Oh Dear! My health hit another bump in the road on Christmas Eve while we were in Sydney.
I was diagnosed by a sequence of doctors with a thrombosis (blood clot) in my left shoulder. This caused a rather visible swelling of my arm and hand. Fortunately, Doctor AbdullahOmari - a vascular specialist at the prestigious St Vincent's Private Hospital - thinks it's not threatening. Less fortunately, he put me on two more drugs, one a fairly powerful blood thinner. This supplements an existing blood thinner prescribed by specialist Dr James Leitch to help me adjust to the defibrillator. The two doctors are going to consult about this overlap when they can find each other - a downside to our extended Christmas / New Year holidays.
Worse still, he banned me from flying for at least two months! You've heard of deep-vein thrombosis suffered by some unfortunate airline passengers. He's worried that flying might shift my clot. Anyway, the treatment is working and my swelling is going down.
This means a few more train trips. We returned to Armidale last night after a 9 hour trip from Sydney. Two events made it rather longer than usual: track work along a 15k stretch of line near Sydney and what may have been a suicide attempt. The driver slammed on the brakes about 30 km south of Armidale because some woman was lying across the line. He stopped short, but had to summon the police to investigate and they took quite a while to travel the 15km to the remote site (no road nearby). Meanwhile family members removed her and presumably took her home - we saw them driving away.
Have a happy new year everyone.
AS
Saturday 29 December 2007
Thursday 20 December 2007
Feeling Groovy
Well, I'm still deluged by expressions of concern and sympathy coming in from all over the world. Only one of them had me dead!
I am steadily feeling stronger and should be able to travel to Sydney at the week-end the slow way. We're taking the train at Dot's insistence and are travelling first class, which is quite cheap with our 'seniors' discount. In fact, we get on free trip anywhere in NSW every year by being seniors, but we're holding that in reserve.
Meanwhile, my health continues to improve and I've gone back to playing bridge - successfully.
We wish readers a happy Christmas.
AS
I am steadily feeling stronger and should be able to travel to Sydney at the week-end the slow way. We're taking the train at Dot's insistence and are travelling first class, which is quite cheap with our 'seniors' discount. In fact, we get on free trip anywhere in NSW every year by being seniors, but we're holding that in reserve.
Meanwhile, my health continues to improve and I've gone back to playing bridge - successfully.
We wish readers a happy Christmas.
AS
Saturday 15 December 2007
Thanks to Well-Wishers
I would like to thank profusely all the people who have sent me get-well cards or encouraging messages by email. They are much appreciated and involve a large number of countries on four continents. It's nice that so many people care about me.
I send my own best wishes to everyone.
AS
I send my own best wishes to everyone.
AS
Second Coming
Well, I'm back home after an addendum to my recently reported health problems.
After only one day back in Armidale, I experienced a large number of heart spasms. Each, only 5 minutes or less, was accompanied by strong chest pains which gradually disappeared. Alarmed, I went down to the out-patients department of the local hospital and I was promptly put in intensive care. After reading case notes, the presiding doctor sent me back to Newcastle by air ambulance and straight to the Lake Macquarie Private Hospital where my procedure occurred the previous week.
After scans, tests, and a review of the evidence, my doctor put me on several drugs. I did not have another chest pain after departing for Newcastle and the medicos concluded that I had plaque un an artery that was flaking and that drugs, rather than a stent or by-pass was the way to go. They gave me a stress test on Thursday, which went brilliantly, and I was allowed home immediately.
Dot, who has been at my side the whole time here and in Newcastle drove me home. The whole episode must have cost a fortune, but we are privately insured and the part of the bill we'll see is mininal.
After only one day back in Armidale, I experienced a large number of heart spasms. Each, only 5 minutes or less, was accompanied by strong chest pains which gradually disappeared. Alarmed, I went down to the out-patients department of the local hospital and I was promptly put in intensive care. After reading case notes, the presiding doctor sent me back to Newcastle by air ambulance and straight to the Lake Macquarie Private Hospital where my procedure occurred the previous week.
After scans, tests, and a review of the evidence, my doctor put me on several drugs. I did not have another chest pain after departing for Newcastle and the medicos concluded that I had plaque un an artery that was flaking and that drugs, rather than a stent or by-pass was the way to go. They gave me a stress test on Thursday, which went brilliantly, and I was allowed home immediately.
Dot, who has been at my side the whole time here and in Newcastle drove me home. The whole episode must have cost a fortune, but we are privately insured and the part of the bill we'll see is mininal.
Friday 7 December 2007
Near Death Experience
For the record, I had a Cardiac Arrest a week before your message and I’d appreciate it if you let people know who might be interested. The events run as follows:
Monday 19th: arrive home c. 4.00pm by bike to go a do some campaign work for Tony Windsor (MHR, New England). By very good luck, my wife, Dot was close by as I collapsed in the garage, and she called an ambulance immediately. The second stroke of luck was that 3 ambulances arrived in 5 minutes. Had I been out of town on a property and the arrival time was 10 to 15 minutes, some of you would have already attended my funeral.
The third stroke of luck was that they were able to jump-start my heart. Cardiac arrest is potentially more serious than a stroke or heart attack. The latter impair the functioning of the brain, but usually don’t kill it. I was detained in the Armidale and New England Hospital for 1 wee while diagnostics guided the course of action. I cannot remember a single fact about this week or about the subsequent trip in an Air Ambulance to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. I can recall waking up in JHH and seeing Dot’s apparition, and I suppose this was on about Wednesday 28 November.
This was the fourth stroke of luck. Dot was able to help me though further batteries of tests and the utter boredom of hospital routine, but I must admit that the quality of care at JHH was very good – as I am told it was in ANE.
Then, on Monday this week, I moved to the Lake Macquarie Private Hospital for the ultimate operation. I’d heard of pace-makers, but not the machine I’m now tethered to for the rest of my life. This small all-singing, all-dancing contraption constantly monitors heart performance and can accelerate or depress beat speed AND/OR change the amplitude of the beat AND/OR the pattern of the beat.
