Author: jkirkby8712

Quite a lot happening today – locally, the Sunbury Football team is playing in the Grand Final of the Ballarat Football League, against Redan – to be played at the Eastern Oval in Ballarat this afternoon. In my younger days, I have spent many Saturday afternoons at the oval, watching my ‘North Ballarat’ team, but won’t be there today, though the trip was tempting, and probably should have made the effort to support the town team [or one of them – we have another team playing in the more ‘localised’ Grand Final next weekend – that one I might get to!  Thinking back a few years, I also remember watching a World Cup one day cricket match at the Eastern Oval – England versus Sri Lanka

Speaking of which, Australia continues it’s batting innings in the Third Test today, against Sri Lanka in that nation’s homeland. We’ll pick up a progress score later in the day.  In tennis, the Davis Cup qualifying round is currently being played here in Australia, against Switzerland – that team of course, includes Roger Federer!!!  Today is the Doubles match. Following yesterday’s first two singles matches, the situation is one all – Bernard Tomic won his match, but Lleyton Hewitt [Australia’s most enthusiastic Davis Cup player over the last decade] eventually went down to Roger Federer, in 4 sets. Australia needs to win this Tie in order to get back into the top grouping of Davis Cup nations.

Over in New Zealand, the Rugby World Cup sees Australia come up against Ireland in our second game of the tournament. More about that, and the Blues’ game tonight in the AFL, a littler later.

Meanwhile, this writer made a dental appointment for next week – couldn’t get in until Friday, so will have to depend on the effectiveness of pain killers between now and then. Hopefully, they will ease my tendency to be a little irritable over the next few days!!  Meanwhile. my two part time students/workers were both working in Sunbury this morning – James had a shift at the bottle shop, and I called in briefly to say hello, while Susan has taken over the spot vacated by Jodie [who started a full time job this week] at Bakers Delight.  Decided not to call around that way, would let her settle into the job before I paid a purchasing visit! That of course, is where Adam works full time as one of the senior bakers.

Meantime, on more serious matters – and as readers will have realised by now, a prime concern of mine –  the ChilOut organisation [getting children out of detention centres] has an urgent reminder for us all, as the Government and the Opposition attempt to reach common ground in the current refugee crisis. To quote from ChilOut Issue of 16 September 2011.

‘The high hopes raised by the High Court decision have been dashed by this government’s determination to persist with their misguided Malaysia Swap policy.

The Prime Minister is trying to change the laws so unaccompanied refugee kids can be deported to situations of human rights abuses. This is quite simply an outrageous breach of humanity. Have we fallen so low that we make laws that allow us to abuse children – some are orphans and many are fleeing horrible persecution?   In response to the August 31 High Court case preventing the refugee “swap” arrangements with Malaysia, the Government has announced they will seek to amend both the Migration Act as well as the Immigration Guardianship of Children Act to allow the Minister to deport children against their best interests to places such as Malaysia, where the caning of refugee children has been documented.
The Migration Act allows the Minister to declare “safe third countries” to send asylum seekers, but outlines the refugee protections that make the country safe. The High Court found Malaysia did not have those protections which are based on the Refugee Convention.   So in order to send asylum seekers to Malaysia, the Government will have to amend our laws so that we can send asylum seekers to a place seen by our High Court to be a breach of refugee convention protections. And for unaccompanied children, the Government will also have to amend the Guardianship laws so they can deport kids – against their best interest.
Advocates have been arguing for years that the IGOC Act needs to be amended to provide an independent guardian for children, one who is not also their jailer. For at least 2 years DIAC has been agreeing this should be done, but there has been no movement. But in the blink of an eye the Act can be changed when they want to deport children.  Changes to law to protect children involve years of waiting yet changes to abuse children’s human rights takes merely days?  Removing asylum seekers offshore is a breach of the ALP national policy platform. But it seems nothing will prevent this government from the path they have taken on asylum issues. Let’s remind Tony Abbott it was the Coalition Government who changed the laws to let kids out of detention. Get writing and calling now, to ask the Coalition to stand firm against this proposed change in order to protect vulnerable children’.

Certainly from my viewpoint, I’m severely disappointed that the Government has decided to persist with this offshore policy, and that in all likelihood, the Liberals will continue with the same attitude. There are indications within the community of a softening of the attitude towards offshore processing, but the Government have obviously for political reasons decided to ignore that. As Chilout describes it –  But no, political pig-headedness prevails.   With legislation to be presented to Parliament next week to circumvent the High Court’s rejection of the Malaysia refugee swap, we are now in the bizarre position of having to ask the Opposition to insist their policy that children should not be detained is adhered to.’.  I just hope their arguments are persuasive enough!

Two team that I was following were beaten today  – in the Ballarat Football League Grand Final, the Sunbury team were defeated for the Premiership, by just 2 points – final score: Redan: 17.12.114 defeated Sunbury: 17.10.112. More on that later. Meanwhile, the Carlton Reserves team, playing in the Victorian Football League as the Northern Bullants [in red uniform] lost their Preliminary Final clash against Port Melbourne – the winning team have not been beaten all year!  And now to the big one  – watching the game alone again tonight!

Australian Football League – Semifinal elimination game tonight – West Coast Eagles versus the Carlton Blues, to be played at the Patersons Stadium in Perth, 5.50pm, their .local time.  The Carlton team is:

Backs: Aaron Joseph Michael Jamison Jeremy Laidler   
H/Backs: Chris Yarran Bret Thornton Nick Duigan       
Centres: Kade Simpson Mitch Robinson Heath Scotland
H/Forwards: Jeff Garlett Lachie Henderson Andrew Carrazzo
Forwards: Eddie Betts Setanta O’hAilpin Andrew Walker
Followers: Rob Warnock Chris Judd Marc Murphy
Interchange: Dennis Armfield David Ellard  Marcus Davies Zach Tuohy
Emergencies: Paul Bower Shaun Hampson Jordan Russell
In: Tuohy
Out: Gibbs (Shoulder)

After the two losses of my teams earlier today, not feeling over confident about tonight’s AFL final –  but the boys are there, that’s a starting point, even if we go into the match as the underdogs against a hostile West Australian crowd in Perth.

1^st Quarter:  Nice start for the Blues, first goal within 60 seconds, and two more within about 6 minutes. The pace slowed a little after that, but the team was up by 16 points at quarter time. Bit of an injury scare for  one of our players [Scotland] early in the quarter, but he was back on the ground ten minutes later.  Quietened the crowd a little with Carlton’s 1^st quarter effort.  Can they keep it up? From the Club – ‘The start we wanted. Blues kick the first four goals of the match to silence the West Coast crowd. Our pressure has been enormous. Murphy and Ellard leading the way through the middle, and Betts and Garlett causing havoc up front. Eagles settled in the last 10 minutes, but Duigan, Laidler and Jamieson absorbed the pressure brilliantly’.

