Election Day

Yay, it's Federal Election Day, and Australia gets to vote. Our options are:

The chick that just can't keep her hands off other peoples' babies, has been part of the Government in charge for the last 3 years, representing the party with a tendency to see new taxes as the best "solution" for pretty much anything, the party that is going to introduce an emissions trading scheme to save the world from evil global warming, the party that still hasn't renounced plans to introduce Australia's answer to Ned Flanders' mandatory internet filtering on ISP level, essentially putting us in the same league as China, Iran, North Korea, and other beacons of freedom.

On the other hand, there's the creepy religious God-botherer who's always up for a run in his budgie smugglers, hasn't got a clue on one of the few areas where the Liberals' policies are actually different from Labor's, and enjoys imposing his moral views, on others, for example by telling women to "save the "greatest gift" until marriage.

Aren't we the lucky country.

Dust

Apparently the dust storm that hit Sydney early this morning was the worst in 70 years; and of course Columbo's work place didn't escape the dramatic event:

View from the office, just after 8 am:





The photos have not been post-processed in any way (apart from a bit of cropping) and show the colors and lights (or lack thereof) exactly as they occurred.

Feel good story of the day

Some may call it vandalism; others probably see it as self defence:

SYDNEY'S newest criminals - the speed camera torchers - have struck again in spectacular fashion, wiping out one of the city's most hated revenue-raising cameras.
[...]
A city-bound fixed speed camera halfway up Spit Hill is believed to have been deliberately set alight at about 2am today.

Police attended the scene, taking photos and scouring the scene for evidence.

It was the fifth speed camera attack in the area since the start of June.

Click here for the full story.

Tsunami

... is not only the right word to describe what the Blues are doing to Queensland in tonight's State Of Origin game, it's also what the Australian east coast is looking out for after an earthquake in Kiwiland.

On some days, it's good not to live in one of the posh seaside suburbs.

Kiwis getting your attention

On all your air trips, have you ever paid attention to the safety video? Well, if you're going to catch a domestic flight in NZ, it might just be worth glimpsing at the screen:

Earth Hour

Yes, we're once again asked to "save the world" by participating in an entirely pointless exercise, devised by the very organizations whose existence depends on our belief that doomsday is just around the corner.

So we're supposed to turn off all our lights for an hour, starting at 8:30 pm. Never mind the fact that most people's lights are off every day from dawn to dusk; apparently it's that one hour after dark that'll make the difference. Please also ignore the fact that of all the electrical appliances, lighting probably accounts for the smallest fraction of your average household's electricity use. Furthermore, it'll of course be mostly the energy efficient lamps that will actually be turned off, the lamps of those environmentally conscious people who dumped the common light bulb a long time ago. This will further minimize the already questionable effect of the event.

So maybe it's not about actually reducing energy consumption, maybe it's all about raising awareness about the dire straits the environment is in. However, I'm not aware of any shortness of awareness; with environmental fundamentalists shoving their "Your very existence is destroying the planet; we shall not rest until we control all aspects of people's life, all in the name of nature" message down everyone's throat on a daily basis; and the Government spreading the same message to support the introduction of new taxes and increases to existing rates under the guise of the green hype.

Then, there's the hypocrisy. Oh boy, I don't even know where to start. First of all, organizers must, of course, promote the event. So media conferences are held, interviews arranged, reports on the devastating effects of global warming commissioned. It's probably a safe bet to say that the activities around Earth Hour create "carbon footprint" that outweighs the miniscule reduction in energy usage (if such a reduction even occurs) a couple of times over.

The media aren't exactly adding to the credibility of the event either. No effort, and therefore no energy expenditure) is to be spared to give this honorable project the coverage it deserves. And there's nothing but praise for this wonderful cause on all programs; even the world's most irritating weatherman urges us to "turn off the lights and other non-essential electrical appliances (non-essential? Would that be the gear I usually keep running for no other reason than to send more money than necessary to the lovely folks at the power company?). Yet there's nothing in the TV guide that would suggest that any of the stations will stop broadcasting; as we sit in the dark, we still get to enjoy a choice of football, pommy crime drama, a freak penguin, Johnny gaying up the Caribbean, or young Jack Nicholson joining the Village People Navy.

And of course we mustn't forget the selfless who are so proud to "do the responsible thing"; praised be those who sit in the dark while watching their energy-hungry plasma TV. Others might really get in the spirit and even drive to one of the many Earth Hour activities.

I have no doubt that in tomorrow's news, there will be an abundance of praise for those who seemingly saved the world by participating in a stunt that makes no difference whatsoever. Personally, I was so eager to do my part that I held my own Earth Hour from early morning until just before 6 pm, with no lights or TV on for the entire time. Where's my medal?

"The Sopranos Down Under" is not over yet

Yesterday's permanent retirement of "the head of one of Sydney's most powerful drug dealing crime syndicates" seems to indicate that the local crime gangs are alive and well. While this most recent shooting has striking similarities to events of past decades, things are not quite as they used to be.

In the past, even the bad guys answered to names like Carl, Bob, or Terry. Perhaps as a sign of the times, and in line with the situation overseas (yep, globalization affects crime, too), the most violent events are more often than not connected with names like Abdul Qadier Darwiche, and appropriately investigated by units like The Middle Eastern Crime Squad. One can not help but wonder if perhaps, despite the persistent denial by left wing do-gooders, crime and violence are indeed more prevalent in some ethnic communities than in others, and if the much praised multi cultural society has indeed a mostly positive effect on our daily lives.

Still, I reckon all we can do is to focus on the positive aspects: One truly despicable scumbag is off the street for good; and we're not running out of material for more seasons of Underbelly just yet.