ants

there's lots of them.
and they've taken over my clothes line.
not good to bring in clean clothes with a few
additional hitchhikers of ants.
ants wandering amongst one's knickers can be somewhat unsettling.

i've encouraged the little things to move along.
and so, they've swarmed over a great expanse.
apparently one of the collective terms for these critters is a bike.
so there's a great bike of ants outside, and in dealing with such
i've managed to bring some inside with me.
hence random ants throughout the day.
one on the coaster.
one on the couch.
one tapdancing along the computer keyboard.
and then of course,
an ant or two in one's pants.
better than an entire bike in one's trousers i suppose.
(of course, i expect, you know this.)


note: they're also of course referred to as a colony, army or swarm. and they most definitely are swarming about the place.

you may also be interested (or you may be completely indifferent of course, but it's hard to tell from here) to know that the collective term for apes is a troop.

magpies, a congregation or tittering.
mallards/ducks, a flush or puddling/paddling.

an array of hedgehogs.
monkeys, a cartload, tribe or troop.
cobras, a quiver. (would make me quiver. but, even just one could do that.)

a float of crocs.
a dule of doves.
a rhumba of rattlesnakes.
a crash of rhinos.
a leap of leopards.
a swift of tigers.
a skulk of foxes.

you can have a bloat of hippopotamuses.
also quite apt is a scourge of mosquitoes.
prettily there's a bouquet of pheasants.
a peep of chickens.

a knob of.... pintails. (a type of duck it turns out. i wonder if there's a yobbo duck... could come in handy.)

a bevy or lamentation of swans.
an ostentation of peacocks.
an implausibility of gnus.
an unkindness of ravens.
a troubling of goldfish.
a smack of jellyfish.
and, a mischief of meeces.
by which, of course, i mean mouses.
no!
mice.






so next time one of your mates shows off by their great ken that a bunch of crows be a murder, you can ask them if they know what a knob refers to!

Tips on saving water

When showering:

• In the shower I find it most useful to use a bucket to collect water which I can later use in the garden.

• In addition, of course, one also wants to use less water, and the most effective way of ensuring one has as short a shower as possible is to have a rather large, ugly and slightly aggressive white tailed spider in the corner above the shower about to jump down and attack you. As their bites are quite painful and occasionally cause serious permanent damage, this is quite an effective method for saving water.

(Or so I've found.)

Apple, Tarantino, Art and Life (and crickets)

Watch more IFILM videos on AOL Video

Watched Iconoclasts with Fiona Apple and Quentin Tarantino this week. I love how they talked about being artists and where inspiration comes from, a kind of 'God Antenna' (see above).

And I've just read in Katherine Mansfield's Letters:

November 1920

What you quote from Van Gogh is very fine.

["...Nevertheless I find in my work a certain reverberation of what fascinated me. I know that Nature told me something, that she spoke to me, and that I took down her message in shorthand. Perhaps my transcript contains words that are undecipherable; belike there are faults and omission in it too, - still it may possess something that the wood, the beach or the figures said."]

... Tchehov felt just like that.

...I don't believe there are any short cuts to Art. Victory is the reward of battle just exactly as it is in Life. And the more one knows of one's soldiers the better chance one has. That's not an absolutely true analogy tho'. The thing is more subtle.

But what I do believe with my whole soul is that one's outlook is the climate in which one's art either thrives or doesn't grow. I am dead certain that there is no separating Art and Life. And no artist can afford to leave out Life. If we mean to work we must go straight to Life for our nourishment. There's no substitute. But I am violent on this subjick. I must leave it.

I think with both art and life: neither can be pushed. And this is what Fiona and Quentin were discussing. If it's not all there and filling you up, then there's no use in trying to create something... from nothing. I believe also with life it's just cruel to yourself, and the natural state of things, to pressure yourself to do something when you don't feel called, compelled or inspired to do so. If it's a 'should do' then you most likely shouldn't. Or, as I've similarly heard: If in doubt... don't.

