Just got back from Australia.....

[Delarage]

where I was hanging out with a liberal Australian. She told me that John Howard's re-election sucked and that things were going down the tubes there due to the "conservative" agenda (privatize everything). She was apalled that the company that made Vegemite gave it up to Kraft and that the company that makes Tim Tams (a favorite cookie there) was bought by an American company. They have good housing laws that make it easy for poor people to live in decent neighborhoods; at Sydney Harbor, there are multi-million dollar homes with views (including Russel Crowe's) next to government apartment buildings where rent might be 100-200 dollars per month. The conservatives want to change that.

On a positive note, she told me that Peter Garrett (Midnight Oil's lead singer) was elected to office (I think as an M.P.) and is fighting for the types of things his band used to sing about (Aboriginal rights, etc.).

I didn't get a chance to ask her how Howard got re-elected (did he claim to be chosen by God, more moral, "comfortable in his skin," etc.) but she was very unhappy about it.

[spooky3]

1. I love Australia. Hope you had a good time.

[Delarage]

2. Australia rules.

Except I learned to play rugby with some friends and got all banged up. That's a crazy game and I won't be joining the Wallabies anytime soon. I got to miss over a week of stifling hot weather in Delaware as an added bonus.

In general, Australians are WAY nicer than Americans. It's a shame the right-wingers are in power there.