Friday, January 19, 2007

Drink This, Or You'll Get Sick And Die

Visiting the Mt. Nebo Winery outside Brisbane last November, I puzzled over why the winery laid such a heavy emphasis on the health aspects of drinking their brand of wine. Their wines were made with so much anti-oxidant, good-for-you, health-foody-type stuff that it would seem to be medical malpractice not to drink it!

Well, according to today's article in the SF Chronicle, doctor/vintners have played a crucial role in rejuvenating the Cabernet wines of Australia. So, that's it! They've got a stake! Maybe that also helps explain the puzzling absence of health warnings regarding alcohol in Australia, particularly in comparison to tobacco!

In any event, it's interesting to know many of the top-notch wineries in Australia are near the cool, southern shores....
The best Australian Cabernets are wines of elegance and refinement. They don't squawk for attention like Cinderella's sisters (or like overripe, overoaked wines). If you're a Cab fan -- particularly if you like good Bordeaux -- and you haven't tried one of the best from Oz yet, it's about time.

...Good Aussie Cabs are "like switched-on Bordeaux," says John Rittmaster, wine director and owner of Prima restaurant and wine shop in Walnut Creek. "There's more fruit. There's more energy to the wines. They have a lot more acidity. They also taste identifiably like Cabernet, with more leafy, sage-y character."

Though the country is better known for Shiraz, there's a lot of Cabernet in Australia: more than 71,000 acres, compared to about 77,000 acres in California, according to Wine Australia and the California Agricultural Statistics Service.

... One of the biggest misconceptions about Aussie Cab in this country is where the good ones come from. Sunny, hot Barossa Valley is probably Australia's most famous region because of its big-bodied Shirazes. But unlike California, where relatively hot places like Rutherford are famous for Cab, the best Cabs from Australia come from areas with cool climates.

It's riskier to grow Cabernet grapes in cool areas because they may not get ripe enough. But when they do, they retain their natural acidity, thus leading to wines that are more food-friendly. Cool-climate grapes also don't create as much sugar, so the resulting wines are lower in alcohol.

Looking at a map of Australia, it's easy to spot where the great Cabs come from: the farther south you get, the cooler it tends to be. Margaret River in Western Australia is on the opposite side of the country from Yarra Valley in Victoria. Coonawarra in South Australia is south of Barossa Valley and gets maritime winds that keep the temperature lower.

"The best three regions are Yarra Valley, Coonawarra and Margaret River," says Chuck Hayward, wine buyer for the Jug Shop in San Francisco.... "There wasn't much Cabernet planted anywhere in the country until the early 1970s," says Peter Gago, chief winemaker at Penfolds, one of Australia's largest and most respected producers.

Cabernet was planted in Yarra Valley as early as the 1850s by people leaving the U.S. Gold Rush, Gago says. Yarra Valley Cab was well respected in the 1880s, and Oliver says some of those wines are still drinking well today. However, viticulture just about died out in the region after World War I. One of the reasons, Gago says, is that Australians in the early part of the 20th century preferred sweet, fortified wines, which are easier to make with very ripe Shiraz from a hot spot like Barossa. Vineyards were ripped out all over Yarra Valley and replaced by cattle and sheep farms.

Replanting in Yarra Valley began in 1969 at both Yarra Yering and Yeringberg. Mount Mary followed in 1971, but the area didn't really take off until the mid-1980s, when Australian Bordeaux aficionados had had a chance to try the wines coming out of Yarra Valley. Cabernet plantings in Margaret River have the same time line: a few in the early '70s, many more in the mid-'80s.

An odd similarity in both Yarra Valley and Margaret River is that medical doctors played a large role in jump-starting the industry. Hayward points out that doctors have money, understand chemistry and also recognize wine's health benefits. Whatever the reason, the doctor-winemakers of Margaret River quickly garnered attention in the eastern cities of Sydney and Melbourne with the Cabernets they began releasing in the mid-'70s.

"Just like in America in the 1970s, when understanding of wine went up by a quantum, Cabernet consumption also went up by a quantum," Gago says. "Many of those vines planted in the early '70s are just hitting their peak now."

...Yet elegant Aussie Cabs are often a better match with food than bigger Napa Cabs.