I typically have been a thinker, ruminator, cogitator, (agitator!)... i.e. worrier. Going through a list of shoulds in my head concerning the 'best' to do for the future. Of course the future doesn't exist. One only has 'now' and one ought to sense the now and how one is feeling now, because that is what will guide one in the 'future'. If you stick with that you can't go wrong.

So, this is the God Antenna of which the Apple and the Tarantino speak. You sense what's happening with you at each moment and when inspiration or interest comes, it comes. No use erecting voluminous satellite dishes just to find something. Stick with where you're at this moment and it will come to you.


*sits*



*crickets chirp*


so... *sits listening to crickets*


P.S. I meant to put this on my other blog, but seeing as I've put it here I'll leave it. I've been wanting to bring this blog back to its former eclecticness anyway. Also... can't think of anything else I'm interested in writing about at the moment. (at least these means I'm walking the walk, or the talk, or the blog, or whatever...!)

Useless Information! (Ears, Segues, Segways & Tequila)

1. You can make diamonds from tequila. And they're small and useless. Apparently even more useless than the ones used for jewellery - although, I'm thinking if you could rehydrate them somehow, they'd actually be far superior...


2. From Mexican scientists to sentimental scientists: The little Phoenix bot on Mars has gone nighty-night now due to the lack of solar power and the cold. Of course, brave little thing, it had actually soldiered on - sending info and pictures of snowfall (!) back to Earth - for much longer than expected.

Glen Nagle, a spokesman for the Canberra Deep Space Communication complex said "this little spacecraft" may still survive the cold however, and it has a wee program on board call 'Lazarus mode' which will allow it to call home if it gets enough power. He added:

"I actually find them quite amazing in terms of their resilience, their ability to actually last far longer than we ever expected. And for their human controllers here on Earth, [they are] quite attached to these spacecraft because it just shows sort of tenacity to keep on operating far beyond their lifetime."

Phoenix is already being missed by not just the scientists. The robot's personal Facebook page and blog has been inundated with farewell wishes.

The last message text message sent to 30,000 Phoenix fans via the robot's own Twitter mobile phone account was written in binary and translated to "triumph", with a heart shaped emoticon.

Cause robots have feelings too.





No they don't.



Anyway.


3. There's good news re the global financial crisis (yes, rly!). Well... for some locals of United Arab Emirates at least.

Emiratis have fretted for years over the loss of their culture, as social norms became more a product of the newcomers than of the nationals. Now, some are pinning their desires for a cultural salvation on the global economic downturn, which they hope will reduce the numbers of foreigners pouring into their country and give them a chance to reassert their customs and way of life.

“This is a blessing; we needed it,” Abdul Khaleq Abdullah, a political science professor at United Arab Emirates University, said of the fiscal crisis. “The city needs to slow down and relax. It’s good for the identity of our country.

A blessing indeed, as it may be the end of such images as this:





4. Obama's election victory, however, is not all good news. Quite depressing to some actually.

"Obama's election is great for our country but bad for comedy," said Michael Musto, a columnist for New York City's Village Voice. "He is an earnest, intelligent person trying to rescue a country in crisis and that's not all that hilarious."

Well, perhaps they could put Bush and Palin in charge of something like NASA or the FDA. Nothing like legally doped up astronauts hooning about the atmosphere to create comedic inspiration.

And hey, they could launch the first moose in space!



Of course, Sarah Palin would just go and shoot it down...


5. More presidential news: Peru has offered a hypo-allergenic dog to the Obamas (their daughter being allergic and all).

Claudia Galvez... director of the Friends of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association.Galvez has a 4-month-old pedigree puppy to send to the Obama family. For now, she is calling it Ears because it has two large, perky ones.

"But if we send it to the United States, its official name will be Machu Picchu," she said, referring to the ancient Incan citadel, Peru's top tourist attraction.

Sticky-out ears eh?

This is sure to happen (you know the old chestnut, dogs look like owners and all that)!













Awww. They're both adorable if you ask me.

