Australia votes next Saturday

Australia goes to the polls this Saturday to vote for the next federal government. It is an important democratic right and vital to ensure the people get the government they deserve. Nobody should be in any doubt as to my thoughts on this election, but should you still be wavering as to where to place your vote, this site http://howshouldivote.com.au can help you make up your mind. This is just for Australian readers of this blog, you fortunate folk who live offshore and thus have been not bombarded with mountains of promises, sound bites and crappy rhetoric from our likely candidates can let November 24 float past you in a blur. We cannot. Compulsory voting means every Australian must vote or find themselves fined for not exercising their democratic right. Don't you just love democracy?

Spring in Brisbane

Spring in Brisbane is different from spring in Toowoomba where I once lived because we basically only have two distinct seasons in Brisbane, Toowoomba has four. This photo was taken by Rene in New Farm Park this week and shows the last of the jacarandas in bloom (love those purple flowers) and the vibrant poincianas that are just everywhere at present. Simply stunning.

Are you my 1000th Visitor?

I just checked my site meter and I was at 999 as at 10am EAST on the 16th. You are probably my 1000th visitor since I began my blog earlier this year. Congratulations! You are most welcome.

It took over 75 minutes yesterday afternoon to get from Nundah to Mt Gravatt, leaving at 4pm. The trip at night is 20 minutes. There was a delay/accident/incident on EVERY major arterial route through and around the city at that time. The impressive tunnel system and additional bridges currently under construction can't come soon enough. Brisbane/Queensland has been so slow to react to the need for more infrastructure. I had a chuckle to myself as I passed the Governor in her white limousine also stuck in the enormous traffic jam known as Fortitude Valley. The car looked very obvious in the crowd with its silver crest replacing the number plate. I couldn't stare as I drove passed slowly because the traffic was too heavy, but I'm sure the chauffeur was taking the strain from Quentin on that long slog home (or to the next appointment). Here's a link to the upgrade of the main Gateway Motorway - www.gup.com.au and also here's a link to the impressive new tunnels being built under our city (we have three of the largest German-built borers in the world about to start work 24 hours a day) http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/15/1978965.htm

http://www.rivercitymotorway.com.au/

Rene has been working on improving his website, and now it'll feature more information on the artists and subjects. It's a work in progress, but looks to me to be very impressive indeed. We're picking up fliers today (four types) to leave at cinemas, theatres, bookshops, restaurants, cafes etc.

This Sunday sees the 43rd anniversary of our family's arrival in Australia. It is a very long time ago but is worth mentioning. I work with New Australians every day and am often reminded of just how very fortunate and smart my parents were to select Australia, and in particular Queensland, to move to. I'll post a picture of our family in 1964 on the weekend.

Enough - have a brilliant weekend doing whatever you do.

Oh, late edit - we have our second apartment confirmed at Kawana (we needed ours for Rene's business and one to live in and have some space) - definitely moving this coming Friday (yahooo!!)

It's the 10th already?

The tinny sounds of Christmas carols playing over the PA system in a store this week reminded me of how tacky this whole 'Christmas' thing has become (as if I need reminding). I could do my 'grumpy old man' routine about it, but I'll refrain for now. Suffice to say I have been plotting ways of enjoying the Yuletide season and not getting caught up in the whole charade. How about we try to put the Christ back into Christmas? My, oh my! How radical.

My god daughter Amy returned from Wales last week and it's only today that I'll be seeing her following the landing here on Terra Australis. Rene and I are off to The MacDonald's for a BBQ get-together with Torquil's 60th birthday as the focus, but no doubt overshadowed by the return of the prodigal daughter. Since we moved to the other side of Planet Earth (known as Mt Gravatt) we have only ventured north for work and business, thus haven't seen them for a fortnight, so the evening should be just delightful.

The apartment on the Sunshine Coast at Kawana is finally ours. It settled yesterday. We are just waiting for a neighbouring 2 bedroom apartment to become available for moving into to signal yet another move, this time for just over seven months. I could do without the commute, but it'll be sort of a fun break to live on the coast for a while.

