Friday Funny, not funny

Women might be good at multi tasking, but unlike men, they are lousy at anything practical. 

Yes, I've done the head spin but always managed to stay on my feet...so far. 

Wednesday Extra

It has been an interesting week in the state of Victoria, Australia. 

Politics was at the fore as the ruling Labor Party dumped its leader Jacinta Allen for a respected bloke. 

After quite a number terms in office, the former premier saw the writing on the wall, and as happens, handed over the poisoned chalice to Ms Allen. This is what the Labor Party does when it sees the end of its rule on the horizon, handing over power to a woman. It has history.

Former Premier Allen received such undeserved vitriol. 

The numbers of women in politics in Australia is good, but they are just not well treated by apparatchiks, especially by the Murdoch media, and judged by the public much more harshly than men are judged.

Gracious in defeat, Ms Allen's resignation speech contained something for women to note.

She also urged women not to be discouraged from entering politics.

"Please don't look at what I have experienced this week and think: 'stuff that, I don't want to be involved.' Look at the support I have experienced over my career and think: 'I can make a difference here too.'"  

Blotting your copybook

In the 1980s Aboriginal Australian Rules footballers were often taunted with racist comments when playing on the field. Woe betide you if you do that now. You will be found by guards and cctv at paid grounds, and you will be piled on by social media, and banned from football venues.

In that time Aboriginal player Nicky Winmar made a stand and pulled up his player jumper and pointed to his dark skin.  The photo is a classic, and I read it as 'I am a black Australian Aborigine and I play football really well. This is the colour of my skin, and youse can all get fucked".

He went on me win many accolades and honours. 

How horrible it has been to learn he has been convicted of three cases of assault against women. His name has quickly been removed from the AFL Hall of Fame. Two statues of him have been taken down. 

It is so awful that a hero to many has been taken down but it is deserved. We don't use racial abuse anymore, nor do we abuse women. 

It seems Nicky, you blotted your copy book beyond redemption. So sad, you stupid dickhead.

Sexism in Politics

I am sorry this is a long read and ignore it if you wish. I think it is very important. 'Liberal Party' in Australia means conservative/Tory/Republican party. The person, Jacinta Allan, is the Premier of the State of Victoria. 

Funded by a brothel owner and others, the mobile ad is travelling around Melbourne, where mobile advertising is allowed, and it is just appallingly sexist. Shame, shame, shame. Photo from The Age.

Franco Puleo, who owns Gotham City brothel in South Melbourne, is among the people funding the $105,000 Ditch the Witch advertising campaign.

The campaign is using misogyny to get Jacinta Allan out of power in Victoria.

I've spoken to many SWers who say Puleo is as sexist as this campaign.

Billboards are being ferried across Melbourne with Allan as a witch.

I have it on authority the campaign has the support of the Liberal Party and Liveable Victoria - an organisation focused on planning and other state issues.

The Herald Sun ran a page on the campaign in its print edition and used the slogan in the copy in the same way it uses slogans for its own campaigns. Interestingly, the Herald Sun refused to name the organisation and people behind the campaign. Possibly because the editorial department is firmly focused on securing a Liberal Party win in the state.

The Ditch the Witch campaign reflects the Liberal-aligned Ditch the Witch campaign against Julia Gillard in 2011. 

Leadership women

This post probably needed more work, but I am sick of looking at it. 

This is Heidi Alexander, Secretary for Transport in England. At the launch of unveiling a livery for trains taken back into public ownership after years of private operation has been proven to be a failure, she was at Brighton Railway Station to launch the new livery of Great British Railways.

If you are in the US, Canada or Australia, this is not how a woman in public office would appear in public. That's perhaps so for most countries.

Politicians and spokespersons need to be super groomed, with tailored clothing, good hair and good makeup, men and women both. It's not that Alexander can't glam up if she wants.

Heidi was none of those at the media occasion. She is a good speaker, clearly passionate about her role and spoke sensibly. In the US #47's leading women, past and present are super groomed but frankly talk a lot of crap, spitting out lie after lie. Yes, Leavitt, Bondi, along with dog killer Noem.

I care more about the spoken honesty from Alexander rather than how she is dressed or made up.

Later edit: Just as the press do, I used an incorrect photo for Ms Alexander. I have removed the photo and replaced it with a correct photo. Thank you YP for pointing out the error. 

