Coffee with Jack [2]

I have coffee with Jack once a fortnight. He is 86.
A few things have changed. We did not meet for six weeks, during which he was in hospital and then moved to live with his daughter. His grandson lives in his house now.

Jack has decided not to drive his car any more. His daughter Carol kindly takes him to meet me and takes him home again. He is looking stronger than he has for several months.

It is Spring here and the weather is ideal. We sit out in the sun...

My kind of music - Jussi Bjorling

A superb voice and a musical craftsman.

Listen to him here

O Holy Night   (5:04 minutes YouTube)

Una Furtiva Lagrima   (4:10 minutes YouTube)

Pearl Fishers Duet   (4:40 minutes YouTube)

O soave Fanciulla  with Video
Jussi bjorling & Anna-Lisa Bjorling - a duet 
(3:46 minutes YouTube)

Looking for a path ahead. Moving Forward!

My enthusiasm for Green Causes has been diminished of late. I have become weary of attending small meetings which seem to achieve very little.

Several local groups have been focussing on what can be done at the household level to reduce one's environmental impact. This has little interest for me, now that I have done as much as I think possible at home.

At a National Level, I am very disillusioned by both major parties. The Greens have been doing better in the latest elections, but they still find it hard to exert real influence.

I have to think about where to go from here.

Not as original as I thought

I just discovered this site, which calls itself Green Maven!

How can one be unique in a global village?

Celebrate with me

My latest activity is finding music on YouTube

Treat yourself to a song from Ava Gardner

Not in my backyard! [42]

Here is the outcome of the local struggle I have been leading for several months

VICTORY for the local Citizens

My latest email:


"Dear Supporters

Many of you will have received a letter from [local government authority] by now, telling you that the Applicant for the Change to Lease Purpose Clause at the [....] Shops to permit an 'indoor entertainment facility', that we opposed, has now withdrawn his application (DA ....)!

This email is for those who did not submit an objection, and would therefore not have received the notification from [local government authority].

Many thanks to all recipients of this email for your support, whether moral or material. Your efforts were successful in halting this development application. 

I would rather have seen the application rejected by [local government authority], but I think we can assume that the applicant saw that his application was going to have a hard time getting accepted. It also relieves us of the possibility of having to mount an appeal if the decision had gone the other way. So it's a great outcome!

We cannot be sure that the Applicant will not make a new application at some future time, which we may feel obliged to oppose. So I am asking everyone to continue being vigilant on this Block and Section. 

Please email me if you discover any development which is of concern to you, or on any other matter. "

I am very satisfied at the success of the first campaign I have ever led.

Be empowered - do it!