ALCOHOL and Sydney Australia/Sydney, as a city, isn't so much a success anymore, but rather a disease.

It looks like Sydney City, this year, is doing the right thing, ending the massive Sydney fireworks display on New Year's Eve with a final blast. 10 million dollars invested in 20 minutes seems a bit over the top these days... Good. Fucking Sydney wankers.

WESTPAC BANK: From ancient China, when the banks of the great rivers were not effectively dyked, because that cost money, the local leader would turn up in front of the Emperor, and, basically, stab himself to death for his failure to prepare. It was an effective way to make the next local leader more responsible in his spending. Now, in Australia, a bank can support 20 million events that sponsor world wide child sex slavery, and the CEO gets a few million dollars to happily and respectfully retire. No execution. No penalty. We have grown truly dumber as the times have gone by. As for stabbing the CEO to death, well, yep, I'd be up for it, but he should really be intelligent enough to do that to himself.

I see the Australian Prime Minister has shortened his holiday in Hawaii to come home to the Unexpected Massive Climate Change Caused Bush Fires. Jeesus, didn't see that coming...gosh, I'm an idiot, gosh, how do I get a plane now? I guess the real and stinking problem remains that he can't help anyway. He could have, last year, but didn't bother. Not a believer in that climate change bullshit. Our little Trump.

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