Enganese

Check out this fine piece of literature, as produced by Japan Airlines' Marketing Department (it was handed to Ivan during his flight to the UK)

New Minister for Bulldozers and Clearfelling

New Federal Forestry Minister Eric Abetz came out fighting yesterday after being handed responsibility for Tasmania's most controversial issues.

Given the junior Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, Senator Abetz wasted no time infiring the opening shots against fellow Tasmanian Senator Bob Brown and his Green party.

Full story here......

I do also tend to agree with Duncan Kerr's sentiments:
"..........The news that Hon Sen Eric Abetz is to become the minister for Fisheries Forestry and Conservation will be greeted with shaking heads in Tasmania and on the mainland

The only thing that keeps the appointment in perspective is that previous holders of that office have included Wilson Tuckey and the forgettable sacked minister who was Senator Abetz’s immediate predecessor.

It seems this is a position the Prime Minister reserves for the odd balls and those going nowhere........."

Whale whale wail!

It bloody cold

Well, I heard it was thirty nine degrees in Hobart on Sunday. That's thirty six degrees hotter than it is in London today. It's grey and cold, and they reckon it'll snow by Wednesday. Rode my bike into work for the first time in about ten days, and it near killed me. Poor sod's gonna have to stay in Soho for the next few days.....:(
The picture of Trafalgar Sq was taken at 4.08pm.

Katie's Birthday extravaganza

Lovely Katie turned 27 on the seventeenth. To celebrate (and to ensure Ivan got his full quota of long nights), we had a bash at Pyrland Road on the fourteenth. Till about midday on the fifteenth. A rockin' night of drinking, debauchery and dancing was had by all, as evidenced by the pix wot we got here.

Naomi on the wireless

My friend Naomi has just been on ABC Radio National's Breakfast show talking about her two contributions to the new "supplementary volume" of the Australian Dictionary of Biography. You can listen to the segment here (requires RealPlayer).

Finally, a flat white in London..shame about the temperature

Well, at last there's a cafe in Soho that understands the term "flat white". That's the name of the cafe, so you'd hope they would. Run by some Australians in the Berwick Street Market. I went there this morning to test them out. They were trialling an apprentice, and the governor was watching him like a hawk. "I'll mark you out of ten" he said. I gave him seven for presentation, four for fullness of the cup, eight for quality of the coffee and three for temperature of the drink (ie it was luke warm...tho maybe they're from Melbourne). That's twenty two out of forty. I'll give them one more go, but at £1.50, I'm expecting better next time.

www.flat-white.co.uk

POST SCRIPT, 17.1.2006. Went back to Flat White this morning on the way to work. Coffee good, right temperature. Barrista (Cameron?) inattentive, answered mobile while making my coffee, and the price has gone UP THIRTY PENCE to £1.80. This would now have to be one of the more expensive coffees in Soho. I won't be going back.