Just got back from a holiday in Tasmania, touring with family in from the States. I got to see some places I've never seen before on previous trips, including a view of the unobscured profile of Cradle Mountain. I had a great time, and I'll hopefully post some pictures here eventually.

Yesterday, the winds started blowing out of the north and, all of a sudden, a desert dry heat enveloped Melbourne. After work, I went for a walk along the beach from Sandringham to Half Moon Bay. There were more people there than I had ever seen. I'm told people make a beeline for the shore right after work and have a good three hours or more of daylight to enjoy before sunset. The water was a tremendous relief.

The heat broke with a "cool change" at 10 a.m. this morning. The temperature dropped from 89 degrees to 73 degrees in under an hour. No clouds, no rain, no storm - just a shift in the wind. Very bizarre, but very typical for Melbourne weather.

Going to visit the cats at Spotswood quarantine right after work... Looking forward to it. Wonder if they'll remember me? They haven't seen me in almost six months.

Yeah, about that updating the blog thing...

Sorry I've let the blog slide. I haven't been feeling all that great lately and I didn't want to have a bummed-out blog. Not the vibe I'm looking for here.

So anyway, It's mid-December now, which should translate over to mid-June by Northern Hemisphere seasonal conversions. However, it has not been very hot over here yet. Oh, a day here and there, but that's about it and not for awhile. The sun is very strong but the winds have been mostly southerlies which are fairly chilly most of the time... about upper 60s to low 70s for highs.

It actually snowed in the mountains in late November. And we had a nice rain storm about a week ago that was very unusual. It was an all-day sort of rain and the weather systems don't often have that sort of stamina in these parts. Passing showers are the norm. Bottom line it was the most rain in Melbourne from one storm in three years, but fairly unremarkable by New York standards.

So anyway, now you have the weather report, lol. I'll write something more substantive next time.

Palin, as we all know, did a pretty good job. Good enough to give McCain the lead in the national polls this week. 'Nuff said.

I've been meaning to post my August 26 ski trip to Mt. Buller. Expect that posting in the next day or two...

In the meantime, I'll toss up here my first video for my blog. I took this video clip this afternoon at Churchill National Park, 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from where I live, in Black Rock. Now that I've been there, I'd have to say it's probably the closest park with wildlife that you can reliably see up close.

I promised one of my readers a blog entry about Senator Barack Obama and here it is: It's going to be probably less interesting than my other one about Governor Sarah Palin because, well, Obama has been in the news a lot over the past year or two so there is less insight I can bring to the table.

Obama has run a successful primary campaign running on sheer charisma and capitalizing on the national discontent with Republican George Bush. Within the Democratic Party, however, supporters of the failed campaign of Senator Hillary Clinton were left with bad tastes in their mouths after a protracted primary season that ended in a virtual stalemate between Clinton and Obama. The impasse was essentially was unilaterally settled by Democratic Party leaders in favor of Obama. To be fair, Obama did have a slight edge over Clinton on delegates going into the stalemate, but hardly a convincing mandate.

Many disgruntled Clinton supporters, especially women, feel that the Democratic Party is taking their support for granted. [Google "PUMA" and "Clinton"]. This situation was not helped when Obama failed to even make a gesture of considering Clinton for the vice president position.

Obama's choice of longtime Senator Joseph Biden for Vice President was very much a political act of playing it safe.

Strategically, it allowed John McCain to do what he likes to do - act like a gutsy party rebel or a "maverick" by nominating Palin, a Governor who was elected on a platform of reform and has by all accounts delivered. In one master political stroke, McCain simultaneously builds his case that he is serious about working towards reforming the Republican Party and American politics and at the same time validating the feelings of disenfranchised Clinton supporters who, again, felt that women's support was being taken for granted by Obama and the Democratic Party, letting them know that he considers them equal partners in leadership. Oh, and he also energized the conservative base of his party.

A cynic would interpret McCain's move as blatant pandering. However, it is the Democratic Party and Obama themselves who created the opportunity for McCain to pander by the way they mismanaged the Clinton situation.

I can't overstate the significance of a Presidential candidate putting a woman on the ticket. It is important to remember that for all the talk of equal rights in America, no woman has ever served as a President or Vice President there, and this fact is not lost on American women. The one and only time a US Presidential candidate had a female running mate was in 1984 when Walter Mondale ran with Geraldine Ferraro and lost to incumbent President Reagan. I did not vote in that election: I was only 14 years old. Many voters today are too young to remember this election at all.

