Jerry_Atrick

Friday evening was a night flapping the guns with my mate, who is about 40, single, and lives in teh CBD. He works for an Aussie Bank. We were at the Harp and Hound, which used to be the Sports Tapp or some such establishment. It wasn't a bad pub; He was in Guinness and I was on lemon, lime and bitters I took the train in form East Camberwell to Flinders St, via the City Loop. The trains are a little bland, but quite nice and clean. And while the city is abound with graffiti, there wasn't much or any that I noticed - on the way in or out. Flinders Street has had an upgrade or two, but still, as it has always been IMHO, a bit of a crap station - the facade excepted. The toilets were a pit - much worse than anything I saw in London.. I am getting used to the trough style of urinals - in the UK, they are mainly individual tear-dropped porcelain urinals... But I don't mind either.. But the state of them i terms of cleanliness was bordering on unattended old footy ground dunnies.. I wallked down Elizabeth street to Collins Street; up Collins Street to Queen Street and then a right towards Bourke Street where the pub more or less is. I followed the same route back to Flinders Street for the train home. I passed a couple of night clubs t about 11:30pm, of which for some, queues were forming. There was not much to report - younger set mostly with smiles on their faces and talking seemed enjoying themselves. All seemed very well behaved - but it was early. The Flinders street end of that part ofthe world is still a bit grotty.. On the train at about 10 to midnight and it went via the loop. Again a lot of the younger set and very well behaved - many going home for their shift of partying or drinks after work. It was a pleasant atmosphere to be honest. Although for some reason, my prostate decided it would grow and I had an urgent urge to go to the loo, so I had to decamp at Richmond, praying they had toilets and they were open. They did, and they were, and they were a pleasant experience compared to Flinders Street. There were people coming and going through the station - the drum of a night club nearby was providing a steady stream of foot fall. But, the rail dunnies being open on what seemed an unattended inner suburban station at that time of night was a dream. Then I realised, I could have got a train home from Richmond at up to close to 1am.. This is about an hour and h half later than one from London (Tubes run a little later). So, Melbourne does cater much better for its revellers than London. Back to the pub they had an Irish folk band who were reasonable. My mate wanted to know what my impressions of Melnoiurne were on the basis he may now be acclimatised. I explained that it is a 20 year gap, because although I have been here a few times since, up until this one, they were all mercy dashes for a couple of days to handle th mercy. This mercy dash I decided to allow myself enough time to take some time out. He was particularly interested in whether or not I thought Melburnians seemed happy. I can't answer that without some sort of polling, but I mentioned they seemed more content wherever I have gone. There is an air of people who walk around with almost smiles on their faces and the pace is more relaxed. He mentioned that at his job, the work life balance is excellent and gave reasons why.. so much different to London, yet we work in much the same area. In the UK, people walk around with an almost grimace on their face and in London, everything is head-down, rushed, and almost elbows out. So Melbourne (and I guess, Australia), wins on that one.

This eve, I am off to the city to catch up with a mate.. next report will be on the nightlife (he lives in the city and we are just catching up at his local)

Well,, for this first post, it is the good, the bad, and the ugly about Melbourne ad surrounds that I have seen so far.. And the meh? (in other words, makes no real difference). Since 2005, I have been back about 6 times; all mercy dashes or admin (estate). But this is the first time I decided to take some time to reacquaint myself a bit and not just run around like a chicken with my head cut off. So, I have taken some time out to jot down some notes.. ans keeping it apolitical, here is what I have observed or has stuck out in my mind: The Vic Market food hall.. It is so good and should be a national institution. I know the Adelaide Market is excellent, too.. maybe better. But there is something about that building which has changed little since I can remember it; my earliest memory is when I was 5; which is 55 years ago. The selection/variety of produce; the quality, and the prices are not that much more than supermarket from what I could see. Speaking of food - the bad.. It is expensive - more so than in the UK and by a way. Also on food, the supermarket quality - at least where we are and where I have visited has improved markedly. When I first moved to the UK, unbelievably, the UK supermarket food was better than Colesworth... But, the tables have turned again. The consumer chocolate bars - are the ugly. I should get quite trim after moving back as I can't see myself eating many at all. I know when I left Australia and the first visits, they were very similar to the UK, but somewhere along the line, the majors here changed the recipe to US style 0 mire sugars, palm oils I guess and the rest... it tastes like US chocolate now... Which was a real shame as I finally got my hands on a Chokito... which was my childhood favourite. Probably never again. Multiculturalism: For some peoples complaints on here, it doesn't seem to be particularly different to when I left, nor when I was a kid. The nature of the multiculturalism has changed, and I have noticed in Melbourne in particular, there is a proliferation of Asian eateries, but to be honest, while I think it is quite OK, on the scale, it is a bit meh? I know someone will point out that I can go to areas which are quite different.. It seems in Victoria, wherever they can put a shop, they will. I think it is over-developed commercially, and that it is bland, US style mass shopping architecture. Definitely a bad. I think Melbourne has become more Bohemian.. It has a vibe that shouts emerge from the conservative past and embrace different. I really like its vibe. Although, with the development of all those high rises around the market area, it did feel a little claustrophobic. Not great. The roads, despite some potholes and crumbling are fantastic. Getting around during the day with the traffic levels was a breeze... but Having to watch the speedo to ensure I wasn't a few licks over the limit was a pain.. I could easily have done 120kph on the Hume and it would have not been one iota less safe in reality.. I am sure there is more of the good bad and ugly, and no doubt as I recall or come across them, I will add the to here.. But it really has whet the appetite to get moving.