"They have a zaftigness of texture. When compared to their counterparts in California, they tend to be a little bit rounder," says Evan Goldstein, author of "Perfect Pairings: A Master Sommelier's Practical Advice for Partnering Wine with Food" (University of California Press, 2006). "It allows you to do more stews. Things that I would think about with Chardonnay also work with Australian Cabernet, things with richer, creamier sauces. You don't have to think about the tannins as much as you would with a Napa Valley Cab. But you can also find happiness with prime rib or venison."
Holy Cry - Crest Theater

There is going to be an interesting performance Saturday evening at the Crest Theater. From my understanding (verbal announcement by Step One's Pepper Von), there is going to be lots of different youth-oriented dancing and singing presentations - Latin, Gospel, etc. Featured will be (former Step One performer) David Garibaldi, who apparently creates paintings on the fly (even upside down, which he then turns over to reveal the finished piece). The concert is a fundraiser, and therefore pricey, but it's all in a good cause (which, if I recall, concerns children's hospitalization and critical health care)!
80's Music Haunts Today's Politics


(From B3ta): You might remember Midnight Oil, Australian political rockers, who had in a hit in the UK 'Beds are Burning'. But did you know the lead singer ended up as an MP down-under? Here's one of the opposition mocking his dancing and lyrics in parliament to score a few points. We're moving to OZ. It looks so much more fun than the UK.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Baldness As A Defense

Crime in Brazil is pretty bad:
IN a new twist in Rio de Janeiro's crime files, scissor-wielding thieves have clipped off the long, flowing locks of a 22-year-old Brazilian woman as she rode in a city bus.

..."Then all of a sudden I felt someone pulling my hair. My friend tried to help me but they just cut it off, right at the base.''

..."This is a new kind of crime," said a police officer at the station where the report was filed.

"They really did mean to steal her hair."
Damnable Bugs!

Kylie got sick last weekend and had to bail out, mid-concert. Awkward, but these things happen! Tours are grueling things (I'm glad I saw the show early in the run):
Kylie has to cut last night's show in Manchester short, as she - along with a number of the crew - is suffering from flu. After cutting out one section of the show, and struggling through the 'easier' parts elsewhere, she finally gave in shortly before the interval, tearfully telling the crowd "this is the first time I've ever had to do this in my career". Sister Dannii was on hand, telling Kylie she was an 'inspiration'.

...Last night's crowd, in general, showed great support for Kylie, and many left in tears. There was some graceless boo-ing after Kylie left the stage, and those who feel truly 'short changed' by the show are advised to contact the ticket agent from where they bought their tickets should they feel they deserve a refund.

"It really was emotional" comments Martyn from our forum. "I am truly stunned. When the show kept stopping, I felt really uneasy as I knew it shouldn't."

"She was crying and said 'you ever get the feeling you're being watched?'. She said she loved Manchester, and that this was a first, but she has learned to look after herself. She said don't worry, its nothing more than a cold."

Sister Dannii attempted to perform Kids with Kylie again last night, and indeed it was after this song that the show was cut. We are also led to believe that Will Young was scheduled to appear to perform Especially For You at the end of the show.
Interesting Point Regarding Iraq

The Left Coaster notes that Juan Cole was at UC Santa Cruz last night. Despite all the chaos in Iraq, Cole makes an interesting point:
US has been fortunate Arab reaction to the occupation has been so mild.
The Shia have been doing their best to avoid battle with the despised U.S., because the U.S. have taken their side with their battle against the Sunni. It will be interesting, indeed, if they ever change their minds!
Wonder Who The Republicans Nominate As President?

Republican politicians generally choose the favored candidate among themselves first - there's generally a nod from the Establishment about who they prefer. I remember 1998, when it became clear that George W. Bush was the favored candidate among insiders. I thought that was absurd, given the dozens of higher-profile Republicans available to choose from, and especially since the post of Governor is actually quite weak in Texas politics (Lieutenant-Governor is the strongest post of all there!) but what do I know?

The favored candidate should be apparent by now, but isn't. McCain? Too much conservative hostility towards him. Giuliani and Romney? Easterners both, and Giuliani with his checkered personal past and Romney as a Mormon. Mike Huckabee? Not well-known. Sam Brownback? Closer, but does he have organization?

So, a vacuum at the top there! Room for the ambitious!
No, What Do You Really Think?

Here is a sampling of the Beast's "50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2006":
48. Gerald Ford - Precedent-setting cowardice; admitted to pardoning Nixon because they were friends. Enabled the sense of executive impunity that pervades the White House today.