Counting Bees

Bees - and possibly sesame seeds - can count to four.

"The more we look at these creatures that have a brain the size of a sesame seed, the more astonished we are. They really have a lot of the capacities that we so-called higher human beings possess."

Wow.

I will never look at a sesame seed the same again - - lets hope they don't start hunting in packs.


Hey! Maybe we could send bees to Mars! (Surely Buzz would approve...)*

* See last post if you're now really wondering what the hell I'm talking about.

Want another excuse not to exercise?

...

It's dangerous.


"Jogger attacked by kangaroo"

(pic from)

A day at the beach!

I thought it was pretty cool having a horse beach in Perth.





















But of course, I didn't realise how many other animals are being excluded! I mean, we have lots of dog beaches in Perth as well, but really we're not going far enough.

Think of all the animals whose beach frolicking needs are being ignored! I mean, many other people would surely like to exercise their pets at the beach!


Lots of people now have pet rabbits...


























Their needs should be met too!




(Although, killer rabbits should of course be responsibly restrained.)




And, of course, cats miss out.






























It really is disgraceful.




One might like to walk one's pet monkey...





























And where are they going to go?!





Even cows enjoy a break away from their everyday routine.






















(from Skinnyde)




Don't forget your sunscreen!






























Lots of people have pet pigs these days.





















Look how happy he is! Surely the pigs of Perth are really not having their needs met.























We're really backwards in Perth. Just so old fashioned! Especially when you think how it could be...











































































(pic by Michael Poliza)



*sigh* Something really ought to be done.

Q & A mosaic

.

(click for bigger image)

Have been immersing myself in a lazy Sunday today. The only active thing I've done is hack at the bougainvillea, and the intertwined and rampant passionfruit vine which is eternally attempting to choke it. I won btw. My aim was also to warm myself up, which I achieved nicely... for a while. Very sunny lately at least.

So, being a lazy day, I thought it was an opportune moment to have a go at a flickr-mosaic meme that's been going around the blogosphere.

It goes like this:

• Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
• Using only the first page of results, pick one image.
• Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

And the questions are these:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food right now?

3. What high school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

6. What is your favourite drink?

7. What is your dream vacation?

8. What is your favourite dessert?

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. What is one word that describes you?

12. What is your flickr name?

They're answered in rows, left to right.

I'm quite happy with how it turned out actually - it will do well as my new desktop image (although it could be quite dangerous as it will surely encourage me to up my indulgence in sweet treats - how good does that mud pie look!!!).


Update: Thanks to kiki's encouragement, I shall annoy, I mean, tag people to do the meme. I hereby tag kiki, kath, mai, ariel and homo j. Enjoy or ignore as you wish!

Easter reflections

Today is Good Friday, and the weather is fine - the brightest blue sky you've ever seen - and I can't recall where I was when I heard my grandmother had been taken to hospital.

She was a devout Catholic, but had a wicked sense of humour. Fittingly, she felt ill when at church watching The Stations of the Cross which was always performed by students of my former primary school. I say 'fittingly' not because one always feels unwell at church, and especially so if having to sit through students clumsily reenacting Christ's crucifixion whilst a giant (probably plaster or plastic) and pained looking Jesus views from the wall above, but because she suffered on the same day as the Lord.

She was in a coma in intensive care on the Friday and Saturday, and the day the Lord rose to heaven so did she.

I was 15 at the time and have memories of the hospital, and the waiting room, and fellow family members, and myself, very upset... but I can't remember where I was when I heard that she was in hospital. A couple of years earlier and I likely would have been at church with her.

I can remember where I was when I heard Princess Diana died. I can remember where I was when, watching live, planes flew into the Twin Towers. I can remember where I was when the Boxing Day tsunami happened. But I can't remember where I was when I heard that my beloved, healthy, vibrant, and strong grandmother was in intensive care.

Perhaps some things are just too close to home to remember, to want to remember.

Anyway, although I can recall the date she died, it is always at Easter that I remember her even more than usual. She figured that one out pretty well. No forgetting Easter.

