A fillip for Oz

His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, KG (Knight of the Garter), KT (Knight of the Thistle), OM (Order of Merit), GBE (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), AK (Knight of the Order of Australia), QSO (Companion of The Queen's Service Order), PC (Privy Counsellor).

Furore, outrage, huffin' and  puffin' , righteous indignation.These were some of the emotions that greeted the announcement that Prince Philip had been awarded an Australian knighthood. Tony's the man that done it! Captain's pick,purred he, then a couple of days later told everyone to take it easy, calm down, take a step back etc etc.  

In a hut in remote Yaohnanen on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific,  there is a shrine dedicated to The Duke of Edinburgh with clippings, correspondence and portraits, Children on the island are taught about a god who lives overseas in England and who will one day return , sleep in a hut and hunt for pigs with the villagers. Should be fun, he's always been a keen sportsman.

So, no furore here, not so perhaps,  amongst the pigs.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-27/prince-philip-the-styles-and-titles-of-the-british-royal/6048142

Same old, same old.....

The RePUBlican issue again

Off we go again..having lain dormant for quite a number of years this rather emotive issue of Australia as a republic is being taken up by the opposition leader. Bill Shorten.

I am not going to argue for or against just to note that the newer generations of Australians will no doubt, because if their background, be more flexible in the way they regard Australia. The older generation will buck the trend..it will still take a while as the ways and means as to how to arrange the whole thing has still to be sorted out. 

The appointment of the sage and true is a notoriously complex issue. Not without reason do they say that the bumble bee is a bird designed by a committee. 

It's a man thing

Venus or Mars anyone?

Once men lose their ability to open jars or bottles for the fairer sex, they will be done for. Women, in most Western countries, are coming to the fore in all areas of activity.
The male of the human species has, as do women, unique traits. For example he does not like the feeling of helplessness unless of course some little bimbo flutters her eyelids at him, turning his knees to jelly. Women being the more canny know this and use this to their advantage. A sure fire way for the female to escape a speeding ticket is to break down into tears this works a charm. Unless the officer is herself female, then all bets are off.
In Germany, a landlord sued his tenant for damage to the bathroom marble floor caused by, you guessed it, splashes and dribbles. The landlord demanded about Euro 1500,99 in damages. The judge in Dusseldorf dismissed the claim ruling that the man's method was "within cultural norms".
There is a debate in Germany concerning the man's right to urinate standing up as opposed to sitting down.Some public toilets, in fact, have signs that indicate urinating in an upright position is verboten and those who choose to urinate sitting are referred to derogatorily by their colleagues as sitzen pinkler. 
While domesticated man's position in the household, in the West, is morphing dramatically and household arguments over ways and means are increasing as a result, the judge's ruling was a message to "p... off" .
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30937492

Australia Day 2015

Up a gumtree

In 1980 , Australia had a population of about 15 million, Today that figure is a little over 25 million. We'll obviously have a job catching up with China and India's numbers but frankly who cares? In 1980 , one of the topics of conversation was Australia's population sustainability but the dark mutterings of doom and gloom seem to have abated.
Australia has sun, sand sea and endless beaches but is also populated by venomous insects, arachnids, sharks and monstrous  salties . They thrive in the temperate climate. Then there are the big red kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums , brumbies and bilbies.  Too numerous to mention are other unique fauna like the cross between a duck and a mole, the platypus , or the egg-laying anteater, the echidna. Lastly , as far as the weather goes there's feast or famine with either too much or too little rain.  
So there we are. Many reasons and more to celebrate . 
What do you reckon?

"Barbecued gum leaves doesn't do it for me, I'm sorry"

Money,money,money

It's a rich man's/woman's world

They have an armed bicycle unit, knives, milk chocolate, cow bells, mountains, cheese fondu and cuckoo clocks. They are also very wealthy. It's one of the few places where I have seen a used Rolls Royce Silver Cloud for sale in a used car lot. 

Both admired and criticized for their long held position of neutrality in world affairs , the Swiss however, have been unable to avoid being dragged into the wild and whacky world of international finance.

This week, the Board of the Swiss Central Bank effectively muttered a collective "Bugger it!" and unpegged the Euro from it's Swiss Franc 1.20 counter value where it had been since 2011.

Briefly, investors have been looking for security and have been buying U.S.Government Bonds and Swiss Francs. The incoming tidal surge  of Euros put the country in an intolerable position according to economists, Switzerland's currency reserves accumulating to 70% of its GDP.

Panic set in and as well as banks being unable to handle the demand for Euro as the Swiss went on a buying spree (the value dropped to parity eg 1 on 1 a twenty percent appreciation against the Euro ) a number of hedge funds went belly up. In Freiburg , just across the border from Basle, locals vented their spleen on talkback radio at the hundreds of Swiss citizens whose cars filled all available parking spaces while they frolicked through department stores buying, buying, buying.

Long criticised by many, amongst them the Pope himself, for its inertia and sluggish approach to their economies, the Eurozone is beginning to see the light and talk of stimuli is rife in thousands of classy Michelin star restaurants ( over bottle of red  ) not just any old plonk but Chateau stuff .

With the Greek elections and much marking time as the reforms are considered, it would seem the Euro is in for another rough trot.