Relief and rant

Ray's relatives left yesterday morning. As lovely as the couple are, it is a bit of a relief, but also very sad as it is unlikely I will ever see them again. I had three dinners out with them and took them out on two long day trips, and they were very appreciative, and I heard about all the people I know in Ray's northern English city. They have flown to Bali, and four days later supposed to fly via Bahrain to England. Their flight has been cancelled, and alternative arrangements will be made.

A huge security guard company recently collapsed and the owner has fled overseas. We are told they underpaid security immigrant and student workers, insisting the students work more hours than they are allowed. There were many who were not paid. Superannuation was not paid, the responsibility of our tax department, and a huge amount was owed in unpaid taxes. There was sexual harassment of staff and eyes turned blind by the companies that used the security company. 

"Has collapsed owing tens of thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions in tax payments to the government", is a phrase we almost hear daily, well maybe weekly. This is an absolute disgrace. It is money lost that will have to made up by all taxpayers. There is really something seriously wrong in our tax department when it lets go unpaid tax and unpaid workers' superannuation for long periods. Never mind that the owner of the company should have had his passport blocked. He won't return to face the music.

I will shop on Thursday before a dental appointment in the afternoon. Otherwise, nothing more this week until Sunday when it will be a great niece's 12th birthday celebration. Ray's and Mother's used to be celebrated at the same time. 

A friend is just about to clear from a Covid infection. It is ages since I've heard of anyone having Covid, but the beast is still with us. She was well vaccinated and so her symptoms were mild.

Why does one Yarra Trams tram driver ring the gong seven different times when passing by (to warn flying bats I guess) and the next driver does not ring the gong at all? Yarra Trams provided an excellent service for attendees at the Grand Prix, but bugger the locals. It was awful to try to get anywhere by tram. Thank goodness for the new Metro tunnel train. 

The Chinese cult 'religion' Falun Gong has a performance called Shen Yun happening around Australia, in Melbourne at a place I didn't know, but what we call Jeff's Shed. I am bombarded by advertising for the show on YouTube. But let me tell you the organisers, if you want to advertise in Australia, at the very least use Australian voices to promote the show, and not American. I can wear American car advertisements with the steering wheel on the wrong side as the cars travel along beautiful coastal roads, because there is an Australian voice over, and I know the the ads cost a lot to make.  It may be an urban myth, but I remember a remark from Germany. 'If you want to buy something from us, we speak perfect English. If you want to sell us something, sorry, we don't understand English'. Not using an Australian voice over for Shen Yun really pisses me off.                                                                               

Hopefully something less whiny tomorrow.

Covid

Written early April, 2024.

In a few months it will be four years since Covid hit the shores of Australia. Today I watched a YouTube clip from Mike Downie where he mentioned Covid and his experience in Vancouver. It screwed him up and affected his mental health. It affected R mentally, and I had no clever words or smart phrases to say in reply. 

I recall the early days of such fear, where people like Daniel Bowen crossed a street to avoid a fellow pedestrian, while they both acknowledged each others common decency. I remember when we were out walking and R involuntarily coughed without covering his mouth and the woman walking towards us jumped a metre to the side.

I can dispassionately write about it, but I was up there with being fearful. It was a fear of the unknow in the early Covid times. I kept wearing a mask long after most people stopped. Even now I will use a mask on public transport at times and in medical facilities after observing what the clear policy is of the facility. 

However from Doctor Andrew's expertise, it seems like you have to spend a decent amount of time with a Covid infectious person. You probably won't pick it up from surfaces or passing an infectious person on the street. 

Nevertheless, it is wrong to say post Covid. It is still among us and still killing people, not that the disgraced former British Prime Minister Boris Johnston cared, to quote, "no more fucking lockdowns – let the bodies pile high in their thousands.".

We really do have to remember that Covid is still rife and it kills. We've just had our sixth Covid vaccinations and you too should get the latest serum. 

Local meteorites

When Covid travel restrictions were imposed in 2020 and we stopped using public transport, we would drive to Prahran about once a week for shopping and a bite to eat. Even when the weather was at its coldest, we always sat in Prahran square with whatever food we bought, and coffee. The fountain was comforting. I still do the same some five years later, except I now do it on my own. 

I love the fountain, especially in warmer weather when kiddies run through the water and get soaking wet. Some are tentative and some are full on into the jets. Some dogs like getting wet and the pigeons like to bathe there. 

