Saturday 31 May 2008

Hey Google, you sure know how to make

a girl feel a little uneasy about her blog.....

I have had Google Analytics for a while but given my blog is not really a serious attempt to rock anyone's world other than my own, I rarely look at the reports in any detail.

Until this morning that is.

Interesting. They are very interesting.......except.....for...one of them... which was r-e-a-l-l-y interesting.

I am truly shocked about what Google is telling me about my site.

It's compelling, it's common, its hardly unusual, its a theme but should I be worried?

Um, it's like this.
Some, OK, the majority of the key words people in Joe Public land are using to get to my blog are rather dubious disturbing different in nature. I am less shocked that there are people out there actually keying these words into Google and more shocked by the fact that they end up on my blog hoping to find what they are searching for. Even more concerning is that some of these people hang around for a while.....looking....for what exactly????

The picture these key words create about my blog (and ultimately me) is a bit confronting.......and hilarious at the same time. I just feel kind of sorry that Lilly's Life was unable to give some of these
desperate people the answers that they were obviously searching for such as:

sex tours, lilly's bits, women who punish, bad day lilly, lilly au 3some, Australian bad parents, growing lillys, exotic lillys, how much for a sex change, dominican republic prostitutes, lilly the call girl, cricket and sports, how to get a six pack, sex toys,
how to kill your mother, how to be more sexy, hiring a killer, killer snakes, dying relatives, picking up women,imran khan as a player,kinky fish, evil daughters, Banging Barbie
buying lillys, the dark side, naked blondes,guns and mothers, eating humans

Let me get it clear. Lilly is not into threesomes unless we are talking about a block of Cadburys and a good book (or perhaps a willing Richard Gere and Ceorge Clooney), nor do I sell flowers, eat flowers, smoke flowers, promote sports or know how to get a real six pack. I have never been to the Dominican Republic let alone worked there in any promiscuous capacity. Is it nice there? Yes, Lilly has 'bits' but you are never going to see them pasted on this blog. I also don't support mothers carrying guns - well until their daughters are at least old enough to date and then its perfectly warranted and acceptable - and I don't own a whip. Nor have I picked up a woman, been a call girl, killed my mother, given birth to an evil daughter (they just turn that way when they are teenagers), handled killer snakes or had the desire to eat a human. However, I will concede that I am into fish, albeit

kinky unusual ones. Just for the record.

If for some reason I do change my mind on any of the above (or Richard and George get desperate) I will make a public announcement on my blog (particularly if George and Richard change their minds).

I think I may need a course in Google-ese and at least I now know if I want a more popular site how to quickly get one....somehow, not on Lilly's Life folks!!

However, strangely enough, it has given me a few ideas....perfectly respectable ones you understand....stay tuned for future posts. Google Analytics is pretty helpful after all. How have you found it for your site?

Thursday 29 May 2008

The things we do for.....

love
Well I have heard about the things that people will do for love but I didn't realise the lengths that some people will go to just to get clear skin.


How far would you be prepared to go to have clearer skin?

How about being nibbled by skin-feeding fish (yes, fish are fast becoming an interest of mine it seems) or bitten by blood-sucking leeches? Both treatments are there to be had (as long as you're prepared to be literally had, of course).

Doctor fish (Garra rufa), which eat ''dead'' areas of skin, were one of the 600 exhibits at the beauty trade fair in Tokyo last week. They have been bred for some time at spas in Turkey to treat psoriasis but are now being promoted as the ultimate skin-cleaning beautifier. Take a dip and they nibble away, apparently. Doctor fish spa resorts opened in Japan a couple of years ago but what was being pushed at the trade fair were retail kits ''for a special home spa treatment''. And please don't get any ideas about taking a bath with your goldfish Troublex2 - these are special flesh eating fish.....trained to nibble dead skin.....nope, not for me...

Or you could do a Demi and undergo leech therapy. The very youthful Ms Moore waxed lyrical to Letterman earlier this year about how ''highly trained medical'' leeches (''we're talking high-level blood suckers,'' she said) ''detoxed'' her blood as part of a ''cleanse'' in Austria. And just to add to the experience, thorough hair removal and a turpentine bath were necessary before the treatment. Right you are then, well that one is well and truly off the list too.

Or perhaps one of the other treatments showcased in Tokyo is more your style: the foil face mask made of a pure gold.

What a waste of gold, somehow I think I will just stick to soap and water. It works just fine.


Would you be willing to try fish or leeches in the name of beauty?

I wonder why we choose to live in denial

about our global priorities.

Global Priority $U.S. Billions pa

Cosmetics in the United States 8
Ice cream in Europe 11
Perfumes in Europe and the United States 12
Pet foods in Europe and the United States 17
Business entertainment in Japan 35
Cigarettes in Europe 50
Alcoholic drinks in Europe 105
Narcotics drugs in the world 400
Military spending in the world 780

And compare that to what was estimated as additional costs to achieve universal access to basic social services in all developing countries:

Global Priority $U.S. Billions pa

Basic education for all 6
Water and sanitation for all 9
Reproductive health for all women 12
Basic health and nutrition 13

Why can't that happen? Well maybe its time we all learnt about the co-joined twins of the military and trade and their mother, world power.

Check this site out http://www.globalissues.org/ the facts and figures on this site will put politics in perspective for you.

We all need to be informed in order to make a difference and to have a realistic and accurate picture of how the west gets won at the expense of others.

Sex, fish and ancient history

hello

I got an email from a friend who said she read an article today that was right up my alley given my recent posts on sex, fish and ancient history. Quite frankly, I am not sure what she was trying to get at until I read this article called Catch of the Day all about the oldest pregnancy ever diagnosed.

I know, I agree with you, you would think I would have other things going in my life besides these kind of eureka moments, but the article is intriguing - who would have thought about finding an embryo in a fish that lived 375 million years ago. Scientists now believe that if fish were already advanced enough to give birth 375 million years ago, sex probably evolved much earlier than first thought as well. Fish deserve much better respect people!

We are but specks in a much bigger and much more wonderful story. No???

Monday 26 May 2008

Shaking the Family Tree

It's funny how many of us are obsessed about tracing our family tree. I never had to bother because my mother is an historian and has already done all the hard work. I find the exotic connections interesting (I was keen to find out whether I, along with Obama, was related to one Bradley Pitt) but I find the skeletons in the family closet even more intriguing.

