About a decade ago I noted that it would be a good idea if Australia looked after itself, in terms of climate change defence, and redirected its military towards /preventing/saving australian people and property from the usual ravages of fire and flood...big preparations, big programs, big infrastructure improvements, rather than have soldiers despatched to be killed for various odd goals the americans wanted on the other side of the world, but no one listened. we still honour our unnecessarily and senselessly military dead and damaged instead of preparing for the hot world ahead...because, gosh, we can afford those lives I guess. Obviously, if you are an Australian, then Australian human life isn't everything. First world economy, fourth world respect for the self and others. It is not in our nature to elect smart people who can do things for us. We still pander to bizarre principles that dont apply to ourselves or our land. The Australian Government: the wrong people and, importantly, at the wrong time. the last bright elected leader was Kevin Rudd, and yes, he was a dick, and weak, true, but he was bright and he had the capacity to plan and did plan ahead. The current government, these cunts don't know their arse from their elbow, and, ideologically toads, and remarkably lazy, they can't learn.

A Brief Review Tale of Two Melbourne Restaurants. We don't go out much. We don't go to expensive restaurants much at all. Once a year. For steak, we've been to one restaurant twice in 3 years...Grill on the Hill, in Kew. The steak is good, but not the best, the prices are alarming, and, when busy, the quality goes down. people take people there to impress them, and then talk about themselves and buy ridiculously expensive wines. You get the feeling that the owner just wants more from you, and from their staff. For seafood, Richmond Oysters is more like a cafe, the seafood is great and in huge amounts, and fresh and delightful, and fast. The cost is alarmingly high, for sure, but you do eat extremely well without any need for bread and with not one chip seen or necessary. Just good seafood...oysters, bugs, prawns, hot and cold, beautiful fish, and scallops and mussels. Magical food. You get the feeling that the owner and the people who work there are pretty happy.

Please Don't Bury Me John Prine

China is always in the Negative News ever since Trump destroyed the trade agreements etc. There was never anything much about the Uighurs or the Hong Kongers etc, or Chinese control of the Whole Universe until Trump had problems because he couldn't fuck them up...because he isnt as smart as they are. Ever since he's had this problem, the Western media and some western Governments...the USA, the UK, and Tiny Australia, have been beating the shit out of China, and China has been very respectful in its ongoing reaffirmation of itself, its identity and its system. We immediately stopped beating up North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. I expect as soon as the USA and China find a new trade deal, and Trump's re-election campaign gets serious, then the negative news will instantly stop. That's the way that the world goes round.

A Hong Kong University Student who destroys a train station must come to the realisation that they won't be able to catch a train to Uni. The station won't be fixed up for quite some time. There will be no money for that. This is not politics. This is consequence.

Bonkers in Hongkers:Hopefully the run of 'self harm' protest activities in Hong Kong will settle down now. The Chinese government certainly won't interfere in problems that are the making of Hong Kong folk. That's what living in an autonomous province of China is really all about. Expecting the world to save you from having a good life is an odd and self-destructive wish indeed. The human condition is like this sometimes.

HONKERS:I guess my level of understanding of the situation in Hong Kong is that a lot, but not most people there, especially the young, are going through what we would call the phenomenon of "Self Harm" perhaps because of bizarre goal driven parenting and a sense of lack of personal esteem, and a feeling of unworthiness of the self. That would explain the protests pretty well. In the long term, and it will be very long term, the government should really invest more in mental health services and in the well being of its young folk facing the same changes young folk everywhere face these days. Its getting a bit "Lord of the Flies" there just now.