Cablog

Not a CABPOLL

This is not a CABPOLL due to a rare night off work. Though the election campaign is unavoidable at the moment, so here goes. Last night I caught Labor's policy launch on both radio and television. On ABC's Lateline I watched Labor sex-symbol, Julia Gillard using the term, ‘a Latham Labor government...’. There’s something catchy about the term, ‘Latham Labor’ - okay then, let’s just call him, ‘La La’.

La La looked good launching Labor's campaign, presidential even, as he stoked the fires for the True Believers. Given it’s been a long time between drinks, they might as well enjoy it while they can. I liked his direct method of delivery, without a tele-prompter it seemed...

CABPOLL 8

Driving through the electorate of Wentworth last night, I stopped and took an image of our Mal on a telegraph pole. Unfortunately it doesn't do him justice but if you go to his website you'll find him relaxing at Bronte Beach. Centrebet has him favourite at $1.55.

I quizzed a few drivers at the cabwash last night regarding talk in their cabs. The consensus had a Howard win coupled with general disinterest, reported by a couple of Premier drivers, out in the Parramatta district. I intend to conduct further driver quizzes over future CABPOLLs. Heard a radio interview with the manager of Centrebet who reported someone had plonked $200,000 on the Coalition, firming their odds to $1.28 and easing Labor out to $3.30.

Sexed-up

On Sunday, my Typepad server was down for regular scheduled maintainence thereby denying me access to the operating platform. Hence no posts or comments throughout the day. So I took the opportunity to do some overdue housekeeping around the blog. After the redesign, I've re-opened the Statcounter for viewing, for what it's worth. This can now be accessed via Extras. A little sexy tinkering with the banner now and everything is pretty much sweet.

And yes, boring news definitely needs sexing-up. One of my favourite City ranks is in Hunter Street. Why ? Cause late at night, bored shitless, there is excellent eye candy opposite at the classy IM lingerie shop. Every week they change the theme with different colours and materials. Phoawr ! Window shopping has never been so good. Click-on...

CABPOLL 7

Last week in CABPOLL 4, I made the point the Coalition, who appeared to have enough momentum for victory, should not consider the election a foregone conclusion. I still hold that view. For them to salute the judge, the Roy and HG skit springs to mind. This has the jockey beating the conveyance to a pulp, so that it barely staggers over the line, a pulsing heart and little else.

One thing I would say - if it wasn’t for our resilient economy, you could put down the glasses now for the Coalition would have their heads kicked-in on the home straight. Personally, I don’t want Latham to win. Not that I don’t believe in him, but for mine, he’s three years early. Later, with his rough edges knocked off and the Left under control, he can shape up to the Mad Monk, who also needs three more years for the same reasons. This should herald a golden age of Australian politics.

But I digress, on with the latest CABPOLL...

Our Leader

David, a professional photographer in Sydney, is the wizard who captured these stunning images of the Harbour Bridge light show last New Year. A few days ago he penned this poem and sent it to the Sydney Morning Herald. Whilst it expresses views contrary to my own, I thought it was neat and so asked him if I could publish it. I might add David neither suggested nor put pressure on me to do so. I just thought it was worth a run...

Our Leader, who art in Canberra, Howard be thy Name.
Thy Come Upance will come.
Thy will be downed, On the day of the 9th of October.
Give us this day our our due respect
as concerned and thinking Australians.
And forgive us our complacency
in allowing you to lead us into an illegal war
despite 75% of Australians saying NO...
Whilst we will never forgive those who devastate our ancient forests
Clearfelled burned and poisoned from our childrens future
for just $12 a tonne in woodchips...
Lead us no more into foreign ownership,
And spare us from Bush and his madness.
For thine is the arrogance,
the pig headedness and the stupidity.
for not long now.
Thank God...

Very Sydney

Last night early in the shift I picked up a gorgeous young woman from a house in lower Bellevue Hill. Coincidentally, it was a famous New Years Eve party house once owned by friends of mine. And there was party in full swing when I arrived. Nothings changed here, I chuckled to myself.

She glided down the path in stilettoes and a stunning, tiny, black party dress. It was a killer and seemed to have a mind of its own as she struggled with its gravity-defying properties. - What !? I’m a bloke, just reporting... - Straight off I asked her what was going on at the house. ‘Oh, just an Adult party’, she replied. Grrrrrr...

CABPOLL 6

Last night being Saturday was football and party night in Sydney. As a result not many passengers were interviewed for CABPOLL. Same as last Saturday, demonstrating Sydney has it’s priorities after all. However, the two passengers who were sober and lucid enough for a political chat, made important observations worth reporting...

Cab tunes

Late in the evening three foreign women jumped into the cab for the Rocks in the City. After listening to them quietly conversing, I said very slowly, 'What-language-are-you-speaking ?'. 'Irish !', they responded. 'Why don't you speak the Queens English ?', I challenged them. Which brought the inevitable response, 'Fook the Queen !'. And they immediately broke into a raucous Northern Irish ditty. For they were the three gorgeous lasses from Tyrone.

No sooner had they alighted when three guys hopped in from the Cruise bar at Circular Quay. They were also raucous. 'Have you been drinking ?', I challenged. To which one replied, 'No, only injecting !'. 'Fair enough', I responded, 'where to ?'. They were off to the Colombian Hotel in Oxford Street and were only too happy to regale me with a couple of tunes.
It was that sort of night.

NOTE : Videos open in Quicktime

Preferences ?

Every coffee shop around town carries these advertising postcards. Some of the designs are really clever, funny and often very artistic. I imagine they are done on computers using the latest graphic design software being quite easy to produce for an experienced designer. The stamp frame states they are made from plantation pulp, unbleached by chlorine, and use biodegradable vege inks and varnish.
I looked at this thinking hang on, aren't the Greens preferences being directed to the Democrats, then Labor ? But of course they're dealing with the Lower House here and not the Senate. A key objective is always to make sure that if the Greens are not elected, our preferences will not cause the election of a conservative senator. However, The Democrats are directing Senate preferences to the Family First Party ahead of the Greens nation-wide.
Given the Family First Party is the Greens nemesis, I don't get it...
Click-on to enlarge

CABPOLL 5

Early yesterday afternoon I picked up a News Limited political commentator from Canberra who, before I knew it, was interviewing me ! A real professional skilled in the art of the interview. Something the great Mike Willesee had in spades. The ability to conduct an interview couched as a conversation. Reinforcing the maxim - the art of conversation is making the other party comfortable. I’ve much to learn...