Like other fifth generation Australians, my heritage is mainly British (Irish and English). Just for good measure I also have a convict or two lurking in the background. This is a fact which most Aussies feel enormous pride given convicts were packed off to Australia (the colonies) for stealing a piece of bread. These 'so called convicts' did the future generations a big favour (err, tough choice, blue skies and sun or grey skies and rain) so we will be forever grateful.

However, my father's father has a 'different' history. His family are German and Polish. Blue eyed, wavy haired, tall blondes. Apparently my great great grandfather was in the Navy and jumped ship at some point to go gold mining in Australia. As you do. Shame about the wife and four children he left behind in Germany. His wife was Polish and a countess. I am not sure what she did to fill in time while Frederick was off panning for gold but, after eight years, he finally sent for her and the children to join him. Can you imagine this poor woman hanging around waiting and then, after the long wait, ending up in the Aussie outback? According to family folklore, Fred's wife had a bit of a fling with the Norwegian ship captain (I am guessing a relative of Brad Pitt, right?) on the long voyage to Australia (resulting in the later appearance of my great grandfather). It has never been proven one way or the other but my mother assures me that it is not true. She should know but I kind of like the exotic version better. In fact, this story kept the younger generation of this branch of the family in hot discussion on Face Book for some time.

Examining your family tree does teach you a few things. Mainly that we are essentially all the same and, if you trace the branches far enough back, we are all related to one another. In my family, for example, there are Catholics, Protestants and Jews, Germans (and possibly Norwegians), Polish, Irish and English, rich and poor, nobility and convicts, educated and uneducated, farmers, doctors, maids, priests and ministers. How crazy is it, for example, that in World War 11, my relatives would have been fighting against each other (????).

Learning about our families is a wonderful thing to do. However, we shouldn't wait to do it until our nearest and dearest are dead and firmly perched on a branch of the family tree. We should get to know our living relatives a bit better while we have the opportunity to do so. I know that it's not that easy for some people to do and, quite frankly, we all have some relatives we are better to steer clear of.....but...

Take me, for example. I was very close to my grandmother (father's mother). Elizabeth lived two houses away from us when I was growing up (which couldn't have been very good for my mother come to think of it but I was oblivious to what a mother-in-law was in those days). She looked like a nanna should but she didn't act like one. With her, I could get away with murder (too much so, on reflection). She really was my best friend in lots of ways. I have had several clairvoyant readings since her death and she always comes through (I will post about that one day because it is amazing). But, on reflection, I don't know a great deal about her even though she died when I already had a child of my own. I remember asking her questions about what her life was like as the oldest of 13 children. She had come from a wealthy Irish family and had gone to a strict Catholic boarding school and married my grandfather, a poor, Church of England, farmer. She went to live on his family's farm and I guess her life had not been easy even though she had a wonderful husband (Brad Pitt's relation). She told me that the past was not very interesting and that the here and now is the most important thing. When my grandfather died I swear she cried for years. She never wanted to talk about her life (I bet my daughter wishes I had the same view, he he) despite my questions and, many years later, I discovered some reasons why.

I also find it funny that even though we may live with our parents for years and we may talk to them often, we probably don't know a great deal about them as 'people'. They are just 'our parents'. When my parents were celebrating their wedding anniversary I decided to 'grill' them (as if they were strangers) to find out a bit more about them (so I could repeat their more embarrassing stories at the family celebrations).

My parents are opposites in every way except for their religion. One is fair, one is dark, one is outgoing, the other is reserved and on and on it goes. My Dad left school at 13 because his family was poor and he had to help his father on their farm. He loved horses (his father was a great horseman) animals and sport. His childhood dream was to go to America and become an astronaut (I was shocked). He was taught to box by an Australian boxing champion. He met my mother at a youth group while playing tennis and he still claims to this day that the only reason she 'caught him' was because he had a bad knee and couldn't run away. My father has an amazing sense of humor and has the most positive ego of anyone I have ever met. He always sees the bright side about life. His mathematics ability is brilliant and his lack of education never stopped him from achieving what he wanted (except being an astronaut) but I am sure it wasn't easy.


My mother on the other hand, won scholarships all through school and went to college to be a teacher then many years later, after she had five children, really wanted to go to university and became an historian and writer. She is excellent at whatever she does. And, I mean, whatever. She is a published writer and has written a wonderful book about her own father, called Ted. She is a Virgo and that should tell you everything. Interestingly though, I found out that when my mother was 19 she had a really wild 40 year old boyfriend who owned a motor bike and not much more. I couldn't believe it, not my mother. No way! Anyway, I found out so many things about my parents, many hilarious and wonderful stories, that I had never known before because I had never really asked or thought to ask. I began to see them in a whole new light.

Family trees are great and they have their place but I think it's important that we really get to know our 'living' family (where it is possible) a bit better. Go on, ask your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties some deep and meaningful questions. You may get a surprise to find out things you never knew about them and, in doing so, find out things about yourself. Somehow, it's even more interesting then finding out what some distant family member did or didn't do all those generations ago even if there is a link to Brad Pitt. Don't you think?

Saturday 24 May 2008

Arghhhs and Ahhhs of Life

3
Arghhhs

1. I just read about a Missouri car dealer who said sales have soared at his auto and truck business since launching a promotion this week that promises buyers a free handgun or a $US250 ($A260) petrol card with every purchase. Sales have quadrupled and all but two people have elected to take the gun.

Can someone tell me why do people need handguns? Is law and order so bad that everyone needs to carry a gun? Seriously, I don't get it can someone from the USA explain this to me?

2. Then I read that a Sydney exhibition of Australian photographer Bill Henson's work featuring photographs of naked 12-and 13-year olds has been shutdown as police investigate its legality. Surprisingly, this has created a huge uproar in the art community who claim that the naked body has been the subject of art for thousands of years and an exhibit of nude adolescents is not pornographic. Artists see it as 'censorship' of art.

So, what am I missing here? A religious sect can say it's ok to have sex with children and for these children to have children to god knows who (and no doubt there is no choice about it) because it is part of their belief system. Then, artists can photograph 12 and 13 year old girls naked, in all sorts of poses but that is just art. For whom? So tell me if those pictures turned up on the internet, what would it be seen as then? Child pornography? I think it's time commonsense reigned and the community stands up for the rights of innocent children. Children need to be protected not sexualised in the name of religion or art. It's all about consent and whether a 12 year old knows what the hell is going on. Of course they do not know what's happening but their parents sure as hell do.

