Old person's trip

Ondreeeewwww, can we get a mat for the kitchen floor.

No Kosov, and you spend little time on the kitchen floor. Phyllis asked you to ask me, and the answer is no. Mats for old people like me are trip hazards. 

Ok Ondreeewww, I understand.

Also Kosov, do not put bags on the floor at the end of the bench that I could trip over as I walk past. That's an old person trip hazard. 

There has been a lot of joking about what may or may not be old person trip hazards.

Nevertheless, trip hazards a real thing for people my age.

But the newest member of the household has become a serious old person trip hazard. Jass loves to lie in the main walkway between the living area and the bedrooms, like right in the middle. 

As Marcellous mentioned, longer haired cats have a lot of hair, and I've found it floats around and can be found everywhere. This is extra work for me. Soon after Jass arrived, the vacuum cleaner started to fail, so I had to replace the battery, and fast. Ka-ching!

The a/c installation went without a problem. They weren't the best tradies at cleaning up, but not bad. I am happy. Big ka-ching. Jass was locked in with Kesav in their bedroom. There was an attempt at some lamp rearranging, but today I said it needed to return to how is was. While I was out, Kosov sorted it, but there was a spider on the interior part of the aircon! "Kosov, that will scare visitors and they won't return. Ah Kosov, this is your anti social disorder coming to the fore. You want to scare people away." I told him the spider must disappear by the time I return from holidays. 

The harvest moon was big, and it isn't a good photo. 

A dagger sits upon the top of this book.

Phyllis, do you intend stabbing someone in self defence? No Andrew, it is for opening boxes at work. I worry about them being out and about at night, just like a father would, except they are grown men. 

It's been a stressful week, with thinking about the forthcoming holiday, having to present all building remote controls to the building manager. There are six, with five here and Sister has one. It had to be checked. Fortunately Sister came and went here numerous times a couple of weeks ago, and the building manager could see that she had used the remote on one night I told him she visited. 

By viewing the security cameras, it was established a homeless looking person vandalised the intercom screen outside the building, with four stab marks on  the screen. I am doubtful. It seems more like an act by someone who was not allowed to enter the building, a crime of passion and/or anger. 

My Friend in Japan who is no longer in Japan but back in Melbourne volunteered at The Royal Melbourne Show over the past couple of weeks. She posted online some gorgeous photos of the farm animals and other creatures at the show. 

Today I will begin packing. Folding up shirts to pack into a suitcase makes my back hurt, so I will pace myself. I will remember underwear and socks this time. For a couple of weeks away, I thought I would need the larger suitcase, but a fortnight away as against a week away, just means a few more shirts and socks and underwear. I can manage with the small suitcase, that can travel as cabin baggage, rather than checked in luggage that has to be retrieved from the carousel upon arrival at you destination.

I may have time to publish a Sunday Selections and a Monday Mural, but otherwise, see you all soon. 

Ramblings

I never know what goes on in my home. As I sit here at my desk, I am in the firing line of little pet toys thrown for Jass for to retrieve after a chase and then to ignore. I am more used to dogs retrieving and demanding another throw. Cats don't retrieve, but still want another throw. 

Sunday Phyllis asked me to drive him to pick up a Christmas tree, an ornamental one of course. I think by the box size and the weight, it is huge. It came with a box of decorations and Christmas lights. I'm afraid!

Monday Phyllis and Kosov were up shortly after 5am to catch a train to a business where Phyllis would be assisting at a tyre recycling business. Kosov went along just to make sure Phyllis got there ok, and because he loves him. I would have said, 'Don't make a noise when you leave'. Phyllis discovered there is wire braiding inside tyres. He had the tiny scratches on his arms to prove it. He declared it was hard physical work, and it was only an unpaid trial. 

Kosov returned and had to go to work in the late evening. Yesterday, Tuesday, Kosov went to work Phyllis' shift, while Phyllis stayed home and took notes for Kosovo's university studies. I know if I asked why, I would not receive an answer I could understand. 

In a way I told Phyllis to stop buying stuffs, in fact to get rid of some stuffs, and a crate has been filled with junk to go to the charity shop. 