^2nd  Quarter:  As expected, a bit of a turnaround. Carlton missed a couple of early shots at goal, and then suddenly, a rush of goals from West Coast, a couple from bad free kicks given away by the Blues.  But we managed to stay in touch, though a goal just before halftime put the Blues behind by 17 points – but, an immediate brave effort saw an immediate response, though it cost an injury to my hero, Brett Thornton in a gutsy attempt to defend. However, overall, the Eagles seem to be starting to get on top, and I’m not sure that my team can stay with them in the second half.  And the Club perspective at Half time:- EEagles hit back hard. Blues wasted a couple of opportunities in front of goal before the Eagles piled on four unanswered goals. The Cox/Naitanui tandem troubled us; their dominance in the hitouts allowed the Eagles midfielders first use of the ball. Murphy., Simpson and Robinson have been fantastic for us’,

3^rd Quarter:   a tight quarter, with fortunes swinging back and forward, and while the Blues were more competitive this time, they couldn’t make the headway I was hoping for, still down by 9 points at three quarter time. Sad to see Brett Thornton being taken away in the ambulance to hospital, with concussion and a possible neck injury.  Meantime, some 5,000 gathered at Carlton’s home ground at Princes Park tonight to watch the game on a big screen – and my final comment at three quarter time –  ‘one more quarter Blues, let’s not make it the last for the year’.

Final Quarter:  what a quarter – Carlton kept getting within reach, then would drop behind again, and with a couple of minutes to play, I had given up. But not the Blues, they came back again, and for a minute there, it seemed that a last minute miracle might happen. But it didn’t!!!  Once again, my football team have lost a finals match by just 3 points!   Disappointed, but very proud of a gutsy, never give up effort by Chris Judd and his team of Blues.  And from the Club:-  ‘A magnificent season comes to an end. Blues kicked three goals in the dying minutes but ran out of time. A brilliant game of football with some heroic individual performances. Carlton’s brave year has ended at Patersons Stadium, losing a bruising but enthralling semi-final to West Coast by 3 points. As for Brett Thornton, he was believed to be concussed, and was taken to hospital before the game ended to have scans on his neck’.

Quarter  by quarter scores were:

Carlton Blues:          4.1.25     7.4.46     10.5.65             Final:  15.8.98

West Coast Eagles:   1.3.9       9.3.57     11.8.74             Final:  15.11.101

Now how did Australia go in the Rugby  – game is over, but our great free to air coverage, hasn’t begun the delayed telecast yet –  I’m off to bed, will leave the tape running, watch it tomorrow. Couldn’t take ‘another’ loss tonight!!!

Yes, ‘young’ Jean, who joined me up at Charlton a couple of weekends ago, and at the Neil Street anniversary, the weekend prior to that,  has reached the grand old age of 51 years. I do recall the day she was born [I was 14 years old at the time] –  it was a difficult birth [touch and go for both Mum & baby], but  both survived, and in relating those details to the church Minister [at Neil Street at the time], he was a man with a bit of an unusual nervous mannerism. In moments of ‘stress’ he would laugh, and he was actually up a ladder fixing something on our roof at the time the birth details were been related to him. He began to laugh, and then, I think from memory, fell off the ladder!!  No serious damage done, but the Reverend did stop laughing at that point in time!!.

This date – 16^th September – is also the anniversary of my parent’s wedding day, back in 1944.  I’m not sure if they even had a wedding night [think they stayed with his mother] because the Army required him back on duty the next morning, and Mum would see very little of him between then and January 1946, when he was discharged at the end of World War II.

This is my 5^th last Friday in full time employment, which I have been at since 1965, with two or three ‘retrenchment’ breaks along the way.  Readers will have got the impression that I have been ‘counting the days’ for quite some time now, and yet at the same time, must admit to a certain degree of apprehension about suddenly being out of the work force, basically for the rest of my life [despite having many things planned to occupy myself with]. Feeling quite weary, in both a mental & physical sense, so the intention is probably a good one, and certainly the outcome of avoiding that daily traffic exercise is something I will be glad to miss.  Obviously, aspects such as  the drop in income, future uncertainty about living arrangements, and to be honest, the thought of future years living alone, do have elements of ‘concern’ attached to them, and it is aspects such as this which add to the touch of apprehension this writer may be currently feeling. But enough of that for now!

Rugby World Cup overnight result from yesterday –   USA 13 defeated Russia 6.  Now that would have been an interesting game to watch!!  Another result that happened during the week, that I omitted to make a note of  –  the Second Cricket Test between Australia and Sri Lanka –  as with the 1^st Test, it must be said that Australia dominated for much of the game, but time lost due to rain, etc over the last couple of days, ‘robbed’ the Aussies of a deserved victory, with the Test ending in a Draw, late last week.  Scores were: Australia: 7 wickets  for 411. Sri Lanka: 174 and 6 wickets for 317.

I found an interesting little piece in the National Seniors E-letter last night –  in which it is suggested that some of the most vulnerable members of the community could be left without basic services if Australia suffers another summer of wild weather.  Flooding in both Queensland and Victoria last summer forced the evacuation of aged care and nursing homes in both Victoria and Queensland.  Reports in the media this week suggested some elderly residents were left without easy access to toilets and showers and had to sleep on inflatable beds. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has also briefed Queensland Cabinet for the coming wet season, saying that the state is likely to experience above average rainfall, high bushfire danger and at least four cyclones.   National Seniors Australia CEO Michael O’Neill said more work was needed to ensure that aged care facilities coped as quickly and smoothly as possible in dealing with emergency evacuations.   “We welcome any moves to better protect the elderly,” Mr O’Neill said. “But we need to ensure that that staff in aged care facilities are well trained to carry out evacuations for either the elderly residents or their local communities,” he said.  “The federal government could also help these communities by funding the training of elderly residents who are willing and able to help in emergencies, alongside the local SES personnel and emergency services.  “The elderly are some of the most vulnerable in our society and need to have first priority at times such as these.”  Of course, someone reading this from a place such as Pakistan at present, where thousands are again facing disastrous floods would feel quite cynical about this story, as the kind of services referred to are generally non- existent in their communities unless aid agencies can reach them. That doesn’t negate the difficulties our elderly citizens face in such circumstances, but I do like to put these things into some degree of perspective in terms of some of the disasters faced by less developed nations around the world.

