..to King Island

Hello Possums,

Mrs Wombat and I took our first trip to K. I. and stayed with friends

 A and N  for a few days.

British Admiral Bay

The pics tell the story in part but not of the friendliness of the locals.

People, quite out of the blue, will converse with you as it seems a new perspective is not only appreciated but it's always good to know what's going on around you.

There are approximately 1700  inhabitants on the island.

Moo.

Lovely landscape ( much altered for grazing ) and rugged coastlines with a history of rivalry between the French and English (with amusing misadventures) since the early 1800's.

Flatter than I expected but interestingly on those  75Km x 50Km in Bass Strait, when inland, you dont feel you're on an island although the persistant aroma of cow dung and sea air is a combination not always experienced in a larger place.

Arranged Flotsam at an artists house.

The cheeses from here are very, very, very good.

Makes one wonder what the French might have made of this place had they first planted their flag?

British Admiral Bay

We went to a property clearing auction which could be a lesson for all those Brunswick St. "would-be" comedians.  The auctioneers' patter dealt not only with the task-in-hand but included gossip and mildly salacious K.I. scandal in appropriate order.. ........much to the amusement and buying potential of the assembled locals. 

It was a fine village show and productive day.

N  bought two SLR film cameras, three lenses, three flash units and two tripods, all in good working condition for $30.00. 

Lighthouse, Currie

Iconic Australian Documentary/War photographer, Damien Parer came from King Island and if a survey on a national basis of "achievers" was done, K.I.,  I would think, have a better than average representation than most States in this Commonwealth.

Blow Hole Beach

25 % of K.I.'s  Beef product goes to Tasmania. The Brazilian firm (Swifts), controlling the abottoir has just closed it down, laid off the workers and begun to dismantle the plants' infrastructure. 

They are dismantling lives, too.

Politics

ASIO (for the American readers;  Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation) has been sniffing around activists like one of the "banner holders" against increased coal mining in Bacchus Marsh and have recently been asking political students whether or not they are anarchists and what parties they go to.

It seems to me that when a Brazilian firm impacts the viability of a states infrastrucure and causes through its business dealings the implosion of a regions viability, that that deserves investigation.

"Khemlani Affair" tactics of 1974 rears its ugly head again as the same ploys are being utilised by right-wing-loony's to bring Prime Minister Gillard down by making up stories and running them with journalists  who have little credibility and a bent union official, and a former Slater and Gordon principal who spent ten minutes with, you guessed it, Leigh (I love a Conspiracy theory) Sales saying absolutely nothing of any real substance. The questions she didn't ask and really should, are: Who's promulgating and who's paying for this witch-hunt?
I think that the people who believe this rubbish also believe in the "Grassy KnollTheory". "Alien Abduction" and that Global Warming is a Myth! 

Desparate stuff from the "right" as a Royal Commission into child abuse is given the Federal go-ahead and Cardinal George Pell (Abbott the Rabbit's, mentor) is inevitably going to be a prime witness .... unless of course he is suddenly seconded to some more relevant but obscure theological debate at the Vatican. 
But before he disappears could he possibly inform his student, "Abbott the Rabbit" that being an asylum seeker is NOT illegal and seeking asylum is not illegal either. The right wings ability to mis-inform and "bend" the truth seems to know no bounds.

Horse-racing in Victoria is bent. 
It's official!
Can some-one tell State Racing Minister Dennis (what's a backhander) Napthine?

Minister for Unplanning, Matthew (What's a Green Wedge) Guy has announced that more bogans will be induced to replicate in Werribee with housing development built on excellent market garden soil.

There will be no more public transport infrastructure than currently exists, as the 15,000 new residents will live and work in the same place.

(Only in this Tardis State where all goes backwards)

He wants a name for this new place.    I suggest: "The Werribee Ghetto".

It worked for Warsaw!  

World Bank decides that Global Warming is in fact, "man-made" and reckons we have to start NOW to reduce its impact and consequent economic fallout.

Minister for Energy (Tardis State), what's'isname  ..opines on radio today that wind and solar can never achieve "base load"  (what bullshit) and they are too expensive, whilst denying that Tardis State Govt. has all but closed down the Wind sector and has critically limited investment in solar by reducing "feed-in" tariffs. 