Ahhhss
On a happier note, new babies have arrived - a pigeon pair - innocent perfection. Please stay that way.



Friday 23 May 2008

Want to know

kk
how to sell your car for twice as much as it's worth?
fill it with petrol (gas).

Whatever takes your fancy

late

I am back from my self imposed exile ....just. I feel like I have definitely been flattened by a bus. Five days of hell trying to write something in the kind of style that big corporations like it to be - unintelligible corporate speak also known as gobbledy gook. I love talking to people, love having ideas but I hate writing it all down in a report. It was 38 pages and it took me hours and hours. Grammar, punctuation and spell checker. I am not so good at the detail. It doesn't come easily to me at all.

But I don't obsess about it like I used to, I just ride it out until it's done. It's like childbirth or a 24 hour plane trip to London. Once it starts, you can't just say I have had enough now, over it, can we please just stop. You have to see it through. Anyway, its done..at least until the draft comes back.

I have learnt one important thing about myself over the last few days. I probably could do camping after all. For the last week I didn't brush my hair, never wore my usual warpaint, wore the most comfortable clothes I could find (ok, ok, it was mainly my PJs if I must tell the complete truth) and ate anything I could find that was in a can or that was raw. I think I can do without the hairdryer after all. I was not an attractive sight though when I eventually did come out of hibernation.

After 13 hour days I just couldn't wait to have a long luxurious bath and crawl into bed. I love my bed. I love beautiful, luxurious linen (I did a post ages ago that will tell you just how much I love linen). I have started to design my own now. I like monochramatic, and texture fabrics and plain colours. I do not do patterns on anything, ever. I am kind of very particular about colour and like things to match - hence my hair colour in the profile pic is now red just to show you how pedantic I can be.

We have to have some luxuries in life and spoil ourselves. Being loved is a basic. Being fed and clothed is a basic. Having a voice is a basic. And unfortunately, these basics are luxuries for many and that is truly horrific.

So, I do appreciate my luxuries. Along with the high thread-count sheets - I also have a few others that make my life a bit more pleasant.

1. Sunshine, blue skies and beaches - watching the sea always makes me feel that things are ok in the world. It's the best place to think, dream and consider life. When I lived out of Australia, this was 'the' thing that I missed the most. I realised that I took our way of life for granted. Even when its colder we have sunshine and blue skies. Nothing can compare to our coastline and it is a luxury that I would never like to have to give up ever. Plus its free...

2. Good red wine - well, ok, I will settle for any red wine, I am really not that fussy.

3. Fresh flowers - lillies, funnily enough, are my favourite flower - white ones at that. I would rather spend money on flowers than buy food in fact.

4. Chanel No 5 perfume - this was my very first 'grown up' perfume given to me years and years (and years) ago by my older sister. I have tried many perfumes since and I always come back to this one. Every time I spray it on I think of London for many and varied reasons. Perfume to me is like music, the smell of it always brings me to another time and place....

5. A passport - travelling is truly 'the' most wonderful thing that anyone can do. Many of my most bizarre and precious experiences have happened while I have been travelling (and I have had a few of those). Australians travel from a young age just because we are so far away from the rest of the world. It also helps that we have four weeks holiday a year - I know other countries like the USA aren't that lucky. (And if you are reading this over there in WA - I think France and Italy via the FB's grassy plains is the go).

6. Music - I have music on as much as I can and never watch TV anymore. I like all sorts of music but age has mellowed my tastes and now I can even handle some classical music. It all depends on what mood I am in. It could be ACDC, INXS, Pavlov's Dog, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks (music I grew up with), Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin (have a fascination for the Rat Pack and the Sands Casino), Eva Cassidy, (for my mellow and reflective times), Keith Urban, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Rait (I was born in the country music capital of Oz - can't take the country out of a girl), Andrea Bocelli, Pavarotti (I have to turn up Nessun Dorma X LOUD) gosh there are so many...

7. Jewellery - well, for me its only about earrings. I kind of have a bit of a thing for earrings and don't really like wearing too much else - jewellery that is. I have been collecting earrings for years - I like ones that are antique looking, mainly Italian and they must be a drop earring. Stones, pearls but always gold. Maybe one day I will have a go at making some myself because I have very definite ideas.

8. Fluffy white towels - I love beautiful fluffy towels. White ones. I am always kind of in trouble because I like using lots of towels and I know that all that washing is no good for the environment either...

9. Baths - Nothing like it! But you have got to do it right. Candles, music, every kind of lotion and potion that Estee Lauder invented, glass of champagne and whatever else takes your fancy.

10. A good hairdresser - If I were to be honest I would probably say that I would rather get my hair done then eat as well. Good hairdressers are hard to come by and when you find one you never want to let them go. As a rule I have always preferred male hairdressers. I used to have a good arrangement with one hairdresser, who was a Creative Director for Schwarzkopf. I would do the makeup for his hair shows and he would cut my hair. Then I moved away. I found another one again. I instantly feel fantastic when I have had my hair done. In fact if I was a millionaire I would get my hair done every day.

11. A Backberry - There is something about being able to talk or email your girlfriends anytime, any place, anywhere in the world. Like today I had a friend ring me from Scotland at 7am my time and late at night for her and another ring me from the other side of Australia a bit later in the day. Come to think of it, I think if I had to choose between a good lover and a good girlfriend mmm not so sure. There is nothing better than sharing your troubles, having a laugh and solving the world's problems (usually men problems) with a friend. Throw in a cocktail in the mix and life couldn't be better. I know men find the whole 'girlfriend thing' hard to understand. For a while I was organising (with another great girlfriend), Girls' Nights Out in a club in the UK. I would still like to do this again because it was so much fun. We had great music, chick flicks, cocktails, new and unusual food, clairvoyants, massages, chocolate fountain and cupcakes. However, I could swear I could have sold more tickets to males just to stand outside the windows and look in then females to get in the club. Men were intrigued about what was going to go on - I think they thought it was all about male strippers or something. See, they just don't get that we females are not the same as them.....but I have never seen so many women dancing on tables by the end of the night .... of all ages...

