Boondoggler

Ku-ring-gai to Become New Wai-tara, Chatswoo, E-ping

Sartorial Frankinsane created the offensive Section 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, which allows Minister, god-botherer and World Youth christian, Kristina Keneally, to intervene in the local council processes of assessment and grant approval for developments deemed "State significant" - aka "whatever the Minister determines".

Multi-million dollar developments are being approved in dark rooms with no windows without public accountability or contestability.The sham of public meetings and consultation has been demonstrated in Ku-ring-gai when the panel went throught the motions of listening to 1000 people complaining.  They must be deaf as it made no damn difference.  This was one of the most outrageous displays of public sector arrogance I have ever seen.

Let's get rid of these vandals before the North Shore looks like Wai-tara, Chatswoo or E-ping.

Jim Horn

One of my favourite session men, is Jim Horn.

I first became aware of Jim on the recordings of Duane Eddy & The Rebels, particularly "Rebel Rouser", "Forty Miles of Bad Road", "Yep", "Peter Gunn", "Cannonball", "Pepe", "Because They're Young", "Shazam", and "Some Kind-a Earthquake".

So much so, that at the age of 16, I went to see him at the Liverpool Empire in 1961 on a bill with Clyde McPhatter and Bobby Darin, and was blown away (ha !). I was immediately inspired by the contrast between his honking saxophone (example, on "Peter Gunn" and that haunting flute (example "The Last Minute of Innocence"). It is Jim Horn's flute also of course on Canned Heat's "Goin' Up The Country" and his saxophone on Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind".

After playing with Duane Eddy & The Rebels for 5 years, Jim Horn went on to be perhaps one of the most successful musicians in the world - in terms of being on some of the greatest hit records ever to be put on vinyl. Think of a hit record with great sax or flute - it is probably Jim Horn blowing the reed. This is a small sample, match it if you can ...

Jim Horn Played on these original hits

Helen Reddy	I Am Woman
Ike & Tina Turner	River Deep Mountain High
The Carpenters	For All We Know
Stills & Crofts	Summer Breeze
George Harrison	My Sweet Lord
Fifth Dimension	Up Up and Away
U2	Angel of Harlem
Canned Heat	Goin' Up The Country
Frank Sinatra	Strangers In The Night
John Denver	Take Me Home, Country Road
Smoky Robinson	Tears Of A Clown
Back in the USSR	Paul McCartney in Red Square
Billy Joel	New York State Of Mind
Beach Boys	Good Vibrations
Jackson Browne	Running on Empty
Travelin' Wilburys	Handle Me With Care
Joe Cocker	You Are So Beautiful
Various	Concert for Bangladesh
Mama's & the Papas	California Dreamin'
Righteous Brothers	You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

Beat that ! I wonder where I could by his CDs in Australia ? Perhaps I will have to go to Amazon.

Melbourne Trams Off the Rails

Andrew Lezala will become the Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne Trams (MTM) later this year when MTM takes the baton from the much maligned, Connex. 

Did you know that Andrew Lezala was the head man of London's Metronet, a railways maintenance company ?

So what ?  Metronet went into administration in 2007. 

"Ding-ding. Get a grip."

Death of an Icon

I was saddened to hear this morning of the death of that icon of the marque, Farrah Fawcett.

Farrah rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the TV series Charlie's Angels in 1976. Fawcett later appeared off-Broadway to the approval of critics and in highly rated television movies in roles often challenging.

She was also a pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records, making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s.

Who Pays the Ferryman ?

Well, it depends who you are, evidently.

Maritime Commander of the Royal Australian Navy, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Smith, could not stop writing letters on SIEV-X.  It was his letter to the Canberra Times in which he repeated the "unthrown children" evidence that the first time he heard of SIEV-X  was after it had sunk.

Of course, we now know that later a defence witness blew away his story at the inquiry.

Having proved his unsuitability for high office, he then becomes CEO of Sydney Ferries - and now he thinks it's okay to rack up $237,000 on his Ferries Credit Card on his own mortgage, groceries, school fees and furniture.

"Australia expects that every man will do his duty".

Interestingly, Nelson's signal itself required twelve "lifts" - for the eight full words and the four letters that spelt out the word "duty".

One lift will throw Rear Admiral (Ret'd) and CEO (Sack'd) Smith overboard.

Fittler Legless Again

So, Brad Fittler has now been found by Police, rotten drunk and half-naked, trying to get into somebody else's room.

This is almost as good as being dropped by a taxi driver at a Police Station when he was again ratted.

Yet again the ARL seems to think this is all ok.  Speaking on behalf of the Roosters, Noyce said that the

".. coach has fined himself a substantial amount of money and apologised. I think that sends the message out that this club is serious about this and that is the action that we need to take."

What ?  Don't make me laugh.   It says that the club is taking no action whatsoever and thinks that this self-imposed fine is okay.

Real Men Drive Utes

Australian Prime Ministers have a history of manipulating inquiries by restricting investigations and "designing" referendum questions to yield a required result (Howard and the Republic Referendum).  This one is no better than his predecessor.

This time, in relation to the John Grant Cars "Talegate" affair, Rudd has  requested the Auditor General to investigate the matter, but has constrained the investigation in the Terms of Reference.

Poor old Godwin Grech.  He is a wretched man.  Tormented by his honesty, altruism, troubled memory, his job security and the lack of evidence. He is caught in the jaws of politics and truth.

No emails can be found "on Dr. Charlton's computer and system".  Well, of course not. Andersons, Enron, the Goss Queensland Government, PwC all had a shredder.

