Open thread on Christmas

I am now taking some time holidaying in Sydney – I need to recover from my exhausting European travels - and, for the first time in 30 years, am staying in Sydney’s inner west (Summer Hill).

I am looking forward to some surfing at Bondi and some golf in other parts of Sydney - at Bayview and Pennant Hills in particular.

And I have quite a bit of pre-Christmas socialising to do and some good fiction to read.

It is a bit more than two weeks to Christmas. The last lines summarise what it is mainly about for me. What is Christmas about for you?

Open thread

I am taking a few days off to talk to travel and to people with interests in biodiversity, water and land use management in the Murray-Darling Basin. My main interest is in thinking about water and land management policies with joint biodiversity and agricultural benefits. Eventually I will post on these issues.

Please take advantage of this open thread to raise anything that interests you about the world.

I will be interested to read the new electoral opinion polls on Monday. My tip is a small preference shift to the Coalition - one that will disappoint Coalition supporters but one that will give some comfort to Coalition supporters.

Taking of comfort one’s heart must go out to Mr. Rudd this morning for the unfortunate remarks of his foreign affairs spokesman, Robert McClelland. He argues publicly that we should not get too close to the US given the emerging power of China. Nor should we sign a defense treaty with Japan or enter into joint talks with allies such as India for the same reason. China might be offended by the notion we are trying to encircle it.

This is one of the clowns Labor wants the Australian people to trust with foreign affairs and the security of our nation.

Even the pro-Labor Age told him to shut-up on this one – in the world of diplomacy it is often best to say nothing.

But I suppose even McClelland’s stupidity must have caused Rudd less heartache than his strategist Rod Cameron telling him that he must indeed get tough with the unrepresentative union bosses.

Open thread

I haven’t tried an open thread for quite a while so I’d thought that I try one again. I am taking a break for a few days as I travel and also try to clear out a backlog of work.

To be honest I am also reading a couple of wonderful books that I want to finish. Les Carlyon's The Great War. Just great writing and very emotionally involving. Also reading Andrew Roberts, A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Since 1900. This is ideologically-driven but a welcome change from the usual anti-American, anti-British histories. George Bush liked it, JWH liked it and so do I. I'll post on both these books eventually.

A couple of points Lee pointed out to me in this morning’s press:

• Dr. Alex Wodak argues that John Howard is to blame for the emerging HIV epidemic in Asia because even though he utilises harm-minimisation policies in Australia he says that he doesn’t. Can I hear a fantail cuckoo calling in my backyard? Wodak to the rescue. Poor JWH!
• Drinkers who consume more than 14 standard drinks per week will have brains 1.6% smaller. So that's my problem.

I’ll comment on the situation at La Trobe University – and its purchase of the asbestos-ridden Argus Building - in a future post. Actually, no, I probably won’t - I wouldn't want to disturb Mr. Costello's beautiful unemployment numbers.

My blog is getting more visitors than ever before – numbers have trebled since last December. It would be great if some of you who lurk in the background would introduce yourself – pseudonyms are fine. Of course if you post repeatedly on this blog and wish to use a pseudonym please be consistent and use the same pseudonym.

As usual unrestrained praise for my work in maintaining this blog is welcome as is polite criticism and suggestions for future blog postings.