Victorian Election 2010

I've been pondering what might happen in the upcoming Victorian election... and have come up with a view of electoral matters for Victoria, and as it happens, the country.  

Egad, possibly the world.

Brumby vs Baillieu (image source news.com.au link)

I postulate that Victoria is where NSW was (electorally speaking) four years ago.  

In NSW, Labor should have lost the last election in 2007 (I can't even remember who was Premier back then... there has been so many up here lately).  

Somehow, the Liberals managed to lose.  Four years later, Labor is stinkier than you can imagine and everyone basically hates them.  People are jumping off the sinking ship left right and centre.  They all know they are going to be creamed in March 2011 - and I think there is some quirk in their super scheme that means it is better to retire/resign than it is to get defeated (disclaimer: I could be well wrong about this).  

Interestingly, there is talk of an alliance of independents (think popular Mayors, etc) running on a ticket (of sorts) that may well make life hard for Barry O'Farrell and the Libs.  

The Libs may well find themselves tarnished with the general brush of "usual politician and associated evils" when compared to free thinking independents (especially after the whole Three Amigos thing in August/September).  This may lead to some seats the Libs were expecting to win  going "west" to independent candidates.  

All that aside, it's most likely that Barry will be Premier of NSW next March.

How does this relate to Victoria?

I think if the Brumbster manages to win, Victorians (and possibly JB himself) will look back (in 2014) and wish he hadn't.  This will be bad generally for democracy (as it has been in NSW this past four years).  

Let's face it... Labor up here is stinkier than a dead catfish sitting on the footpath on a hot Summer day.  But they would be less stinky if they had have lost the last election.  

As a result, it is likely that the Libs will stay in power for longer... possibly longer than they should... because people will be hesitant to go back to the stinky catfish.  They will remember the foul odours of rotting catfish that filled the air at the end of the catfish's last term in office and won't want a repeat of it - even if they are a completely new team with new ideas new people new everything.

Same same for Victoria.  If Labor wins, they will likely become more unelectable (after they finally lose in 2014) which means that the Liberals will stay in for too long... and so the process starts.

To put it in another example... Keating should really have lost in 1993.  Instead, Hewson snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and gave Keating three more years.  After which we were stuck with 11 years of John Howard.  I think a eight or nine year governmental cycle is better for everyone.  After all, change is good.  New ideas are good.  Experiments are good.  

But here's the rub.  If the last lot were so bad by the time they get booted out, then people will be reluctant to go back (even after 12 years).  Hence, no change, no new ideas, no experiments.

Now of course, I could be all wrong about this.  Barry and/or Ted could win their respective elections and turn out to be awful, booted out after one term and people wishing they had never tried on a different pair of pants.  Or Kristina/John could retain office and, like an old pair of jeans, become the most comfortable pants people have ever worn.

Who really knows?  But it's good to have a discussion, yes?  Your comments would be most welcome!

Airplane (Flying High)

I love these guys in Flying High -

Consuela

So after many months of eager anticipation, careful house design, construction, painting, fencing and other general preparation, our new girls arrived (to pouring rain) in their new home on Sunday.

Unfortunately, one was none too well and today we have had to say goodbye.

She wasn't in our lives for long, but her cute little eyes looking at me will be something that stays with me.

Of course, I wish they could all live forever... but I know they can't.  I just hope that while they are with us they will have a happy life.

Farewell Consuela... I wish your time with us could have been a happier one for you.

Rest in peace.

Is Sesame Street the home of all good music?

So I got to talking with my neighbours the other night... somehow or other we ended up talking about Sesame Street songs.

I put it to the world that Sesame Street is in fact the home of all good music.  For just over 40 years Sesame Street has been providing us with joyful music combined with helpful alphabet, spelling and counting knowledge.

My all time favourite:

1, 2, 3, 4... (the pinball song) - interestingly, it was sung by The Pointer Sisters

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBWxX3713gc 

In the same way that Uno is making a comeback, I predict that if you were to crack this song open on a dance floor anywhere in the world, it would go off!