Anyway, there is my little list and I am sure there are a few other things to add to it like live concerts, books, art AND GELATAI ITALIA LEMON & LIME SORBET but hey, that's enough for one day.

Sunday 18 May 2008

Lilly is on Vacation

hello

Well it's like this.

I would love to tell you I am off sunning it up in the south of France or sipping red wine in a Tuscan villa or enjoying my favourite Aussie holiday destination of Byron Bay or even backpacking in the deep south of any desert (seeing I don't do tents or camp the latter is hardly likely - just because I need somewhere to plug the hairdryer).

Alas, I am not doing any of the above.

The truth is, I am way behind on a project deadline. The report is due like yesterday and I wouldn't be so worried except the people I am doing this project for are a very highly industrialised, 95% male blue collar workforce. When I am with them I find myself talking just like them which may be ok if every second word wasn't Aussie slang. I love them truly. They are the politest and most professional bunch of people I have ever worked for. Straight down the line and what you see is what you get. Wish we were all like that.

You have got to love people who call a spade a shovel. Except that is, when you miss their deadline. Not quite sure what their idea of a penalty is for late delivery. Plus they are a Transit Authority and I don't fancy being taken out by one of their buses .... because it sure wouldn't be pretty for the bus.....

So, I will be back in a couple of days hopefully and probably at that point really ready for a vacation. It's not a good thing I guess to finish a report and drink at the same time is it.....nah guess not.... gosh I am such a procrastinator.......when it comes to writing anything but on my blog...

But you can help me while I am away. I am looking for a good holiday destination (I do road trips but I do not camp). Anywhere in the world. Anyone got any ideas as it will give me something to look forward to! Some time this year anyway.

Lilly

Thursday 15 May 2008

Swept under the rug...

Sometimes, being serious has its place. Like today.

Today is the day when bloggers around the world unite to share stories about human rights issues. The internet has already shown us how small the world really is and blogging has shown us the true meaning of a global community. I am hoping that every one of our stories will highlight the need for all us to stand up and say NO to anything and anyone who infringes on the rights of human beings anywhere they happen to live on this great planet of ours.

There are many, many, newsworthy and visible human rights issues coming from all corners of the globe. Many of these occur in far away countries, comfortably out of sight, and many of them occur in our own countries, in our own neighbourhoods and right under our own noses. Yet still, we do not see them.

There is nothing grandiose about human rights. It simply refers to the basic rights and freedoms to which we are all entitled. These rights include civil and political rights, such as the right to life and liberty, freedom of expression, and equality before the law; and social, cultural and economic rights, including the right to participate in culture, the right to food, the right to work, and the right to education.

I wanted to share a human rights issue that is very close to my own heart, abuse against women. It is now a social epidemic across the world.


Abuse against women is relentless, systematic, widely tolerated and even explicitly condoned. Millions of women throughout the world are deprived of their fundamental human rights for no other reason than that they are women.

In conflicts, such as those in Sierra Leone, Kosovo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Rwanda and Iraq, women have been raped as a weapon of war with their attackers being granted complete impunity. Men in Pakistan, South Africa, Peru, Russia, and Uzbekistan beat women in the home at astounding rates, while governments refuse to intervene to protect women and punish their abusers (or they do so in ways that make women feel totally responsible for the violence).

As a direct result of inequalities in their own countries, women from the Ukraine, Moldova, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Burma, and Thailand are bought and sold, trafficked to work in forced prostitution, with insufficient government attention to protect their rights and punish the traffickers. In Guatemala, South Africa, and Mexico, women's ability to enter and remain in the work force is blocked by employers who use women's reproductive status to exclude them from work and by discriminatory employment laws or discriminatory enforcement of the law. Women in Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia face government-sponsored discrimination which leaves them unequal before the law and which takes away their legal authority and places it in the hands of male family members.

We also live in a world in which women do not have basic control over what happens to their bodies. Millions of women and girls are forced to marry and have sex with men they do not desire. Women are unable to depend on their governments to protect them from physical violence in the home, with sometimes fatal consequences, including increased risk of HIV/AIDS infection. Women in custody face sexual assault by their jailers. Women are punished for having sex outside of marriage or with a person they choose (rather than of their family's choosing). Husbands and other male family members obstruct or dictate women's access to reproductive health care. Doctors and government officials disproportionately target women from disadvantaged or marginalized communities for coercive family planning policies.

All of us should reject legal, cultural, or religious practices by which women are systematically discriminated against, excluded from political participation and public life, segregated in their daily lives, raped in armed conflict, beaten in their homes, denied equal divorce or inheritance rights, killed for having sex, forced to marry, assaulted for not conforming to gender norms, and sold into forced labor.

Arguments that support and 'excuse' these human rights abuses - those of cultural norms, "appropriate" rights for women, or western imperialism - barely disguise their true meaning: that women's lives matter less than mens. Cultural relativism, which argues that there are no universal human rights and that rights are culture-specific and culturally determined, is still a formidable challenge to women's rights to equality and dignity in all areas of their lives.

Ultimately, the struggle for women's human rights must be about making women's lives matter everywhere, all the time. In practice, this means taking action to stop discrimination and violence against women.

If you, or someone you know is a victim of abuse please read this story on the remarkable Mildred Mahammad, the ex wife of the Washington Sniper. There are many women living in fear of violence. It could be you, your mother, sister, daughter, friend or even your neighbour or work colleague. Sometimes the signs will be there. Sometimes you may never know. But one day, you may get the chance to offer the helping hand that they are silently crying out for. Please don't walk away.

NOTE: Matt from Matt-Speak, has posted an excellent human rights story on the growing epidemic of child prostitution. This is an extremely important issue and is very much linked to my call to stop violence, abuse and discrimination against females. Matt writes about many social and political issues and his site is well worth a regular visit.



Monday 12 May 2008

A quick sex change

as

By now readers you may have guessed that I am easily amused by pretty much anything. Including myself.

Today the humble Gobi fish stopped me in my tracks. I am in awe. Nature is a great teacher, right?

Not only do Gobis go on diets but they can also opt for a quick sex change if times get desperate.

Seems Gobis live in their gorgeous coral abodes in groups of 5-10 for their entire lives. Apparently, the two biggest fish in the group become the breeding pair and then the rest form a pecking order based on their size. They then wait in line to gain breeding rights and only get their chance when one of the breeders dies of old age or happens upon an 'accident'.

