I went to Sydney yesterday, going down on the 6.30 am flight and returning that evening at c. 8.30 pm. The reasons for going were four-fold and I managed to pack a lot in. First, three of us from the Digital Economy Implementation Group went and saw a senior bureaucrat in the Department of Regional Development, discussing new approaches to local development strategies. That was a useful visit. Around lunch-time we headed round the corner from the ministry to see Greg Lindsay who runs the Centre for Independent Studies, a pro-market think tank, but not specifically aligned to any political party. I've supported this organisation for a long time and we had an interesting discussion.
Around 2 pm we headed out to Olympic Park to the Samsung offices to meet up with senior manager there who's interested in new technologies of various kinds. It was a fabulous meeting and we (a) got to see some new technologies and (b) get a promise for our contact to visit Armidale to discuss issues with local businesses. At 3.45 pm I reached my stock-broker's office (Ord Minnett) right back in the city centre to discuss our portfolio and what to sell or buy. I ended up selling c. $20,000 of stock, but not buying anything. After an hour there it was time to head to the airport and meet up with my colleague, Alun Davies who was with me at the other three engagements and we waited in the Qantas lounge until our flight was called, sipping wine and eating some interesting nibbles.
So, it was a very busy and productive day. Before seeing one of the ministry's top bureaucrats, Lorna, two of us, Alun and myself, decided to take some coffee and we noticed that opposite the ministry there was the notorious Lindt Cafe on Martin Place in the heart of the business district, and decided to give it a try. I like Lindt chocolate of course and our drinks were great. Why notorious? Well, on 15-16 December 2014 it was the scene of a 15 hour siege by a mad-man which ended in the death of three people, including the gun-man, Man Haron Monis. He was a Shia cleric who was also known as the Fake Sheik. He had been in trouble with the law over assaults on women, but was treated fairly leniently by the courts when it came to issues of bail. Anyway he stormed the cafe, took a large number of hostages, some of whom escaped through the day. Eventually, there was a fatal shoot out in which he was killed and it seems that he was deranged, rather than inspired by the behaviour of Isil or other terrorist groups. We saw no signs of the event while we sipped our drinks, and the cafe was pretty full. But its layout suggests why the gunman was able to control a large number of people and why some might have been able to escape.
Here's the cafe in question:
And visit this web address if you want to read up on the story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Sydney_hostage_crisis
AS
Around 2 pm we headed out to Olympic Park to the Samsung offices to meet up with senior manager there who's interested in new technologies of various kinds. It was a fabulous meeting and we (a) got to see some new technologies and (b) get a promise for our contact to visit Armidale to discuss issues with local businesses. At 3.45 pm I reached my stock-broker's office (Ord Minnett) right back in the city centre to discuss our portfolio and what to sell or buy. I ended up selling c. $20,000 of stock, but not buying anything. After an hour there it was time to head to the airport and meet up with my colleague, Alun Davies who was with me at the other three engagements and we waited in the Qantas lounge until our flight was called, sipping wine and eating some interesting nibbles.
So, it was a very busy and productive day. Before seeing one of the ministry's top bureaucrats, Lorna, two of us, Alun and myself, decided to take some coffee and we noticed that opposite the ministry there was the notorious Lindt Cafe on Martin Place in the heart of the business district, and decided to give it a try. I like Lindt chocolate of course and our drinks were great. Why notorious? Well, on 15-16 December 2014 it was the scene of a 15 hour siege by a mad-man which ended in the death of three people, including the gun-man, Man Haron Monis. He was a Shia cleric who was also known as the Fake Sheik. He had been in trouble with the law over assaults on women, but was treated fairly leniently by the courts when it came to issues of bail. Anyway he stormed the cafe, took a large number of hostages, some of whom escaped through the day. Eventually, there was a fatal shoot out in which he was killed and it seems that he was deranged, rather than inspired by the behaviour of Isil or other terrorist groups. We saw no signs of the event while we sipped our drinks, and the cafe was pretty full. But its layout suggests why the gunman was able to control a large number of people and why some might have been able to escape.
Here's the cafe in question:
And visit this web address if you want to read up on the story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Sydney_hostage_crisis
AS
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