Dear Jude
You say I don’t praise you enough publicly, to our friends and family. So, here goes…Read More »
MY 70TH BIRTHDAY YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS
MY 70TH BIRTHDAY YEAR OF CELEBRATIONS
I’m about to begin my 70th birthday year of celebration. Yes, that’s right, ‘year’. I decided I didn’t want another drinks or dinner party. I decided I wanted a whole year to celebrate…if that’s the right word for turning 70. Here’s why.Read More »
LORD HOWE ISLAND: THE FUTURE OF TOURISM?
Imagine a holiday to a destination with:
– a pleasant sub-tropical climate
– spectacular landscapes
– great walks
– great marine life, world-class coral and unique bird life
– a World Heritage Area
– no rubbish, with world class waste management systems
– very few other tourists (400 maximum by law)
– very few residents
– very few shops
– no advertising boards
– no internet, mobile phone coverage or TV
– very few cars, a 25kph speed limit, no seat belts
– cycling and walking predominate
– warm and friendly people
– no locks on homes and where possessions (bikes, kayaks, boats) can be left in public places
– no unemployment
– a functioning, transparent council
– 2 hrs from Sydney and Brisbane
Too good to be true? That’s Lord Howe Island!Read More »
Lord Howe Island is Great…but Beware of Qantas’ Flights
Lord Howe Island is a wonderful, unique environmental experience. But be warned! Qantas can ruin it for you. Here’s how and what should be done to avoid this.Read More »
Australian Election Final Result: Fairness & Equity 0 Privilege & Entitlement 1. Away Win
Against all the opinion polls for three years, the chaotic federal government was re-elected. The ‘climate election’ was won by a party with no climate policy, one favouring coal mining. People voted for promised, far-off personal tax cuts, for no income redistribution via reductions in negative gearing and franking credits and against higher wages for the least well off. People voted for the short-term, for themselves. The ‘climate emergency’ apparently doesn’t matter.
How sad. What type of country do we have here? What will our grandchildren say when they look back on this decision and see what we have condemned them to, when we had a chance to do the right thing?
THE CLIMATE ELECTION??? WHERE’S THE EVIDENCE WE REALLY CARE?
If we are to believe the experts, we have only 12 years to turn around the carbon emissions of the planet. So, this month’s Australian national election has been dubbed the ‘climate election’. Yet, the Government has no climate policy at all and the Opposition is only planning to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Meanwhile the Greens, which do propose to reduce emissions to net zero by 2040, are only attracting 9% in opinion polls.
What’s wrong with this country? And is it the parties, the media or the people who are at fault?Read More »
HOW TO FIX AFL SCORING: SUPPORT THE ATTACKING PLAYER!
The AFL made a whole series of rule changes this year, designed to make it easier to score, since scoring is declining and defensiveness is winning matches. The results of the first 6 rounds show…scoring continues to decline!! It is the lowest it has been for many years.
After watching several tightly-contested, scrappy, hard-fought games, I’m convinced the answer is not more rule changes, but a return to earlier rule interpretations: support the attacking player!Read More »
WHY I’M SUPPORTING OLIVER YATES –INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE FOR KOOYONG
As the Federal election pre-poll voting opens tomorrow (April 29), I want to tell you why I’m supporting Oliver Yates. I’ve run two ‘Meet Oliver’ sessions for friends and neighbours, organised leafletting all 93 areas by volunteers, leafletted some myself, worn my Oliver Yates teal (Independent) T-shirt and I’ll be giving out how-to-vote cards this week and next at the polling site. As you can see, I’m committed to voting out Josh Frydenberg, the current member, Treasurer, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and former Minister for the Environment, despite needing a 13% swing to unseat him.
Why??Read More »
When ‘Average’ is OK
In Garrison Keilor’s mythical town of Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, ‘all the children are above average’. And that’s where we’d all like our superannuation fund returns to be – above average. And that’s what the Productivity Commission is trying to achieve, by suggesting that all default schemes should be chosen from one of the ‘top 10’ or ‘best in show’ funds and underperforming funds should be closed. It sounds great! Where’s the flaw?Read More »
Volunteer for Hire (for Free!). Why No Takers?
As this year progressed, I found myself with more free time than I want. So I began to look around to volunteer for other organisations. So far, I’ve drawn a blank! I’m a free volunteer, looking for work, but none is to be found! What’s the problem?Read More »
