My camera still worked then I fell over again, and this time hit my face on the ground. Dexter and Sasha were doing their job, turbo-charging up the embankment.

I screamed out but nobody took any notice of me.  So much for melodrama. I was also experiencing cramp in my legs which is my kidney problem adding to my circumstances. The real problem is that the thread on my shoes has worn away.

A few things might have happened but didn’t. I could have been wearing my glasses. And I could have brought a new camera. Therefore, I consider myself fortunate.

Here are the final photos: Read more »

The negotiations to form the new government are such fun we might have them after every election, but this is a once in seventy years event.

Of course, it would be even more fun and more democratic if the negotiations occurred prior to the election.

James Farrell at Club Troppo unlocks the key deduction. The three Independents have consistently stated they seek stability while at the same time preserving their position with respect to the balance of power. As Peter Costello points out they are all experienced politicians, and have longer experience than than the Prime Minister. Tony Windsor has had previous experience in the role of an Independent holding the balance of power. James Farrell defines stability at having the key support of the group of Independents, giving the Minority Government a one seat majority plus the Speaker on key votes in the House. The four Independents have he suggests to pick the same side. Read more »

For most of us, I suspect, uncertainty is a challenge. Despite that, the hanging question is who will form the Minority Government – Labor or the Coalition?

I am guessing there will be a Minority Government. While the Independents have conflicting interests there overriding self interest is to maintain their political leverage, and therefore to be in a position to gain benefits for their electors. Independents with long standing agendas can only flourish when the hold the balance of power. For example, and I suspect it is not generally known there are present six Independent members of the NSW Legislative Assembly. The situation was very different in 1991, when Dr Peter McDonald, Ted Mack, Clover Moore, John Hatton, and surprisingly Tony Windsor held the balance of power. Read more »

After taking the dogs out this afternoon, I went to see my neighbour and friend. As you do,when I arrived I could tell something was wrong.

His son, Ian, has recently come out of hospital after receiving chemo-therapy. I was shocked and saddened to learn that Ian’s son, Adam, had died overnight from cancer.

We are mortal beings, so we have to anticipate death. Ours and those around us. I am not sure that death, or its imminence, puts everything in perspective, although it focuses our attention. Sometimes, modern medicine can save us from the experience, and we go back to our familiar ways. To deal with death, it is helpful to have had the experience. Read more »

As reported last week the camera is broken, or more exactly the zoom is not automatic. I can still take photos, so the dog blog survives for the moment.

Some of the photos are very blurred, so I need to figure out what I am doing. Sasha never looks glum when a walk is on offer which she is quick to perceive. Dexter’s great party trick is to raise the dust confirming the observation that ground is dry.

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And going where, who knows? On the news of the latest death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan, the Defence Minister comes on with the boilerplate, as per Dan Oakes and Tom Hyland in The Sydney Morning Herald:

”I’m sure this loss, coming so soon after the recent losses, will cause some to question why we are in Afghanistan .. Our work there is absolutely vital. This soldier and his fellow soldiers have been doing the difficult but essential work of training and mentoring the Afghan National Army.”

The odd thing is that the soldiers were apparently out on patrol, and engaged the Pastun National Resistance in a three hour fire fight, without reinforcements. The latter point according to military expert has some significance. The question might be asked as to how many of the native people, the Pastuns were killed defending their land. Read more »

As Malcolm Fraser taught us in 1975, the Australian Parliament consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. So it is technically the House of Reps in which neither major party has a majority to form a government.

The situation will become clearer when all the votes have been counted and in close contests recounted. According to the AEC, just over 75% of votes have been counted. If the current ABC projections are correct, the situation may be the major parties have equal number of members, 73 each, and the deciding votes will be controlled by the three Independents with the solitary Green. It is possible that new National Party member for O’Connor, Tony Crook, will choose to act as an Independent. Read more »

Tonight it looks as if the ALP has lost and the Liberals have not won. The government will depend on the Independents and the Green Party member.