The Californian fires recently highlighted the climatic similarities between the continental USA and Australia. Devastating pictures emerged from the countryside, so reminiscent of the ones we see here each summer in Australia. The authorities seemed better prepared than for Hurricane Katrina. All those homes, but more than that, all that family history just lost. The light loss of life is the best news to come out of there, amazing when one considers the picture below.

The selection of the fittings/colours for our new house has been a very extensive and intensive thing. Last Sunday we spent 4.5 hours selecting colours and deciding what fixtures go where - laundry, bathrooms, kitchen, light points and power points etc. Yesterday we spent 3.5 hours just selecting lights. We followed that with 2.5 hours selecting tiles, features (we're going for rock) and the carpet (NZ wool). We followed that with a brief call into the timber floor supplier to select the type of floor/timber. This morning we selected the sinks/vanities/tap ware etc for three bathrooms/ kitchen/ laundry - that was after two previous visits to the plumbing supply place plus a special trip to a manufacturer's showroom on other days.

If I mention all the features it would be too much for here, it's enough to say that the home will be very special indeed and just what we want. I should also mention that I reckon much decorating is done through attrition. As the sessions went on (and on) I found myself agreeing quite readily to some things - but in hindsight we still like all our decisions. Oh, all things are not perfect though - Rene and I had a disagreement over door handles (kitchen cupboards etc). Still no agreement, but no urgency either. We'll talk with the cabinetmaker later. All in all, considering the hundreds of decisions and hours of deliberation we did well to come down to one disagreement.

The election continues with much fuss but very little new content. The Human Rights Commission has outlined 58 pieces of legislation that is discriminatory towards same sex couples. The Government has been very slow to resolve these issues (although it has gone some way in this direction) but the Labor Opposition is far more prepared to address these inequalities in their first term of office, therefore above everything else that's why I'll vote Labor in the House of Representatives. I'm not sure to go Labor or Greens in the Senate. A year ago the Prime Minister was not acknowledging that Climate Change was a real issue. He now uses it and his economic record as reasons for maintaining the status quo after 11 years of government. The constant reference to the past interest levels under previous Labor governments in interviews irritates me beyond belief when they selectively chose rates of 17% housing interest rates from the early 90's etc etc but somehow never refer back to the 4/5 budgets that saw a deficit when Howard was Treasurer plus the rates of 22% for houses waayyy back then as well. Surely the Australian public are not THAT stupid not to understand that we need change for the sake of change - Australian Labor is no Socialist / Communist government in waiting. Heck, Labor has in the past been the best Liberal government this country has ever seen (who floated the dollar, introduced more private banks and reduced/eliminated tariffs to boost productivity and the 'level playing field' in the 90's?).

Never let it be said you never knew where I stood on issues.

The BIG news is that last Monday Centred Art went live on the web. Yes, if you click on http://www.centredart.com.au/ you will see the site up and running - after an enormous amount of effort from Rene. For our Dutch visitors, it's all in Dutch with euro prices as well. Check it out, better still consider a purchase - did I mention it's close to Christmas? Darn, there's that corrupting capitalist slant coming into the Yuletide season again. Anyway, enjoy the colour and variety that is the Dreaming told in a 21st century way.

Incidentally, the gallery space on the ground floor of our house has a huge tiled area with (I think) 24 spots helping light the space. I can't wait to see it finished.

In 1958 I was living in South Africa. The world of the future was glimpsed in comics and occasionally on serials on the big screen at the kid's movie sessions. Well, here are a couple of clips from a film made by Chevrolet in 1958 forecasting what the future of design would look like. It makes fascinating viewing. Enjoy (hold that cringe).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_br4n4eCWME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx63IaAPxME

Hey, what do you know? Brisbane has made it this week to the travel pages of The New York Times for the first time since 1988. Yes, we do exist (not that we need the NYT to prove it). These articles are always a bit slanted, but it gives a good review to the city I now call home. Check it out:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/travel/4next.html

Enough for now, there's loads I've left out (like the end of school's only 4 weeks away) but I'll take this opportunity to wish you the very best for the coming week and hopefully I'll update this a little quicker next time. Ciao!

PS I love this picture - too bad it isn't clearer, but I had one of these moments this week and it makes me chuckle every time I see it.