46. James Carville - vastly overrated as a political strategist based on the fact that he managed to win with the most charismatic Democratic candidate of the post-war era and a split conservative vote. In ‘06, Carville raged against his own obsolescence by blasting Howard Dean’s competence as Chairman of the DNC—immediately after Dean steered the party into majorities in both houses of congress as well as state legislatures and governors.

37. Madonna - A truly unremarkable "singer" who gained fame by courting controversy and flexing her once-attractive body. Wore out her shock value, among other things, a full 2 decades ago, yet won’t stop trying to rile baby-boomers with puerile symbolism. Dangling from a big plastic cross just isn’t edgy anymore, not even close.

32. George Allen - Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to call a dark-skinned kid who works for your political opponent "monkey" while he’s pointing a video camera at you?

31. Cindy Sheehan - Two harrowing months deprived of all nutrition—except Jamba Juice smoothies, protein shakes and the odd ice cream latte, just like Gandhi. That’s not a hunger strike; that’s a diet.

30. Rush Limbaugh - It’s hard to believe this repulsive shit fountain is even human, until you remember that we share 70% of our DNA with pigs.

18. Mel Gibson - If there was any question after the belligerent Jew-bashing Passion of the Christ, Mel’s 2006 Malibu pogrom proved once and for all the anti-Semitic apple doesn’t fall far from the Holocaust-denying tree.

14. Britney Spears - this bilious tramp has two doomed children, both cursed with the warped ribonucleic helices of a beer-chugging swamp princess with a defective larynx and a lucky low-rent wannabe hustler who may actually be the more responsible parent.

10. Jack Abramoff - An amoral uber-bully who saw morality as an unnecessary obstacle to success and congress as an easily gamed system of constitutional subversion, Abramoff ushered in the era of rules-are-for-losers politics.

6. Dick Cheney - How evil does a guy have to be for his buddy to apologize for getting shot in the face by him?

3. George W. Bush - This spoiled, whiny pinhead is, regrettably, responsible for the nauseating fiasco he’s made of America and the world. Employs an effective strategy of creating so many deplorable scandals that it’s impossible for anyone to keep up, guaranteeing that most will slip by with little notice.
In The Outback

In central Australia, near Alice Springs, it's raining:
The rain has also deluged the opal mining town of Coober Pedy, in South Australia's north, which received its biggest rains in five years: 50mm fell in less than 12 hours.

"It's just great -- basically the first decent rain we've had in two years," Mayor Steve Baines said.
Now, if only something could be done for eastern and southeastern Australia....
Fire And Rain

Over the next week, considerable rainfall might occur in exactly the most parched locations in Australia - South Australia, Victoria, and NW NSW - something to be welcomed!

Here's an interesting article - veteran Australian foresters blame efforts over the last two decades to stop logging for the severity of the big fires there. But they seem to pin the blame on the growing absence of local know-how and willing hands to fight fire, not, as in related U.S. arguments, on fuel buildup due to fire suppression. In both hemispheres, though, the urbanization of the populace coupled together with the emptying of rural areas, the expanding urban/wildland interface, and tight budgets, all can lead to dangerous fire storms.

One thing I noticed when I was driving around recently in Queensland was how many trees, many looking quite healthy, sported serious burn marks. The forests apparently burn much more often in Australia than they do here, but whether it's deliberate land use policy or just accident, I don't know.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Who's The Choreographer?

Dang! Some of the best people never get the credit they deserve! Here are North Korean soldiers training for a musical ... uh.... war.
Mid-Life Augmentation

Bigger tits for the bored Decider-in-Chief:
You see, sometimes, when a President hits the big 6-0 he has a life-changing itch. Past wars he's lived with tend to get boring. Maybe they put on a little weight. Perhaps they lose a bit of luster as the taut buttocks and breasts lose their battle with gravity. And while you wake up every morning next to the same old war (and war-horse), you are besieged by younger and more erogenous wars splashed across the pages of "Soldier of Fortune" or on Fox News, outfitted in those tight belly-baring tops and derriere-crack revealing shorts that the younger wars are wearing today..
Poof!

Robin Leach reports on his blog that Heidi Fleiss has vanished from Pahrump, Nevada, together with her plans for a first-ever stud-muffin farm in the desert.