Because they are accommodating and patient, they do not queue jump. They maintain their size and make sure that they don't grow bigger than the Gobi ahead of them. They regularly stretch out to measure themselves against each other (kind of like a Weight Watchers meeting). If they fancy 'pigging out', getting fat and therefore queue jumping, they risk getting kicked out of the coral into the waiting mouths of predators. So, instead, if they feel they are getting too big for their station, they go on a diet.

That's not all. When two female Gobi fish meet in a dimly lit corner of a coral reef, the chances are that one will turn into a male so the two can mate. Yep, a sex change. For the slow-moving Gobi fish, this can be a good strategy, as a long search for a mate of the opposite sex puts them at the mercy of predators.

Apparently though, female Gobis are far more willing to change sex than the males are.

Figures. Males know they have it made already and are not prepared to take their chances with the risky sex change reversal.....and females are always willing to compromise when it comes to the necessities in life..

Told you. It sure does confirm a few things.

Sunday 11 May 2008

Message from your Daughter




Happy Mothers Day!
You know the world is changing when you ask your mother what she wants for Mother's Day and she suggests that you might like to write an entry on her blog, Lilly's Life.

Gone are the days when an apron would have sufficed, or some chocolates, or even a card.

What can I say Mum, you've always been a bit 'out of the box'.

I've never written a blog entry before so when I sat down to construct this masterpiece (don't snigger Mum, you know it will be), I thought 'how best to kick the proceedings off?' and then I thought, 'I know... I'll start with something plagiarised.' After all, Hallmark doesn't make 50 billion dollars each year on Mother's Day cards for no reason. Sentimentality is a bit embarrassing really, so if you aren't the author of the pathetically schmaltzy words on your Mother's Day card, it's much more comfortable for everyone involved, primarily you.

Turns out the same theory applies to writing a Mother's Day blog entry.

So I started searching the internet for Hallmarkesque quotes that sum up how I feel about you. I found a lot of lovely quotes about mothers, such as this one:

"A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." -Tenneva Jordan
Sweet isn't it?? I thought so too.

Except, we both know that you would never forsake pie for anyone. Not your child, a dying relative, a starving Ethiopian. [Side note: it's wrong to make the token starving person Ethiopian, isn't it. Let's change to starving Canadian, (not that they deserve to starve either, but you know what I mean)]. Anyway, point being, nice quote, but not really summing up the essence of you.

Then I found this deeply moving Shakespeare quote:

"Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime".
Beautiful words from The Bard. I totally agree. Err, at least I might, if could understand what the quote means. It's just in here to make me look smart.

Then I found this Aristotle quote which I found to be particularly 'emotionally stirring, pulling on heartstrings' type stuff .
"Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own."Not sure if Aristotle was intending to crack a joke when he spewed forth this little pearl. I'm thinking not, because philosophers are usually pretty serious dudes, are they not? I thought this one was hilarious (is it meant to be funny?) because it was stuck in the middle of all these 'my mother is an angel from heaven' type ones, which by the way don't sum you up either.

I mean you are pretty cool but you aren't an angel.

In fact, at times I would align you closer to Satan (joking).

Then, I finally thought, Mother's Day doesn't have to be about me in relation to you, it can just be about you and what I think makes you amazing.

So I thought I would tell you some random things I admire about you.

Like you are artistic, for example. Kids at school used to say our house looked like 'one of those houses out of a magazine'. You are amazing at knowing what 'goes' with what, and what colours look good with other colours. As for me, as you rightly point out I can't even tell the difference between blue and green half the time. I just know that sometimes I put on clothes and you look at me in abject horror.

I remember being at a 'retreat' aka conference for work last year and we had to go to this formal dinner party thing and I was in my hotel room squashed up against the bathroom door trying to take a photo of myself on my mobile phone to send to you for feedback on whether everything 'went' together or not. The photo didn't get through to you though so I called you to give a blow by blow account of the outfit. What would I do without you?

I also admire you for being resilient and tough. You've coped with things that would have driven me literally insane.

You're funny and witty. Just like Pop.

You have a really incredible work ethic that I will never be able to emulate.

Also, my entire childhood (and adulthood thus far) I have never seen you leave the house without looking perfectly made up and beautiful. To people like me, who toss up whether or not they can get away with leaving the house without brushing their hair, this is a very admirable quality. As a child I remember looking up at you and you always looking so polished and smelt so lovely and all my friends thought you were beautiful. When they said that I used to scrunch up my nose and go 'whatever', but I was secretly proud.

Aaaand, you are a good listener and you are very smart.

And I did actually find you a quote by Washington Irving, which sums up the way that I feel about you:

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of all prosperity, when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."
I love you and you love me and I know that there is nothing and no-one who can ever change that. The comfort that gives me, makes every day ok, no matter what happens.

Happy Mother's Day



Mothers have a universal language

it's true!

Saturday 10 May 2008

Message from your Mother

hello
Note to new readers: Message from your Mother is a series of letters written by Lilly to her daughter which are based sometimes 'too closely' on their most recent phone calls. The letters are often written in the kind of irrational way that seems to come naturally to most mothers when it comes to the lives of their children. Whether the letters are funny or serious, you will always find a 'message'.

Morning,

I was thinking about what you said about certain people who seem to unwittingly take advantage of others without blinking an eye. You are so right. It's indeed an artform for some but they can only get away with it if we let them. Listen to your gut instincts about people always (mothers excluded as we have rights under the Geneva Convention Section 1A part 2c). Your instincts are never wrong. Never second guess anything (except when it comes to choosing colours, blue isn't quite as green as you think it is).

You could be an easy target if you are not careful. In fact, your sister is exactly the same. (Note to reader: I have bi racial children, he he, one is Australian and one is Scottish - they come with different accents. I will do a post on that one day). You have always had this beautiful, caring and open spirit (and no, you were not adopted). I am not sure where it came from but you just came into the world with resilience and the ability to bounce through life. I am thinking it had something to do with your rocky entrance into the world.

You have always had such great empathy for people particularly those you felt were hardly done by, or unable to help themselves. Do you remember when you were 8 and the teacher said you were either going to be lawyer or a union official as you were always sticking up for other children in the class. Kind of interesting given your career choice, right?

And yes, you are incredibly generous and open and it sometimes worries me. But it's just you. It's part of who you are. You could write a book already about all your adventures. You have this pulling power where people just want to tell you their life stories within a few minutes of meeting you. Funny that. You really care; about everyone.