The modern shredder is special software.  It is no use saying that nothing was found in the "Deleted" emails folders either.  Even I can "disappear" emails and audit trails for the web browser (e.g. Google Zapper to hide my searches), beyond the standard tools.  It is not hard !  Am I suggesting that bureaucrats know how to hide where they have been and what they are doing on computer.   Please !

The Ruddles are onto him though.  He will be "fixed" by an investigation whose outcome has been secured by the constraints and limitations of the Terms of Reference as follows ...

"whether any representations in relation to John Grant were made by the prime minister's  office to the treasurer's office or the Treasury after the announcement of the OzCar program"

1. The investigation is limited to "representations" rather than "any communications whatsoever".
2. The investigation is limited to communications between the PMO and the TO rather than the indiviuals concerened at any email address (including Hotmail, Gmail and others)
3. The investigation excludes other computers outside the Offices of PM and Treasurer
   
4. The investigation is limited to correspondence AFTER the announcement of the OzCar program.

Oh dear.

Light Brain System off the Rails

How bizarre !

The State Government is seriously contemplating a $70,000,000 proposal to extend Sydney's light-rail line through the high-density inner-western suburbs.

At the same time, they want to build an underground metro railway with yet a different gauge train, rolling stock and track, with its $5,300,000,000 price tag. 

We will then have FOUR different protocols for rail transport ...

1. heavy mainline rail (our current double decker heavy rail)
2. light rail trams (like Melbourne)
3. the monorail mini trainsets that go around in circles on overhead tracks
4. metro rail train sets (like the London Tube)

You know, there's nothing like consistence, planning and a sense of direction.  I think that what we really need now is trolley buses.  Well, we don't have any of them.

I thought the State's finances were stuffed.

We have a heavy rail suburban system that needs fixing and extending.  Why on earth would we build a silly Mickey Mouse tram system to a place like Rozelle - far canal ... who wants to go there ?  Why would we build a fast, short journey, underground, multi station system to 30 kilometres out of the City.

Oh if we could only get rid of these bozos !

Sydney's Spiritual Squire of Soul & Sandals

Where   : North Shore's FM99.3 Studios
Weapon : Panasonic TZ3 

Our local Radio Station, the North Shore's FM99.3, is running its annual Radiothon ... a subscriber drive. 

Here's the Monk, the station's Spritual Squire of Soul and Sandals, the "Big O" (that's "O" for Gavin) in action - talking with his listeners, telling them all about the fabulous prizes he has waiting for the next subscriber.  That's the way Gavin, setting a cracking pace and a great example for his fellow presenters to match.  Go Gav !

It's been a pretty busy start.  I've been down there all day - and made a cameo appearance on "Bruce "Spot" Potter's top class show, "Friday on My Mind",  to launch the drive.  Great show.  Lots of fun ... sport, vacations, pets ... supported by some colourful characters (Uncle Rhoddy, "the Round Mound of Sound" and "Monk", the "Spiritual Squire of Soul & Sandals").

Andrew "The Bear", picked up the mike as "Spot on the Landscape" legged it out the door.  Our very own cuddly grizzly got right into convincing local businesses to take up the station's packages to peddle their wares and services.  At the last count, Andrew had in his own charming and unassuming way captured the minds and wallets of half a dozen or more shrewd business men and women of the North Shore. Great stuff Andrew !

So far it's been a great day and terrific start to Radiothon '09 - where we have lots of prizes being given away every day for 10 more days ...  including :-

• an electric golf buggy worth $700 and a golf bag from Battery Golf
• from Trumps Music in North Sydney, a new Epiphone guitar valued $1000 signed by Alan Lancaster of Status Quo
• this collector's guitar has been framed by Frame88 of Willoughby
• sets of pearls from Ian Burt, Gemologist
• $500 worth of beauty treatment from the Lily Room, Cosmetic Medical Clinic at Chatswood
• accommodation for 2 "with the works" at the Q Station in Manly worth $500
• a Ford Special Vehicles Pack worth $700 from Alto Ford of Artarmon
• a full sized FoosBall Soccer Table
• a $400 Gift Voucher from Bias Boating of Lane Cove
• bottles of Schnapps from Larks of Tasmania 
• a weekend hire of a super red Volvo C70 Convertible from Volvo Australia
• dinner for two at Sapporo Restaurant
• a brand new mountain bike worth $800 from Cranks Cyclery at Chatswood
• Lunch for 2 at the Greengate  in Killara
• a great guitar worth $400 from Turramurra Music
• a 6 month subscription to the Sydney Morning Herald
• ... and lots more

So much value here ... you get to support the local Radio Station which plays good music, unlike other stations and supports its local community, while getting a chance to win a great prize - worth many times the value of the subscription. In addition, it is VERY possible, that you might get a special prize !

The Station supports the North Shore Community, and local Australian artists; it provides access to local people and focuses on news and events, sports and arts, traffic and transport, development, the environment, health, education, youth and civic affairs on the North Shore.

Do yourself a favour .... get behind the Station that gets behind you !

Subscribe to the North Shore's FM99.3 today.

Carr on the Skids

Minister Carr is a contradiction in terms. No spark, no wheels, flat battery.

Holden's future is dependent on decisions yet to be made by Obama's new Board of Directors and Administrators over the next 3 months. Announcing now that GM Holdens "is safe" and "won't be affected" is plainly silly and irresponsible.

Holden's accounts are corrupted by subsidies, grants, allowances, transfer pricing, soft loans, tax accounting and sweetheart deals either with the Australian Government or overseas parties including GM itself.

Anyone who thinks that GM Holdens is a viable business is dreaming.