In all honesty, I had a pretty miserable day – mild painkillers didn’t really ease those toothaches, and that tended to leave your scribe a little irritable and generally, well, feeling sorry for myself. Looks like one is going to have to go in search of a dentist next week, last visit was in 2006, and over the years, such visits have been spaced out over almost a decade or more at a time. Have been lucky I guess, that more frequent visits have not been necessary. Anyway, picked up something a little stronger this evening, hoping that would get me through the weekend. Once home, like the rest of the day, didn’t really feel like doing anything, and left Susie to fend for herself as far as a meal was concerned.

Here is an example of big new promises, and hopes of changes for the better – relating to Victoria’s public transport system – new owners, new legislation, new governments – all promise great changes, but in the long run, how often do we come to another election, another government, and find the same criticisms are been thrown around?  Well, let’s see if this can be different. As reported today, Victoria is a step closer to a better coordinated and more integrated  transport system, with legislation to enable the formation of a new Public Transport Development Authority introduced into Parliament this week. Minister for Public Transport Terry Mulder said with the legislative process now underway, the new authority would be up and running in the first quarter of 2012. “The new authority will be the face of public transport and will be responsible for planning, coordinating and integrating transport services throughout Victoria,” Mr Mulder said. “It will focus on the core business of a good public transport system – trains, trams and buses that run on time, simple and reliable timetables, passenger comfort and timely and accurate passenger information. “For too long Victorian commuters have suffered a system in which services are routinely late or cancelled, passenger information is unreliable and infrastructure is poorly maintained. “We say Victorians deserve better and this new authority will ensure they get what they deserve.” The legislation was introduced into Parliament this week. Yes, all very impressive in theory, before the event – let’s wait and see how things really eventuate over time.

The first of two elimination semi finals for the AFL season this weekend, played tonight at the MCG –  Hawthorn vs the Sydney Swans.  I’ve decided to barrack for the Sydney team tonight [probably the outsiders, as Carlton will be, tomorrow night].  My prediction not off to a good start, and by halftime, the Hawks were dominating the match. A third quarter fight back by the Swans, and if you had just tuned in at that time, you would have thought the game was much closer. However, Hawthorn swung away again the last quarter. Hawthorn will play against Collingwood in one of the Preliminary Finals next weekend.

Quarter by quarter scores:

Hawthorn Hawks:          3.5.23         10.5.65       12.6.72    Final:  19.8.122

Sydney Swans:               0.1.1            4.1.25          9.6.60    Final:   13.8.86

Meanwhile, in the Rugby World Cup update, today’s only match showed up the huge difference between the best, and the others. Host nation New Zealand came up against Japan.  The final one-sided score: New Zealand 83 defeated Japan 7.

Australia took to the wicket on Day 1 of the 3^rd Test against Sri Lanka, and didn’t get off to a very good start with both openers out cheaply. However, a good partnership by 2^nd test hero Shaun Marsh [81] and Ricky Ponting [48] put Australia in a more reasonable position late on Day 1 at 5 wickets for 209 runs.  By stumps the score had moved to 5 for 235, with another good not out innings by Michael Hussey helping the cause – 63 not out.

Staggered into bed tonight, feeling light headed and drowsy. That stronger painkiller was working more than I wanted it to! .

We had three interviews lined up today  –  seeking an accounting/finance person to take over from this writer, at the end of October. Advertised on the internet [which we are told is the way to go these days], we received a fairly minimal quantity and quality of candidates [expected a lot more is this climate of unemployment fears].  While not overly optimistic, three applicants were chosen for us to have a chat with. Amazingly, the first two simply did not turn up for the arranged interviews, not even a phone call of apology or explanation!!  Just how desperately do people want to work these days? The whole culture seems to be changing in many ways in respect to attitudes to employment, certainly in some sectors.  We will need to readvertise – decided to go via the traditional format this time [through newspaper employment sections] in conjunction with the internet. Meantime, Jackie [the boss] was counting on a phone call today, to say she had been successful in another job she had planned for. She got that call, late this afternoon, and luck was not with her – unsuccessful. So for the time being at least, it would be just me leaving the organisation.

The ‘Limelight Magazine currently has a little feature about the origins of some of those famous classical music ‘nicknames’, such as Schubert’s ‘Trout quintet’, Dvorak’s ‘New World Symphony’ or Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’. Let’s take that last one, as an example, with Beethoven  – his ‘Pastoral Symphony’ [or Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68]. From ‘Limelight’, we read that   ‘The composer himself gave this work its title: Pastoral Symphony, or, Recollections of Country Life. Nature was immensely important to Beethoven, and he spent a great deal of time walking alone in the woods; it is no coincidence that in expressing his despair at his failing hearing, he thought first of the sounds of the countryside: “What humiliation when someone standing next to me heard a flute in the far distance, and I heard nothing; or when others heard a shepherd singing, and again I heard nothing.” Beethoven wrote those anguished words in 1802, in Heiligenstadt, then a peaceful rural village not far from Vienna (it has since been swallowed up by the city’s sprawling suburbs). This symphony, too, was composed in the tranquil surrounds of Heiligenstadt, six years later’.   That’s just one story on the ‘classical’ nicknames, we might refer to one of the others, at a later date.

Now, in thinking of classical music, I’m reminded that I have a ticket to a classical concert this Saturday night, my favourite suburban orchestra, the Heidelberg Orchestra. I’m also aware, that my football team, Carlton, is to play it’s ‘elimination’ semi final, also on Saturday night. I’ve had to make a choice – well, there wasn’t one really, the concert can always be made up for, another time, another concert, but the Blues playing in a Finals match [despite the fact that no-one thinks they can win] is not such a regular occurrence over recent years.  I will be watching the football  –  just on the TV, but the game is over in Perth!  The news tonight is that the Carlton match committee have made just the one change – unfortunately, due to injury, one of our best players. After playing 112 of a possible 113 games since making his debut in round one of 2007, Bryce Gibbs will miss only his second game since joining the Blues.  Gibbs injured his shoulder late in the Elimination Final last weekend against Essendon and was ruled out of the team for Saturday night’s game against the West Coast in Perth. Coach Brett Ratten said during the week that the team would not take a week on injured players. It is hoped Gibbs will be fit for the Preliminary final, should the Blues overcome West Coast tomorrow night. Meanwhile, I’m wondering if youngest daughter Jodie, and boyfriend Ash [a West Coast supporter] will come and join me in front of the TV on Saturday night?

Something has been bothering me throughout today, and this evening  – a minor, but annoyingly nagging  toothache. I was hoping to forego treatment until after I finished work, late October, but somehow I don’t think I will be able to put it off until then!  It’s amazing how a small think like that, can leave one feeling a little debilitated in other areas.  I’m hoping it won’t keep me awake tonight!

