It was another busy day on the political hustings. At the Labor party campaign launch today, Bob Hawke likened elections to horse racing and suggested that everyone "study the form guide" before they voted. At that point Ms JG must have been hoping she would win by at least a nose. Which just goes to show how impressionable children are. The Bulletin today ran a feature asking school children to say who they think should win the election - and to draw a picture. The most striking and recurrent features - a long nose for Ms JG, and speedos for Mr Abbott. Some were concerned about the back-stabbing - others weren't.
So how do these youngsters have their political opinions formed? From where does the information hail? Not sure if it's at all related, but over at St Hilda's they're planning to replace their 700 desktop computers with iPads. Students will start receiving them from next year with an option to purchase or lease their own devices. While, not quite so down to earth, on JetStar you can now hire a iPad for the duration of your flight - well, the duration of the time one is at cruising altitude anyway.
I'm not a big fan of newspapers slipping advertising into editorial so, I'm not totally sure if I believe the results of a survey, run by a new website - www.manofthehouse.com - which found 91% of fathers agreed they get along better with their significant other when they share household chores equally. At least it doesn't contradict that other piece of anecdotal lore that no partner was ever shot while doing the washing up. But would they have been shot if Alan Hunter, the Nationals candidate for Richmond had found them mucking around with his election trailer? It has been attacked for the second time in a week by vandals. Last week they painted it, today they pushed it across the road from where it was parked and into the Tweed River. Alan Hunter didn't seem perturbed though - "This is the best publicity we've had" he is reported as saying, which to me, seems more than a little sad.
So what cost for a Federal election? I may have gotten this wrong but I think the current payment for a vote is $2.31 as long as the candidate polls over 4% of the ballot. This will cost the Australian taxpayers over $50 million this election - paid retrospectively. Would it be fairer if all candidates received the same amount of money with which to run their campaigns - which would be given as soon as they register to run and would cover campaign costs including accommodation and travel etc? Would this give a greater illusion of democracy? My contribution will be voting in pen this year even if I have to take my own into the voting station - which we all know I will because the Australian Electoral Commission only provides pencils. I've never been able to work out why this is so.
The Council is about to commit another half a million dollars for efforts to win the Commonwealth Games for the Gold Coast. They say the benefits from the sports facilities the State Government would build alone is enough to make it worthwhile. And failing that we could all move to Oxford, England, where a new radio station has just started up. It plays only songs from "Glee". I can understand why you would want to listen to tunes from this top hit US show from time to time (I know, I downloaded two albums) but not non-stop. The station is apparently targeting women under 30. And women who know English are apparently targeting staff at American coffee shops. An English professor claims she was ejected from a Starbucks because she refused to order according to their rules. She had ordered a toasted multigrain bagel and when the barista asked if she wanted cheese or butter on top, she refused to answer as she wanted it plain - and, she insisted, "When you go to Burger King, you don't have to list the six things you don't want". But she wasn't finished making her point. "Linguistically, it's stupid, and I'm a stickler for correct English" ... even, it appears, when she is calling someone a rude name. Lynne Rosenthal was removed from the store by police who had been called in by the manager. The report didn't say if she had ordered coffee to go with the bagel and if she had asked for it "to go".
We are now officially on "foal patrol" with M telling us that the first of the little ones could be along any day now. We have asked them to let us know when - even if it's in the middle of the night. Very exciting to be this close to nature - just another of the wonders of Latimers. Who would have thought that a couple of city slickers and their cat could love it here so much?