I returned home yesterday by road and am now trying to regain normal life. I’ll start riding my bike in a week; bush-walking a little before that. My Newcastle based Psychologist and Speech Therapists found little wrong with my mental processes.
Sorry for rambling on a long time.
Monday 19th: arrive home c. 4.00pm by bike to go a do some campaign work for Tony Windsor (MHR, New England). By very good luck, my wife, Dot was close by as I collapsed in the garage, and she called an ambulance immediately. The second stroke of luck was that 3 ambulances arrived in 5 minutes. Had I been out of town on a property and the arrival time was 10 to 15 minutes, some of you would have already attended my funeral.
The third stroke of luck was that they were able to jump-start my heart. Cardiac arrest is potentially more serious than a stroke or heart attack. The latter impair the functioning of the brain, but usually don’t kill it. I was detained in the Armidale and New England Hospital for 1 wee while diagnostics guided the course of action. I cannot remember a single fact about this week or about the subsequent trip in an Air Ambulance to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. I can recall waking up in JHH and seeing Dot’s apparition, and I suppose this was on about Wednesday 28 November.
This was the fourth stroke of luck. Dot was able to help me though further batteries of tests and the utter boredom of hospital routine, but I must admit that the quality of care at JHH was very good – as I am told it was in ANE.
Then, on Monday this week, I moved to the Lake Macquarie Private Hospital for the ultimate operation. I’d heard of pace-makers, but not the machine I’m now tethered to for the rest of my life. This small all-singing, all-dancing contraption constantly monitors heart performance and can accelerate or depress beat speed AND/OR change the amplitude of the beat AND/OR the pattern of the beat.
I returned home yesterday by road and am now trying to regain normal life. I’ll start riding my bike in a week; bush-walking a little before that. My Newcastle based Psychologist and Speech Therapists found little wrong with my mental processes.
Sorry for rambling on a long time.
Sunday 18 November 2007
Sweeney Todd
Three posts in one day!! Armidale is getting exciting!
We're off shortly to a live performance of the musical Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street. We're not short of culture in the form of theatre, musicals, chamber music, symphony concerts, and the last night of the Proms (creating down under an almost exact replica of the famous Albert Hall event) - not to mention fine art events.
Sweeney Todd is the second musical in town this year, with the other being Joseph and his Multicolour Dreamcoat. The latter was excellent for an amateur rendition and the reviews of tonight's performance have been very good.
We might be 500 km from a large city where such events are common, but it's great to see the locals taking up the challenge. We even have a sort of Glyndebourne nearby! Once a year there members of the Australian Opera turn up to a farm near Inverell (about 130km from here) for "Opera in the Paddock". We've never been, but might go next year to sit under the stars and listen to Mozart and Verdi among others. The event has its own web page: http://www.operainthepaddock.com.au/ , and it's cheap with tickets costing A$50 (a little over 20 GBP).
Postscript:
Sweeney Todd was very well done and enthusiastically received by the large audience. The plot is unbelievably gory, as you'd find out from a quick look at the internet. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are atmospheric and a long way from the schmalz of Andrew LLoyd Webber. The Armidale Playhouse Inc, who do the productions, announced that the next musical will be Titanic. This opened on April 23, 1997 on Broadway and ran for 804 performances. I suppose an on-stage representation of the Titanic's sinking is little different to staging the final Act of Götterdämmerung at Bayreuth. There the Rhine floods and drowns the villain and the Rhinemaidens reclaim the 'ring'.
AS
We're off shortly to a live performance of the musical Sweeney Todd - the demon barber of Fleet Street. We're not short of culture in the form of theatre, musicals, chamber music, symphony concerts, and the last night of the Proms (creating down under an almost exact replica of the famous Albert Hall event) - not to mention fine art events.
Sweeney Todd is the second musical in town this year, with the other being Joseph and his Multicolour Dreamcoat. The latter was excellent for an amateur rendition and the reviews of tonight's performance have been very good.
We might be 500 km from a large city where such events are common, but it's great to see the locals taking up the challenge. We even have a sort of Glyndebourne nearby! Once a year there members of the Australian Opera turn up to a farm near Inverell (about 130km from here) for "Opera in the Paddock". We've never been, but might go next year to sit under the stars and listen to Mozart and Verdi among others. The event has its own web page: http://www.operainthepaddock.com.au/ , and it's cheap with tickets costing A$50 (a little over 20 GBP).
Postscript:
Sweeney Todd was very well done and enthusiastically received by the large audience. The plot is unbelievably gory, as you'd find out from a quick look at the internet. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are atmospheric and a long way from the schmalz of Andrew LLoyd Webber. The Armidale Playhouse Inc, who do the productions, announced that the next musical will be Titanic. This opened on April 23, 1997 on Broadway and ran for 804 performances. I suppose an on-stage representation of the Titanic's sinking is little different to staging the final Act of Götterdämmerung at Bayreuth. There the Rhine floods and drowns the villain and the Rhinemaidens reclaim the 'ring'.
AS
Shopping Centre
In what must be a first for any town in the world of about 24,000 people, Armidale has just opened its third indoor shopping mall, which houses a very large (by UK standards) Woolworths supermarket, an even larger Big W variety store, and another 23 specialty shops.
The town now has 4 large supermarkets - which is absurd - and the area of the whole shopping centre appears to be about half the size of Plymouth's - which seems ridiculous. We now appear to have a branch of most Australian chain retailers and, to use another metaphor, Armidale is now a temple to consumption.
AS
The town now has 4 large supermarkets - which is absurd - and the area of the whole shopping centre appears to be about half the size of Plymouth's - which seems ridiculous. We now appear to have a branch of most Australian chain retailers and, to use another metaphor, Armidale is now a temple to consumption.
AS
Chocolate Shop
When one is busy important events slip past unnoticed. Dot and I were walking in town today and entered a part we rarely visit except whizzing by in a car. And there was a 'new' shop selling had-made chocolates and various pates. Well, we discovered it had been there since June.