Certainly, the revelations yesterday, made under parliamentary privilege, created a real media stir, and it would be the subject of much discussion over the next few days. In this particular case, I’m in two minds as to how I feel about the action taken by the senator on Tuesday night, but I might await the immediate outcome before commenting much further. It just seems as though there is more to this story than has been revealed so far, and interesting to note that the person lodging the initial complaint [which apparently hasn’t officially happened] was an adult, in his early twenties,  at the time of the alleged offence!  On the other side of things, quite obviously, a priest, who has had a presumably successful ‘career’ in the 50 years that have elapsed since that time, is quite naturally going to claim ‘complete innocence’  Who is there to dispute him other than his accuser –  or God?  Anyway, as noted, it has certainly given the media something other than the ongoing ‘debates’ in Federal Parliament about carbon tax, refugees, etc, etc, to devote their energies to!!

Quiet day today, and weather wise, a bit of a springtime mix of sunshine, periods of showers, and a cool evening. I was not unhappy to receive advice that tonight’s Family History committee meeting was off – half the membership had the flu apparently. I had plenty to occupy myself at home, and content to remain there once I arrived.  Meanwhile, Susie, who seems to be back in Sunbury on a more or less permanent basis, is not so well herself, with throat and flu symptoms. Don’t think she can blame me, as I’ve not seen that much of her over the past week, even though she is back ‘home’   – was nice to have her at least ‘here’ in the house for a couple of nights in a row! She must be unwell!

Rugby World Cup update:  included an upset victory to Canada in today’s three games, which were the first to have been played since Sunday.!  Australia’s next match is against Ireland on Saturday – certainly hope it doesn’t clash with Carlton’s game again!  Today’s results:

Samoa  49 defeated Namibia 12

Canada 25 defeated Tonga 20

Scotland 15 defeated Georgia 6.

On a different theme, here is this month’s special quote, as provided to me via the Uniting Church’s EarthTeam group –  the originator, Albert Einstein.  Something deep to reflect upon J

“A human being is part of the whole called by us universe , a part limited in time and space. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty… We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive.”

During the day, I leant that one of the independent Senators in the Australian Senate was intending to use the protection of Parliamentary Privilege tonight, and name a sitting Priest who had been accused of rape, some 50 years earlier.  That evening, I turned on the radio, and listened to the broadcast of proceedings from Parliament House in Canberra. True to his word, in the last speech of the night, the senator in question carried out his promise.  I wrote on Face Book that ‘  Under Parliamentary Privilege, Independent Senator Nick from Sth Australia has just named, in the Senate, the senior Catholic Priest in SA believed guilty of serious sexual offences against younger members of the church many years ago!! Brave man, or foolish!! Did it because the Church, has not acted as it should have, to resolve the issue. Big repercussions likely’

A couple of responses came from Ruth.. ‘I think John Hepworth himself doubted this would see real justice done for anyone- what happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’?’

I responded with:  ‘Interesting, that while he couldn’t stop the senator from speaking out, the Senate President cautioned him about the likely consequences and affects on other people of making his statement, a warning I guess, which Nick X acknowledged, but  proceeded anyway. I think he made the wrong choice – while the church, wrongly, hadn’t acted for four years since the allegations were made, I tend to agree with your comment, Ruth’.

From Ruth again: – ‘It seems the church has been neglectful- it makes me so angry! But yes, I still can’t agree with Nick Xenophon’s actions’.  Someone else added later a comment which I didn’t attach much seriousness to, in line with the general nature of the way this person generally responds to most things – he said ‘I sometimes wonder why they don’t just castrate all catholic priests? It’s not like they need their testicles for anything anyway and it would ensure that these acts aren’t perpetrated in the first place’  Rather a crude reaction! The reply that comment generated was that:-  ‘There may be a tiny human rights issue there! 🙂 It also would not stop other abuses of power within such institutions and this will always happen if institutions are run like they are a ‘ law unto themselves’..

What this was all about is best summed in this media report of the event.

“Independent senator Nick Xenophon has used parliamentary privilege to name a priest accused of raping Adelaide-based Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth about 50 years ago. Senator Xenophon said he was duty bound to name the alleged offender as Monsignor Ian Dempsey, who has been the priest at Brighton parish in Adelaide since 2000. The South Australian senator overnight set the Archdiocese of Adelaide an ultimatum – stand down the priest by midday on Tuesday or he would name him in the Senate.

The Catholic Church refused to stand down the priest, who denies the allegations. The archdiocese’s lawyers advised Senator Xenophon the church was unable to stand down the priest because of requirements under “canon law” and “procedural fairness”. A defiant Senator Xenophon said the decision left him with “no choice”.  Speaking under parliamentary privilege on Tuesday night, Senator Xenophon said he did not provide the information lightly.  “The allegations are serious. They are made by a man with credibility,” he said.  “The people of the Brighton parish have a right to know that for four years, allegations have been outstanding that priest Ian Dempsey raped John Hepworth and church leadership has failed to make appropriate inquiries into this matter.”

Senator Xenophon said the most important question he had asked himself while deliberating on whether to name the priest was how he would feel if his family were members of that church. “Would I believe I had the right to know?” he said. “Would I be angry that a few people knew that serious allegations had been made but they did nothing and said nothing?” Senator Xenophon said that as a former lawyer he believed strongly in the presumption of innocence and emphasised that the claims were allegations. Archbishop Hepworth has reportedly said he would rather the priest be stood down than be named.  However, Senator Xenophon said given the church’s refusal to put the priest on administrative leave pending an investigation, he had to act.

Archbishop Hepworth, 67, revealed at the weekend he was the victim of violent rapes at the hands of two priests and a trainee priest beginning in 1960, when he was 15.  At the time Archbishop Hepworth, who is now the primate of the splinter group Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) in Adelaide, was studying to be a priest at a seminary.  Archbishop Hepworth has said he broke away from the Catholic Church because of the 12 years of abuse. Claims against dead priests Ronald Pickering and John Stockdale were settled in Melbourne. But claims relating to the third priest were not resolved. Senator Xenophon said the Adelaide Catholic diocese had taken too long to satisfactorily resolve the serious allegations first aired four years ago.  A spokeswoman for the South Australian Catholic Church said it was appalled the senator named the priest, “despite being made fully aware of the extremely sensitive and highly complex background to this matter”. “We have grave concerns. This is grossly unjust and unfair,” she said.  “Now we just have to consider what the implications are and the impact on due process.” She said the archdiocese has been in touch with the priest. The priest named in parliament formerly served as the vicar-general of the Archdiocese of Adelaide for five years.  According to the Brighton Catholic parish’s website, after ordination in 1969, he spent 20 years as a chaplain in the Royal Australian Navy.

