Shooting Stars
Everything except language
knows the meaning of existence
Trees, planets, rivers, time
know nothing else. They express it
moment by moment as the universe.
Even this fool of a body
lives it in part, and would
have full dignity within it
Except for the ignorant freedom
of my talking mind.
Les Murray.
The pictures haven't been working all morning; which threw me. I like putting up stuff I just take around town. Not all of them work, but some of them do. This is the ceiling at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre. Beneath it was the impressive sight of the media centre; with journalists from all over the world; computers everywhere, large screens scattered across the floor; all the time, while I was there, playing George Bush delivering his APEC speech, telling us they will win in Iraq. We were encouraged to be anonymous. A courageous step that couldn't be true. I know him, it's alright. Unsettled in extremis. All very APEC...
That was yesterday. I ran out of time and the only thing I could get to work was a picture of a ceiling. Go figure, says the phrase, which is much like our politics. Howard continues to thrash around after APEC has left town. $330 million they said it cost; but that doesn't include the hundreds of millions lost to businesses across the city who had a lousy week; with turnover down by at least half; sometimes virtually total.
Faces loom out of the day; all their own story. We exchange pleasantries and move on. There wasn't a lot to consider. They were lifetimes away; in sunlit bars and joyful times. Now, he didn't participate. Affection took them all by surprise. On that glorious drunken day. Ecstatic recall; remembering the best times only. They were still there in the streets; all this time later. He could feel them. All the leaders have left now; powerful men watching fireworks on the harbour; a collision of circumstance. Normal activity folds back over the city as if it had never been; and our own muffled stories come back into play.
THE BIGGER STORY:
Howard's way restored, but at what cost to party?
New Zealand Herald, New Zealand - 52 minutes ago
By Maria Hawthorne Australian Prime Minister John Howard has clung on to the Liberal Party leadership, but at what cost? Senior ministers tried to portray ...
Janette's ruling the roost ~ and that's untenable
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 3 hours ago
AT the start of the week, the entire Federal Liberal parliamentary team - front and backbenchers alike - was sleepwalking to a train wreck otherwise known ...
Howard stares at wipe-out
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 4 hours ago
The Prime Minister found himself fighting for his future for the simple reason that his MPs are petrified about the polls. ...
John Howard: I'll quit within three years
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 4 hours ago
JOHN Howard last night declared he would step down in favour of Peter Costello within the next three years if re-elected. The Prime Minister conceded for ...
Australia's Howard says he will step down early if he wins poll
AFP - 4 hours ago
SYDNEY (AFP) — Australian Prime Minister John Howard, struggling in polls ahead of a looming election, said Wednesday he would step down before the end of ...
I won't serve a full term,says Howard
Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 4 hours ago
JOHN HOWARD has announced he will retire well into the next term if re-elected and hand the leadership to Peter Costello. Speaking last night after his ...
Costello to be PM next term if Coalition wins: Howard
ABC Online, Australia - 4 hours ago
Prime Minister John Howard has acknowledged that a vote for the Coalition at this year's election will effectively be a vote for two prime ministers - him ...
Ideas start to go to jelly
The Age, Australia - 5 hours ago
For a moment it seemed we were going to be briefed on the latest developments in the Liberal leadership by a startled man from Victoria's Socialist Left. ...
Judgement shot, stature diminished
The Age, Australia - 5 hours ago
JOHN Howard could have done it ages ago — in the manner of Tony Blair. He could have spelt out a timetable for his retirement. It would have been sensible. ...
Bizarre scenes but all normal on Planet Canberra
The Age, Australia - 5 hours ago
Treasurer Peter Costello gives a press conference following yesterday's Liberal Party meeting at Parliament House. ON A day when leadership questions hung ...
PM flags retirement date
The Age, Australia - 5 hours ago
JOHN Howard last night sought to shore up his still embattled leadership by declaring for the first time that he would retire "well into" a fifth term, ...
Howard sets retirement deadline
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 5 hours ago
By Maria Hawthorne and Peter Williams PRIME Minister John Howard has made a dramatic plea to voters to re-elect his government by pledging to retire during ...
Howard flags retirement if he wins election
ABC Online, Australia - 8 hours ago
Mr Howard he expects Peter Costello to takeover as Prime Minister at some point during his next term. (AAP: Andrew Sheargold) The Prime Minister says if he ...
Australian PM moves to silence leadership rumblings
AFP - 11 hours ago
CANBERRA (AFP) — Australian Prime Minister John Howard on Wednesday said no one in his party wanted to challenge for the leadership despite low opinion ...