The place was run by a former Parisian and imported among other Belgian chocolates. So, we splurged out on 12 different pieces at A$1.75 each (or about 77p for the POMS). I suppose Armidale might be attractive for Parisian as the central mall is a bit like the Elysian Fields (Champs Elysees) with all its pavement cafes with umbrellas. The only things missing at either end are something resembling the Arc de Triomphe, which is not likely to be fixed for a while, and the Louvre - although we have arguably the best art gallery in regional Australia.
AS
The place was run by a former Parisian and imported among other Belgian chocolates. So, we splurged out on 12 different pieces at A$1.75 each (or about 77p for the POMS). I suppose Armidale might be attractive for Parisian as the central mall is a bit like the Elysian Fields (Champs Elysees) with all its pavement cafes with umbrellas. The only things missing at either end are something resembling the Arc de Triomphe, which is not likely to be fixed for a while, and the Louvre - although we have arguably the best art gallery in regional Australia.
AS
Monday 12 November 2007
Ben Lomond Station
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Australia has an open gardens scheme and most weekends in Spring see one or two gardens open in any region. New England is no exception, and yesterday we visited an excellent garden at Ben Lomond Station.
Ben Lomond is obviously named after its Scottish counterpart, and indeed there is a Ben Lomond Mountain. It's altogether higher than the original, coming in at 1520m (5000 feet). Although Ben Lomond village has a railway station (disused, but the highest in Australia), the word 'station' means a large grazing property. Originally, Ben Lomond Station was a massive 300,000 acres (136,000 ha.), but now it's smaller.
One other bit of information: the open gardens are not at all like those found at UK's stately homes. Usually they are simply well-maintained and designed gardens around ordinary houses in town or out in the country. Ben Lomond is 60 km north of Armidale in the middle of nowhere, and the house, while nice, was nowhere near a stately home!
The garden was one of the best we've seen. The owners had managed to maintain acres of flawless lawn (easier at Ben Lomond because it has a wet climate and low temperatures (unsurprising even in Australia at nearly 5000 feet). Then owners over the last 150 years had planted lots of grand trees, many from Europe including Oak, Ash, Elms, and Linden. There was also lots of pine trees, including the Monterey Pine.
Scattered among the tall trees were lots of flower beds, including masses of Rhododendrons and interesting ground covers.
AS
Tuesday 6 November 2007
Electioneering Australian Style
We're in the throes of a general election campaign that has been going on for nearly 9 months. The official campaign is 6 weeks long and we're half-way though that, which is suprising given that Commonwealth Parliaments last a maximum of three years.
This has been among the nastiest of campaigns, reaching new heights of dishonesty, slagging opponents, and bribery. It's enough to turn anyone off the concept of democracy and the thought of joining any political party. The problem is that an ageing and very tired government with a history of deceit and numerous incompetent ministers is desperate to hang on to office and affronted that the electorate might turn away from a government presiding over Australia's greatest economic success in about 120 years.
Unfortunately for them, the electorate isn't inclined to show gratitude. The polls this year have consistently shown a landslide to the Australian Labor (sic) Party rejuvenated by Kevin Rudd and campaigning under the slogan Kevin07. He's difficult to attack as he's a Blair substitute: articulate; professional wife; Christian credentials; centre of the road; promising to keep the good ship Australia on a steady course. His would-be ministers are accident-prone, but that matters less in a contest dominated by leaders, ground chosen by the incredibly narcissistic Howard. It's clear by now that his entire career is dominated by compulsion to win and gain office and letting nothing stand in his way. That served well in imposing discipline on a previously fractious Liberal party, but it is not working when the world is moving on, policy imperatives are changing and he's trapped in the past.
So we're regaled with daily exaggerations and absurdities, the most priceless of which is the story that the ALP front bench is inexperienced. Of course it would be after 11 years in opposition, but if one believed this crap the opposition should never win power and we'd be better off with a one-party state. The Liberals have made promises totalling perhaps $25 billion, matched for the mostpart by the ALP. The showering of dollars seems to have left the electorate underwhelmed once it was realised that the Liberals had been hoarding cash for the purpose and was bribing voters with their own money. In effect they had been grossly over-taxed!!
And so it goes on. No wonder that politicians are despised worse than used-car or insurance salesmen or real estate agents. Laws regarding honesty in advertising do not apply to them, which is just as well for their bank balances given the litany of untruths.
Thus, I'm going to vote independent yet again. Our region is the heartland of independents - there is no representative of the three major parties at either the Federal or State level. Armidale is served by two good acquaintances of mine, both with honour, integrity, and a record of acheivement. For this reason, Richard Torbay (State) reaps an 80% two-party preferred vote and the highest majority of any politican in Australia; Tony Windsor (Federal) gets about 70%. If you're not represented by an independent you should try the experience. They live on their ability to serve people well and can weigh up issues free of party hacks. Richard is a businessman and former mayor of Lebanese background. His daughter is the belly-dancer admired by Max. Tony is a farmer.
Stop press: the latest opinion poll has the ALP on about 54% and the Liberals on 46% and going backwards.
AS
This has been among the nastiest of campaigns, reaching new heights of dishonesty, slagging opponents, and bribery. It's enough to turn anyone off the concept of democracy and the thought of joining any political party. The problem is that an ageing and very tired government with a history of deceit and numerous incompetent ministers is desperate to hang on to office and affronted that the electorate might turn away from a government presiding over Australia's greatest economic success in about 120 years.
Unfortunately for them, the electorate isn't inclined to show gratitude. The polls this year have consistently shown a landslide to the Australian Labor (sic) Party rejuvenated by Kevin Rudd and campaigning under the slogan Kevin07. He's difficult to attack as he's a Blair substitute: articulate; professional wife; Christian credentials; centre of the road; promising to keep the good ship Australia on a steady course. His would-be ministers are accident-prone, but that matters less in a contest dominated by leaders, ground chosen by the incredibly narcissistic Howard. It's clear by now that his entire career is dominated by compulsion to win and gain office and letting nothing stand in his way. That served well in imposing discipline on a previously fractious Liberal party, but it is not working when the world is moving on, policy imperatives are changing and he's trapped in the past.