So, if you see Heidi, let her know Robin Leach is looking for her.
Irresistible Headline

I like this:
Can coco-diesel stop the super-typhoons?
Answer: Nothing can stop a super-typhoon (except, of course, lots of cold, dry air).
DMTC Concert - Derren and Rhiannon



Here we go with the concert series again, but this time with an added treat - Rhiannon Guevin shares the bill! Darren Raser is the professional musician, and Rhiannon is the excellent YPT veteran with the amazing voice.

Here are portions of the press release:
Derren Raser set to perform benefit concert for Davis Musical Theatre Company with special guest opening artist Davis High School's Rhiannon Guevin.

Davis Musical Theatre Company’s “Keep the Music Playing in Your Community” benefit concert series continues with young folk/pop/jazz sensation Derren Raser at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, February 10, at DMTC’s Hoblit Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive, Davis. Davis High School Advanced Treble Choir star Rhiannon Guevin will open the concert, accompanied by regular DMTC pianist Erik Daniells and DMTC Band.

DMTC TICKETS/INFORMATION available at http://www.dmtc.org,/, by phone at (530) 756-3682, or in person at DMTC's Hoblit Performing Arts Center Box Office. $15 General, $10 Students/Seniors

ARTIST INFORMATION:

Derren Raser (website: http://www.drbonline.com/)

**One of Music Connection Magazine's "Top 100 Unsigned Artists of the Year"**Award winner at this year's John Lennon Songwriting Contest.An old soul in a new age, Derren Raser stands out from the monotonous fray of popular music. Witty, well-spoken and wise beyond his 20-something years, singer-songwriter Raser will move you with his thoughtful lyrics and haunting melodies. His ballads are old-fashioned folk stories and beautiful tributes to love lost and found.Combining lively folk-rock and classic singer-songwriter traditions with the hard edge of contemporary pop and rock influences, he has honed a cutting edge sound that is immediately both fresh and familiar. His music has been described as "Simon and Garfunkel meets the Shins.” It is music that sounds equally at home on an old dusty hi-fi or in a sleek new iPod.Born and raised in suburban Kansas, Derren has undertaken the Southern California music scene and emerged with his wholesome Midwestern sensibilities intact. He employs a thoughtful, sincere approach to songwriting and performing - his dynamic live performances have been described as “emotive expression that is nearly flawless in its purity" (Jake Sibley--944 Magazine). His guitar work is centered on pristine and intelligent arrangements, each note painstakingly placed to complement the stark clarity of his unmistakable voice. This combination of intention and talent is rarely achieved and is not easily forgotten.A versatile performer, Derren is at home playing intimate dives and big name venues alike. He is a regular on both the San Diego and Los Angeles music scenes, and is constantly working to bring his unique music to new audiences. People nationwide are taking notice. Derren and his music have recently been featured on NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” and have appeared in 944 Magazine, Union Tribune, the Troubadour, Olathe Daily News, and numerous online publications. Derren is currently promoting his self-released album, King of I’ll Tell You Next Week, which has been hailed as “awash with talent!" (Andrew Salyer--www.upbeatmusic.com) and “wildly entertaining" (Craig Yerkes--the S.D. Troubadour).A unique and abundant talent, Derren will continue to share the stage with greats like Nickel Creek, Hem, Ollabelle, Ben Taylor, Sonya Kitchell, Garrison Starr, Arnold McCuller, Richie Cannata and more. Derren Raser is gaining momentum, and you won’t want to miss his rise!

Rhiannon Guevin

Born in Davis, classically trained young vocalist Rhiannon Guevin burst onto the local scene at age 7 as a snowdrop in Davis Musical Theater Company Young Performers Theater’s production of Snow Queen. Since that time, Guevin has performed in numerous local musical theater and comic opera productions with Davis Comic Opera Company, Chautauqua Playhouse and DMTC.

Guevin has also performed in numerous recitals and choral performances. At age 15, she placed second in the under 18 bracket of the regional National Association of Teachers of Singing vocal auditions. Just weeks after her 16th birthday, Guevin won third place in the solo vocal competition (ages 15-20) at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, where judges remarked on her “lovely centered voice with impeccable sense of pitch.” Others have also commented on Rhiannon’s “lovely voice and charming performance,” calling her “a delight to listen to and watch.”

A junior at Davis High School, Guevin is student conductor for the Advanced Treble Choir. She studies voice with LuAnn Higgs and received additional vocal training at Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Vocalist Program.

