..Centre and Right’s backbone of Australia. About two years ago as I waxed loquacious about caravan parks as one model for solving the problem of too many people occupying too much space at too greater cost. If you drive around Australia’s major cities you see good arable land being swallowed up by McMansions for workers…

.. is as lovable as I obviously am. I think I mentioned that I heard a program on RN on the way home from a gig at The Lomond recently by a young-ish, deaf-ish BBC chap who’d ventured into the world of hearing aids and was trying to demystify the process for the large-ish section…

Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. .. (I think it was on the ABC) about an apparently typical family in North Korea. (Let’s get over the ‘what is typical’ debate before we go any further). Of course, by Western standards they weren’t that well off in terms of consumer goods that may or may not qualify…

Dick’s Toolbox cont. ..“Brilliance of the Sea” loomed down the channel dragging a tug “The Lourdes” behind as a token optimistic handbrake. The immensity was stunning, people like a myriad coloured dots acned the decks , the sun was momentarily blocked out as if by a partial eclipse. Our fearful eyes followed the boat’s path…

Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. .. smoke. I can’t see that having any long-term effect. I think kids generally see smoking as a measure of maturity and sophistication for one thing, and if parents and oldies are agin it, it must be especially worth doing for another. Maybe that’s the clue. Maybe it’s time for…

..am easily led by my friends who think it will be a good thing and within my capabilities. The event takes two days and the first day goes from Bright, over Mount Hotham to Omeo. The second day goes from Omeo over the back road to Falls Creek and thence over Tawonga Gap back to…

.. that Bad doesn’t get the girl in the end, but he does get his song-writing groove back . And about the songs, I was almost surprised that I liked them quite a lot. Stylistically they were veering towards country-rock for the most part, but they were consistently better than average with smart, self-deprecating lyrics….

S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M M I K E R U D D B I L L P U T T . C O MM M I K E R U D D B I L…

S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M S P E C T R U M M I K E R U D D B I L L P U T T . C O MM M I K E R U D D B I L…

Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..It’s bad enough having stuff thrust upon me, but when I actively seek to bring more of it into the house, I begin to wonder at my sanity. Afterall, I’ve already got a whole lot more stuff than I can handle and only a tiny house – something’s gotta go!…

..think where I would insert a car chase into ‘Pride and Prejudice’, ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘War and Peace’ I am sure that roar of a seven litre V8 bouncing off the rev limiter would add wider audience appeal. Which brings me only slightly indirectly, much like a TomTom GPS car navigation system in the…

.. it was firing there was nothing quite as awesome as Ariel live. But Ariel was as erratic as it was incandescent and it couldn’t last. I was so crushed by the whole experience I retired on the spot and toyed with the idea of never performing again. By way of taking a break I…

Dick’s Toolbox cont. .. savings purchasing attractive, over-priced land in nice locations and growing grapes. Sometimes even making wine. Many years ago I helped some dear friends in one of these quixotic adventures, and it was very hard work, though in the end they did make some more than credible wine. Their happy progress was…

Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..made any sense; nothing had a name. All I knew was fear. Not surprisingly, we were late for the appointment. Some people on other drugs, like ecstasy for instance, report that they feel that the universe is radiating love, and I suppose all this proves is that your view of…

..have used many of his own words from the book that was also published at the time. The invention of the printing press not only enabled the democratisation of knowledge but also saw the end of the age of everyday reliance on memory and deep symbolic representation. In a world without printing literacy is rather…

Even more disconcerting was Dick’s and my reaction to our step-father’s wooing our mother – I’m told we charged into Even more disconcerting was Dick’s and my reaction to our step-father’s wooing our mother – I’m told we charged into the lounge-room where Mum and Sam were sitting on the sofa and delivered some mighty…

Mike’s Pith & Wind cont. ..laws by otherwise responsible citizens. Why do they need to be activated anyway? I’ll tell you why – because it’s technically possible. If I were king, I’d change this foolishness with a stroke of my regal pen. And, what is it generally with the proliferation of road signs? The recent…

..self-assigned speed ratings. I had put myself in the class that would be able to average between 20 and 25 kph for the distance . And so it felt like I waited 30 minutes before I cleared the start line and wobbled off along Eastern Beach. I had been inveigled into this sporting event, the…

Which, having a reasonably good visual memory, is what I remember most. However this is an ability that serves you absolutely no good at all in a blind tasting. I lack the ability to taste a glass of wine and confidently say that it was a 2002 Domaine Leroy Latricieres-Chambertin Grand Cru just because that…