While Barack Obama would be the first Black president, and that is truly exciting, it is also historic for a woman to attain the position of Vice President. So in terms of novelty to the American voter, Obama and Palin might cancel each other out. That remains to be seen.

What's been said about Obama that hasn't already been said? He's the antithesis of Bush. If Obama delivers on half the promises he's made, he will be colossally popular. But in order to do this, he has to get elected.

Getting elected as President these days means being able to carry crucial "swing" states that can go either Democrat or Republican. My state of New York is going to vote for him. But the swing states: Can he win them? Can McCain win them? That is the million dolar question.

There is a lot of campaigning left to go, and a lot of things can happen between now and November.

Which brings us back to Palin, the wildcard. Her speech at the Republican Convention tonight in Minneapolis will be watched closely by all Americans, but how well it is received, especially by the voters in those swing states, is sure to be crucial.

How crucial? Like The West Wing during ratings "sweeps" week crucial.

Musings on Sarah Palin, VP candidate for the Republican Party:

From over here in Australia, I have been following the American election season with some interest.

I am particularly intrigued by the choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate.

I overheard a radio personality here in Melbourne talking about Palin - in particular her views on abortion and the fact that she is a hunter ("There is a picture in the paper of her standing over the carcass of what appears to be Bambi's mother!" was the direct quote) with absolutely no comprehension of how such a person can be nominated for such an important position.

We're talking about an American election. Were you expecting Shimon Peres? Seriously, I understand the worry, but I think it would be worthwhile to take a moment to put some perspective into this VP choice.

To understand Palin, you have to understand Alaska, a frontier state but no less part of the Union than the 49 other states. Alaskans, more or less, are a rougher, tougher version of Midwestern people. Many Alaskans are in fact former Midwesterners and not surprisingly, Palin's family is from Idaho. She went to college there.

Does Palin hunt? Yes. And hunting seems bloodthirsty and cruel and is tough to comprehend. But before you go ballistic, consider that hunting is part of the Alaskan heritage and that the animals that Palin hunts are used for food, not merely sport. Do you eat meat? If you do, then your meat is processed through mass production methods. The animals that gave you your meat had a hellish life compared to a wild Alaskan moose or Caribou. But your slaughterhouse, hidden away, allows the "dirty work" to go on behind closed doors where you can't be bothered by it. Give Palin credit - she may eat meat, but she has the "kahones" to go out and kill it and prepare it herself.

Is Palin anti-abortion? Yes. But that question is less important than this one: Have her views on abortion manifest itself to date in her governing? Not that I've heard. It's important to draw a distinction between one's personal beliefs and the way they act in positions of responsibility.

Lets also take a moment to examine how abortion rights are managed in the United States.

Does any President have the unilateral authority to decide abortion law? No, but the President can, when a vacancy arises, appoint a Supreme Court Justice who potentially can tip a balance in a decision on the issue. However, a Supreme Court Justice appointment must be ratified by Congress. And Congress is made up of representatives who are elected independently of the President.

Put another way: There have been many presidents whose personal views are pro-choice and many who have been anti-abortion, and none of them have really influenced this issue all that much over the years.

John McCain's policy statement says he favors making abortion law a matter for the individual states instead of a federal issue. Basically, this position allows him to ride both sides of the issue. He can turn to the pro-choice people and say that he is not for outlawing abortion, just shifting the responsibility for the decision to the individual states, and he can go to the anti-abortion camp and say he's for overturning the (national) Supreme Court decision, essentially telling both sides more or less what they want to hear.

From his perspective, it's probably a good tactical move. It's a way to sidestep the issue, anyhow. For people who depend on the stance on this issue for deciding who to vote for, it's a bit of a cop out.

Barack Obama's policy is, of course, staunchly pro-choice, but we can't look upon a governing track record or even a lengthy voting record to say what he would do in a position of power. This is not a criticism, but simply an observation.

I've digressed, but getting back to Palin, her accomplishments as Governor of Alaska have included bipartisanship, cleaning out political corruption and squeezing more money out of the pockets of the oil companies that are using Alaska's resources and putting that money into the pockets of Alaskans. The people of her state aren't complaining. She has an 80 percent approval rating there, which is a remarkable statistic. It also means a lot of pro-choice Democrats in Alaska approve of her. So unless she does a Jekyll and Hyde if she became president, there is no reason to believe she cares about using her office to promote an abortion agenda.