I suppose that in many ways, the very nature of that subject could leave one with the headache that I hinted at in the title of this blog. But in reality, I think it was due to other causes!  And as if that was not enough, I was kept awake through part of the night, by of all things, a ‘toothache’!!!  There have been a couple of those ‘appendages’ worrying me off and on over recent weeks – I guess a hint that I should do something about them!!

Rugby World Cup update:  a couple of results from Sunday [11^th September], that I omitted to refer to, although we did talk about Australia’s first game during that day’s note, but I don’t think I mentioned the final score!!

Australia 32 defeated Italy 6

Ireland 22 defeated United States 10

South Africa 17  [the title holders from 2007] defeated Wales  16

Up in time to watch Sam Stoser play in the US Open Final against Serena Williams –  I  guess the odds have to be against our Aussie girl, but you have to get to the final to have a chance to win. Decided the occasion called for a late arrival at work today – watching Sam play.
1st set:  and after a winning opening serve by both girls, the first break of service went to Sam, and she soon had a 3-1 lead. Break point in Serena’s next serve but Sam couldn’t take advantage of it, but she held her own serve, the lead 4-2. Serena not been allowed to play her normal game by Sam, and another break, leaves Sam serving for the set at 5-2, can you believe it. Now is the big test for Sam – can she hold her nerve, and her serve? She did!!  Sam wins first set 6-2, great show Sam. Time for an early morning cup of coffee!!  Yeahhhhhhh!!

2nd set:  Sam ‘playing out of her tree’ as the Aussie announcer back in the Channel 9 studio commented!! Then, Serena loses her cool with the umpire and a lines person, stirs up the crowd, and this has an affect on Sam initially. Sam tries to ignore the turmoil, makes no complaint, despite the unsportsmanlike conduct of her opponent  – the affect of which, sees Serena start to get back into the match. After a rurbulent 3 games, Serena leads 2-1 on serve.  Serena is still attacking the umpire verbally, at the change of end, trying to turn herself into the victim. Come on Sam, don’t let her rattle you!! Come on Sam. She survives 2 break points and retains her serve. At the previous change of ends, Williams really ‘gave it’ to the female umpire – typical outrageous aggression we have come to expect from this player. Perhaps she has even lost some of the crowd!   ‘You take a point away from me for expressing myself, I’m an American’ [part of Serena’s tirade to the umpire]  and ‘don’t look at me if we pass in the street’, etc.   Now 3-2 on serve, Williams leading. Sam must keep holding her serve from here on.  Suddenly, at 3-3, Sam breaks serve again, leads the set 4-3, her serve to come, even to lose from here, it’s a gutsy performance by our Aussie girl  – her composure is holding up!!  Now leads 5-3, as Serena serves to save the match.

2 Match points to Sam Stosur!!   1 Saved. 2 saved. Juice. A 3rd match point to Sam. 

Yeahhhhhhh!!  Samantha Stosur wins the US Open Tennis title for Australia –  6/2, 6/3, the new ‘Queen of Australia’.   Meanwhile, from the Sydney Morning Herald’s Linda Pearce:

‘THE last message Sam Stosur heard from her trusted coach David Taylor before she walked out to end a 31-year grand slam singles drought for Australian women was the assurance that, yes, she was good enough to win the US Open final against the great Serena Williams. Stosur simply nodded her reply. Then played like she believed it.  By the end of a momentous Sunday in New York, one that had more soberly commemorated the 2001 terrorist attacks, the unassuming Australian and her entourage had gathered at the aptly-named Snafu bar to celebrate the maiden major title Stosur had snaffled from the winner of 13. With the upset 6-2, 6-3 victory came a cheque for $US1.8 million ($1.72 million). As Taylor quipped later: ”Gee, she’s got enough money to shout us all now.” Stosur has, of course, been financially comfortable for some time, but rarely has she looked so assured on a tennis court as in her second grand slam final, played on the vast Arthur Ashe Stadium – the huge crowd incited to a deafening level by a Williams meltdown after an outrageous stoush with chair umpire Eva Asderaki early in the second set. Yet, tellingly, Stosur’s response was to quietly save a break point and hold the most important service game of her tournament at 1-2, then four of the last five games’…………. So a fresh chapter in Australian tennis history has been written, for Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s second Wimbledon title in 1980 was the most recent slam won by an Australian woman, and the last local to win the Australian Open was Chris O’Neil, back in 1978.  Stosur knows what all this will mean: the pressure, the expectation, all of it, when she fronts up at Melbourne Park again next January. ”I know it’s going to be different, and hopefully I can handle it and learn from everything I’ve gone through over the past years to be able to handle it as best I can,” she said.   ”I would have liked to have won more titles throughout my career. Been in quite a few finals and wasn’t able to get through that last hurdle … It didn’t matter to me if I hadn’t ever won a title before today. I’ve got this one now, so that makes me proud.”

And Sam’s comment on her Face Book page –  simply ‘WOO HOO’

 After that, the rest of the day was a bit of an anti-climax, and it wasn’t long before I realised that I was not really where I wanted to be! But then the realisation, that in six weeks, I’d not be here anyway, dawned, and we got on with ‘some’ work!!  And tonight, while in many ways I would have liked to have simply stayed at home, it was back out to my radio station for tonight’s 9pm 3 hour show. Any tiredness, or ongoing health issue [the problems of the past week or so had not yet completely cleared up] soon disappeared once I got behind that microphone and began to play the night’s music! I’m sure that once my  employment stops, and I don’t have  the Tuesday morning commitment for work ahead of me, that I will probably find myself going beyond the midnight stopping point with this program, it gives me so much enjoyment!! Hopefully, a few listeners out there in radio world feel the same way

Back to my Sunday morning radio show today after a rare two Sundays missing  –  while admitting it was difficult to want to get out this morning, I was happy to be back in my studio seat, and playing my Sunday selection of classical music.  And a few comments from people – saying that they had missed me, not been on air!!

A cappucinio on the way back home, before I settled into a day inside [it’s raining!!], catching up on my writings, and/or watching another day of football!!  Yes, one of my loves in life, dominating this weekend!  In the meantime, great news coming out of the US Open Tennis championships  – Australia’s Samantha Stosur has won her way into the Final of the Women’s Singles event  –  she defeated Germany’s unseeded player,

Football fanaticism, with the weather outside wet and chilly [Spring has disappeared temporarily], a great excuse to spend most of my day inside, in front of the TV, watching my favourite football team, and the Aussies in the Rugby.