Soulful Saturday

Tom Dula, pronounced Dooley, in North Carolina murdered a woman and was hanged for the crime. 

A live performance of the song by Kingston Trio in the 1950s has poor audio. This audio only recording is good. 

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.

Not very princely

You will have all seen the photo of Andy Mountbatten slumped in the rear of the police car. Andy is no longer a  prince, and instead of being prince like, sitting up straight and looking straight ahead, he thought he could outsmart the best paparazzi in the world, providing great grist to the media mill worldwide. It just proves what a tosser he is. 

One commentator said he was the first royal to be involved with police since the Princess Anne dog biting incident. I seem to remember Princess Anne being intercepted by police for speeding in her younger years, let alone Prince Phillip's car crash where he was at fault, and stripped of his driving licence.

I made a comment on someone's blog that I had a rethink about and concluded I was wrong. My thinking was maybe Andy Mountbatten might be caught out by providing information to foreign sources. Kind of like Al Capone was caught out by the US tax department. He went to gaol, but not for many other crimes he committed. If Andy Mountbatten goes befores courts and receives a conviction for some corruption issues, does it matter if he is convicted and serves gaol time, just not for the other crimes he might have committed, with the suggestions those could be trafficked and underage women.

I conclude it matters big time. From US #47 to Andy Mountbatten, and all those others who took advantage of Epstein's and Maxwell's 'hospitality', investigate them and charge them with crimes they have committed, starting with #47 but don't leave Mountbatten out. 

In other news, I gave Kosov a driving lesson today, and he drove on big roads and busy roads and while there is a long way to go, he didn't do too badly.

Phyllis was emptying the dishwasher and broke my port decanter. At least is wasn't my Waterford crystal sherry decanter. He was so upset and sorry, and I was pleased that he took on total fault at his carelessness and did not try to blame anyone or anything else. We'll find a new decanter in a charity shop, or I'll just guzzle from the bottle.

He also repainted my fingernail, so that it looks nice for when Ray's nephew and wife arrive next week. Two coats of quick drying polish, with a slow drying protecting kind of coat on top. That with my pedicure today makes me feel rather good. 

 

Slapping the missus and breast cancer

Written some time in 2024.

A random statistic I heard, one in seven Australian women will have breast cancer. Yes, even within the small circle I move in, I've known a number. In spite of much better treatments and results now, it is still a hell on earth treatment. And I complain about a three centimetre incision.

Unrelated:

Hey mate, how was your night?

Not great man. Things weren't good at home. I fucked up and gave the missus a rough time. 

What, you gave her a slap? 

Yeah, a bit more than a slap. 

Maaaate, you can't be doing that. You've got to get some self control.

Yeah, I know, but she deliberately pushes my buttons and then starts nagging. I have a couple of beers and I get so angry. She really provokes me, like she does it deliberately. 

Maaaayyyte, you are fucked in the head. You need to talk to someone, a professional, or at least one of those help lines. 

Yeah, I know. I hate myself for it, but I just can't help it.

Rinse and repeat, and in which country in the world does this not happen in some form. 

Breasts

Here we go again. A doctor indulged in disgusting behaviour by expressing milk in a Virgin Australia business class lounge. She discreetly did so under a shirt but was requested to do so elsewhere.

In 1984 it was legislated that women can breastfeed in public. How can this still be an issue some forty years plus later? Do you know what makes it all the worse? It was a female staff member who 'advised' the woman. When it was suggested she could express her milk in the toilet, the doctor said, ok, you bring your lunch with you and sit with me in the toilet eating your lunch while I express milk to feed my baby. 

I think as part of staff training anywhere, the right to breastfeed in public should be mentioned. It shouldn't have to be like that. 

One woman who spoke on the radio said that when challenged by a man about breastfeeding in public, because it made him feel uncomfortable, moved her baby away and flashed him in his face her full bare breast. He moved away.

-------

Unrelated, this was an odd headline I saw on FB. Florida man bites off brother's penis when he caught him having sex with his cousin on the penis biter's favourite Dragon Ball blanket. Nowt as queer as folk. 

I was led elsewhere, whereby you Guggle 'Florida man...' and insert your birthdate in the format say January 22. 

Lordy, mine came up as 'Florida man arrested for pleasuring himself with an ice pack'. Feel free to comment what your Florida man birthdate comes up with. I won't judge you.  