This is not an advertisement for Sarah Palin, and I am not telling you whom I am voting for or whom you should vote for. However, Palin's narrative is undeniably compelling. Her bona fide credentials both as an effective Governor and as a member of the real world are a stark contrast to the power-craving, mutant political creatures that we Americans are usually forced to choose from in a Presidental election.

So, what I'm really trying to say here is that Palin is a legitimate candidate for the office and not a reason to panic, no matter who you intend to vote for. Melbournians, take deep breaths!

Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
A KANGAROO has inflicted extensive injuries on a man in Melbourne's north-west.
The victim, aged in his 50s, suffered a large gash to the head and other wounds to the chest and hands in the incident, which happened at 1.30pm.
Ambulance officers treated him at the scene, in Enterprise Drive, Sunbury.
He was transferred to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
Ambulance Victoria paramedic Stephen Weissbacher said the man was not seriously injured in the attack.
"He was jogging near his home when he was attacked by a male kangaroo. He managed to fight the kangaroo off and made his way to a neighbours house who called 000,"Mr
Weissbacher said.

So, What else have I been up to since early August? I went on an overnight camping trip to Wilsons Promontory from August 2-4. Wilsons Prom is about 200 kilometers southeast of Melbourne and is the furthest southern point on the Australian mainland. Tasmania has the most southerly point in Australia's states, a point a bit over 43 degrees south latitude, or the American equivalent latitude of Manchester, New Hampshire. Now, Wilsons Prom protrudes just beyond 39 degrees south latitude, an American equivalent latitude of, say, Cape May, New Jersey. Wilsons Prom, however, resembles Cape May not at all and Acadia National Park in Maine quite a lot. Actually, I'll be honest - it is even more beautiful than Acadia. Oh, and at the Prom, I've finally gotten up close and personal with some Australian wildlife for the first time since I've moved here, which explains the opening graphic for today's blog entry. We'll get to the actual wildlife in a moment.

First, however, I'd like to show you some of the spectacular scenery.



Ooooh!



Aaaaah!



Oooh la la!

Remarkably enough, I had the entire park practically all to myself. Never mind that the temperature outside was over 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the sun was brilliant and warm.

This is still the dead of winter, like early February in the Northern Hemisphere, and Australians avoid the Prom this time of year. They say it's too windy and too changeable, too showery and too chilly. In the summer, you have to book campsites in advance on the weekends, and the beaches are crowded with people. I was happy to have the opportunity to experience this magical place in relative solitude.

Moving right along to the wildlife, I was approached by a portly Wombat on the first night and I stumbled upon what appeared to be a baby Wombat on my last day. Isn't it just the cutest?
Also on the last day, at a grassy clearing near the Visitors Center, I spotted a couple of Kangaroos grazing about. They like to graze in grassy areas, and I've noticed that the Australian parks tend to supply these areas close to some parking lots and picnic spots as more or less designated Kangaroo viewing areas, whether intentionally or not. No question, it's great for the tourist shutterbugs!

All in all, Wilsons Prom is a great place, and one I'll want to come back to again and again, in all seasons.

I'll certainly be keen on planning another trip into the Aussie bush soon.

P.S. Today's blog looks a little dodgy in Firefox and better in Windows Explorer today. Don't know why that is, but it happens. That Blogger doesn't format very well when you use a lot of pictures is a simple answer.

Okay, I took 18 days off from the blog. So sue me. What did you miss? Well, for one thing, there was snow in the Dandenongs back on August 10. The Dandenongs are a hilly range less than an hour's drive east from Melbourne. They rise to a height of about 2,000 feet at the ridgeline, which ain't too shabby, sort of like a taller version of Harriman State Park in relation to New York City. Snow in the Dandenongs happen about once or twice a year. It might happen again this week, according to the forecasts. Or, it might not.
Melbournians flock to the Dandenongs after a snow and, well, take a lot of pictures. It's a lot closer than driving to the Victorian Alps and the snow on the trees looks just as nice. It also gives people a reason to get a nice Devonshire tea at one of the many lovely teahouses and restaurants in the Dandenongs, like Miss Marples, pictured here. Miss Marples, as I recall, has Christmas decorations up at this time of the year, even though Christmas is not for another few months. Why? I guess it's just that the snow and chill is just so much more "Christmassy" than the summer heat, isn't it? Ah, the British roots of Australia still show, don't they?