actually first discovered it and spent the rest of his life whingeing about Cooky taking the credit.  In reality the natives on the island first discovered it.  Cook didn’t land on it but realised it was inhabited when he saw smoke. 

The name comes from the native pine trees (Araucaria Conifer) all over the island.

                                            A flat islet showing the pines

                    Channel 10 regular, the Bondi Vet  doing a P&O TV promo

We became regulars at one of the dozen bars on the ship.  Two stewards looked after us with good 

                                                 humour and pleasant conversations.

                             Mary is from The Phillipines and Lan is from India