Christmas bonus

Well, we have no worries about the world financial crisis.
Our Prime Minister has solved the problem for Australians by giving pensioners, new home-buyers, and carers, lovely cash Chrissy presents - all all to save us from national financial doom. He's also guaranteed all of Australia's bank accounts, so businesses large and small, and the rest of us, can resume lending and spending.

I'm not really treating this generosity lightly. In fact, I think our PM has made the best and probably the only move that was available. All the experts have been telling us Australia had such financial stability that we could weather the storm better than almost any other country. The experts were probably right, but their assurances didn't carry much weight against constant tales of impending World doom on TV, and headlining our papers every day.

It's clear that the best way to financial security is to have "money in the bank", and we are lucky Prime Minister Rudd had a large a surplus from which to draw.
It's a bit tough on the politicians from our former government, who raised most of the money, and set up what they called "future fund".
But it's going to be great to see our country back in business!

How dreams dissolve

Have you seen the "mansions" so many young couples are building/buying in the suburbs these days? Of course you have - 4 or more bedrooms, two or three floored Greco-Roman castles They're mostly bought through once-generous loans, with repayments originally considered affordable, by up-and-comers who just had to have everything all at once.
These are the people who need our sympathy now we're starting to feel the effects of the US financial crisis.
We can hope that the Reserve Bank and the retail banks here are flexible enough to give our PM's "Working Families" proper consideration, and that the many hard-selling loan company sales executives remember their share of blame for the problems.
Former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, now looking quite good as newspaper commentator, tells us we're better governed, financially, than those in the US. He believes our political system, in which the people for whom we voted bear executive responsibility, serves us more fairly, too.
Coincidentally, I was shocked to see how devastating are the problems of the mortgage-belt homeowners in one Californian suburb. A 10 minute movie (from a link in Monday's Crikey.com.au web site showed newish suburban streets with more than half their homes empty and bank-owned. Contract teams were emptying furniture and personal items from up to 15 homes per day, where former "owners" had typically walked out with just what they could carry.
We should all hope Australia never gets like this!
But it's hard to feel sorry for those who gambled unwisely with other people's money in the share trading industry. there's plenty of room for improvement here.

Fruity flootling!

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I can blow a full octave of notes from a 2/3 full beer stubby, and that's a skill I reckon is OK, even though neither my wife nor any of my friends are impressed.
I can generate a reasonable tune on a harmonica too, and I've played around with piano since I was a kid.
In fact, I've loved music as long as I can remember, and admit to youthful dreams of making a career of it. Had I had the determination to study and practise, and half the talent I once thought I had, then I might well have made some sort of a mark with it.
But the enthusiasm remains, and our small home contains a piano, a sophisticated and computer-friendly electronic keyboard, two chromatic harmonicas, a tin whistle, and a flute!
Aren't I lucky that my dear wife is a musician too, and much more "proper at playing it" than I (which means she really reads the music, and "never" improvises)?
What I really meant to say at the start of this posting was that my impulsive purchase of a flute, while caravaning nearly four years ago, has changed my life.
I thought playing a flute would be easy. I could, after all, get a tune out of almost any instrument. After all, a flute's just a metal tube with hole in it - not unlike my (unpopular) tin whistle, I thought.
By dint of annoying caravaners over a wide swathe of Eastern Australia I did manage to force a shrieking sort of an occasional tune out of the thing, though I wonder, sometimes, at my wife's forbearance. After a year I was able to take six lessons, during a six week rest in Adelaide, and learned a little bit more.
Since then, and since settling down, my flute has become a near constant companion at home. Can I play a reasonable tune on it now? - Yes, if you're not too fussy.
But there's a long, long way to go.
I'm getting better at remembering the fingering for the really high notes (second and third register to us flutists). I'm can play the high notes cleanly and softly, most of the time - except when I'm really trying and thus tend to hold my lips wrong, or blow too hard, or run out of breath.
I recorded myself playing a favourite tune yesterday, hoping for a pleasing mark of progress. But I discovered that listening from the blowing-end is quite different to hearing what others might hear. So I've put the microphone away, for now.
Am I frustrated? Yes. It seems that every step taken leads to another set of stairs, and I wonder if I'm going to live long enough to play well enough to satisfy myself.
But I think I love my flute. It seems to follow me around the house, so I can play to a good tune on the radio, or add my bit to my wife's piano practice, or so I can just make a quick go at going from register 1 to 2, or even 3, without even one of those damned "squawks."
I think I'm obsessed!
(Picture: Two grandsons trying to help)

See left for pics

Wife and I spent a few days exploring S.A.'s Yorke Peninsular, a few weeks ago. We thought we'd get the trip done while the grass and the crops were still green, and it's as well that we did because we're well into the early hot spells and gales that accompany Spring here.
Anyway, if you look to the left of your screen (below the old grey-top bloke's head shot)you'll see the mini movie show that covers the trip. Just double click on the pic. and you get to my photo library.

It wasn't me!

It wasn't me, defying the Southern Ocean surf, a couple of weeks ago. I've always believed that water is good for being "on" rather than "in".
This young man was a picture of grace and composure for my fist pic, and made a big splash as his flight (below) ended.

(I really do wish I had a longer telephoto lens.)