Water and War

I listened to the podcast linked below and if our ABC is similar to the BBC, you should be able to listen to it anywhere. The podcast is is made by the RN radio programme Rear Vision and discusses the disastrous privatisation of the water and sewerage system in I think, England and Wales. I am not sure about the other countries in Great Britain. 

The privatisation was initiated by late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (she without empathy) and has been an utter disgrace, so if you want your blood to boil in fury about sewerage flowing into fresh water and governmental permission to rip off the people of the aforesaid countries, take half an hour to listen to the podcast. It is very enlightening. 

Sadly ABC no longer allows direct downloading as it wants everyone to use the ABC app, which I believe you can use overseas. You can listen online though. 

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/rearvision/water-privatisation-in-england-and-why-it-s-failed/104238770

In other matters, for months the Australian government has been warning its citizens against visiting the Middle East and over the past several weeks, it has been urging Australians to return to Australia before things really kick off in area. Well, it seems kicking off is pretty close to being underway. 

Now the government is talking about emergency evacuation flights and ferries. If my government was urging me to return home, I damn well would have at the first serious warning, promptly. I suppose there are some citizens of Australia in the Middle East who would be reluctant to uproot their established lives there, but at least they know the situation and can make educated judgements. Wouldn't it to be better to be safe than sorry? I do not like the idea of Australians or anyone being put at risk to evacuate those who were too stubborn and could now be screaming help. Of course down the track our government will receive bad press, by leaving all those, 'innocent and desperate people overseas who are innocently caught up in a war'. 

Yes, I am in a bit of a grump tonight. 

Retiring for...It's Time

Last week Victoria's State Leader, Premier Daniel Andrews resigned. He was a can do Premier responsible for a lot of building of infrastructure and carried us through the worst of the awful Covid times with a reassuring daily press conference. His lockdown of citizens was severe but goodness knows how many lives were saved and no doubt there were many.

Could it have been done better? Of course yes, with hindsight but we were in a deep unknown territory. He has been divisive leader with many loving him and many hating him. 

But note, his first electoral victory nine years ago was close. At both the next election and the following, the Labor(sic) Party increased its majority and the conservative opposition party was almost demolished. The haters are very loud and vocal, especially the so called 'freedom' folk. I am not going to do a Hillary and call them the Deplorables however... He has left us with a large state debt, partly due to Covid, and the investment in infrastructure. Over my lifetime I've come to realise that government debt in our rich country is pretty meaningless. 

Our new Premier is Jacinta Allen, formerly Deputy Premier. With a healthy electoral margin, she may even survive the next election if not thrive. She's a very experienced politician who had been in politics for 30 plus years, from her teen years. 

ABC Melbourne's radio breakfast presenter is the very talented Sammy J. The morning after Andrew's resignation, he had already come up with this. Actually, I think he may have done a good bit of work on it already and it just needed an update. 

His tribute to Andrews has so many many local references that most of you won't understand but nevertheless I think it is worth a couple of minutes of your time. As far as I can see, it should work everywhere and you don't need to have an Instagram account. If not, there is not much I can do about it. Google it and you may find a working link. 

To the tune of 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. 

Stuff the British Stole

I wrote this subject line two nights ago after watching the brilliant Marc Fennell's tv show. He is a consummate tv presenter, radio broadcaster and podcast presenter for SBS TV,  ABC TV and ABC Radio. 

But let us go back further to when our beloved Queen died. Well, loved my millions, if not all. A friend with Indian heritage sent me this picture. It is something I intended using on my blog at some point.

That is what Fennell's latest tv programme Stuff the British Stole focused upon. I believe he has already made radio programmes about the same and Marc does have Indian heritage. The first tv episode focused on the Kohinoor Diamond and long after it was 'stolen', its ownership is disputed by many countries. Best it stay in safekeeping in Britain in my opinion. 

In a remarkable coincidence while having coffee after shopping yesterday, Friday morning, who should walk past us and stop at a bench nearby to sort out what he was carrying, but Marc Fennell. I saw him walking towards where we were sitting, but I did not click. R is better at celeb spotting than I am and he saw who it was as Marc paused at the bench for a few minutes. I first got to know of him from ABC Radio National's Download This Show. Most celebs we see are to be noted but I was quite chuffed to see someone who I admire so much.    

Ban the BoM

Over the past couple of weeks our state has suffered terrible flooding. Amid the flooding of people's homes and how reliant people were on weather forecasts, The Australian Bureau of Meteorology took time out to publish a press release after paying a couple of hundred thousand dollars to a private company commissioned to 'correct the name', approved by our former conservative government.

My summary is that is what The Bureau wants is in the first instance it should be referred to as Bureau of Meteorology and subsequently the weather bureau. What media should not do is refer to it as the BoM, as in bomb. Media is not to say bomb when quoting the Bureau. 

After derision and criticism by the general public, along with media broadcasters and the federal minister in charge of the BoM, the BoM relented and said, call us what you like. 

The weird thing is that our media generally doesn't use the word BoM. I don't use the word BoM and I don't know anyone who does. I say bureau or weather bureau. 

$270,000 pissed in the air by our former government. Yes, pennies in our federal budget, but look after the pennies and the pounds will look after itself. 

ABC Melbourne breakfast radio host and comedian Sammy J put it to music. I can't insert the video, only give you the link here.

Meanwhile at the Bureau of Meteorology website, what do we see in large letters? And as my phone app says...