One of the longer term Independents is likely to be Speaker, which may represent the first Independent Speaker in Australian history. The ABC has the current situation as:
LNP 72
ALP 70
IND 4
GRN 1
Doubt 3

Earlier in the night, Antony Green called 73-72-4-1.
On this basis neither of the major parties have a majority in the House of Reps. These outcomes could change with pre-polling, postal voting and recounts.

Amazingly, the Senate count was completed tonight, and it looks as if when the new Senate is formed next July that the Greens will hold the balance of power.

It would be inconceivable to me that there will not be recriminations with the Labor Party for losing the way. In the meantime Julia Gillard remains acting Prime Minister. Read more »

To win Government, the Liberal/National coalition would have to win 16 seats. I haven’t a clue what will have happen, but I think that is unlikely given the lack of substantive policy, illustrated by their broadband shambles and their costing mess.

So much for the claimed credentials as good economic and financial managers. Still, apparently internal ALP polling suggests that they could lose 20 seats, via Mark at Larvatus Prodeo. As Tony Abbott observed those figures were released for a reason. Bribes will work for swinging voters, as illustrated by the person who insisted in this question to Julia Gillard: What’s in it for me? It is a very good thing that people change their minds and their political allegiances and in the process change the government. I doubt very much whether boats and deficits will be as persuasive as a national broadband and climate change policy and the sense of economic well being. I don’t think there is a pervasive atmosphere of fear. Read more »

The marginal seats will be the focus of attention on Saturday as they will determine who be the next government. Perhaps in this election more attention will be given to the Senate vote.
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Former Opposition Leader and the leader of the ALP, Mark Latham, has recommended that people cast blank ballots.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

THE former Labor leader Mark Latham used his guest reporting role with 60 Minutes to call on voters to follow his example and leave their ballot papers “totally blank” on Saturday.

Mr Latham, who said he would not support any party in the poll, criticised Labor and the Coalition for “dumbing down politics and turning it into a beauty contest”.

. . . Mr Latham’s report ended with his call for Australians to engage in the ultimate protest vote and not mark their ballot papers, a move reminiscent of the political activist Albert Langer’s advocacy of a tactical vote to deny preferences to the bigger parties. It is not illegal to advocate an informal vote. Read more »

The comment facility is open here, and I appreciate that most people do not wish to say that I have being grossly in error, showed my ignorance, or some other transgression of good form.

I am not sure that I would appreciate such  comments anyway, which I suppose, on reflection, is a distressful lack of commitment to truth.

Despite the onset of other forms, such as Tweets, blogging is new. I imagine it took a while for the commentary writers on the Bible, the Quran, or the laws of the Romans to learn how to do that well and what commentaries should be followed. When used well linking is a very powerful resource. I fall short of realizing this potential.

Arthur Silber, via Chris Floyd at Empire Burlesque, writing in the context of understanding the Wikileaks log of war presents a critique of blogging. The media has created, he suggests, a culture of instant analysis with one story soon forgotten when the next hot issue comes along. He then observes: Read more »

Sasha had her last stitch removed from her toe operation, and she accompanied Dexter on the excursion with a soft rubber glove on her foot as a precaution. As always she seems pleased to be out.

Going up to the dam, the road has gravel, and once we get to the top there is no place I can tie up the dogs  to give them the clue to pose for the camera. As it was, Sasha poked her head around a tree, while Dexter came and licked me on the face. So I settled for what I could get. I don’t think they can read my mind, or at least I can’t read their minds

Read more »

But what could be expected of such politicians, but perhaps they denigrate the profession they pretend to represent. Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are the classic examples.
Read more »

The fact that celebrities are involved in the sordid affairs of a former dictator now facing trail at The Hague is attracting the attention of the news media.

Who knows, who cares about such people, other than the fact the trial is going ahead. One day it might be hoped they will catch up with the big time mass murderers. We can only hope they day will arrive soon.

Nevertheless, The Independent carries the details of a diamond given to a model, and there was a witness account by an actress. Exciting stuff. Joe Sinclair, Press Association reports the details:

Supermodel Naomi Campbell named Charles Taylor as the person who gave her a “huge diamond”, actress Mia Farrow told the former Liberian leader’s war crimes trial today.

