I like him. A bit different and because he is an outsider, he is yet to be affected by corruption allegations and in fightings within the force. According to The Age, he rides a Harley Davidson and dares to try different things to reduce crime and corruption.

For some strange reason, he reminds me of Simon Pegg in the movie Hot Fuzz.

And everyday, there is a new fundraising event, from cricket matches, AFL games, to tonight’s channel nine telethon Live streaming of Channel 9 telethon for Bushfire Fund. It is beginning to be difficult to keep track of all the events. Herald Sun is attempting to list all known events in case there are con artists out here who are trying to benefit from all this.

Personally, I’m looking forward to tomorrow, not because its Friday the 13th, but because Coles will donate all profits earned on Friday to the Red Cross bushfire fund. It is the only time to shop at Coles.

The bushfire has burnt the entire township of Marysville, Kingslake and surrounding areas, destroying more than 312,000 hectares.

Many residents were trapped in the region because the bushfire surrounded the roads in and out of the area. Some residents perished while trying the escape the fire in their vehicles. Victims included Brian Naylor, a veteran news reader, and his wife Moiree.

People concerned about friends and relatives known to be in the affected region, should call 1800 727 077.

Victorian Bushfire Relief Fund is now accepting donations through either the NAB or Red Cross.

News Links
The Age “Death toll …”

The Herald Sun “Witness gallery”

Herald Sun “Bushfire figures”

ABC’s “Bushfire Emergency“

At the time of penning this post, the city loop was closed or shut down due to a massive power failure. Most if not all the lines are affected. From where I was left stranded, I had the impression most or all the lines are completely down, and no trains were running.

The whole situation worsened as power outages affected many suburbs, including mine, in the outer western area. Just what else can go wrong today? And its not even Friday the 13th. If only I had taken that ferry heading towards Tasmania …

News Links
The Age “Rail network meltdown”
Herald Sun “Huge power outage hits Victoria“

The thermometer showed a high 38 degrees at 9 pm, I’m sure many Victorians are staying cool by staying out of the home, either by choice or because of canceled trains. Many went to the beach, stayed by the river and pretty much hanged out and ate out.

So, what time did you go home tonight?

Started by the Australian Democrats, they are using the game to highlight all the broken promises by the politicians. But does it cut it?

I prefer to put the politicians on a contract. They will only get paid when they deliver on what they promise. How’s that?

News
The Age “Grill a bastard: online game …”

Reading the news article on The Age on train cancellations, a spokesperson for Connex said the giveaway was a once off. Does that mean the cancellations and delay was also just a once off, never to occur again, say today?

I can imagine people fainting in the heat. I took the train in the late afternoon. The train wasn’t overly crowded, I was still able to bag a seat. Unfortunately, the ventilation of the carriage was as good as non existence. The further away from the exits, the worse it gets. It wasn’t until I arrived at my destination, did I realise that it was cooler outside the train than inside. The train carriages having been in the heat for the entire day, is just doing a slow cook, heating everything from the inside out. I imagine if I had left an egg in the carriage in the morning, by evening I would have had a hard boiled egg.

So, dear Connex and state government, if you are going to cook all your passengers and residents in the summer heat, please provide some spices and sauces. A free afternoon snack, in addition to a portable fan and an oxygen tank would be greatly appreciated.

I am NOT looking forward to taking the train today.

But since yesterday, I guess everyone else is back at work. What with the school holidays, shopping for back to school products, tourists, etc, plus the potential heatwave arriving today, the train commute is going to be a nightmare!

Oh well, such is life!

What can I say? It has been eventful. Full of ups and downs, we have all experienced all forms of extremes this year.

The roller coaster ride of the share market has been nothing short of educational. We saw petrol prices bubbling higher and higher before sinking to close to a dollar. We experienced the joy of a strong Australian dollar and now lives with a more humble one. The closure of ABC childcare are still sending shockwaves through families, but we do have a new Prime Minister and there will be a new President of the USA. The weather … it has been a cool start to summer, will the drought be coming to an end?

So, what can we look forward to? Higher prices? Better and more funding for our health and education sectors? Higher unemployment? Lower interest rate? Lower house prices? Higher rents? Who knows!

We can only look forward and deal with what the new year will bring.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has a hotline for people with relatives and friends in Mumbai. The number is 1800 002 214. Consular assistance is available on +61 2 6261 3305.

Our thoughts are with those affected by these attacks.