This sort of social / economic vandalism by these types is what should be investigated by A.S.I.O!

They damage the society. They damage trust in politics. 

They pretend democracy whilst actively promoting the divisiveness of indiviualism.

Then I found a card from Half Moon Bay in the UK 
that said it all for Big Bird Baillieu (genus: Silvertail Incompetens)

What's wrong with Baillieu, his party and their administration of the State.

cheers,

Shane

...dancing about.

Shane up close and personal.....

 "Take a Bow" show has closed ....reasonably well attended and my demo's on performance photography had a small but enthusiastic audience over the four session on two weekends. 

Jana

Rachel

Fulsome thanks are due to Laura,  Mariah, Jana and Rachel for their sterling work on the weekend demo's.

The finalists' images will be getting another outing at a new venue.....
 Gallery Eleven40, at 1140 Malvern Rd, Malvern North 3144. 
The show will run from Friday November 30th until Friday 21st December with thanks to the Take a Bow sponsor, Gallery Eleven 40 who are responsible for the superb printing job done with the finalist images. 
Gallery hours are Monday to Friday 9am - 6pm, weekends 10am - 5pm. www.eleven40.com.au

It's satisfying when people reckon they have learnt something from you........ particularly when they work in the business, too.

 
I had the nagging suspicion after the last BIFB and it has now been confirmed from "Take a Bow", that there were two types in this medium: those who are professionally minded and involved and those who only have cameras and cyber-egos!

 
Invitation to the Dance" has also finished and I would deem it, (by comments left and offered personally), very successful.

The gels...

the fellows....

checking cossies...

 I have been attending ballet rehearsals and there are two gigs (Dance) soon... and then off to King Island to stay with film -maker friends.... rugged landscapes or limpid skies? 

L and M on the stairs at the Minerva Hall

Politics
It's a bit hard to ignore the American personality poll results. 
It's also difficult not to notice the bitter similarity's of the American conservatives' vituperative comments about Obama's win and our own conservative pollies attitudes.
One interesting observation was that for all the venom the Murdoch press had spat at the Democrats, people took little notice and it would seem that the power of the loony right-wing press may be much over-rated.
Poor Rush Limbaugh.... apoplectically useless to the last
Some disgruntled Americans sounded off (on facebook), that they would emigrate to Australia if Obama won only to be assailed by a torrent of rejection that ranged from a simple "F..k Off. We're full"!  ...... and "They would probably end up in Austria"!.......to a list (by a Felicity Ryan) of why they would not like it here:

Our Prime Minister is a unmarried woman and avowed atheist who lives with her B/F.
Her Finance Minister is a Lesbian who's just had a baby and there are other Gays openly in Parliament and in the Judiciary.
We have Universal Health Insurance (since 1975)
We have few guns and no death penalty and are pro choice for contraception and abortion,
we believe in evolution, which is taught in schools.....
...and voting is compulsary.
 It was also suggested that those who did arrive, declare their pitchforks on arrival at Tullamarine.

 Locally, 
Tony (the rabbit) Abbott's old University College, St Johns (Catholic) is copping a lot of bad press for it's endemic misogyny and appalling behaviour. 
Abbott giggled and excused it as "undergraduate fooling around"... 
Prime Minister material?.. not-on-yer-Nelly!
We've had The Melbourne Cup:.... and State of Tardis (where all goes backwards) Racing Minister, Dennis ( what's a backhander?) Napthine extols the quality and honesty in the Victorian racing scene/business/industry/take, only to have the press reveal that three senior jockeys are being investigated for being "on-the-take".  One does get the feeling that when this incompetent lot say it's BLACK, you know it's really WHITE!
State Govt. enquiry into Catholic abuse of children recieves thumbs down as it's underfunded and too like the manner in which the Church handled it's own enquiry.
Boom gates get the blame for drivers running into trains. 
Conflict of Interest is not a concept that "Big-Bird" Baillieu (Genus: Silvertail Incompetens) recognises.
Only in the Tardis State!  Sigh!

cheers Possums,
Shane.