So we're regaled with daily exaggerations and absurdities, the most priceless of which is the story that the ALP front bench is inexperienced. Of course it would be after 11 years in opposition, but if one believed this crap the opposition should never win power and we'd be better off with a one-party state. The Liberals have made promises totalling perhaps $25 billion, matched for the mostpart by the ALP. The showering of dollars seems to have left the electorate underwhelmed once it was realised that the Liberals had been hoarding cash for the purpose and was bribing voters with their own money. In effect they had been grossly over-taxed!!
And so it goes on. No wonder that politicians are despised worse than used-car or insurance salesmen or real estate agents. Laws regarding honesty in advertising do not apply to them, which is just as well for their bank balances given the litany of untruths.
Thus, I'm going to vote independent yet again. Our region is the heartland of independents - there is no representative of the three major parties at either the Federal or State level. Armidale is served by two good acquaintances of mine, both with honour, integrity, and a record of acheivement. For this reason, Richard Torbay (State) reaps an 80% two-party preferred vote and the highest majority of any politican in Australia; Tony Windsor (Federal) gets about 70%. If you're not represented by an independent you should try the experience. They live on their ability to serve people well and can weigh up issues free of party hacks. Richard is a businessman and former mayor of Lebanese background. His daughter is the belly-dancer admired by Max. Tony is a farmer.
Stop press: the latest opinion poll has the ALP on about 54% and the Liberals on 46% and going backwards.
AS
Sunday 4 November 2007
Surprise Event
Sometimes stunning events occur unheralded, and one was today. Well, it was unherladed for me but I suppose there was advance warning in the local rag.
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
Dot and I went grocery shopping early and found, when we reached the town centre that streets had been cordoned off and the place was crawling with uniformed soldiers. My first thoughts were that Osama bin Laden might have put in an appearance, or perhaps the fruitcake in charge of North Korea had threatened to nuke Armidale. But why Armidale?
Then I started putting two and two together to make five. Two days ago we saw on television a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade. It wasn't the charge near Sebastopol in the Crimea, which was something of a flop to put it mildly, but a second and highly successful charge at Beersheba in what was then Palestine (in 1917). This charge, involving the 12th Light Horse Regiment (based at Armidale and Tamworth, but including troops from all over New England) was 5 miles long. The greatly out-numbered Australian troops captured Beersheba from the Turks and ultimately that led to the rout of Turkey from Palestine. It is thought to be the last such charge in military history and certainly one of Australia's greatest victories. The light horsemen had no heavy weapons - just rifles.
Anyway, the 30th October was the 90th anniversary of the charge and the re-enactment. amidst great celebration, was in Israel at Beersheba itself and Australian army personnel and veterans went over to ride borrowed horses in another charge on the city. And today, in Armidale, the 12th / 16th Hunter River Lancers - the successors to 12th light horse - exercised their right of freedom of entry to the City of Armidale. This tradition goes back to Charles II in 1660. The event was a great spectacle. The parade was lead by one of Australia's best military bands from Brisbane with lots of marching tunes; the line of armoured vehcles was maybe a mile long (and some dated back many years); the Mayor in scarlet robes and gold chain took the salute; there was a running commentary on the significance of this and that; lots of dignitaries (including my friend the Federal Member for New England, Tony Windsor); and there were lots of old soldiers marching, some in light horse uniforms.
All in all, it was a spectacular free show commemorating a spectacular event in which locals were the participants. There was one jarring note. There wasn't a horse in sight! And then we recalled that our region has an outbreak of horse 'flu and their movement from one district to another is banned. Oh well! There will be another parade in 10 years to celebrate the centenary.
AS
Sunday 28 October 2007
Saturday 27 October 2007
Max is here
Max has graced us with his presence.
However, one of his less enduring features is turning the garden over in a search for beetles and the collection of a large jar of snails now lying comatose in the 'fridge. And the cats have taken off into hiding lest they have their tails pulled and hair removed.
He's also scored three model cars in two days, which might be a record.
AS
Rain!
A miracle has happened after a long dry period. It has rained over the last three days and the landscape has greende up instantly. It's too early to say that the drought is over, but it will be if follow-up rains come as promised.
AS
AS
Friday 26 October 2007
Appointment
Yesterday was a good day. Not only did I get a clean bill of health, but I heard via the grapevine that I have been appointed and Adjunct Professor for a period of at least three years.
That's useful because it provides me with access to library and IT facilities, office space, secretarial support, a lap-top computer and technical backup, stationery supplies, and technical support in working up consultancy and research grant applications.
I'm actually working on an $80K consultancy application today with a business school colleague, Bernice Kotey (an Afro-American). The money is coming from an organisation called the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (CCCCRC), but I know next to nothing about producing cotton. The project involves extensive travel in interesting parts of NSW and Queensland.
AS
That's useful because it provides me with access to library and IT facilities, office space, secretarial support, a lap-top computer and technical backup, stationery supplies, and technical support in working up consultancy and research grant applications.
I'm actually working on an $80K consultancy application today with a business school colleague, Bernice Kotey (an Afro-American). The money is coming from an organisation called the Cotton Catchment Communities Cooperative Research Centre (CCCCRC), but I know next to nothing about producing cotton. The project involves extensive travel in interesting parts of NSW and Queensland.
AS
Thursday 25 October 2007
Terminal Illness?
I was riding my bike furiously on a couple of days last week and felt some strong chest pains. On Thursday I landed an urgent doctor's consultation with great trepidation, but I must say that my young doctor, Vanessa Lloyd, has reassuring presence.
