Having Fun with Foreigners. Recalling PARIS year 2000, 21 September, autumnal. I was wandering the streets of the 13th arrondissement dressed as a Parisian, black leather jacket, black t-shirt, black jeans, good black shoes, scowl. I was approached by a middle aged American couple... he asked: "Excusez moi, monsieur, do you know how to get to Le Metro from here, from, um ici?" Response: "Err, ah! Anglais! je ne comprend pas, monsieur. Your wife is very, how you say, attractif. Does she want my cock? Le coq sportif...Oui? Non? Et tu? Err. Come with me." "Oh, no, no, thank you, Monsieur." My name is John, or Jean Artur. I'm an Australian. I travel the world. I try to help.

reflections at 65.2 years: I was one of the fortunate people in the world to see the Great Barrier Reef of Australia when it was beautiful.

It is remarkable just how we are connected. the Australian house/property market will continue to fall, simply because its rise over the years has been based on dodgy Chinese money coming in. With President Xie's strong pogrom on corruption, in tune with the Australia-China Free Trade Agreement, the money is being redirected. It works like this: Black Money, Chinese corruption money exists in its trillions. The Government is not opposed to this on any moral ground, but rather on what is best for the future of China. So the Chinese Govt's idea is this: Rather than invest your millions in the Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns property markets, etc, where, because of the Free Trade Agreement, your funds, and where they come from, will be able to be seriously monitored on a daily basis... why not invest your corrupt funds in the One Belt, One Road project linking China with Asia, Africa, and Europe, where the Chinese Government is happier for you to invest, and your returns will be higher and your life, and the lives of your children, will be far less problematic? What's wrong with having a happier and more profitable life?

Collective names for bunches of plants: An Empire of Sunflowers. A Bonking of Passionfruit. A Lapel of Rosemary. A Flourish of Radishes. A Settling of Mint.

I think China is the only country on earth that has taken out its corrupt bank managers and CEOs and executed them. I think we are way behind China in doing what is good for our country. China is a very different society, for sure, but, when you look around at what western societies do, well, its hardly bad at all. China is a new form.. i wish China well.

i think that good government is expensive government, for sure. It has to be. it is expensive because of the good that it does, not because of the costs of the expensive suits people wear to represent us.

There are so many variables in any society, but I think that the most important things are providing good education and good health services for the people in the country, and provide well being. A government has to lift people from poverty to well being. That is the job of government. I remain amazed that most governments fail to do this. They have to do these things first, to be acknowledged as any kind of legitimate government. To not solve these problems because they are too hard, well, this is a failed and illegitimate government and one that should be removed by whatever means are available and as fast as possible, violently as necessary, and with great prejudice.