Sometimes, it results in extraordinary things. Remember the runaway you had stay with us? It was just a bit of a shame that her parents didn't quite know where she was as I found out later. Or, what about that young guy from Jordan you somehow got talking to on the bus and who you invited to live with us because he was homeless. I admit I had some issues over this, mainly because within five minutes of walking through the front door, he was calling me 'Mum'. But we checked his story out and he really did need a lot of help too. We took the chance despite the fallout. There are many such stories like this and that was all before you were 16.

But I guess whether we like it or not people will take advantage of others. You included. Often it will happen when you least see it coming. And it's too late. I guess I have had to learn the hard way about the need to draw lines. It's kind of tough to realise that evil exists in the shape of regular people. Not everyone views life the way we do. Not everyone has the same values or was born with morality or empathy chips. Some people just do not care. Period.

The more secure you are with your boundaries, the less power other people will have to affect you. Drawing lines around us enables us to resist pushy people, rude people, aggressive people, people who would take advantage of us and people who would use us unwisely and unwell (you know the kind I mean).

OK, thats enough of my motherspeak, I think you should join me on the road to healthy hedonism. People do not believe me when I tell them I am trying to be the perfect Hedonist. I am now practicing everyday. Pleasure is good. Eden was fun. Excess may be bad but self deprivation is just stupid. Despite the rantings of religious extremists, health fanatics and jaded psychologists, it's ok to have some fun. With boundaries and balance that is.

I have a few affirmations for you when you get the urge to go to they gym twice in the one day or work a 10 hour day. Just repeat after me -

I am worth all the good things that life has to offer (but not at anyone else's expense)
My Life is far bigger than my job
Big or small, my bank account does not define me
I have no interest in suffering or self denial
My energy is valuable and not to be wasted
I am my own Santa Claus
Life is short, so I must dress well
If I feel it then it must be right
Reality is highly overrated
Sobriety is always an option


On second thoughts sobriety is a good thing during the week.

Lots of Love

Your Mother

PS Readers - just because its Mother's Day tomorrow, here is a picture of the recipient of my Message from your Mother letters and me (and a relative in the background - this was a couple of years ago so we need a new mother daughter photo before we get too much older! Somehow her hair is way darker and mine is way blonder now - we are total opposites in many ways and live in different parts of the country but she is aways my inspiration and definitely my best friend!).


Thursday 8 May 2008

Being HAPPY

doesn't make the news anymore

Apparently the world is in search of happiness. And we are looking for it in all the wrong places.
We certainly can't expect to find it from our daily news sources, no matter which medium we happen to use.
Is it just me or does it seem that every time you listen to the news or read a newspaper the negative stories outweigh the positive ones twentyfold. It's getting worse, surely.

The headlines today are
- 300 dead cats in man's freezer
- Georgia says its very close to war with Russia
- Cyclone death toll to reach 100,000
- Bush attack on Iran
- What's really in the food you eat
- Mugabe supporters continue the killings
- Koalas under threat from climate change
- Pressure for Pope

and supposedly the only two relatively positive stories are
- that Kylie begins her X tour in Paris
- and a local fantasy author gets Hollywood call up.

Say what???

I am going back to bed. No wonder the world is depressed. Even the positive stories are so lightweight and frivolous its a non event.

We need more balance, surely. Between being informed and being depressed. We need to laugh and be inspired by the news every once in a while too. If violence begets violence, surely negativity does the same.

What do you think? How do you get your news and is it more balanced than what I am reading?

Monday 5 May 2008

Even his blind spots

are illuminating

Gore Vidal, the 82 year old American novelist and the Democrats elder statesman was interviewed on Australian television over the weekend and he commented on the current political situation in the US. I find him learned, funny and exceptionally clear-sighted. Or maybe that's just because I tend to agree with him. What do you think?

Here's part of the transcript -

VIRGINIA TRIOLI: Gore Vidal, you've watched Democratic primaries for decades now: so just who do you think will be standing on the podium in Denver in just a couple of months time accepting the Democratic Party's nomination.

GORE VIDAL: It's almost a toss of a coin now. They set out to wreck Senator Obama and it's just been a royal mess all the way through. Of the two, I prefer her, in the sense that she knows more what she's doing. His mishandling of the Reverend whatever he's called doesn't bode well for a conduct of, you know, difficult negotiations. So, that is a mess.

VIRGINIA TRIOLI: How do you account for this situation - this real mess - for the fact that these two very able candidates have been able to take part in this knock down, drag out contest? How do you explain that?

GORE VIDAL: Dare I say ambition? It is - she's quite experienced and I would feel contented with her as President. I don't know about him. He's inspiring, but then many people can do that. Even in a vacuum, they can inspire you, sort of. He doesn't know how rough it is. You know, all those things that she was saying about him, which everybody thought she was being mean-spirited and so on and exaggerating the perils of the Republican machine - she wasn't. These are dreadful people. You know, this isn't real politics. What you've got here is something - a war machine has been let loose on the world by Mr Bush and he's going to see to it that after he leaves office, the United States remains at war. And he set it up so that there'll be all kinds of things going wrong, all sorts of revenge to be taken. And I think, you know, what is it Tacitus said? "They made a desert and they called it peace."

VIRGINIA TRIOLI: The Democratic Party itself is charged with the very important task of knocking heads together, making this less of a mess, getting super delegates to pledge and the like. Why have they been seemingly standing on the corners, on the edges of this debate, ringing their hands?

GORE VIDAL: The Party machinery has not worked since 1945 which is when the United States conquered the world rather absent-mindedly, and we ended up with Japan, we ended up with Germany and we'd won everything there was worth winning in the world. Since then, there has been no plan, no brain to the party, Truman was the beginning of the end and he made - he started the Cold War. That's mostly his doing. And then you had a bunch of public relations people posing as the Republican Party. As bad as the Party is, it's not really quite as bad as these people like Karl Rove, that you may have heard of out there in the Pacific, who was a man who understood how to smear people. He was a merchant of slime. So, everybody was somewhat wounded by his long stay as the counsellor to George W. Bush. So, we are left with a kind of wrecked Republic. Bush saw to it, with his curious little Attorney General Mr Gonzalez. They left us with really no Bill of Rights any more, which means no Republic. And, we are sort of naked to the world now. And nothing can make any sense because everything is dislocated. Then they trot out McCain, a man who's only distinction is his plane was shot down. Well, many other people have had their plane shot down. He's introduced as a great hero and a great patriot. In a well run military - which we haven't had for quite some time, thanks to George Bush - in a well run military, he would have been court martialled for losing his plane and five years a prisoner, I'm weeping for him. Oh, God, how brave he was! Did he volunteer to be a prisoner? Who knows? He's a weird enough figure and all he can do is babble on and on a lot of nostrums that are just so dated. I mean, he sounds like cobwebs when he speaks.