I'm sorry to disappoint anyone looking for a sizeable inheritance! She commanded an immediate ECT scan, which turned up zero problems. So she booked a session with Dracula on Friday morning. It was a nice omen to know that I'm part owner of the pathology business extracting my blood. Well, I got the results back yesterday and they revealed a great rounnd zero. In fact, I'm in the best of shape, which is hardly surprising in that I regularly peddle 21 km on a hilly course in an hour. That exceeds the standards for the local cycling club.
So, what occurred? Well, I think the pains resulted from riding fast into strong and very cold winds wearing very little. No, it wasn't the local variant of world nude cycling day, but it may well have been as I was only wearing shorts and a singlet.
AS
I'm sorry to disappoint anyone looking for a sizeable inheritance! She commanded an immediate ECT scan, which turned up zero problems. So she booked a session with Dracula on Friday morning. It was a nice omen to know that I'm part owner of the pathology business extracting my blood. Well, I got the results back yesterday and they revealed a great rounnd zero. In fact, I'm in the best of shape, which is hardly surprising in that I regularly peddle 21 km on a hilly course in an hour. That exceeds the standards for the local cycling club.
So, what occurred? Well, I think the pains resulted from riding fast into strong and very cold winds wearing very little. No, it wasn't the local variant of world nude cycling day, but it may well have been as I was only wearing shorts and a singlet.
AS
Monday 22 October 2007
Flickr First post
I've just posted to http://www.flickr.com/search/people/?q=Wayward+Rambler&m=names some 20 digital photos of New Zealand. Have a look if you wish at some of the sights we saw over a 2 week period. I'm also putting together a video of the trip.
AS
AS
Sunday 21 October 2007
Coming Home
It's only 5 days to the arrival of Beck and Max for a three day flying (literally) visit. We're suffering serious Max withdrawal symptoms after the 2 week visit to New Zealand and hope we're not vanishing from his radar.
Perhaps not, we have periodic discussions with him on the phone and I suspect he will run to hug us as usual. Anyway, there's a bit of a buzz about the household just now and we're rushing off shortly to buy a booster seat for the car.
Perhaps not, we have periodic discussions with him on the phone and I suspect he will run to hug us as usual. Anyway, there's a bit of a buzz about the household just now and we're rushing off shortly to buy a booster seat for the car.
Here he is crooning at his third birthday party!
AS
AS
Saturday 20 October 2007
Further Education
Both Emily and Rebecca are considering further education at the University of New England. Em wants to do the Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics (which is linked to geography and planning in my new school of Behavioural Cognitive and Social Sciences - BCSS). Lingusitics is less about learning a language and related culture and much more about the scientific (behavioural, psychological and statistical) analysis of language.
Beck is thinking about taking the Masters of Natural Resources, which will be useful for her strategic planning work.
It would be great to have both studying here, although I'm not sure we will see too much of them! The MAAL is entirely on-line and can be taken anywhere in the world - including Baltimore. Indeed, most of the students are over-seas. How about enrolling yourselves? It would give you an excuse to visit us.
AS
Beck is thinking about taking the Masters of Natural Resources, which will be useful for her strategic planning work.
It would be great to have both studying here, although I'm not sure we will see too much of them! The MAAL is entirely on-line and can be taken anywhere in the world - including Baltimore. Indeed, most of the students are over-seas. How about enrolling yourselves? It would give you an excuse to visit us.
AS
Thursday 18 October 2007
Flickr
I now have a Flickr account - got to keep up with the times. Nothing to show yet, so I'll post details when I've hoisted on board some picture of our ramble around NZ.
AS
AS
Shenandoah NP
Em and G have just returned from a weekend camping in the Shenandoah NP. It seems that they came close to being eaten (?) in their tent one night by a local Ursus americanus .
Well, they shouldn't have pitched the damn thing on the edge of the campground right next to the undergrowth!
For more on this escape read: http://gintheus.blogspot.com/ .
AS
Well, they shouldn't have pitched the damn thing on the edge of the campground right next to the undergrowth!
For more on this escape read: http://gintheus.blogspot.com/ .
AS
Em in the USA
We've been entertained for the last two months with some excellent reporting from Emily as she's set up home in Baltimore and travelled to Washington and New York and many places in between. She writes well and is very perceptive about US society.
So, if you're interested in a good read try logging on to: http://emintheusa.blogspot.com/ .
AS
So, if you're interested in a good read try logging on to: http://emintheusa.blogspot.com/ .
AS
Wednesday 10 October 2007
Bridge night
I play bridge on Tuesday night wherever possible and generally have a great time. Last night was an exception. I rarely have enjoyed a session less. The deals were difficult, with partner and I having lots of misfits, bidding and play misunderstandings, or opponents somehow landing on their feet with wild bidding. Even so, we came in second. I guess that such hands are difficult for all, not just us.
Roll on the end of this month when we move into our new clubhouse. The renovations are complete inside, but the car park and ramps are work in progress. Word has it that the premises are brilliantly lit and temperature control is excellent. Better still, we've bought really comfortable chairs, unlike the ones we endured last night. They were a triumph of looks over comfort. I even have my own office space in the club-house as Chief Director.
AS
Roll on the end of this month when we move into our new clubhouse. The renovations are complete inside, but the car park and ramps are work in progress. Word has it that the premises are brilliantly lit and temperature control is excellent. Better still, we've bought really comfortable chairs, unlike the ones we endured last night. They were a triumph of looks over comfort. I even have my own office space in the club-house as Chief Director.
AS
Is this retirement?
Is this retirement? I now seem to be working harder than when I was head of school, getting into work some time after 8 am, returning home late afternoon, and skipping lunch in between. Still, it's a ball. On Monday - just one day, I gave a well received seminar, sent the final materials for an article in a tier 1 international journal, discussed future projects on labour market conditions in north-west NSW with a colleague, and was invited to give a lecture at the University of Queensland. Yesterday, I mainly worked on my paper on Australia's housing affordability for the State of Australian Cities Conference in Adelaide in November and on my current Australian Research Council Grant (with others) on change and adjustment in the agriculture heartland. And today, I'm working up a grant application with the Cotton CRC! As Ned Kelly famously said, "that's life".
