A Day at the Cricket with John

An awkward moment?

Who's Australia Day?

Can you believe our prime minister? In his Australia Day Speech at the National Press Club he speaks of balance in our nation. Here's just a glimpse of his pearls of wisdom!

The social attitudes report that I mentioned a moment ago also had something to say about what ordinary Australians think of the Australian Achievement. It found that, compared with a decade ago, fewer Australians are ashamed of this nation’s past. I welcome this corrective in our national sense of self. It restores a better balance between pride in our past and recognition of past wrongs.

Too often history has fallen victim in an ever more crowded curriculum to subjects deemed more ‘relevant’ to today. Too often, it is taught without any sense of structured narrative, replaced by a fragmented stew of ‘themes’ and ‘issues’. And too often, history, along with other subjects in the humanities, has succumbed to a postmodern culture of relativism where any objective record of achievement is questioned or repudiated.

Australia’s standing in the world has never been higher. We are seen as a fair-minded and generous country. We are seen as a country that stands up for what it believes in. We are respected for who we are, for the quality of our ideas and for the unique perspective we bring to our region and to the world.

It's an odd speech that shows little understanding of the Australia or the world as I know it. Perhaps it is what he leaves out that is the most interesting. He celebrates that ... 'India and China combined could easily produce middle classes of 400 to 800 million people' because of the benefits that would bring Australia's economy. There is no mention of the the imbalances of poverty or the impact that this will have on the environment. There is no mention of the environment at all!

Perhaps what is missing most is the desire for our leader at least recognise the imbalances of a society divided by class, culture and geography. A healthy place to consider balance would be to reexamine the federal government's education budget between public and private schools.

What Comes from Whales?

Here's a great report that was mentioned in the Age on Tuesday ...

The product of a whale's intestines may make a South Australian fam­ily up to $1 million richer. The 14.75-kilogram lump of rare whale excretion, naturally expelled orally, was found by the family on a beach near Streaky Bay on SA's west coast.

They were baffled by the sub­stance before inquiries revealed it to be ambergris - a wax-like sub­stance originating from the intes­tine of a sperm whale that is greatly prized for its use in per­fume. Ambergris was worth between $US20 ($A26.60) and $US65 a gram, said marine ecol­ogy consultant Ken Jury.

Mr Jury, who is representing the family, said ambergris was material that sperm whales could not digest and was belched from the whales as a foul-smelling sub­stance. It was cleansed by sunlight and salt water after years of float­ing in the ocean.

Hot

Australia's hottest recorded temperature;

• Oodnadatta,
  South Australia 50.7 C (123.3 F)
  on the 2nd January, 1960
  

Nothing compared to today's temperature;

• Fairfield,
  VIctoria 1000 C (42 C)
  on 22nd January, 2006
  

Almost hot enough to get married!

A Woman of Independence

This is a remarkable account of Kirsty's relationship with Xanana Gusmao. A very extraordinary journey beginning in the dark prison cells of Cipinang gaol in Jakata and then moving to the celebrations of Timor Leste's independence. The reader is left wondering how people live through such extremes! This book is rearkable for its personal and private insight into the lives of these two remarkable people.

It's not an attempt to explore the political machinations of the emergence of East Timor but a human and intimate account of the relationships along the way.

In a Blink

Thanks Kent who has replaced Jenny Craig as Australia's weight loss expert. Upon a recent post I suggested that I was a little rounder than I thought. Kent (perhaps through religous connections?) has rebirthed me!

Before ...



After ...



Remarkable how much thinner I looker having lost a double chin, puffy cheeks and a wife? What makes the most difference I wonder?

Fisherman Friends

Thanks to Rodd and those who participated in my prewedding wallowing on the Bay. It was a bright and enjoyable day. Competition for the pot that everyone contributed to was serious. Gary disappointed that his giant squid with tenticles, the size of old lady's arms, was pipped in the last 30 minutes of fishing by Jan's catch of a talented Banjo Shark. A wonderful time.

Some stunning photos are available on the urbanstone site. What is the collective noun for a boatload of Rex Hunts?

The Constant Gardener

The Constant Gardner is a fast moving thriller that invites the viewer into a muddied world of international diplomacy, multi international influence and the poverty of Africa. A haunting love story that unravels an international conspiracy this movie has something for everyone. Whether you're gripped by the intrigue of international scandal and corruption or romanced through the passionate relationships of the leading characters, The Constant Gardner is a worth the Academy Award nomination.

