Now, onto meaningful things...the size of televisions. Locally, it being Melbourne, I have found a TV Box that can deliver 300 free to air channels of China TV, which is great. Not expensive. $200. Good for family...connects via internet. But the TV itself needs to be some kind of Smart TV. The one we have is a Changhong Chinese brand of about 36 inch, which has been absolutely great in being a faultless TV for 6 years. But it seems there is a need for a TV to be Smart, and bigger. Friends note how great a Sony 70 inch is, or a Samsung 60 inch, but these are far too costly...especially for what you actually see on TV...and I don't see the quality of the shows improving in the next 500 years. Any suggestions? Both Sony (about to be bought out by the Chinese company that makes Apple phones and computers) and Samsung, the Korean monolith, seem to be best. I love advice on these matters as I have no idea. Hisense from China has had both good and bad reports.

An Observation: The problem with pursuing Meaning is that Meaning is always changing faster and moving faster than we can. It is better to simply accept the Dignity of self and others, and of all things, great and small.

I think the sociological difference between Cairns and Melbourne is that Cairns does run on Tropical Time...whereas with Melbourne, if you are going to meet someone at 7pm then you meet them exactly at 7 pm, not 6.50, not 7.10...this seems to be quite a big thing...and you don't change arrangements...this is very important. If you are having a 20 minute meeting, then the meeting lasts exactly 20 minutes. Time is important. After so many years in the Tropics and indeed in Asia, this is a difficult concept to just accept at face value. Sure, sure, time is important, sure, sure, life is important, but neither time nor life are everything.

I think the sociological difference between Cairns and Melbourne is that Cairns does run on Tropical Time...whereas with Melbourne, if you are going to meet someone at 7pm then you meet them exactly at 7 pm, not 6.50, not 7.10...this seems to be quite a big thing...and you don't change arrangements...this is very important. If you are having a 20 minute meeting, then the meeting lasts exactly 20 minutes. Time is important. After so many years in the Tropics and indeed in Asia, this is a difficult concept to just accept at face value. Sure, sure, time is important, sure, sure, life is important, but neither time nor life are everything.

picture of my mum and dad.Dad the calligrapher and financial consultant, and Mum the Sydney Paddington hat designer/milliner, stepping out in Manly, Sydney, some years back. Nice hat Mum, nice proper upright collar Dad. Dad left school at eleven when his Dad died, to work, and thus supported his Mum and his sisters. He wasn't in the Army in WW2...he was going to be but when Germany started bombing England, he began to admire them quite a lot. Anyone who bombed England was no enemy of his. His life held many compromises but he could not swear allegiance to the King of England. He just couldn't do that. He was loyal to Ireland, one truly United Ireland, loyal to the Holy Roman Catholic Church, and loyal to his Family. He didn't drink or smoke. he could speak Latin. He dallied in seminaries with serious studies of becoming a Jesuit priest for some years before he met Mum. After they found each other, they met clandestinely for some time in her Paddington flat. She married him because she loved his hand writing and respected his passion. He established some of the first Credit Unions in Australia to support the financial needs of working class folk, and they have grown into monoliths and juggernauts. Mum's parents were from London, strict CofE, and so neither sets of parents/relatives would attend the wedding, something which hurt them both very deeply. Mum eventually became the president of the Catholic Womens League, which is interesting, because she never became a Catholic. She just never bothered telling them that. She wore low shoes so as not to be taller than him, and so they could both look at the world from the same view point. She had a wonderful sense of humour, an elegant open mind, and a flair for getting things done...and she designed some very nice hats indeed. They did well in the hard world of their time, and loved their sons with two passions combined into one.

Tony Joe white and J.J. Cale LOUVELDA

A picture of my Dad, Bill Fitzpatrick, doing his impersonation of Marlon Brando, whilst smoking a good cigar, in Snow Country, in Australia, decades ago, just about to throw a big chunk of snow at one of his boys.

I note that the Australian Labor Party's Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is "fully behind the Prime Minister" in supporting the deal with Trump. There is something very spooky about having Bill Shorten fully behind you as the previous two Labor Prime Ministers, Rudd & Gillard, found out. No one wants Bill on their '6'. I guess you could say that "I'm fully behind Bill Shorten" and I'm excited about that.