11am: replay of final quarter of 1981 Round 20 game at Princess Park [the Blues’/ old football  home ground, where I spent 20 years of Saturday afternoons] – Carlton vs Essendon. There was a big fight in the crowd this afternoon – I recall it, I was there, but well away from the fight!!  This was one of Carlton’s premiership years – another Grand Final win over Collingwood, which would occur about six weeks following this game………………….12 Noon” replay of final quarter, Carlton vs Essendon, Round 18 of 1998, played at the MCG, By this stage, I had stopped going to games on a weekly basis, was becoming too expensive & with many other commitments in life, priorities had changed. I think James went to this match on his own, maybe I was there too, even Adam, as by then, he was an Essendon supporter, which he remains today, the only one of my kids to choose a different team to follow.

I planned to prepare a slow cooking roast tonight for Susie and myself. However, when she returned home from another overnight stay, advised she would not be home for dinner tonight, and when she left again early afternoon, it looked as though she would not be back again tonight!~!  Oh well, I decided to proceed with my planned  cooking in any case, even if I would be here alone to eat!!

AFL Elimination final this afternoon, but before that began [an un fortunate clash of times] Australia’s first game in  the Rugby World Cup was due, began at 1.30pm – can watch two things at once, but I would try~!!! Played at Auckland, NZ, in atrocious weather conditions, it was Australia vs Italy. It would be 18 minutes before the first score of the match, to the Aussies, a goal kick and a lead of 3-0. By halftime, the score was a surprising 6-6 all. It was at this point that the time had come to switch over to the Aussie Rules final and my  Carlton football team.

The two late withdrawals from last week’s game, Michael Jamison and Andrew Carrazzo, have returned to the team for today’s Elimination Final. Both have overcome minor injuries that forced them to miss the round 24 match against St Kilda. They have been joined by Bret Thornton who also missed last week’s game, along with David Ellard, who was best on ground in the Northern Bullants Elimination Final victory over the Bendigo Bombers last weekend, and Paul Bower who has returned to form in the VFL. However it was not all positive news for Carlton with Matthew Kreuzer not available due to a foot injury. Brett Ratten had said earlier in the week that injured players would not be considered for selection and Kreuzer was unable to fully overcome the foot injury that forced him to leave the ground during the second quarter of last week’s game. Jordan Russell was omitted from the team.

Carlton  team v Essendon  Elimination Final  Sunday September 11^th  MCG 2:40pm

Backs: Michael Jamison Lachie Henderson Jeremy Laidler   
HBacks: Aaron Joseph Nick Duigan Chris Yarran
Centres: Bryce Gibbs Chris Judd Dennis Armfield
HForwards: Jeff Garlett Bret Thornton Kade Simpson
Forwards: Eddie Betts Setanta O’hAilpin Andrew Walker
Followers: Rob Warnock Heath Scotland Marc Murphy
Interchange from:  Paul Bower Andrew Carrazzo    Marcus Davies David Ellard  Kane Lucas Zach Tuohy Mitch Robinson
In: Bower, Carrazzo, Ellard, Jamison, Thornton    Out: Russell (omitted), Kreuzer (foot)
Milestone: Kade Simpson will play his 143rd consecutive game for Carlton, a Club record.

Game on.   National  Anthem first, then straight into it. Capacity crowd, all tickets were sold a day or so ago, I believe. According to the weather report, a large part of that crowd will get wet during the afternoon, although at starting time, the weather was described as perfect.  First quarter to begin, as the second half of the rugby gets underway [on another channel].  Try to the Wallabies!! Missed the conversion, but after about 7 minutes of the 2^nd half, Australia lead Italy 11-6.

At the MCG [in Melbourne], blue skies up above as the game begins. Carlton off to a speedy start – but, four misses in a row, and after 4 minutes, the Blues have kicked 5 behinds [could have been 5 goals]!!!  Irony!  Soon after, Essendon have their first shot – and score a goal!! Then a second shot, a second goal. Meanwhile, a quick look over at the rugby, and Australia are leading 25-6.  Ohhhhh no, another goal to Essendon, this can’t be happening!!!   A couple more points to the Bombers, then Carlton eventually fights it’s way to goal, which was almost another mistake by the Irishman, Setanta O’hAilpin, played on when he should have waited, but thankfully, the move succeeded.. Then, a second goal to the Blues, while over in Auckland, with 5 minutes to go, Australia lead 32-6. Another goal to Carlton, as the Bombers now build up a run of misses, and Carlton get back in front, just. Then another goal to my boys, looking better now. At Quarter time: Carlton 4.5.29. Essendon 3.4.22.  Over in New Zealand, the Rugby World Cup game is over – Australia defeated Italy 32-6.

Second Quarter:   three early points in a row to the Blues. Then first goal to the Blues.Most of the attacking towards goal is coming from Carlton now – still missing a few shots at goal, but dominating the play at present. miThen two more quick goals to Carlton, one by my favourite player, Bret Thornton, who has played most of his career on the backline. 5 goals up halfway through the quarter. Close to the end of the quarter, and yet another great goal to the Blues, encourages ‘that’ commentator Bruce McAvaney to say ‘it’s Carlton’s day’!!  A little bit early to be coming out with statements like that! Nevertheless, I liked the scoreboard at half time – Carlton 10.12.72 Essendon 4.7.31.

Third quarter:  starting to feel guilty, sitting here inside now, the sun is still shining outside, supposed to be raining, my excuse for being here!@!  Nevertheless, enjoying a rare goblet of red wine [two in fact J] – Penfolds Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz 2003 – nice drop!!! But I need to share it – red wine fans, you are welcome to join me!!  Meanwhile, my man kicks another goal [Thornton], is marking well on the forward line.  Quotation from McAvaney again – ‘Garlett’s on his bike, and it’s a fast bike too’ as Jeff Garlett goes for a run towards the goal.  And as Carlton kicks another goal  –  ‘oh, it’s like a big birthday party, isn’t it?’, as the Blues continue to dominate the match. I am indeed enjoying this game!  Captain, Chris Judd, who has already won most of the honors in football, rises high in the air to take a spectacular mark, then passes to Eddie Betts, repeats the marking exhibition, and promptly kicks his 3^rd goal. Closely followed by a brilliant goal by Bryce Gibbs!! This is a real performance by the team, today!  At three quarter time – it’s Carlton 17.17.119. Essendon 8.9.57. And from the Club itself –  “‎3 qtr time. Another huge quarter by our boys. Judd took the game to another level. A brilliant goal from 45m, three goal assists and a huge grab at half-forward. He’s getting a massive cheer every time he touches it. Murphy continues to dominate while Warnock is playing his best game in the Navy Blue. Betts, Garlett and Gibbs each with 3 goals. Let’s bring it home, boys!”