Watch out for the way in which Justin's garden changes!

Honeymoon Highlights

In order of appearance ...

1. House Sparrow
2. Little Raven
3. Black Falcon (perched high in dead tree over grassy field - just before Ararat)
4. Eastern Spinebill (up close and personal on Grampians Walk)
5. Crimson Rosellas (pair)
6. Gang Gangs (group of three - one juvenile)
7. White Winged Choughs (on Henty Hwy just out of Dunkeld)
8. Willie Wagtail
9. Long Billed Corella
10. Eastern Yellow Robin
11. Starlings (ugly little rats)
12. Ravens
13. Kookaburra
14. Superb Fairy Wrens
15. Magpie (Race Leuconota)
16. Yellow Tailed Cockatoo (Road into Dunkeld)
17. Straw Necked Ibis
18. Nankeen Kestral
19. Shelduck
20. Pelican
21. Black Swan
22. Great Comerant
23. Masked Lapwing
24. Magpie Lark
25. Pidgeon
26. Galah
27. Brown Falcon
28. Welcome Swallow
29. Grey Strike Thrush
30. Yellow Faced Honeyeater
31. White Eared Honeater
    
32. Pacific Black Duck
33. Eurasian Coot
34. Purple Swamphen
35. Blue-Billed Duck
36. White Naped Honeyeater
37. Pied Commerant
38. Whitebacked Swallow
39. Eaurasian Goldfinch
40. Grey Teal
41. Australiasan Gannet (coolest bird of the trip)
42. Ibis
43. Pied Oyster Catcher
44. Pacific Gull
45. Fairy Tern
46. Seagull
47. Singing Honeyeater
48. Black Winged Stilt
49. Sharptailed Sandpiper
50. Common Blackbird
51. White Throated Treecreeper
52. Brown Thornbill
53. Red Browed Finch
54. White faced Heron
55. Yellow Spoonbill
56. White Faced Heron
57. Emu
58. Little Egret
59. Wedge Tailed Egret
60. Blue Winged Parrot
61. Common Bronzewing Pidgeon
62. Grey Currawong (Manja Shelter)
63. Yellow Rumped Thornbill
64. Bassian Thrush (Billimina Shelter)
65. Red Rumped Parrots
66. Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
67. Spotted Pardalote
68. Jackie Winter
69. White Browed Scrubwren
70. Red Wattledbird
71. Pied Currawong
72. Powerful Owl (Intersection of Henty Hwy and Halls Gap Road, 10.00pm and a real thrill)
73. Rufous Whistler
74. Skylark
75. Red Goshawk (Natimuk)
76. White Plumed Honeyeater
77. Black Fronted Dotteral
78. Brown Songlark
79. Crested Pidgeon
80. Grey Fantail
81. Shearwaters
82. Black Winged Kite
83. Rufous Bristlebird (Lochard Gorge)
84. King Parrot (Lavender Hill)
85. Indian Myna

As you can see we both had a wonderful time away!

Sunset at Port Fairy

Confetti Swamp

Just home from our time away (bird list to appear shortly)! Thanks for the mysterious mischievous mercenaries who thrived on finding every nook to locate the confetti! Sue has spent the last hour crying out from every room, "That's clever isn't it!" I'm not sure when or if it will ever end!

Heroes

Spent the day at the Victorian War Memorial.

A cold and lonely place.

Where the fragrance of pride overwhelms the stink of horror.

Last Flight out of Dili

Just finished a detailed account of David Scott's involvement in the struggle for independence of East Timor in Last Flight out of Dili.

Although lost in correspondence at times, Scott's book is a reminder of the failure of successive Australian Governments to prevent and then respond to the Indonesian invasion of 1975. It details Australia's complicity in the invasion and ongoing occupation.

Worth a read with interesting insights into the life of Jose Ramos Horta and the emergence of Timor Leste as an independent state.

Glimpses

Catch the first glimpses of the thrilling wedding photos at urbanstone. Keep an eye on the site as even more photos are added. Don't forget to leave a comment for the remarkable photographer Andrew 'Flasher' Johnson.

New Year Wedding

A real thrill to the new year! Photos to soon hit Urbanstone site. Will let you know soon.