Farrow contradicted Campbell’s account that she was given two or three “dirty looking pebbles” but did not know what they were or who they were from. Read more »

Things are crook in Mollymook. I am reduced in this election period to quoting Miranda Devine.

She has got it in for those people who she describes as “the progressive left”, whoever they many be. I thought I would give Miranda “the oxygen of attention”. She writes in The Sydney Morning Herald:

The parlous state of Labor this election is a direct reflection of the tin ear of the progressive left. Again and again, smugly, arrogantly, patronisingly, progressives declare themselves to be moderates, claiming to represent a reasonable ideological middle ground, while showering the real moderates, who they dub ”right-wing”, ”conservative” or ”extremist”, with abuse – subtle and not so subtle.

. . . Progressives keep trying to redefine the centre in their own image, instead of adjusting their expectations and accepting the reality of a public far more entrenched in conservatism and commonsense than they can imagine. Read more »

One of the striking different things about this election campaign is the two major proponents, the champions of the major parties throwing down the gauntlet, do not have any economic credentials.

Of course, election campaigns are targeted on the voters who will determine the outcome, and that means that people like me will be left out the conversation and debate, to the extent that such democratic discussion is occurring at that level. I am not interested in what they regard as issues of importance or the bribes that are on offer. And yet when I talk with my 93 year old neighbour there is a conversation going on, occasioned by the election, if between taxi drivers and passengers, and perhaps between neighbours as well. Otherwise, I was thinking, I will ignore them. Read more »

I suppose that intelligence might have something to do with personal outcomes but personality seems to play in the workplace.

Many employers use personality test apparently to identify whether prospective recruits will fit in, and they may well be wise to do so. One of my teachers used to say that personality was a gift. I have to say my personality has never worked for me in any workplace I have been in. Most workplaces are not designed for individual differences, and if they were perhaps productivity could be significantly boosted. Personality is a form of individuality that you share with other people and the things that you do not share, that in fact drive you nuts about others until you realize that is the way they are. Read more »

I don’t watch television, and I was sceptical about the innovation of ABC 24 News expecting it to be a race to the bottom, with Fox News as the model, yet I have to admit they seem to have done good on the question of mental health.

ABC Online reports:

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced on Tuesday that a re-elected Labor government would spend $277 million to help people at risk of suicide.

And she said the Government would be willing to commit to a longer-term mental health plan, with the issue to be a second-term priority for Labor.

. . . Professor Mendoza has told ABC TV he is disappointed with today’s announcement.

“It’s well short of the mark,” he said.

“It’s not systemic reform. It fails the leadership test in my view.”

Brain and Mind Research Institute director Ian Hickie has told ABC News 24 the measures are just a big collection of small programs.

“It fails to go to real mental health reform,” he said. Read more »

The Liberal candidate for the safe Labor seat of Chifley, in Sydney has been sacked by the Leader of the Opposition for making anti-Muslim comments.

Three questions come to mind. What does the Liberal brand mean if it does not imply religious tolerance? How did such a person with bigoted and ignorant views about Muslims ever become a Liberal candidate, let alone join the Liberal party. Even ignorant views, as long as they are not intentionally hurtful, might be allowed within the ambit of freedom of speech as part of the wider democratic debate.

The Liberal Post, post John Howard, is as much, or even more, a conservative as much as it is liberal party. A replacement candidate has been put up. In this case, I doubt her candidature was endorsed by the rank and file party members.

ABC Online reports:

The sacked Liberal party candidate, David Barker, says he stands by anti-Islamic comments he made about his opponent in the Sydney seat of Chifley. Read more »

The Earth turns, events and circumstances hold the attention and the sense of time passing eludes me like a shadow.  This week Sasha had one toe surgically removed.

Today,  with Dexter, I collected her from the vets.  On the way home she lost her bandage. She seems OK but hopefully she has not got an infection. All in all it was a very stressful experience. Knowing something of the background story makes the response with her in plastic collar all the more remarkable. Read more »

There is a real problem with these murderous wars waged supposedly to stop terrorism, but in their enactment using the methods of terrorism. It is so much easier to kill people if they are first dehumanized. So every story is important.