Final quarter:  a few goals by Essendon in this quarter but by then, the horse had well and truly bolted, and Carlton continued to dominate the match. An afternoon of football I have really enjoyed!   In the end, a great win by 62 points,  Crowd numbers were 90,161, the biggest finals crowd prior to the preliminary final in 1990. Carlton’s first victory in a finals match for 10 years!  Big test next week – have to travel across the nation to Perth, to play the West Coast Eagles, never easy to win over there at the best of times!  Final scores were:

Carlton Blues:              4.5.29      10.12.72       17.17.119       FINAL:   21.23.149

Essendon Bombers:      3.4.22      4.7.31            8.9.57           Final:       13.9.87

Not sure where Susie was, but whoever she was visiting, they were watching game too – received a ‘congratulatory message from her at the end of the match.  I would, in fact,  not be surprised, if she was with old boyfriend, who is also a Carlton supporter. [While talking of football, our local team, the Sunbury Lions, who play in the Ballarat Football league and have done so quite successfully over recent years, won their Preliminary Final game this weekend, and so earned the right to play in that competition’s Grand Final, next weekend].

Of course, the 11^th September has a much more serious connotation to much of the world – since 2001 anyway. I’m not going to comment much further on that date, thousands of words have been written, in just the past week alone, let alone the ten years that have elapsed since the terrorist attacks on the USA. Pages and pages in the papers, special TV programs through the past week, and numerous such ‘specials’ on tonight. The more times I  see those terrible pictures from the Twin Towers, the more chilling it all becomes, especially after this time. 

I can remember what I was doing when the first reports came through the television – at the Goonawarra family home,  it was about 10.45pm on a Monday night, I was working at my computer, with the television on in the background. I think when I first heard the news, I mentioned it to my son, then aged 20, and soon after sent a message to Brenda in the UK, telling her to switch on her TV. She responded almost immediately. We were in fairly constant contact, via email at that time.  I think I watched the TV coverage until around 2am in the morning, certainly up until the time that the two towers collapsed. Simply could not believe what I watching, a real to life horror movie. I recall going to work the next morning – at the Alternative Technology Association, where I was employed as the accountant – and feeling totally depressed about what had happened, and feeling annoyed with people who came into the work place and displayed little feeling or interest in the events in the USA. Work seemed insignificant and unimportant in the context of the attacks.

The ABC had a program on tonight called ‘Rebirth’, a program which chronicled  the lives of five people who were profoundly affected by the 9/11 attacks, over the course of a decade. It was one of a series of programs described as an invitation to pause and reflect, not just on the social and political impacts of the attacks of 2001, but also on the human suffering that will endure for anniversaries to come. As noted in one review of the program ‘Review’ tonight – ‘Mundane details of that fateful morning, recalled by the survivors who shared their stories…..paint a poignant picture of the New York no one expected would change in an instant. Presented in parallel with time-lapse footage of the reconstruction of the twin towers site, the stories of a fire-fighter’s widow, a high school student who lost his mother, two fire fighters who lost colleagues, and a woman badly burnt during her escape, also unfold. Without narration and set to a haunting score by Phillip Glass, their disbelief, anger and grief is allowed an agonising natural course. As the physical hole in their city closes, there is no such healing for their hearts, which as one survivor says, ‘don’t move on’’ That was on the ABC, while SBS had programs on the subject, including ‘Engineering Ground Zero’ where the past three years of the project was documented, an international manufacturing feat of staggering proportions to erect the new One World Trade Centre and the adjacent memorial waterfall, where later, a four hour marathon MEMORIAL service would be held – I watched a part of that before I went to bed, but found the reading [again] of nearly 3,000 names, a little behold what I wanted to watch. Earlier, the ABC’s ‘Compass’ program, had explored the effect September 11, 2001, has had on attitudes to Islam, and the cultural impact of the event. Overall, a fascinating, but also, quite disturbing reminder of the events of 9/11 [as the Americans call that day]. I was late to bed!

I had to do a Saturday morning drive over to Northcote this morning, to collect the mobile phone that I had left behind yesterday – could manage without the phone, but I’d left it in the charger, and didn’t really want it to remain that way for three days!  At least this morning, the traffic was much lighter than a weekday, and with the sun shining, it was quite a pleasant drive [although, I might have woken the cleaner Ken, who was probably having a snooze in the community room – he got quite a shock when he suddenly realised there was someone in the office area!].

The second  of the two AFL Qualifying Finals to be played this afternoon.  My team, Carlton, were due to play tomorrow.

Collingwood Magpies:         1.1.7       7.5.47     10.7.67        Final:     12.10.82

West Coast Eagles:               2.3.15     5.4.34       6.5.41        Final:      9.8.62

While over in Sri Lanka, the Second cricket Test continues, as does Australia’s batting performance  – when rain delayed play partway through this afternoon’s session, the Australia score had reached 7 wickets for 411 runs, with young debut Test cricketer, Shaun Marsh scoring a magnificent 142 runs [the 19^th cricketer to score a test century on debut]. His more experienced batting partner, Michael Hussey, scored 141, and their joined partnership added 258 runs to the Australian score.

Still on sport, tonight, we saw the first of this weekend’s two AFL Elimination Finals – played at Edihad Stadium, it was St Kilda vs the Sydney Swans. A good night to be playing there, with the roof obviously closed in view of the wet wintry weather we are experiencing today. Thinking of the weather, I was a bit worried about Susie been out on the roads tonight – she had an engagement to go to in Wallan [out north on the highway to Sydney], although when I mentioned it to her earlier this afternoon, she was uncertain whether she would go, but would drive herself if she did. Anyway, she disappeared somewhere this afternoon, and did not return, sending me a message that she would not be home for the evening meal, and back fairly late. I must admit that I was relieved to hear that she was in fact, in Sunbury, and presumably not planning to travel very far. 

Meantime, another Aussie sporting event overnight, would come from the USA – where tensions were pretty high, as the approach of the anniversary of 9/11 came near, and security was at a maximum high in New York, under fears of an anniversary terrorist attack. While those fearing such an attack, seem to be assuming it will come in New York, I would have thought it more likely, that if there were to be a terrorist incident tomorrow, it will occur somewhere unexpected, and unplanned for in terms of extra security. Hopefully, all such fears will be unfounded in any case!  What I was referring to, in getting to the US, was the US Open Tennis Semi Final match, tomorrow morning our time, involving Sam Stosur. While it is no guarantee of a win, I think the player she is up against, is unseeded in the tournament, however, obviously playing very well to have got this far. More on Sam, and her big game, later!!