Of course she was not forgettable. Not at all. My life would have been hugely lacking if it weren't for her. At least I remember that.

tendrils & blooms

In the early evening I step outside with my cup of tea. I stand and watch tiny New Holland honey-eaters chase each other around the yellow blossoms of a gum tree. I am thrilled by the spinning of a slim curved leaf as it slowly spirals to the ground, passing through shadows and light on its way.

I look over the fence to the giant soft greenness of the neighbour's Jacaranda tree. Beside it is a tall, fat pine. The one my dad said is like a Norfolk Pine but not; but smaller. It's arms stretch out with great multi-fingered hands. Cupped in some are tall proud seed cones. They sit like fat happy eggs in a nest. I glance back to the Jacaranda. Although a younger tree down the road is still blooming this tree finished flowering weeks ago, before it grew its soft feathery leaves for another year. But then, just to one side, I spot one brilliant lilac bloom. Just one, sitting in the green and the light. And I'm amazed at how sometimes, all we need is just one.

The passionfruit vine in front of me stretches toward empty air, looking for something to cling to, to grow on, something for support. I can see it won't find it and will have to be content to return to the fence. Will realise, after searching enough emptiness, it must return to itself and keep growing from there. Although this won't stop it from stretching out further vines and searching tendrils in the future.

(cross posted @ bloom lane)

Tennis in the round (and round)

Well, I've profoundly pondered the problematic distractions of cricket,
so now I'll move on to rambling upon the ramifications of tennis.







ONE

Sharipova played some other squealer the other day. 'Aiii!!!' 'Ahhh!!!' Anyone nearby would've thought I had some hot one-on-one lady action porn on the telly (damn exciting porn at that!).

Needless to say, it could not be watched (not with the sound on at least).



TWO

The close up thing with Venus Williams' shorts had me thinking, and then I came to a cul-de-sac and stopped (after doing a few squealy doughnuts of course).

Commentator said that's the kind of thing he likes to see. I'm sure he was telling the truth. Although it was rather unnecessary.

More unnecessary was the extra-tight close up. If that hadn't have happened then the male watching would not have had to comment. (Another voice may add that at least he didn't say 'Jay-SUS she's FAT! Eeee-YOW momma!!'.)

So at this stage I believe the direction is to blame. Then I think, well, Venus wore (and designed) those extra-tight, extra-short shorts; she's showing off her bum and letting it all hang out so it gets attention. So maybe it's her fault. But after doing a few more burn-outs around the dead end I decided that it was the close-up that was most wrong. Say a player had a healthy cleavage gleaming in the sunlight? A close-up would be very wrong there.

So I've put booty and boobs on a par and slapped the director whilst giving commentator a darn evil glance, whilst also noting to myself that I would not choose to play tennis in such shorts... did you see how often she had to pull them out of her woo-hoo? Very uncomfortable.



THREE

The other thing with the tennis that bugs me is how often the female players are referred to - esp by male commentators - as 'girls'. Worse is the "good girl!" comment after a fine shot has been played. Is like a pat on the head! I felt a bit better when on one occasion I heard a "good boy!" [this was in reference to a male player I will add.... I have had enough of derogatory comments about Amelie - honestly, am I the only person that likes her? And no I don't mean in THAT way!! Not that there's anything wro.... Oh, forget it....]

So, is it wrong to call them girls? Or just wrong to do it more often than they call the men boys? And how much does intention matter? I know I refer to women as girls a lot. And I will say 'good girl!' re these tennis players (in my head or under my breath at least) and similar. But I'm just encouraging them as I would myself.
BUT, does this intention matter? Or, regardless of intention or sex, ought we to remove 'girl' from the vernacular when referring to women? BUT... the use of 'woman' and 'female' in similar circumstances sounds so formal...

It all gets me in knots and more cul-de-sacs and more doughnuts... round and round and round.



Anyone else worry about these sorts of things?