To read the rest of his interview click here.

Six ways to live longer


If you want to enjoy optimum health and vitality well into your twilight years, you need to do a little work.

Nothing too difficult – just follow these six basic steps.

Have a health check up

A preventive health check could save your life, particularly if you’re 45 years or over. But don’t wait until then if you’re above your healthy weight range or have a family history of illness. Also, don’t assume you’re in great shape just because you’re feeling well. The unfortunate truth is, many preventable illnesses do not cause any symptoms until they are at a serious stage, says Dr Leanne Rowe, co-author of Save Your Life and live for those you love (Allen & Unwin, 2007).

Find a good GP (see Doctor feel good) and arrange a check up. Dr Rowe recommends you start with a measurement of your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol. Have your doctor check your blood glucose level and protein content in your urine. Then, ask which screening tests you should have and schedule them as soon as possible. Once you have your results, keep a detailed record of them, plus make a note of when you need to be re-tested in the future. “It’s a good idea to ask your GP for a photocopy of your pathology results and other measurements and to file them in your own personal health record at home,” says Dr Rowe.

Know your family history

Many common health problems run in families and have a genetic basis, so it’s a good idea to know your family history. If you have information on your family’s medical status, Dr Rowe advises you discuss it with your doctor. They will then have a better idea of what to focus on and when and how often to screen for specific illnesses. “Understanding your family history is really important,” says Dr Rowe. “So when you see your relatives, bring it up with them. It can be uncomfortable, but this is an area where we need to share.” Once you have explored your family’s medical history, make a list of every thing you know about the health of your immediate family members, suggests Dr Rowe. Of particular importance is your relative’s age now or when they died, whether they experienced any signs of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes or cancer, and from what age these conditions developed. Other conditions to consider are alcohol or drug dependency, psychiatric disorders, eye disorders, epilepsy, kidney or liver disease or osteoporosis. Your doctor will be able to suggest even more.

Eat a well balanced diet

According to respected health bodies such as the World Health Organisation, Cancer Council Australia and The Heart Foundation, the food you put into your mouth each day has a direct effect on your chances of developing heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and even certain cancers. Dr Rowe says this is partially due to general confusion about what eating healthily means. "We're drowning in information, but we don't know the basic facts," she says. A good diet provides you with enough energy and can be sustained in the long term; it maintains your healthy body weight; it keeps arteries unclogged to help prevent heart disease; it will also stabilise blood glucose to help prevent diabetes; and build strong bones. The best way to achieve all of that is by following a diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, and high in carbohydrates, but with a low-glycaemic index, advises Dr Rowe.

Get moving & exercise

Here's the basic truth: the majority of us need to get moving, and quick sticks! "There is absolutely no doubt that Australians need to exercise more," says Dr Rowe, who estimates 60 per cent of us are inactive. "If you engage in moderate exercise daily, you will add, on average, up to four years to your life. The benefits are greater for more vigorous exercise." Exactly how much exercise do we need and what type? Well, moderate exercise means physical activity that raises your heart rate somewhat but allows you to still carry on a conversation. Vigorous means physical exercise during which you can speak, but not talk in full sentences. Exactly what activity to choose is entirely up to you. "What really counts is that you enjoy it," says Dr Rowe. To get maximum benefits, you need to squeeze in at least 30 minutes of sweat time on most, if not all days of the week. The best option is walking, says The National Weight Control Registry in the US, which has been following more than 5000 US residents who have lost weight and kept it off.

Reduce the 'vices'

If you want to lead a long and healthy life, it's time to play it safe, says Dr Rowe. That means giving up smoking and sticking to the recommended drinking limits."People tend to be aware of the dangers of smoking, but not so much when it comes to alcohol," says Dr Rowe. Just like smoking, excessive alcohol can increase the risk of several types of cancer including breast, colon, mouth, pharynx and liver cancer, plus alcohol related dementia, says Dr Rowe. The bottom line is, if you drink alcohol, stick to the recommended national guidelines, which advise no more than four standard drinks per day for men and two a day for women with one to two alcohol-free days per week. It's also smart to avoid illicit drugs, review any prescribed medication regularly, practice safe sex, plus take care to avoid accidents if possible. Those yearning for optimal health might also like to get a handle on their stress levels, says Dr Rowe. Meditation and yoga are great options. Both have been shown to ease tension and boost mood. To learn more, visit your local gym or search the internet for meditation classes or yoga for beginners in your area.

Know the warning signs

"We tend to battle on no matter what, but when it comes to our health that's not something to be proud of, " says Dr Rowe. "Our first reactions to a new symptom are commonly, 'it'll go away' or 'I don't want to take up the doctor's time', but there are some signs and symptoms you should never ignore. Early diagnosis and treatment saves lives." Talk to your GP or health professional about the warning signs to look out for and make a note of them all. By doing so, it's quite possible you will save your own life or perhaps the life of someone close to you. And while it might be daunting, perhaps even frightening, to closely investigate your health, knowledge is power, as the saying goes."Taking charge of your health is not as scary or as difficult as it may seem," says Dr Rowe. "It's in your control and it's doable. There's no doubt that if you work with your GP or health professional you can achieve better health outcomes."

Sunday 4 May 2008

It's just a game

right?


Australia is regarded as a great sporting nation. You name it, we play it. For a country with a small population of just over 21 million people, we always do well on the world sporting stage. Our climate is ideal for year round sports. There are no restrictions on space, the population is concentrated near the coasts which offers an attraction to water sports and sport is not restricted to social classes, races or gender.

In fact, our sense of national pride and morale seems to be very closely tied to sport. Well for every Australian it seems, but me.