A long lunch and relative weatlh

I met my neighbour HH at 11.00 and walked a short distance to a cafe we've decided we like, after trying a couple of others. We left at 1.00, so what did we talk about for two hours? Maybe one hour was on varied topics. 

She has a friend of a similar age to her who has been her friend since her early teenage years. The two families all know each other very well, including their respective children. Her friend and her friend's husband are rich, in my opinion. They own a house in an expensive beach side suburb, which has been named the skin cancer capital of Australia, or was it just Victoria. No matter, and they also own a holiday house in Portsea. Without elaborating, it is clear the wife, HH's life long friend is being mentally abused by her husband. She is never right. She hasn't dressed properly. Her hair is not done nicely. Her cooking skills are no longer up to scratch. She needs to be grateful that she has him to look after things for her. And, does she need to talk to HH almost every day on the phone. 

You've got the picture? If she challenges him, he throws his hands up in the air and then says, it is her fault for not getting things right. What is the modern term? I am thinking whiteanting, which kind of describes it. Is it ghosting? I'll remember it later (I did, gaslighting). But HH's friend puts up with it, for the sake of her grown up children and, I am sure, her own material comfort. 

Not thinking my own anecdotes would be of any help, I recounted some personal experiences of similar behaviour and HH suddenly became enlightened. I did not say so directly, but it is some kind of raw jealousy. There you go. You may be very rich, but that doesn't make you immune from spousal abuse, and mental abuse can really wear partners down over a long period. I expect EC is quite conversant with hearing this kind of stuff in her volunteer role. The best that can be said is that at least he is not physically violent. No reminder bruising for him to see the next day. 

That all sounds quite grim, but it was only a small part of what we talked about. About one hour was of exchanging tales of bureaucracy. HH's husband has severe dementia, is in care and no longer remembers her. So while not literally, she too has lost her life partner. Many things are in his name, and she constantly has to battle for her own identity. She had me shrieking with laughter heartily laughing at her attempt to get an appointment at her bank, with phones not being answered but promising a call return, that never happens. Her son who lives interstate generally manages her investments, shares and self managed super fund monies, but there are some things she has to do in person. "Son, I've found where the bank CEO is based. I am going to go there and demand to see him." "Mother, that is not a good idea". It is the duty of parents to embarrass their children, hey Debby. 

Her son asked HH if she used her landline anymore. She replied no. He told her to unplug it then cancel it. Over Facetime he told her what to turn off and what to unplug. Then he told her to cancel the phone service. She tried hard, with a number of calls, but it was the same story, the account was in her husband's name. At least I can produce Ray's death certificate. Her husband is still alive. She wondered why she was going to all this trouble for what was costing her $5 a month. Eventually, after being asked to send a selfie from her phone, she handed authority over to her son to deal with the matter. 

I know most of you are financially comfortable, and although I receive a part old age pension, I too consider myself financially comfortable. However, I am quite aware that is not all of you and I keep that in mind when writing blog posts. 

HH's friend who I earlier wrote about is very wealthy. When HH mentioned it cost $400,000 to get her husband into care, which I think is a bond, plus a daily cost, and if she needs to go into care, it will cost her $800,000, I realised she is very wealthy and beyond my league. 

"I want to leave money to my children". "HH, they are successful in their own right, they don't need the money. It is far better you turn on your heating and cooling when needed." 

I do understand her thinking as being a person who is cautious with money, as I have been. But one thing Ray and I never stinted on was heating and cooling in our homes. There is no need to heat or cool the spare bedroom, so I close the door in extreme temperatures, and I don't have settings turned to high levels, but I am going to continue to ensure my home is at a comfortable temperature. 

Suggested reading

Later edit: I did not make it clear that this was a newspaper article published in The Age newspaper. 

We will have a new Governor General soon, one Samantha Mostyn. She  seems eminently qualified for the position. In Australia our King has State Governors to represent him and his representative for the whole of Australia is the Governor General. 

Practically, the Governor General is a public speaker and a ribbon cutter but that is I am sure doing them a disservice to describe their job as such. They also sign off on legislation presented to them by governments. The job comes with a couple of very nice houses. Of course the job is not always just ceremonial, as we discovered in 1975 when via the Governor General, Her Majesty The Queen sacked our Prime Minister and his government.

