Brazen Hussies

"Policies are maintained by policy monopolies, that is, a network of
groups and individuals operating inside and outside of government,
linked by their mutual recognition as legitimate actors concerned with
a particular set of policies. Members of this monopoly include
elected officials, administrators in the bureaucracy, and activists
in established interest organisations. Conflict between these actors
plays out, generally, in a stale mate that allows only incremental
reforms in the policy area. Efforts at reform launched outside these
networks are generally easily ignored."

David S Meyer, Social movements and Public
Policy.

This is a picture of the car park at parliament house in Canberra; where I went to give my speech. I was so damn nervous; I went to the bathroom ten minutes before and was blacking out in terror; facing my worst fear, an audience. Now it's been and gone; there's a copy up on You Tube and our descent into hell, uniformity, conformity; it will all sink like a stone while the unthinking, uncaring, unfeeling behemoth that is the government, pig ignorant and self-serving, continues on its way; sucking life, energy and money from the populace as it goes.

Cruel in our divinity, lost fragments of God consciousness; these fragile too short lives; it makes for infinity. i watch them go. I hope to be rewarded but it's all over so fast. The slanting light through the bar window; the tender bar where we dream of belonging; these things mark our own Christmas, our own decay; and I couldn't have asked for more.

The kids and I went to my half brother's wedding on the weekend. I'm going to try and put the pictures below but I'm not sure if it will work. There's compromise in consciousness; things that rise to the surface from God knows where; familiar images which have kept me comfort; dreaming; hugging familiar sadness to my breast; and these enormously embarrassing moments; when I had to walk out on stage and say something that I meant; in these moments were courage and integrity and the heart of decency; and it will all disappear like a wet stone in the sea.



THE BIGGER STORY:

Sydney becomes ever more impossible a place to live:


HOUSES may be becoming a little more affordable but Sydney rents are going through the roof.

Sydney's average house prices fell 5.7 per cent in the last quarter, and new figures show median rents in some suburbs have risen more than 50 per cent since last year.

In the past year the median sales price increased in the inner-city by 1 per cent, but in the middle suburbs fell 4.2 per cent.

The largest fall was in Strathfield (19.3 per cent), while the largest rise was in North Sydney (26.4 per cent).

Meanwhile the State Government's latest Rent and Sales Report shows rents rising out of control in Woollahra, where rent on a three-bedroom house has jumped 53.8 per cent.

Sydney-wide the picture was not so bad, with a median rise of only 8.3 per cent.

Median rent for all dwellings has risen $25 a week since last year. Inner-city renters have been hit with an average rise of $35.

Rents on one-bedroom flats in Auburn and Marrickville rose by more than 20 per cent, while rent on a two-bedroom Mosman flat rose 16.6 per cent.

Demand for family housing in the Blue Mountains pushed up median rents on two-bedroom houses by 15.8 per cent.

Brian Redican, a senior economist with Macquarie Bank, said potential first-home buyers were renting longer, and investors had decided that the stockmarket offered better returns.

This had led to a record low rental vacancy rate of 1.5 per cent, putting pressure on rents.

Demand for housing continues to grow in the inner city, where the median rent is $400, up 9.6 per cent from last year.

Chris Martin, a policy officer with the NSW Tenants Union, said there was a drop in the number of bonds being lodged, indicating more renters were staying put.

He said more people were being evicted because their landlords...

These are my kids; well I think of them as kids; they're almost young adults now; Sam is 16 and Henrietta is 15. Don't quite know how, but they've turned out to be really nice, decent kids. This is at David Stapleton's wedding on Sunday 12 August 2007 in the Japanese Gardens at Gosford. It was a very nice day. They were only 22, but just seemed made for each other. I haven't known many marrying kinds in my life; but it was a window into a different world; a really good hearted good spirited event.