And here are some other classics:

Bandanana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmFZcStPgPs

Some & None

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7cWBrGAIcc

More recently... "1, 2, 3, 4" by Feist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ9WiuJPnNA

Ernie Can't Sleep (and Boogie Woogie Sheep)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk1Y4xo4XJ4

Do De Rubber Duck (Reggae)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsjbEWKK8AU

Monster In The Mirror - Wubba Wubba Wubba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maYnqbdo2jw

Optus, Virgin Mobile, 3G and the Coffs Coast

So I've got this you-beaut Android Google Phone.  It's great.  But being on the Optus network via Virgin Mobile, I'm constantly thinking about 3G coverage (compared to the ubiquitous but slower 2G option).


Apparently, Optus recently got the go ahead to upgrade a number of locations to 3G using the 2100Mhz frequency.  This is important if your phone doesn't support 900Mhz (which mine doesn't).


So I made a map.  This map shows the rough locations of the sites being upgraded by Optus in and around Coffs Harbour and Sawtell.  The only thing is, I don't have any way of knowing when the locations have/will be upgraded.


You can see more info at:

• http://www.zdnet.com.au/optus-wins-regional-3g-spectrum-339304534.htm
• http://www.cnet.com.au/optus-lights-up-new-regional-mobile-sites-339305104.htm

View Optus 2100 in a larger map

Jargon Busting

Check out this great piece of jargonese, describing a website that is undergoing a refresh:

"The website has now become an integral online marketing and communication pathway that enables the integration with businesses locally, nationally and internationally."

Can someone please tell me what that actually means?

The talented Mr Hillier

I work with some interesting and talented people. None more so than my new found chum, near neighbour and fellow subversive Ruben.

Being from England, he is constantly faced with questions such as

• What part of England are you from?
• (Cornwall)
• Where's that?
• (England)

and so on.

So upon deciding to demonstrate on a map (which he was set to draw) he was challenged to instead tear out the map from some nearby paper towel. Here is the photo of his effort.

And overall... I think he did a pretty good job!

Random Thoughts

A collection of ramblings I came up with while trying to see why this particular computer kept crashing when the user was using Microsoft Word. So of course, I had to come up with some things to write to test the theory that Word was the problem. To all you purists out there - I already know that you will say Word is the problem. Perhaps you could also say Grease is the Word. I am the Word Thy God.

Ergo, God is the problem?

Anyhoo... here are my ramblings.

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

Jimmy was a hairy fellow.

His teeth were old and yellow.

He jumped into the river bed.

But it was too shallow.

Tennis is a game played with two people, two racquets and one ball. It is played on a court, with a net. There are lines on the court to indicate whether the ball is in or out. If it is out, it should be brought back in because it is only a child and shouldn’t be allowed out at night by itself.

Cricket is a game that has two teams. When one team is in, the other team try to get it out. When the team that is in is all out, the team that is out goes in. Then the team that was in is now trying to get the team that is in, out. Then once both teams are all out, the first team that was in goes in again and the second team attempts to get them out. Once again, when the first team is all out, the second team gets to go in again while the first team attempts to get them out. Finally, when that team is all out, the game is over.

Or some such thing. I don’t really believe that anyone could possibly explain the purpose of cricket.

Whereas explaining beach cricket is easy. The point of this game is to throw a ball at someone holding a bat. The bat holding person should attempt to hit the ball high into the air... preferably over near the water.

Other folks gathered around (fielders) should attempt to catch the ball before it lands – ideally with some dramatic and spectacular stunt-like manoeuvre that involves tumbling hover themselves as they fall into the water, solitary hand outstretched in a vain hope that the aforementioned ball will fall just within grasp of their fingertips, at which point the fielder catches the ball, finishes the stunt-like manoeuvre and then jumps up and out of the water, ball in hand, yelling and screaming with joy before throwing the ball high up in the air and running around in celebration, hugging random beach dwellers who will clearly be in awe of the fielder’s “classic catch”.