Sunday 7 October 2007
Tying the knot
Yesterday, we attended a wedding. Kenneth Whitty, the groom, is the son of Joan and Jim, our - well mainly Dot's - long-time friends. I've known Ken since he was about 3 years old or so and part of Emily's play-group. It was made all the more interesting as the couple had to balance the ceremony with looking after their 11 month old daughter, Ella. The civil ceremony was beautifully done by a local celebrant.
We turned up expecting not to know many of the c.140 people in attendance. Of course, we knew the groom's parents and sat at the top table with them along with another good friend of Dot's, Lorraine. Events got more interesting when I discovered that I knew the bride's father from soccer playing and refereeing days. Then came the stunning discovery that Dot was related to the bride, Lisa, via a circuitous route. The bride's grandfather was a first cousin to Dot's mother. We realised this possibility when an elderly gentleman announced his name (Wilfred Burling) and his home town (Inverell). Now, Dot senior's maiden name was Burling and she was born in Warialda near Inverell and we have Wilfred's book on Burling family history sitting on our shelves! Then a few others turned up and introduced themselves as knowing or knowing about Dot.
So, it was a very pleasant and witty (sorry about the pun) day, with the ceremony held on a property just outside Armidale. A 'property' is a farm in other parlance. Australian weddings are becoming less formal at a rapid rate of knots and I knew that I would not be out of place with designer jeans, an open-neck shirt and no jacket. I even wanted to wear designer brown shoes with a roughed up texture. Dot wanted me looking smarter, so I made some small adjustments only to find that my original conception would have been quite acceptable! I've decided to put a clause in my will that anyone wearing a suit to my funeral will be barred from participating. There's already a clause funding a wake.
AS
We turned up expecting not to know many of the c.140 people in attendance. Of course, we knew the groom's parents and sat at the top table with them along with another good friend of Dot's, Lorraine. Events got more interesting when I discovered that I knew the bride's father from soccer playing and refereeing days. Then came the stunning discovery that Dot was related to the bride, Lisa, via a circuitous route. The bride's grandfather was a first cousin to Dot's mother. We realised this possibility when an elderly gentleman announced his name (Wilfred Burling) and his home town (Inverell). Now, Dot senior's maiden name was Burling and she was born in Warialda near Inverell and we have Wilfred's book on Burling family history sitting on our shelves! Then a few others turned up and introduced themselves as knowing or knowing about Dot.
So, it was a very pleasant and witty (sorry about the pun) day, with the ceremony held on a property just outside Armidale. A 'property' is a farm in other parlance. Australian weddings are becoming less formal at a rapid rate of knots and I knew that I would not be out of place with designer jeans, an open-neck shirt and no jacket. I even wanted to wear designer brown shoes with a roughed up texture. Dot wanted me looking smarter, so I made some small adjustments only to find that my original conception would have been quite acceptable! I've decided to put a clause in my will that anyone wearing a suit to my funeral will be barred from participating. There's already a clause funding a wake.
AS
Saturday 6 October 2007
New Zealand Odyssey
I've been off air for a long time because Dot and I have been travelling around the North Island of New Zeland. I had a 4 day conference in Auckland, but added another 10 days on the road. We visited Northland for three days before the conference and the east coast for the remainder.
Northland was brilliant. It was the area first settled by Europeans and the Bay of Islands (named by Cook in 1769) was picture post-card. We stayed at Paihia overlooking the bay. Fortunately, the weather was mostly tolerable and we visited the Waitangi treaty grounds, Russell, Kerikeri and other places. look them up on the web. We also took to the water and sailed out Cape Brett to see the hole in the rock in pretty heavy Pacific swell. Apparently Cook set foot on some of the islands in the bay. Another attraction were the remnant Kauri forests. The Kauri is one of the world's longest lived trees and also one of the largest. We saw one specimen that was four times as wide as Rebecca is tall - a monster.
The east coast was just as scenic, if not more so. We started with the mountainous Coromandel Peninsula with its endless sandy bays, forests, waterfalls, harbours, and little villages. Highlights included a trip on a railway up the hills behind Coromandel - constructed by an eccentric potter to mine his raw materials (clay); Cathedral Cove - reached by a beautiful coastal footpath; Hot Water Beach; the old mining town of Waihi and the waterfall near Paeroa. At HWB, nearly boiling water lies close to the beach surface where visitors dig large holes in the sand. The holes fill with very hot water (mixed to taste with cool pacific cean water) and people lie down in the water for a sort of Japanese bath. I found a vacated hole and spent 15-20 minutes luxuriating in hot water. Perhaps 40 or more other groups were doing the same!
Then we went to the Bay of Plenty (named because Cook replenished his fleet there in 1769). Maurice and Iris live at Tauranga (Maurice is mum's cousin) and we spent a day with them. During the stay, I climbed Mount Maunganui in a wild gale and driving rain, but the view from the top was spectacular. From there we overnighted at Whakatane (pr. Fakatane) in the hope of voyaging to White Island the following day. White Island is a permanently active volcano 50 km offshore! Unfortunately, the gales of the previous day had left a huge ocean swell and the trip was cancelled.
So, after looking for some geocaches, we headed off to Gisborne on Poverty Bay through wonderful mountain scenery. Cook landed there too, but angry Maori fended off the landing party - hence the name Poverty Bay. Gisborne was pleasant but not spectacular. We pushed on to Napier and I think Dot wasn't expecting much different to Gisborne. She had a shock. Napier was destroyed by a massive earthquake in c. 1930 and then rebuild largely in .... Art Deco style. In fact, it's the Art Deco capital of the world, with more buildings than anywhere else constructed in that style. And I'm converted to Art Deco. If I were to design a new house, it would be in Art Deco style. Go on-line and key Napier Art Deco into Google. You'll see what I mean. Modern architecture isn't in the same league. We had a lovely time there before returning to Auckland via Taupo.