In this video from Brave New Films, via Rethink Afghanistan, Zaitullah Ghiasi Wardak describes the murder of his 92 year old father:

The human response is more important that feeling of revenge or assumptions of domination and superiority because the latter evoke further the spiral of violence. It might be worth remembering that Afghanistan is one of the world’s poorest countries. If we were decent human beings we would helping them, not killing them. Read more »

What is to be done about climate change? Now that is the question.

OK, so our putative leaders are obsequious, if not gutless, in the face of those electors who they believe, probably rightly will determine their political future based on polling and secret focus group reports, but does that excuse us? What are we going to do? What are implications if the institutions of representative democracy, including elections, have ceased to be either substantive or deliberative?

Climate change may well become as mundane as mass starvation, mass migration and mass extermination over the next fifty to one hundred years, and perhaps sooner. So that is alarmist? I don’t expect to see linear yearly measured trends but the increase in CO(2) seems to fit the case. Carbon Dioxide is not the sole greenhouse gas increasing in the atmosphere. There may well be a large increase in methane if the Siberian Tundra melts, and if my memory if correct it is said that methane has seven times the effect of Carbon Dioxide. Read more »

Gosh, now you see what happens when a person does not pay attention to the intertubes, the Prime Minister goes and calls a Federal Election.

The horses have left the starting gates and the boxers are in the ring, and there was I blissfully unaware. I was caught up in the local drama of auction of the house next door, and a gathering of people at the front of our place. Here am I sweeping paths, taking the dogs out, helping with dinner – not much, but you get the idea. And now we have the Gillard and Abbott show across the wide brown land. Read more »

This internet/world wide web thing has a set of skills associated with it, and not just linking. What might they be?

When I am challenged to review my own skills, I tend to go blank. The best I think is that skills are related to directly to use of tools. Think of a hammer and knocking in nails and it is clear there is skillful execution or not – oh my thumb! This internet/world wide web thing has a set of skills associated with it, and not just linking.

What might they be? Fortunately others are on the case and here is what they say:

The interesting and important association is that made here between workers and citizens. Working and citizenship are connected. In corporatist dominated society because of the enactment of top-down control. The online technologies are changing activities, for example the buying and selling of houses. One senses that democracy must still be based on the meeting of people. Read more »

Israel has delivered an ultimatum to the Libyan aid ship to Gaza to divert to Egypt.

Unfortunately, neither the Turkish government or the legal representatives of countries involved in the previous convoy are prepared to the accept the conclusions of the Israel inquiry. Following up on their ultimatum, AFP/Reuters, via ABC Online News, reports that Israel has begun preparations to prevent the ship sailing to Gaza with its cargo of food and medical supplies.

Heading to el Arish, an Egyptian port near to the Gaza border may be a good option, if the Egyptian government would also agree to open the Rafah border crossing to let the aid through.

Israel presumes to control the sea and land borders of Gaza. Along the land borders they now have a spot and shoot system. Jonathan Cook writing in Counter Punch explains: Read more »

Sport can do positive things, but winning does seem to matter. Despite the octopus, I think that it is likely that Spain has a fair chance of winning against Holland in the final of the Soccer World Cup.

According to the Spanish Ambassador they are the European champions, so that is the basis of my prediction. But should that happen the feel good factor, and the expressions of nationalism may have political consequences, momentary at least. According to Giles Tremblett for The Guardian:

Spaniards cannot recall an outpouring of national pride similar to that provoked by the country’s first-ever appearance in the World Cup final today. “Not since the Spanish civil war have there been so many flags in the streets,” El País newspaper reported as Madrid prepared for an all-night party if La Roja beat Holland in South Africa this evening. Read more »

For whatever reason, the people moving stuff around up the back left early. One theory was that it was poet’s day, which in the nature of translations broadly means leave early tomorrow is Saturday. Sasha and Dexter, with their canine configuration of sense always seem to want to linger longer.
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