New Year

Right, all youse out there.  I can’t access the homepage since Boadicea changed the banner, but I need help anyway.

I have been enticed into providing a late and sumptuous lunch on New Year’s Eve.  This is not a problem.  The problem is that the NSW, having  four straight days of leave, has indicated her desire to spend the following day in bed with a box of Belgian chocolates and a litre of my favourite Campo da Gruta white wine, the name of which translates wonderfully as ‘Cave Country’ and is therefore as dear to my heart as Mr. Mackie’s ‘Embra’ ale is to him.   Whether or not my own active participation in this venture is required has yet to be ascertained.

But I digress.  Not only is chocolate and wine involved, but she wants to watch movies too, starting with “Avatar” and I’m supposed to come up with a playlist.  My initial suggestions of 633 Squadron, The Good The Bad and The Ugly, a recorded National Geographic documentary about wolves (Wot!!  Doesn’t everyone??) and the definitive version of the 1966 World Cup campaign was met with that particular look I know does not bode well.

Help!!  Any suggestions from The Third Man or Brief Encounter to whatever is in the cinemas this year would be gratefully received.

OZ

The Rule of Law

A little while ago someone on MyT wrote in defence of ‘the rule of law’, arguing that the law must be respected even when we disagree with it. The plea was made because of growing disrespect for the courts and the police. Nowhere in the piece did he mention the need for the offices of the law to respect the will of the people. He argued that anarchy was the only alternative to the rule of law. While that may be correct, one must distinguish between the principle and the practice. What should be done when specific laws, or legal interpretations, disregard the will of the people, and themselves threaten to bring anarchy to the streets? What is to be done when the courts release people like the man on the right, the murderer of Schoolmaster Phillip Lawrence, a man whose lawyer told us, had ‘learned his lesson’. His release was ‘contrevorsial’, but the protests were ignored (As usual). Within months, this creature has been rearrested for a violent crime. The rule of law in specifics seems to be flawed.

The Barmy Army

My signed bat

December 2004

Was it really that long ago? Let me explain…

It would have been in the November that the principal of Quest School phoned to say that the local sports club that is (almost) adjacent to the school had been asked to host The Barmy Army’s charity event and wanted to donate the proceeds to us!

Remarkable.

Prior to the first test on any overseas tour The Barmy Army contact a local cricket club and hold a charity event, normally a limited overs match between their members and a ‘celebrity’ local team, followed by an auction of tickets, various memorabilia and a ‘fines’ session.

I made contact with Dave, the club captain and volunteered any help if he needed, not necessary he said but if I could arrange for a couple of children to come along, fine.

The event was planned for the 16th December, the day before the 1st test starting at St Georges Park and as luck would have it a public holiday!

Well, we arranged for a couple of extra items for the auction (a couple of cellphones, helicopter flip, game drive, the sort of things that a touring cricket supporter could use) and arranged a school picnic with all the children in their school tracksuits.

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