As for tonight’s football match in Melbourne:-

St Kilda Saints:   1.3.9      3.4.22    7.7.49      Final:  8.9.57

Sydney Swans:    2.4.16   7.6.48     8.9.57      Final:  12.10.82

Great news coming out of the US Open Tennis this morning – finally, after as couple of rain delayed days, Sam Stosur got onto the court for her Quarter Final game  –  and the report I heard on the radio, as I drove towards the city, was that she had won – Australia’s first female US Open Semi-Finalist since Wendy Turnbull, in 1984!  As reported in the Daily Telegraph,   “A crushing 6-3 6-3 win over World No.2 Vera Zvonereva has propelled Samantha Stosur into the US Open semi-finals.   Drawn to face unseeded German Angelique Kerber on Sunday morning, Stosur is now within touching distance of just her second Grand Slam final apearance following last year’s heart-breaking French Open defeat.  In complete contrast to her previous two marathon matches, the raging Aussie needed just 67 minutes to record her eighth-straight career win over Zvonereva. The quarter-final was postponed two days because of persistent rain but Stosur never missed a beat as she blasted the shell-shocked Russian to bits with 25 brutish winners.  And much to the joy of the vocal Antipodean contingent on Grandstand Court, the ninth seed refused to give her opponent a sniff – conceding no breaks nor a single double fault”.  I just had to include my own little ‘congratulations’ to Sam, via FaceBook.

Meantime, I’ve received a little bit of feedback from the ‘William Kirk’ booklets which I had sent out to various people over the past few days.  Distant cousin ‘Ann’ had this to say this morning:    “Hello Bill,  Many thanks for your William Kirk booklet, fascinating reading. You’ve certainly done a lot of research over a lot of years.(You did mention the divorce.) I’ll need to thoroughly  sort out where everyone belongs- you’ve helpfully set it all out. William sure had a full and interesting life. It’s a pity we’ll never know for sure,  all the history about our ancestors early lives.   Thanks again, a really  great family history. I’ll be in touch. Ann”   While from ‘Val’, another relative, following her opening sentence, a series of queries and questions about some of the contents of the booklet – ‘Hi Bill,   Have just finished reading through the folder you sent, thanks or that’. Not that the feedback was a concern, that was what I was searching for, new information, corrections, etc, I just found that the difference in the ‘tone’ between the two bits of response, was in fact, rather typical of the two ladies in question!

An enthusiastic phone call tonight from Linton Kirk, a cousin of my father – he had also  received the copy of the booklet I’d sent him, and he was quite excited about what I had done. Offered to do another search amongst his belongings for some old photos, etc, obviously my writings had reignited his enthusiasm for the family history.

A bit of major sport on around the place tonight. In Sri Lanka, it was Day 2 of the Second Test Match, and at Stumps the scoreboard showed Sri Lanka: 174 and Australia: 3 wickets for 264 runs with Marsh, not out 87, and Michael Hussey, not out 76. Meanwhile, Friday night football –  the 2011Finals series commenced tonight, with the first of the Qualifying Finals between Hawthorn and Geelong.  Played in freezing conditions, with various periods of rain squalls throughout the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  Glad I was not sitting there! Home alone instead – Susie went out this evening, think it was Jodie who picked her up!  Susie was back before the football telecast finished.

Hawthorn looked promising at the beginning, but once the Geelong team got into the mood, it was obvious which was the more polished team. A couple of major knee injuries to players from both teams during the match, were disappointing to see.

• Geelong Cats:                2.0.12    7.2.44      12.6.78      Final:   14.14.98
• Hawthorn Hawks:          3.5.23    4.8.32      7.12.54      Final:    9.13.67

World Cup Rugby commences in New Zealand this evening, a program of 7 weeks!!  Game 1 sees New Zealand vs Tonga, and it would not be a very comforting welcoming opening game for the islanders!

I would love to be able to watch some of these World Cup rugby games, but it seems that as far as the ‘free to air’ channel with the contract is concerned, we are only going to have the Australian matches televised virtually when they are happening – all of the other games seemed to be scheduled for delayed telecast in the early hours of our mornings.  Typical of our commercial channels here!

Cool, rainy day predicted, but for most of this morning’s drive, the trip was in beautiful sunny conditions – yes, quite cold, but pleasant in the car, and despite some horrendous traffic conditions on the Western Ring Road [which I generally avoid], and the flow on from that to other arteries, I had a reasonable run to the office, even travelling the longer route.  On the work, things much quieter today, after the drama of yesterday’s  Annual Meeting.

Unpleasant overnight news of a major plane smash in Russia – sadly these kind of things are not rare, but for a sports fan, this had a particular significance, as the plane was carrying an entire ice hockey team & officials, etc,  flying to their first match of that sport’s season in Russia.  It often occurs to me here in Australia, with the number of football and other sporting teams that are constantly flying from one part of the country to another for competition, just how wise or unwise it is, for entire teams to travel/fly together.  I’m sure this question has been considered from time to time, and no doubt, it will get back onto the agenda in many areas after this news.

Equally distressing in many ways, much of the media attention at present is on the coming anniversary – Sunday will mark the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and the United 93 flight that crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The attacks of 11 September, 2001, are one of the most documented tragedies, as the events unfolded live to a global audience of millions [including myself]. There are numerous ‘special’ TV programs on this week, and it is becoming a little wearying seeing those same terrible scenes being played over and over again.

Susan home for an evening meal tonight, though in all honesty, had I being alone, I’d not have bothered with much. Not that I saw her for the rest of the night, disappeared to her room[s] and stayed there, not very communicative at all. Whether she is here for the night, or not, I will just have to wait and see. She was out last night, after a game of volleyball, returned after I’d gone to bed, then later, went out, again and didn’t return overnight.

It was Day 1 of the second Cricket Test between Australia and Sri Lanka.  The Aussies had the better of the Sri Lankan team, with the scores at stumps showing Sri Lanka all out for 174, and Australia in reply, 0 wickets for 60 runs.  Last week, Australia had a convincing win in the First Test, winning by 125 runs. Final scores for that match were: Australia: 273 and 210. Sri Lanka: 105 and 253.

A letter received today from the Australian String Quartet – basically promoting their 2012 season, and advising of the change of personnel, with the violinist, and viola player leaving the quartet at the end of this year, Sophie and Sally. Remaining behind, will be the other violinist, Anne Horton, and the cello player, Rachel Johnston, and they will be joined by two new members in 2012  –  violist, Stephen King, who has apparently spent the last nine years with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and violinist, Kristian Winther. I have already decided that I will not be renewing my longstanding subscription to their concerts next year – if in fact, I can still afford to go to a few concerts, I’d like to diversify a little, and spend my money on a different orchestra, or other group. I have enjoyed listening to the Quartet’s music over the past six years, but feel it is time to move on. As the letter states “Anne and Rachel will be celebrating the end of a very special era with Sophie and Sally during the forthcoming national tour” with their third concert of the year, coming up in a few weeks time.