Category: General

A Day of Disillusionment

Boadicea needed her signature witnessed on a UK document, and I needed a ‘proof of identity’ copy of my drivers licence notarised, so we toddled off to the local court house to see the volunteer JP.

We have a different system in Australia – well, we do for many things, of course – if documents are to be formalised, it’s a JP who does the deed.   He/She is a notary public, authorised to do such things.   You find them in shopping malls usually, or if you’re at work one of your mates will probably be a JP, or failing that someone in HR is sure to be.   It’s all free, but it’s also very legal – they have a little stamp, and everything.   Nothing, but nothing is legal in Australia unless a JP has seen it, signed it and stamped it.

They are almost invariably very nice people – after all, they’re giving their 3 or 4 hours attendance free – and today’s chap was no exception. Continue reading “A Day of Disillusionment”

Anzac Biscuits

I hope all Aussies are having or have had a happy Australia Day. To join in the celebrations I bought a packet of Anzac Biscuits at a local supermarket, even though Anzac Day itself isn’t for a couple of months. I’d never noticed them before.

According to the blurb on the packet, these biscuits celebrate “the enduring spirit of Australian and New Zealand men and women and assumed an increasingly important role as World War I dragged on.” They were baked at home using the ingredients available, rolled oats, golden syrup and flour and were sold as fund-raisers for the Red Cross. Now the company donates (a meagre) 4% of sales to support veterans, through the Royal British Legion in the UK.

They’re not the most exciting biscuits ever, and now use dessicated coconut as well, but they’re good for dunking. Am I the only person never to have noticed these biscuits on the shelves before?

A Night at the Orchid II

He walked slowly over to the revolving bar and eased himself onto one of the chrome and red leather seats, he swivelled in to face the bar and caught the eye of a bartender who moved quickly towards him, ‘Usual Sir?’ The man nodded and took out a slim gold cigarette case which he opened, glancing around at the other occupants of the bar as he did so. The usual Saturday night crowd he thought as he reached into his pocket to replace the case, taking out a gold Dunhill lighter from its custom made pocket in the jacket of the suit. He lit his cigarette and blew the smoke upwards as the barman returned with his  tonic water, the ice clinking in the tall glass as he placed it on the bar in front of him andtaking the ten shilling note offered. ‘That’s ok’ said the man, ‘keep it,’ the barman was not surprised by the man’s generosity, he always tipped well and as a consequence was never,  kept waiting when when the bar became busier later on. The man swung around on his seat and surveyed the dance hall confirming his earlier thought that it was the usual crowd. It was amazing how many people were creatures of habit when it came to the ritual mating ground of a Mecca ballroom, same place, same time, same faces. Two girls walked past him and one flashed him Continue reading “A Night at the Orchid II”

Social Cohesion

Every society contains stress between unifying forces and divisive forces, stress that increases with social complexity. Social cohesion is constantly threatened by the competing interests of different groups, some in direct conflict. Primitive, societies suffer the least stress because they are held together by strong, normative rules that are ancient, internalised, unwritten and unquestioned.

As a society becomes open to change the need arises for explicit rules from a priest or other acknowledged authority. In post Norman-Conquest England cohesion was achieved through feudalism, in which everyone knew their place. As England opened further through trade in the fifteenth and sixteenth century feudalism gave way to rising individualism, leading to confrontation between King and Parliament.

The rise of individualism began to challenge the concept of any central authority and society was in danger of fragmenting. Continue reading “Social Cohesion”

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I was up on the top tier of the Duckpond Pavillion today, a corporate suite withe a magnificent view, it’s high, very high but once seated and acclimatised to the perspective a fantastic place to watch the action.

Free food and drink all day served in our seats by waitresses 🙂