Today will be an early start as sometime between 7.30 and 8.00, tradies will arrive to install the new a/c. I am a bit excited. I received a $150 credit from the government for replacing an old unit with a more energy efficient model. Still, it is costing a good bit but the old unit is over 12 years old, has become noisy, and my worst nightmare is to be without heating or cooling. When the former unit broke down 12 years ago, it was weeks before a new on could be installed. We bought two cheap electric fan heaters to use in the meantime and end up with a horrendous electric bill.

I am going away on holidays at the weekend, my first proper holiday since Ray died. A plane and train will be involved. I am a little excited, quite apprehensive but quietly confident. I have no one to concern myself about except for myself. If I screw up, it is down to me. 

Sue loved balloons, so here are some balloon photos.

More on Sue, aka Elephant's Child

Before I continue with the main point of this post, a memory came to me of Sue. Hooded plovers nest in  grasses above the high water line at beaches, at least in southern Australia. They are mostly threatened by off leash dogs running amok on beaches. Foxes probably play a role too. There was an organisation a number of years ago where volunteers patrolled beaches to advise people who had off leash dogs of the risk to the nesting hooded plovers. My sister, who lives close to a beach where plovers nest, was an member and I looked at the website and lo and behold, there was Sue's name, as a supporter. She confirmed this with me. We all knew how fond Sue was of her visiting birds and other creatures of the wild, and of course her cats. 

Sue's death notice in the Canberra Times:

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/tributes-funerals/death-notices/733053/goldberg-sue-anne/

You will be able to watch the funeral service at this site, and if the time is bad for you, I've found the services can usually be downloaded later. 

https://www.norwoodpark.com.au/service-streaming/client/?nid=261ac1bc-5e5e-4277-9fd6-abd1bcc9118d

I am thinking of posting the below using the condolence link at the funeral company's website. I am not sure if it would be the right thing to do What do you think? Yes? No? Yes, but could it be changed a bit? Typos and grammar corrections are welcome.  

I am not sure if her family and friends knew, but Sue had a huge presence on the internet. She was liked, respected and loved from all corners of the world. Never believe that internet friends are fake friends. We are real people who Sue cared for, and we cared for Sue. She was just so kind to everyone. Well, not quite everyone. She had little tolerance of haters, those with internal ugliness and those who discriminated over sex, race, religion and sexuality. 

While we knew Sue was going through tough times with her cancer treatment, none of us expected what happened.

Her death is not just a passing in our internet lives, it is hole in our real lives.

Condolences to her family and friends.

Go well, dear Sue.

Andrew Cee.   

Musical Monday

This is a first class Flashdance. I had no intention of watching more than a minute, but I sat transfixed. The video was filmed in Paris. 

Mount Macedon Part 2

With Phyllis almost competently at the wheel, we headed on the direct route to the Organ Pipes National Park. We missed the turn towards the airport and City Link and so had to journey on to the Western Ring Road. I doubt it added much time and perhaps $10 was saved in road tolls charged by the usurious company that runs private roads in Australia.

Phyllis did make one grave driving mistake. In spite of the projected image on the windscreen that shows you the presence of cars either side of you, and an orange indicating light on each side mirror, he started to move into a left lane when there was a car there. From the passenger seat I saw the orange light on the mirror and as raised my voice, at the same time he saw the car. He had moved for too far left for my liking, and in spite of me asking why he did so, I don't really know.

We stopped at the Organ Pipes National Park and even though it was our football grand final day, it was surprisingly busy, but mostly by Indian immigrants who would not be so interested in Australian Rules Football. This is Jackson Creek, flowing past the base of the geological formation. 

I did not walk down the steep hill because I would need to walk back up the steep hill, and it is very steep, although the path has been asphalted since the last time we visited. The photo above and below were taken by Phyllis.

I spent the time above admiring the scenery. What was very degraded farmland, full of pest weeds and foreign plants, along with non native animals, became a national park and has been restored to native bushland and grasses, and the pest animal species are constantly monitored and dealt with. Bang, bang, Mr Fox and Mrs Rabbit. There are marvellous volunteers who help, and many who have since died who got the project off the ground. 

Here we are at Mount Macedon township and it was as gorgeous as I remembered from the photos I posted in Part 1. I will suggest, and from what my research tells me, per capita, this is the most wealthy area in rural Victoria. 