Count Binface: The above poll is a national poll and not the people of Clacton, but it doesn't bode well for them becomming the next governing oarty, does it, since I think they have lost over 10% so far, and it will get worse.

and execute on it.. Words are cheap.

On another note; this trip has seen some quite strong urges to have a glass or two.. the wine here is so much better than that available in the UK, IMHO. But, I have so far not relented.. Very happy about that. I have drinks with a mate in Melbourne tomorrow night - See how that goes... But so far, so good. Come October, I will return, but probably no where near the quantity as previous.. It will coincide with the next visit ...

Small town - can't drive fast 😉 Just back from the aeroclub eve.. Lovely people - very welcoming..

Well, a week has passed since I arrived on these fair shores.. I decided to travel up to Tocumwal today to look at some land that may feature in my retirement. But, a nice surprise - I reconnected with my ab initio flight instructor of over 30 years ago! It was fantastic to meet up We flapped the gums chatted about old times and of course our different journeys; and I happen to be in town of the evening of the local aero club meet. So, will do the three S's and trundle off shortly to meet the local aviation fraternity, Doesn't get much better than that!

Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Sizewell B has just been granted a 20 year lIfe extension at a cost of £800BN. It still hasn't found a home for the nuclear waste which is "temporarily" housed at its on site dome. I have worked at Sizewell B and it is an expensive plant to keep going. But the thing is, it is an extension to existing plant. It is not investing in new plant. It's suitability doesn't automatically apply to Australia. 25 years ago - yeah nuclear would have been the way to go for Aus. But renewables technology has moved too far forward now.. And it continues to do so. And allowing it to go ahead is probably more a political decision than technical

Yours looks a little warmer than where I was last night on the Bellarine Peninsula (come to think about it, not too far from where home is for you)

And the point is?

I would have said bringing some of the good weather with me. As it was, the plane had more lateral movement on landing than I thought normal

How can you fellas say its wet here. Today at tulla (Crappy phone camera)

Or did a bot post this?

But fair

In the event anything went awry with the job you would have to pick up the tab to make good. A contract designed to avoid paying CGT is an illegal contract and totally unenforceable. Yes, they do rob other taxpayers and as a result, things like income tax rates and even CGT itself theoretically has to be higher. Also my guess is should the taxman find out about it, you will have to cough up the GST + penalties + interest. Even if they charged you the CGT component as well. In fact it is likely the extra 10% you would have paid had you not questioned it will be calculated as the invoiced amount and then the 10% applied to determine how much GST you initially owed. I know this is something you wouldn't normally do, and as we all do, is a lapse.. but as they won't declare the job, they are increasing the casts they can offset against jobs they do put on the books, thereby reducing the tax they pay on those profits.. and by not putting that job on the books, they are also avoiding paying tax on the profits they make on that. It adds up to more than the GST saved in lost tax revenue

On another topic.. Who would have thought that one would say I am travelling from the UK to Australia to cool down for a bit?

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Follow the money.. all will be answered

Slurred words

I don't disagree.. I just googled average afl club revenue v average nba (USA) revenue and according to the fountain of knowledge the average revenue for an NBA team is 18 times that of the average revenue of an AFL team. Given there are only 5 players on the basketball court v 18 on the afl field per team, the revenue per player skyrockets

I don't think any of the AFL clubs are privately owned (though Sydney was for a bit). I am guessing none of the ARL clubs are either. I know a lot of clubs or the league oats rent to the stadiums they do not own. It may not be entirely profitable bit it keeps it affordable for a good number of people. Compared to Europe and the USA, sports here is positively poor

Actually, I figured I woould try one more local shop to see if they could take the bike while I was in Aus.. To their credit, they said they would, but they aren't the best with electrics and I would be paying for their training. I liked that honesty. They referred me to the shop that they send their bikes to, which is the one I wanted to go to that has no availability until the end of August. I booked it in anyway, in case I can't fix it myself on my return; At least it is scheduled and won't be pushed back even further.

Well, Belgium won.. So, the USA is out. I feel sorry for the team, because normally I - and I bet many millions more - are very happy with the result, rather than either ambivalent or even sorry they went out. No one I have spoken to, including two yanks over here, wanted the USA to win.