Anyway, the knives came out for the new Governor General once her selection was announced and I rather liked this read. NB, our so called Liberal Party is our conservative right wing party, like the Republican and the Tory parties. AFL is Australian (rules) Football League. I hope you can read it as it goes deep into the heart of sexism and misogyny. 

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-sick-joke-that-insults-our-new-gg-and-beyonce-20240404-p5fhhp.html

So I discovered a new word this week. While obsessively playing Beyonce’s stupendous new album, Cowboy Carter, in every room of the house, and on every street I walked down, I was trying to think of how best to describe her ferocity and strength, her sexuality and power as a singer, mother, lover.

Virility kept coming to mind, so I hopped online to check if it only refers to manhood or masculinity. And it does. But it turns out there is a female counterpart – muliebrity – meaning the state of being a woman. It often means softness, but surely, when applied to the Queen Bee, something immensely potent too.

A word we seem to have found little use for.

Beyonce is a woman of meteoric achievement who has soared and been savaged, and in experiencing the cycle repeatedly, as so many public figures do, she has railed against bile and pessimism, saying “with a lot of success, comes a lot of negativity”.

She’s right. I’m growing increasingly intolerant of pervasive negativity, of nasty, often partisan criticism, of seeing the worst in people and gracelessness in public life – it’s exhausting and depressing and just turns people off the news, and politics – and this week set me off again.

Because, within just hours of this week’s announcement that the businesswoman, board member and former AFL boss Sam Mostyn would be our next governor-general, the snark and criticism began, with headlines and commentary declaring: “Cushy job for the wokest of women”, “the most political pick for GG in a long time” and “How can a second-tier warrior of the new Left be a neutral umpire?”

Where was the respect? She hasn’t even started yet. How does anyone benefit from immediately ripping down an experienced leader, respected across major parties, whose future role is largely symbolic and ceremonial, but contains the potential to fill a vacuum left by bickering politicians?

Mostyn will be the second woman to occupy this position, after Dame Quentin Bryce (from 2008 to 2014), but the only people really focusing on this fact were those arguing that this somehow insulted men. And, weirdly, women.

In The Australian, one commentator wrote: “I guess some women will be celebrating Sam Mostyn’s appointment as governor-general as a clenched-fist moment of empowerment. Just quietly, women of that ilk will also be celebrating that someone called Samuel Mostyn would not have had a snowball’s chance in hell of even being short-listed.” I didn’t see any clenched fists, did you? The writer continued: “Mostyn’s appointment is the crowning achievement for one of the country’s most outspoken quota queens.”

Whaaaat? So, if you, as a woman, lament gender inequality, and you get appointed to a high position, it’s because the world has suddenly, despite all evidence to the contrary, tipped the other way? After a century of rule by Samuels, they’re suddenly locked out?

RELATED ARTICLE

Political leadership

Empowering, consultative, uniter: Meet Sam Mostyn, the next governor-general

Australia has had 27 governors-general. And, aside from Bryce, an academic, those 26 have been aristocrats, governors, politicians of all stripes, soldiers, judges, army officers, a prince, a former premier, military commanders and major-generals, legal scholars, an archbishop. Notice anything in that line up? A certain … in fact, literal … uniformity?

Mostyn was president of Chief Executive Women, worked for Labor in the 1990s, and the boards she has sat on include Virgin Australia, the Sydney Swans (she was the first female AFL commissioner), Mirvac, Transurban, the Climate Council and GO Foundation. She has exerted a quiet, broad influence. In her words, she has worked in “sport, civil society, arts and culture, First Nations reconciliation, sustainability in the environment, policy development, mental health, gender equality and young people”.

The idea that an appointee needs to demonstrate an absence of views, have no party background, no political experience, is a fiction. Male political leaders, premiers and opposition leaders have filled the position of GG without protest. Liberal MP Eric Abetz encouraged Mostyn, in shedding her “activism”, to emulate former governor-general Bill Hayden, an actual Labor leader.

Do we see men as political operatives and women as political activists?

At a time when the Liberal Party has been haemorrhaging female voters and losing seats to teal Independents, it’s fascinating to watch conservatives argue that the very words diversity, inclusivity and equality are somehow divisive, ignoring that they are values pursued by the majority of the corporate sector. Indeed, these values are not partisan but are held by a broad range of people without controversy or, in most circles, comment.