I needed coffee and Phyllis made a reverse parallel park in the main street, as a family were loading stuffs into their car in front. The man must have noticed the L plates on my car and told Phyllis, he did a better job parking that he did himself. Phyllis was quite chuffed, of course. Kind offhand words of praise go down well. Coffee was taken at The Trading Post, which is I think is the place commented by Roentare in Part 1. 

I thought these flat grasses were interesting. 

Wattles, that is Acacias, are in full bloom. 

In the early days of the State of Victoria there were three trig points, and this one at Mount Macedon was one of them. I should look up the other two. Yes, I should. Note the spooks equipment peeking from the left of the tower. 

The equipment to the left looks like phone coverage equipment. The equipment to the right looks like spook equipment to me. 

We needed nourishment. Phyllis had made some to eat. Beef, pork or chicken. Take your pick. I ate two. Kosov ate four. I have noticed he has put on weight over the last year, but then so have I. This is a photo resembling what we ate.

There's a lad I know in the centre.

The views really are spectacular..

The tea rooms were closed for renovations. But there was a food van that supplied me with a double espresso and them with a can of soft drink to share. 

So that is wrap to a very enjoyable day, and we were home before 3.

What a dame

Patricia Routledge has died at the age of 96. One can't grieve too much over a peaceful death at that age. What a trooper she was, from theatre including musicals, to film and tv. 

Most of us will remember her from Keeping up Appearances, where she played Hyacinth Bucket. Gay men straight away picked up on the humour, and used lines like, 'Don't brush against my walls', "Would  you like your coffee in a hand painted periwinkle cup?" "Best you have a beaker". "How much Sheriden? Talk to your father." "Mind the pedestrian, Richard", as someone opened their front door.

Of course I need a Hyacinth clip to add to this post. 

Privatisation is good?

Aren't we told privatisation leads to competition and a better customer experiences, along with cheaper prices?

Hey, cheaper prices really happened with the UK railways when the system was privatised! No? Certainly not. It also lead to some terrible train crashes as the system became poorly maintained by Thatcher's private companies. Slowly, slowly, catchee monkey, railway companies in England and Scotland are being returned to being government operated.

Essential services should be run by governments, who own, operate and are responsible for what happens. Governments need to put the right people in positions of power to operate the services, along with adequate funding. 

Australia's government owned telecommunication department, Telstra, was privatised and its major competition became Optus. Optus is on the back foot at the moment because of the failure of its 000 emergency call system, where some people may have died because of the failure of the system.

So Telstra is now a private company, and Optus is ostensibly a private company, but is it? It is owned by Singtel, a telecommunication company owned by the government of Singapore. So, was it a great idea to privatise Telstra and allow a foreign government owned company to become its major competition? Now our private company competes against, effectively the full resources of the government of Singapore.

In the last financial year, Optus earned AU$8.4 billion in Australia. There will be allowed deductions from the earnings, but what would you think was a fair corporate tax on such earnings? $2 billion? $3 billion? 

Try zero!

Netflix in Australia, earning $1.2 billion, no tax.

Tech giants pay a very small amount of tax in Australia.

Murdoch's corporation, owner of three major daily newspapers in Australia, and with Fox streaming, Foxtel, Sky TV, Sky News, along with the New York Post and the Wall Street Journal, paid no corporate tax in Australia  

I don't blame these companies. They have complied with legal requirements. Tax is not a voluntary contribution. 

There is something seriously wrong with Australia's tax laws.

Many of Australia's major companies are US investor owned, including our big four banks, one of our major two supermarket, Woolworths and the mining company BHP. They are private investors who own so much in Australia, and not governments. I don't think that is ideal, but it is the way of the world now.

Also there is another foreign government investor in Australia, Canada's Pension Plan. While it is managed at arms length, it is still owned by the government of Canada.

Then worse, a Chinese company connected the government of China has a 99 year lease on the Port of Darwin. No one was happy with this, but it happened under our conservative party in 2015. Unbelievable. Darwin is probably Australia's most strategic port should there be trouble, and is used by the US defence force. 

Whatever your thoughts are about the merits of privatisation, I do not like Australian government assets privatised, only to be owned by foreign governments. 

And what kicked this rant off? I discovered a prominent player in Australia industry, especially public transport, is Keolis. The company is owned by SNCF, the French national government owned railway company.

The real point of this post is that Australia removes essential services from public hands to private hands, only to have our privatised assets being bought up by foreign governments.