DMTC BENEFIT CONCERT MISSION GOALS:

In addition to Davis Musical Theatre Company’s (DMTC) Main Stage and Young Performers Theater musical productions, DMTC now presents benefit concerts showcasing talented local, regional, and touring artists. The artists selected will vary in musical style, but all will be fantastic, and all concerts will be family-friendly events.

DMTC goals in presenting these benefit concert are:

  • Raise funds to support DMTC youth education/community outreach and to keep the American musical theater art form alive in Davis and accessible to everyone. DMTC is a non-profit 501(c)3, all volunteer community theater company with a 21-year history of excellence in artistic achievement and community service.
  • Support talented local, regional, and touring artists, raising public awareness of their great work and keep their music playing too.
  • Enrich the community by providing affordable, outstanding musical entertainment in a family-friendly environment.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

"Mame" at DMTC

Sunday afternoon's show (January 14th).

Agnes Gooch makes a surprise entrance.

Left to right, Patrick (Robert Coverdell), Agnes (Monica Parisi), Mame (Mary Young), Ito (Andy Hyun), Vera (Peggy Schecter), Woolsey(?) (Paul Schecter).

(For me, Sunday's show was the best so far!)
Fairness Doctrine

"Andrew" over at Obsidian Wings takes what I consider a rather dim, elitist view of the late, lamented Fairness Doctrine (whereby opinion pieces in the media could be answered by an opposing viewpoint, at least in theory):
For those unfamiliar with the Fairness Doctrine, the basic idea was that if a station ran a broadcast deemed to advocate a particular point of view, it had to provide equal time for the other side. This was intended to provide a variety of points of view in broadcast media. Instead, it led to opinion (other than that of the media) being generally banished from the airwaves.

... Should freedom of speech apply to the airwaves? The original justification for the Fairness Doctrine included the fact spectrum is limited, so not everyone can have access to a radio or TV station, and while the spectrum is a lot larger now than it was then (or, more precisely, we can use more of it), it is still a finite resource. On the other hand, there are laws in place to guarantee that the spectrum cannot be completely dominated by a particular network, and if those laws are insufficient, it seems to me that fixing those is a better way to ensure multiple viewpoints are aired than a doctrine that will restrict the airwaves rather than improving the discourse. The fact remains, as any blogger trying to boost traffic knows, that the public decides what they want to listen to with little regard for fairness or equal opportunity.

... We are fortunate enough to live in a country and an age where it has never been easier to get your message in front of your fellow citizens. Sure, TV and radio are still costly and relatively exclusive, but the internet has given millions of other people a voice in the discussion, and while most of those are looking at pornography and bitching about movies, a nontrivial fraction are having an effect on our political dialogue.
Many conservatives saw the Fairness Doctrine as being an impediment to free speech, but, in fact, it helped to blunt the impulse of rich megamillionaires (like Rupert Murdoch) to impose their idiosyncratic, authoritarian viewpoints on everyone else. The last paragraph quoted above seems way too pollyannish to me.

When all 135 of us dark-horse candidates ran for Governor of California in 2003, we immediately ran into the problem of how to quickly get our views out to California voters. If you don't have millions of dollars at your disposal, it won't happen in an effective and rapid way. Broadcasters often were deliberately rude and insulting to us, because they knew our options were limited.

There are limited ways to broadcast emotion-laden political messages to a receptive passive mass audience - radio and TV are still the best means to do so, and it is very expensive to do so. In practice, it means the rich lecture the poor, which severely stunts the universe of political speech. A proper fairness doctrine would subsidize well-considered messages of deserving poor pundits. Imagine how much more-effective blogs like Obsidian Wings would be it had two minutes on Fox News three nights a week to get their message across.

(Of course, implementing such a scheme would be nightmarishly difficult, but it doesn't mean we don't need something to balance the scales of wealth, even if imperfectly).

Remember, it's not just liberal viewpoints that get squelched - conservative views get squelched as well. If you are conservative and poor, your opinions get ruthlessly crushed too, by the rich coastal liberal elites of Blue-State America. That's one form of rough justice, I suppose, but it would be better if everyone had an equal chance to get their opinion out there. The Internet is a great help, of course, but mass media rules!
Bush Fires A Host Of U.S. Attorneys

The cover-up starts! At least seven Senate-confirmed U.S. Attorneys have been fired and replaced with non-Senate-confirmed Administration stooges.
Travel Destination: Albuquerque

The tastes of world travellers based in LA must be somewhat jaded: the LA Times suggests Albuquerque as a destination:
AT the American International Rattlesnake Museum in Old Town Albuquerque, I spotted a sign on the door. "We love tourists," it said. "They taste just like chicken."