The idea that any woman who believes in gender equality, as well as diversity, is somehow a left-wing lunatic is a joke. A quick reminder of the likes of former Liberal PM Robert Menzies, who said: “In the long run, won’t our community be a stronger, better-balanced and more intelligent community when the last artificial disabilities imposed upon women by centuries of custom have been removed?”

Are the only skills we want in our governors-general military, legal, political and theological? Or do other skills matter too? Attributes Mostyn has been criticised for lacking – not being a “business heavyweight … [with, as] far as one can tell ... no track record running an actual business or taking P&L responsibility” – would disqualify most of the GGs in history.

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Opinion

Political leadership

The antics of Liberal men will cost the party the next election

Niki Savva

Award-winning political commentator and author

It is not as though Mostyn has engaged in corrupt conduct, in any kind of scandalous behaviour or made offensive remarks? How high we set the bar for women. How stubbornly we continue to portray them as interlopers into male worlds.

There is today a nastiness to much commentary that is counterproductive and only discourages decent people from agreeing to take on public positions, as the onslaught can begin early and become deafening, relentless.

We have witnessed the same thing being done to Australians of the Year. Look at how former army chief David Morrison, a good man with a long, distinguished career of service, was vilified as “woke” when he was selected because he became a diversity adviser after leaving the army, where he had been a powerful advocate of women in his ranks. Think of Grace Tame, a survivor of child sexual abuse and powerful foe of paedophiles, who was relentlessly pulled into culture war debates, against her will.

An extremely unpleasant experience, at best, for both of them.

Again, who profits from caricaturing these people and shutting them down? It’s patently obvious that we are crying out for some decency, some compassionate, even uplifting leadership. Former High Court judge William Deane had been on the executive of the Democratic Labor Party in the 1950s, and as governor-general from 1996-2001, as John Howard put it, “displayed an unfailing interest in the place of the disadvantaged within Australian society”. He also unified the country by the compassion he showed to those suffering after the Port Arthur massacre, the Thredbo landslide and a backpacking fire. He was loved for being human, for showing care.

And he was shown respect.

I couldn’t care less if I disagree with someone politically as long as they are a person of character, integrity and kindness.

New research by Sarah Cameron and Ian McAllister on the decline of the popularity of political leaders, published in the Electoral Studies journal, found that, over time, a perception of personal integrity has become crucial. They write: “We find that leader integrity is the main trait that influences leader popularity and the results indicate that its effect is increasing over time.” One possible explanation was: “in an era of declining public trust in politics and rising populist sentiments among the mass public, voters may be looking to their political leaders to arrest this decline. In short, voters may be seeking qualities in their leaders that they do not find in the political system as a whole.”

Mostyn was a frequent guest on the ABC’s former week night panel show The Drum, which I hosted for years, and was unerringly professional, reasonable, articulate and non-combative. She seemed able to unite, to enter any conversation and somehow bring people to a point of agreement. But what struck me most of all about her appearances was how unusually the younger women in the office responded to her when she came on. One of them said to me one night: “That is exactly the kind of woman I would like to be when I am older.” Others nodded in agreement. They shrugged when I asked why, as though it was obvious. She has an air of cool competence, obvious intelligence, equanimity, cheer and co-operation that lit them up.

Most of the young people I know would struggle to name any governor-general. So isn’t that a good quality to have in one: someone who inspires?

It’s a rarity not just in public life, but anywhere.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulates Sam Mostyn.

The 1800s foreign types

At my age I generally find actually doing the sex too much of a bother. Oh, how I've changed. But I still find the theory of sex and how it is done in various manners very interesting. 

I was recently reminded of the Afghan cameleers in Australia in the 1800s who delivered goods packed on camels throughout outback Australia, outback meaning desert.

My sixty second research devotion did tell me some things. 

They as foreign types were up for racist media criticism. The Afghans, who were actually a conglomeration of Moslems from various countries were soundly vilified for no reason I could see. They were just so important in the the 19th century to building railways and telephone cabling to connect our large continent.

I am not sure if it was formal or not but some stayed for three years before returning to their homeland. Others stayed for their life, and some being relatively young and unattached, they would have liked a bit of the jiggy jig, or rumpy pumpy if you prefer.

Some formed relationships with Australian aboriginal women and quelle horreur, some married white women, who have may or not be called harlots for their love of a foreign type. White women certainly lost respect for marrying a Moslem but desire knows no bounds. 