Taupo is on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates and is surrounded by volcanic and associated activity. Rotorua is up the road - with its bubbling mud pools and geysers. Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are across lake Taupo and the former erupted while we were in NZ. Extend the line to Matata on the coast, where there was a Rchter 4 earthquake the day before we went through it! And extend ti further out to sea and you get to White Island. Taupo even generates its electricity by pumping steam out of the ground and sending it direct to turbines! New Zealand has three other names. The Maori called it Aotearoa, which means a highly descriptive "land of the long white cloud". More colloquially, Australians call NZ the "East Islands" (they call us te "West Islands") and the locals call them the "Shaky Isles".
So, that's our trip. We want to go back and any of you who visit us might like to come along.
AS
Northland was brilliant. It was the area first settled by Europeans and the Bay of Islands (named by Cook in 1769) was picture post-card. We stayed at Paihia overlooking the bay. Fortunately, the weather was mostly tolerable and we visited the Waitangi treaty grounds, Russell, Kerikeri and other places. look them up on the web. We also took to the water and sailed out Cape Brett to see the hole in the rock in pretty heavy Pacific swell. Apparently Cook set foot on some of the islands in the bay. Another attraction were the remnant Kauri forests. The Kauri is one of the world's longest lived trees and also one of the largest. We saw one specimen that was four times as wide as Rebecca is tall - a monster.
The east coast was just as scenic, if not more so. We started with the mountainous Coromandel Peninsula with its endless sandy bays, forests, waterfalls, harbours, and little villages. Highlights included a trip on a railway up the hills behind Coromandel - constructed by an eccentric potter to mine his raw materials (clay); Cathedral Cove - reached by a beautiful coastal footpath; Hot Water Beach; the old mining town of Waihi and the waterfall near Paeroa. At HWB, nearly boiling water lies close to the beach surface where visitors dig large holes in the sand. The holes fill with very hot water (mixed to taste with cool pacific cean water) and people lie down in the water for a sort of Japanese bath. I found a vacated hole and spent 15-20 minutes luxuriating in hot water. Perhaps 40 or more other groups were doing the same!
Then we went to the Bay of Plenty (named because Cook replenished his fleet there in 1769). Maurice and Iris live at Tauranga (Maurice is mum's cousin) and we spent a day with them. During the stay, I climbed Mount Maunganui in a wild gale and driving rain, but the view from the top was spectacular. From there we overnighted at Whakatane (pr. Fakatane) in the hope of voyaging to White Island the following day. White Island is a permanently active volcano 50 km offshore! Unfortunately, the gales of the previous day had left a huge ocean swell and the trip was cancelled.
So, after looking for some geocaches, we headed off to Gisborne on Poverty Bay through wonderful mountain scenery. Cook landed there too, but angry Maori fended off the landing party - hence the name Poverty Bay. Gisborne was pleasant but not spectacular. We pushed on to Napier and I think Dot wasn't expecting much different to Gisborne. She had a shock. Napier was destroyed by a massive earthquake in c. 1930 and then rebuild largely in .... Art Deco style. In fact, it's the Art Deco capital of the world, with more buildings than anywhere else constructed in that style. And I'm converted to Art Deco. If I were to design a new house, it would be in Art Deco style. Go on-line and key Napier Art Deco into Google. You'll see what I mean. Modern architecture isn't in the same league. We had a lovely time there before returning to Auckland via Taupo.
Taupo is on the boundary between the Australian and Pacific plates and is surrounded by volcanic and associated activity. Rotorua is up the road - with its bubbling mud pools and geysers. Mts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe are across lake Taupo and the former erupted while we were in NZ. Extend the line to Matata on the coast, where there was a Rchter 4 earthquake the day before we went through it! And extend ti further out to sea and you get to White Island. Taupo even generates its electricity by pumping steam out of the ground and sending it direct to turbines! New Zealand has three other names. The Maori called it Aotearoa, which means a highly descriptive "land of the long white cloud". More colloquially, Australians call NZ the "East Islands" (they call us te "West Islands") and the locals call them the "Shaky Isles".
So, that's our trip. We want to go back and any of you who visit us might like to come along.
AS
Thursday 6 September 2007
Locked Out of Central Sydney
For the best part of a week, Central Sydney is off-limits to the locals because of the APEC meeting. For the uninitiated, APEC stands for Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation, and it's the second biggest group in the world after the United Nations! Members include all countries in East and Southeast Asia (except North Korea); Russia; Australia, NZ and PNG; and the North American Free Trade Area. This is home to roughly half of humanity. It's the group trying to stitch up the Pacific Century, and it's well on its way to that goal.
Well, this meeting is BIG, mainly because the talking is not left to ministers and bureaucrats, but heads of state. So, we have Presidents Hu, Bush, Putin, Yudhoyono, Calderon etc, (China, US, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico), and Prime Minister galore including Abe, Lee, Harper, Badawi, and Clark (Japan, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, and NZ). Bush alone arrived with an entourage of 700 and a fleet of cadillacs - including Cadillac 1, which met Airforce 1. At the moment, this meeting looks a bit like a love-in. For example, Hu has crossed the country signing huge resources deal that make China our biggest trading partner and the leader of the opposition, Kevin Rudd (and very likely next prime minister) addressed Hu in Mandarin Chinese, much to the amazement of the Chinese delegation. Meanwhile, George had a very friendly set of of meetings with John Howard, now his main friend in an increasingly friendless world. Putin is also rumoured to have set up lots of trade deals, greatly increasing Australia - Russia cooperation. This event is making the EU look rather provincial!