But a month or so ago, I observed a meteorite had fallen on the fountain. A guard had been placed and he was smoking hot, but I neglected to stalk photograph him. 

More meteorites fell. It was cool to walk among them, to poke them to find out the surface was a soft fabric. Then I found the fans that kept them inflated. It was a bit of a fun experience. 

I believe they made fine night time light displays, but old people like me don't go out after dark 

  

Studly Saturday

Shorpy.com posts wonderful old photos in high resolution, I think only taken in the US. This photo was published some time ago. It's a simple pose but makes the guy looks so sexy. Do you think the woman, who looks older, is a little smitten? Clearly it was a staged photo and the photographer knew exactly what they were doing. 

Professor Brett Sutton was Chief Health Officer for the State of Victoria over the period of Covid lockdowns. He was calm and reassuring as day after day he appeared on tv at press conferences. Women and men fell in love with Brett. FYI, he is married to a woman. 

I am amused that I wrote he is married to a women. It is a very modern phrase. That 'he is married' would not have needed any qualification in years past. It now does.

There was 'merch' created such as tee shirts, pillows and cushion with the face of Brett. The cult of Brett. I don't know if animated gifs work in Blogger, but it is working here as I created the post. For me, he is nice enough but there are so many hot men in the world and I am a fickle queen. Photos from The Age.

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. 

Yarra Trams fail, again

This afternoon I tentatively caught a tram replacement bus to the city thinking maybe things had improved. Again it was a bad experience. I waited forever for a bus, it was overcrowded and I had to stand all the way. A youngish woman sagged down in a faint and was pulled back to her feet by kind people and given a seat. A young man's backpack jammed in the door so the doors were partly open but that didn't stop the bus from starting off.

Google informs me that I spent 40 minutes in the City. I left home at 2.12 and arrived home at 4.30. That is 2 hours 18 minutes I believe,138 minutes. 138 less 40 is 98. So I spent 1 hour 38 minutes commuting for what would normally be a maximum return journey of 30 minutes by tram, usually less.

I assume 'Could not organise a piss up in brewery' is an old Australian term but no matter, it is a well deserved accolade for Yarra Trams that has provided a very insufficient bus replacement service for our tram system.

God help those who actually have to use the system to get somewhere on time.

On a brighter note, we, R who refuses to use public transport while the system is in disarray, and myself drove to North Point Cafe in Brighton and had a lovely brunch. We sat outside, the sun shone, the breeze was cooling, good food, the cafe was busy but not manic and the staff very nice. A memory came up that this was the place we first visited after the end of a three month Covid lock down. What year of Covid nightmare was that? I can't remember.

A Result for progress

I am loath to call our conservative party by its proper name as it can cause confusion. Our conservative party is called the Liberal Party. In spite of the anti vaxxer tossers and freedom protestors, very vocal but a tiny minority, our Labor Party has been soundly returned to office in the State of Victoria. 

Interstate people have asked my opinion of Dictator Dan, Premier Daniel Andrews. Perhaps they are readers or viewers of Murdoch media. The tabloid Herald Sun vociferously campaigned against the re-election of the Andrew's government but it was seemingly ignored, as was the nightly tirade from Fox News shock jocks.

Our lockdowns were extreme and life changing for some people. R says he has never recovered from the lockdowns, now as he constantly complains about how many social things we have happening. 

It is my view that the Andrew's state government heavy restrictions saved thousands of lives and even more illnesses. Some are now saying back when we had Covid...wrong. We still have Covid and people are still dying.

I am pleased the oh so very tainted leader of conservative opposition Matthew Guy has resigned, for the second time. I have a little faith that a progressive member of the conservative party will be elected leader, rather than the old style right wing leader. 

Anyway, here is map from The Age of how Melbourne voted. Red is Labor, blue is Liberal conservative and green is Green. I am in Prahran, firmly Green. The local Prahran third time elected Green Sam Hibbins is a great local member.

The conservative party blue areas are wealthy beachside suburbs, extending into the leafy green eastern suburbs. The first blue blob below is long time aspirational immigrants. To the far right the other blue area has farm land and some very comfortable people, many rich retirees.

To note though, the Labor Party's vote fell a lot in what is the large western voting areas. They are our workers and lockdowns affected them badly and many of those hands on workers in those areas had no chance of working from home.  

Haha, the state of Victoria used to be seen as jewel in the crown of the conservative Liberal Party, It doesn't look like that now.