You see, just because you're an Australian doesn't automatically mean that you're really sporty or even interested in sports. Or, just because you come from a really sports minded family, it doesn't mean that you can balance a basketball on your finger, know the differences between the four codes of football played or kick a ball into the nets blindfolded.

When I was growing up sport was a central part of my family's life. My parents played tennis a lot. My father played cricket 24 hours a day (or that's what it seemed like) until his 50s. My brother played every sport known to mankind and then some. As did my sisters.

I mean I had my day on sporting fields, but, over time, other things took more of my interest and time. I like being outdoors. I like walking. I'm a team player but I just don't 'get' most games - hitting balls with sticks into a net, or kicking balls or tackling each other to the ground or hitting balls over goalposts. And to think if you do that well you can get paid millions when scientists discovering cures for deadly diseases go unnoticed. I really don't get that.

I don't mind watching sports live but I don't like watching sport on TV (except for the Olympic Games). I would rather watch paint dry.

It looked like my daughter was following in my footsteps for a while. When she started playing basketball she was more concerned what her uniform was doing and where her hair was sitting than what direction the ball was going. Her coach said she was the cutest kid on the court(he would get arrested for saying that now). I thought his comments were positive. But, unfortunately my sister (who also happened to be a top basketball player) was aghast and totally shocked. Cute without talent was not on. Not in my family. So, she took my daughter in hand and she ended up playing at representative level.

I am a very competitive person so I understand the drive. But I just don't understand the 'passion'. I've always kept my mind open to one day watching something, feeling the Uhh Huhh moment and finally understanding what all the fuss was about. I am still waiting.

I have watched heaps of sport....often begrudgingly but you have to give and take, right? When living in the UK I went to lots of football games (where the pies held more interest to me than the game). I know for a fact that Aussies are not as 'deadly' serious about their sports as the British are about their football (soccer). Going to some of those large games, where hundreds of thousands of fans go, is like taking your life into your hands and hoping for the best. They go in the turnstiles as calm, family oriented, decent people and suddenly when they get in their seats they turn. Into really loud, aggressive, obnoxious prats (well not all obviously but enough to make you thing its endemic). Once I was sitting in the stands, apparently watching an exciting nail biting game (wasn't obvious to me but the increase in swearing indicated so), and someone threw something and hit the bald guy in front of me on the head. He had a large chunk taken out of his scalp and blood was pouring everywhere. He just kept on waving his hands, abusing the referee and the players and didn't even flinch. He was feeling no pain. I tapped him on the shoulder and told him that as blood was now dripping on my shoe he may possibly need medical help as I didn't have a bandaid in my bag large enough to cover the gaping wound. It was surprising that he didn't give me a wound to remember given the way he looked at me. Passionate people are great as long as they keep their flying missiles, abuse and filthy bigoted songs at home. But apparently that's just sport. It doesn't really count.

If I were to be perfectly honest, my interest levels in sports have somehow corresponded with the attractiveness levels of the players. Take Cricket for example. This game is central to Aussie culture ever since a team of Aboriginal cricketers thrashed the Poms all those years ago. It took my interest for a while because my father and brother lived for playing and watching the game. Summer and cricket went hand in hand. My favourite player was Imran Khan, the Pakistani player and now politician. He was brilliant to watch, off the field, on the field, in the magazines and on the TV. Then there were a few Indian and West Indian players that I used to follow with keen interest. I couldn't tell you much about their sporting achievements but I do seem to know everything else about them. You know, in the same way some people know about David Beckham.

Recently, I decided I wanted to learn to play golf (again). Well everyone seems to think it's a great sport and that you can play it anywhere, anytime. Truth is, I thought it was boring and rather than hit the ball I always had the urge to pick it up and throw it only because I could get it further up the drive this way. I just couldn't wait to get to the clubhouse for something to quench my boredom. I like to walk, just not with a club in my hand, following a tiny ball. But where would Greg Norman be if he had had my attitude? I thought a new level of maturity would help but alas, the game is still kind of slow....

In Australia, football has so many variations (Rugby League, Rugby Union and Australian Rules) that the only way I can tell the difference is by the shape of the football players not just the shape of the balls. You think I am joking right? The physiques of the players are totally different. That's the only way I can distinguish one game from the other.

My football knowledge has been sorely tested this weekend. My father is in a rugby league tipping competition and unfortunately he had to go to hospital in the last week. The only thing he asked of me was to put his footy tips in online. Now, that would be have been easy if he was in a state to actually select his teams. He wasn't, so I had to choose them for him.

The fact he asked me, of all people, to do this for him indicates either the level of pain he was experiencing or that his painkillers had kicked in and he thought I was someone else. You see he has five children. Four of whom love sport and who have children who average at least 4 sports each. And he asked me. The one who doesn't even know which teams are in the league.

I have taken the task seriously. Sort of.

It's not like horse racing where you can choose the winner by the colour of the silks they wear (and believe me the odds are better this way then looking at their form). I haven't really watched a football game for years having lived out of the country for a while. So, it was literally a stab in the dark. I decided not to ask anyone else and to have a go myself. I chose the teams based on the colours of their uniforms. I should be ashamed to say this but those who know me will not be at all surprised. (So unfortunately, Russell Crowe, even though you dress your football club the Rabbitohs in Armani suits off field, I hate the bright red and green uniform your team wears. Ugly, so your team was out.)

I'll let you know how my colour strategy turns out.

Now tell me, do you love playing and watching sports or are you one of these people who are still trying to work out what the fuss is all about?


Friday 2 May 2008

The Wizard of Oz


A studious Christian who speaks fluent Mandarin is Australia's unlikely political hero.

Australia's Prime Minister made it on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential Leaders & Revolutionaries list for 2008. Regardless of whether the list means anything or not, it's great he is making a blip on the international radar.

His performance cannot be faulted with so much progress already. I love the fact he can speak fluent Mandarin and that he has assiduously built friendships in China (the only western world leader with this level of understanding), that he apologised to the Aborigines, has a very clever and funny female deputy Prime Minister, bought all the nation's talent together for the 2020 summit to come up with new directions for our country and just appointed a female Governor General. Hopefully our last Governor General ever.

Australia is the industrialised nation most exposed to climate change, and most sensitive to China's rise. It must work out how to sustain prosperity for a more diverse population, on a more fragile planet, in a region that will shape the 21st century.

The pressure is on Kevin Rudd. Somehow I think he is more than up for it! Fair dinkum!