... Now Albuquerque is sprucing up its Cinderella image and turning into one of the belles of the tourist ball. TripAdvisor placed Albuquerque fourth in last year's listing of the top 10 underrated world destinations, and online travel company Orbitz chose it as one of five "outstanding locations that should be on everyone's must-see list" in the next five years.

If one thing has put Albuquerque on the tourist map, it's the annual International Balloon Fiesta (Oct. 5-14 this year). It "helped establish a sense of place," said Dale Lockett, president and chief executive of the city's convention and visitors bureau.

.. THE city is grittier, more real, than "Fanta Se," as some residents disparagingly refer to their northern neighbor, and that's evident in Albuquerque's downtown, which lies between Nob Hill and Old Town. The Downtown Action Team, a private nonprofit, is spearheading the latest urban renewal in the once-dreary district.
And we know, people from LA like nothing better than grit when they travel! In any event, a few items of trivia about my hometown....
...Albuquerque...

… is the birthplace of Microsoft (no, it wasn't Seattle).

… has more than 100 art galleries and 20 museums.

… was named for Spain's 10th Duke of Alburquerque. (The first "r" was dropped, by one account, because a station master had trouble with the spelling.)
Running The Fantasy (And Crashing)

Spent the weekend at Cache Creek (loss: $650) and Thunder Valley (loss: $1,063). Last visited Cache Creek in 2005, after their renovation. Then, the place seemed bright and shiny and new. Sunday night, it just seemed ... seedy. Thunder Valley was better - less smoke, and better card-shuffling machines - but the luck was just as wretched.

So much for that jag. The win from last week is now essentially exhausted....
Chaos In Victoria

Wild fires trip power breakers, and send the whole place to crazy-land:
VICTORIANS face days of power bans - including being forced to turn off airconditioners in heatwave conditions - after the state was plunged into chaos yesterday when bushfires cut the main electricity transmission line between Melbourne and New South Wales.

The shutdown triggered blackouts across the state that left more than half a million homes and businesses without electricity, blanked out 1200 traffic lights and disrupted train services.

... The bushfire that cut the transmission line near Benalla, in northeast Victoria, destroyed seven homes at Toombullup. It was one of dozens that flared across the state in 40C heat. A house in the Brisbane Ranges, to the west of Melbourne, was also destroyed.

The power failure, which hit large parts of Melbourne, including the central business district, as well as the regional centres of Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo, was caused when smoke and ash from the fire tripped circuit breakers on the transmission line just after 4pm.

The sudden loss of 2000MW of power - a quarter of the state's supply - caused an automatic load-shedding system to kick in, shutting down power to large areas of Victoria.

There were reports of people caught in lifts in buildings that did not have backup generators. A Melbourne ambulance spokesman said 10 people had been rescued from a lift in one city building.

Afternoon Melbourne peak-hour traffic was thrown into turmoil as more than 1200 traffic lights failed and boom gates at train crossings malfunctioned. Public transport was further disrupted as trains were slowed to a crawl because of reduced voltages in overhead lines.

The cost of the blackout is expected to run into the tens of millions of dollars, with factories forced to shut production lines, businesses sending employees home early and restaurants unable to open for the evening.

... The latest power failure hit as Victoria was experiencing a heavier than normal demand for electricity to run airconditioners and fans, and was drawing extra power from NSW through the vital interconnector transmission lines.

Acting Premier John Thwaites last night said the transmission line could not be reconnected until authorities were sure no one was on the ground beneath the lines, because of a risk they could be electrocuted.

He said plans to fly a Country Fire Authority aircraft over the line had been scuttled because of heavy smoke from the fire in the affected area.

"It appears at this stage it's not safe to turn the power back on," he said. "While we have been able to withdraw the Country Fire personnel, we are concerned there may be other people in the area and without being able to fly over the area we don't want to take any risks."

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Fun Song

'Get Me Bodied', on the album "B-day", by Beyonce. Just good fun! The line I like is:
Walk across the room like Naomi Campbell
The awe of that visual! A work of nature!