Anyway, most of central Sydney is cordoned off for security reasons and tomorrow the citizens have been given a day off. The event has also had its lighter moments. There is a popular satirical TV show called the Chasers War on Everything run by a group of under-30s. The team stages all sorts of stunts to send up powerful interests. For example, it booked two plane tickets for a Mr Al Kyder and Mr Terry Wrist (get it?) booked them in for a flight and they didn't show up. So, the airline paged Mr Al Qaeda and Mr Terrorist to join the flight, which sent the terminal into paroxisms of laughter - and even the announcer got the message that the airline had been set up. Well, today they hired some flash limos, decorated them with some official signs and ran a motorcade past two check points right up to Bush's hotel. And one of the characters who stepped out was no less than Osama bin Laden - well an actor playing the role. They were all arrested, but the stunt will probably be hushed up. Anyway, they showed up lax security!
Well, this meeting is BIG, mainly because the talking is not left to ministers and bureaucrats, but heads of state. So, we have Presidents Hu, Bush, Putin, Yudhoyono, Calderon etc, (China, US, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico), and Prime Minister galore including Abe, Lee, Harper, Badawi, and Clark (Japan, Singapore, Canada, Malaysia, and NZ). Bush alone arrived with an entourage of 700 and a fleet of cadillacs - including Cadillac 1, which met Airforce 1. At the moment, this meeting looks a bit like a love-in. For example, Hu has crossed the country signing huge resources deal that make China our biggest trading partner and the leader of the opposition, Kevin Rudd (and very likely next prime minister) addressed Hu in Mandarin Chinese, much to the amazement of the Chinese delegation. Meanwhile, George had a very friendly set of of meetings with John Howard, now his main friend in an increasingly friendless world. Putin is also rumoured to have set up lots of trade deals, greatly increasing Australia - Russia cooperation. This event is making the EU look rather provincial!
Anyway, most of central Sydney is cordoned off for security reasons and tomorrow the citizens have been given a day off. The event has also had its lighter moments. There is a popular satirical TV show called the Chasers War on Everything run by a group of under-30s. The team stages all sorts of stunts to send up powerful interests. For example, it booked two plane tickets for a Mr Al Kyder and Mr Terry Wrist (get it?) booked them in for a flight and they didn't show up. So, the airline paged Mr Al Qaeda and Mr Terrorist to join the flight, which sent the terminal into paroxisms of laughter - and even the announcer got the message that the airline had been set up. Well, today they hired some flash limos, decorated them with some official signs and ran a motorcade past two check points right up to Bush's hotel. And one of the characters who stepped out was no less than Osama bin Laden - well an actor playing the role. They were all arrested, but the stunt will probably be hushed up. Anyway, they showed up lax security!
Monday 3 September 2007
Elipse
Last Tuesday night (28 August) we were entertained by one of the world's great experiences. It was a full eclipse of the moon by the earth and a beautiful cloudless night and the whole display lasted getting on for two hours. I was playing bridge at the time, but our venue had a wonderful viewing area just outside the emergency exit. Needless to say, the entire 12 playing tables decamped to the viewing platform at the end of each deal and the game was on the slow side.
At the peak of the eclipse, the moon turned a brown-red colour with a thin lighter halo around the edge. It was easy to make out the earth's shadow lying across the moon and the disappearance of its surface crater. In a way, it beat the total eclipse of the sun viewed from Dartmoor a few years ago. That event was spoiled by heavy cloud.
AS
At the peak of the eclipse, the moon turned a brown-red colour with a thin lighter halo around the edge. It was easy to make out the earth's shadow lying across the moon and the disappearance of its surface crater. In a way, it beat the total eclipse of the sun viewed from Dartmoor a few years ago. That event was spoiled by heavy cloud.
AS
Sunday 2 September 2007
Farewell Lunch
I was given a great send-off by 30 colleagues at lunch on Friday, except that I morph from a salaried academic to an adjunct position and continue as usual on Monday with more disposable income than I had on Friday.
My colleagues included professors of Geography, Sociology, Psychology and Archaeology who heaped praise on my career - so much so that I wondered if I were at my own funeral!
I received some useful presents, including a badly needed new watch (not gold), an outdoor weather station, and a large voucher for books.
To cap Friday off, I submitted a revised (post-referee) article to a leading journal. There are four more in the pipeline and I've just published an edited book!
AS
My colleagues included professors of Geography, Sociology, Psychology and Archaeology who heaped praise on my career - so much so that I wondered if I were at my own funeral!
I received some useful presents, including a badly needed new watch (not gold), an outdoor weather station, and a large voucher for books.
To cap Friday off, I submitted a revised (post-referee) article to a leading journal. There are four more in the pipeline and I've just published an edited book!
AS
Celestial Display
Last Tuesday (28 August) we were treated to a brilliant celestial display: a full eclipse of the moon by the earth. It last almost 2 hours and, at the apogee at 8.30 pm, the full moon (in a cloudless sky) turned red-brown surrounded by a feint lighter circumference where the earth's shadow was incomplete. Surface features, such as craters, disappeared and it was almost creepy to see the earth's shadow edging across the moonscape.
It sure beat the last full eclipse of the earth by the moon I saw from the top of Dartmoor. That event was spoiled by heavy cloud.
It sure beat the last full eclipse of the earth by the moon I saw from the top of Dartmoor. That event was spoiled by heavy cloud.
Friday 31 August 2007
Debut
This is my first ever blog posting but I need something extra to do in retirement!
It was triggered by departure of my daughter and son-in-law, Emily and Greg, for a year in glorious suburban Baltimore and will be a way of keeping in touch with them and all my other contacts.
I'll make frequent postings - a bit like a diary, and your responses or contributions are welcome. It will give me a soap-box from which to launch some of my trenchant economic, social, and political views.
Better still, you - and I - can post some pictures, but that will have to wait for the next posting. I must depart for my farewell presentation!
Let's go
Tony
It was triggered by departure of my daughter and son-in-law, Emily and Greg, for a year in glorious suburban Baltimore and will be a way of keeping in touch with them and all my other contacts.
I'll make frequent postings - a bit like a diary, and your responses or contributions are welcome. It will give me a soap-box from which to launch some of my trenchant economic, social, and political views.
Better still, you - and I - can post some pictures, but that will have to wait for the next posting. I must depart for my farewell presentation!
Let's go
Tony
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