Some people's DNA tests must be turning up some rather interesting results as they discover they have some Arab or Indian genes. 

All so interesting and I'm sure someone has written a book about the Afghan cameleers and their connections to Australian society as it was back then.  

Pay us and we'll employ you

Driving buses in Sydney is hard work. Generally the privatised bus companies treat their staff very badly. Maybe Lorna works for Transport for New South Wales as a bus driver which has decent working conditions. This is a nice little story about Lorna. 

And another story posted below. Post Covid lockdowns there has been a huge shortage of Sydney bus drivers, with timetables having been altered to deal with the shortage of drivers and nightmare waits for some passengers as full buses pass them by. Yet they, Sydney Buses or a private company had the cheek to ask potential drivers for an application fee. That is outrageous. 

Photos from Channel 9.

In 1964, Lorna’s first job in the bus industry was as a conductor, collecting fares on a double decker – just like this one.

She went on to become a driver, breaking down gender barriers in an industry that’s been historically dominated by men.

Our buses look a little different in 2024, and collecting fares is as simple as a tap of the Opal. But 60 years after her first shift, Lorna still loves the bus industry and is now working as a duty officer at Kingsgrove depot.

There’s around 400 women driving buses across our network today, about 6% of the workforce.

As we work to fix the bus driver shortage in NSW, we know getting more women behind the wheel will help.

We’ve simplified the paperwork, removed the application fee, and we're working every day to improve driver conditions and facilities.

You could have a career as wonderful and rewarding as Lorna’s by signing up to be a driver today.

Thoroughly Modern Millie

While I liked the convenience of just swiping my phone screen to make it operational, R convinced me it was not secure, which I already knew. Use a four digit PIN as I do, he suggested. Eventually I did and although I became used to entering the PIN to open the phone, I still found it a nuisance. 

Although fingerprint recognition was an option on my last phone, after buying my latest, I decided to give it a try. Nothing gained, and all that. It wasn't too difficult, the only problem I had was that in sunlight I would have to swipe the screen to find the finger print symbol on the screen to wake the phone up, but the more I used the phone, I came to know exactly where to put my finger on the screen. All good.

I've been observing people using their phones at public transport card readers and paying for goods in shops. At times it seemed to be more trouble than it was worth, with card readers not responding but when I saw someone my age pay using their phone to pay, that was it. I will not be left behind.

I already use Stocard on my phone for large company loyalty cards, thanks to a former blogger who lives on the mid New South Wales coast. That helped me remove cards from wallet. 

Again it was easier enough and an automated system contacted my bank and sent a six digit code to my phone to confirm my identity for both my debit card and separately my credit card and it was all done. I chose my debit card as the normal payment choice as I primarily use my debit card and so I have to open the app to choose my credit card. I only use my credit card when paying for internet purchases, holiday travel and accommodation. 

But I didn't actually know how to use the system. Does the app need to open? Does the phone need to be unlocked? A little online research told me the app doesn't need to be open but normally you have to open your phone. I also discovered the centre of my phone is where the RFID reader is located. I was set to go.

Do you want a disaster story? Sorry it isn't. It works and does so brilliantly. I guess those who have trouble paying with phones are using older models. Now a further discovery from yesterday is that when paying over $100 in a shop, I no longer need to enter to enter my PIN as I did when tapping my card. I asked staff why and she said it was just tech stuff and because I must use fingerprint or face recognition on my phone.

I love tech but believe me, I will always have my physical low tech cards with me. I don't trust this higher tech stuff and our phone internet systems, as was recently proved with many hours of downtime by our second largest telco Optus, owned by the SingTel which is owned by the government of Singapore. As seems to be often happening, the female CEO of Optus Australia became the sacrificial lamb and subsequently resigned. 

You'll get much more, with a roller door

Yesterday we saw a matinee performance of La Cage aux Folles with our Hairdresser Friend. It was simply brilliant, and I am not a great one for musicals. The audience generally loved it too. An afternoon out means I am short of time. 

JabBlog has by now had a new garage door installed. Her post reminded me of the Australian company B & D Roller Doors and its tv commercials using the toreador song from the opera Carmen.  

There was a more modern version but YouTube is not being helpful, so I will use this very old one.

But omg, I also came across this commercial which I don't remember. I really can't believe how... sleazy? ads could be back then. Maybe once the new door is installed, JabBlog will be out washing her car like the lass in the commercial.