And anyone else concerned that Marat Safin hasn't lasted? I felt wrong to want him to win his last match just so I could watch him more.
So, now I'm being sexist!
I mean, I appreciate his skill with a racket, honest! There's just other things I appreciate too...
And I'll admit to wishing he'd change his shirt between sets... slowly...
Oh! I'm a BAD GIRL!! BAD GIRL! Oh shit, I mean a BAD FEMALE!
WOMAN!
Dammit...


[Ms Bloom as female commentator: Woo! He's taking his shirt off! Good boy! That's what I like to see! Yee-haa! Can we get a slo-mo close-up of that please? Hell-o. Come to momma...!!!]



round & round & round...

Lemons

Am a bit stuck re anything to blog about lately. I apologise.

I could let you know about plants I've bought and put in my garden and all those sorts of things but I think that's pretty dull to most people (anyone else get excited about heliotrope? the flowers smell like vanilla...! anyone? anyone...?).


I could share with you how when listening to the cricket, I get distracted by such remarks as 'he bowled a maiden over' and how they shouldn't expose their stumps: I ponder the absolute truth of this... especially in regard to Shane Warne.


I could tell you about the new gigantic air freshner that's making my home smell beautifully - yet somewhat inexplicably - of jasmine green tea. It's kinda retro. My neighbour's lemon tree was a bit clumsily trimmed. Now if only I can get it to ripen its fruit...


I could tell you how I'm not so interested in my crush anymore. He tends to make disparaging comments about the fairer sex. Tsk.

See? Nothing really of interest.

I could instead tell you of my increasingly abstruse philosophically inclined interior analysis of my self and my life which is not only becoming richer but simultaneously more simple as I learn to analyse less and let go more, and leads to epiphanies of a more practical nature which in turn heads things in a more positive direction which is good, although the letting go of thinking so much part is a little scary as who am I without that!? But it's OK because everything in moderation and all that, and it's good to learn not to take everything to the extreme and relax a bit more, trust yourself and allow life to flow...


So, I could tell you these things, just to get a post written, but I don't think I'll bother you with it...

Ever chased a rabbit?

...Or should I say, ever chased a young and sprightly bunny which you are temporarily babysitting and so cannot afford to lose whilst the lawnmower man is attempting to get in the gate to your back yard?

Ever grabbed said cute, fluffy bundle from beneath a prickly Black Boy only to have it kick and scratch its way out of your arms in a haze of floating bits of fur? Then, standing to chase after it, soundly cracking your cranium against a branch as you dazedly wave to the gent at the gate and ineffectively point in the direction of the disappearing bunny...

Eventually giving in and just ensuring the bundle of joy does not escape each time the lawnmower man comes in and out the gate with one noisy bit of masculine machinery after another... (Also having warned the manicuring gent not to trim the outer garment of your newly acquired pet which is, by the way, nowhere to be found.)

When the lawnmower man has finally left in a rattling, green blur have you returned to the yard to see said bunny out of hiding and happily relaxing in the garden as if there has been no fuss whatsoever? Dragging your nerves inside and, although it's quite uncharacteristic and you've yet to have lunch, hastily break the seal on a six pack of 'Cowboy' shots, wrench one out and shakily throw it's heavenly, soothing milky and alcoholic contents down your throat?



No?




Well, you know... just wondering...




Said fluffy bundle eating flowers off young seedlings:


















Bunny hiding under Black Boy and cranial injuring culprit above:























ho ho *hic* ho...


...

Nooooo!!!

Not the library!!! Aaargh!















Penny Walsh checks the damage in the local library following a powerful earthquake in Gisborne, New Zealand.

notes

Devolving: Noticed today that my nail polish perfectly matches my rubies. Impressive eh? I figure now all I need is a sugar daddy.*

Cognitive leitmotifs: For some reason the phrase raison d'etre keeps popping into my head. For about a year now I have had the phrase give me a reason pop into my head too... Guess I'm sticking to the theme but changing the languages.
I suppose next will be motivo vivere...?

Musical rivalries: The butcherbirds seem to be in vocal competition with the mudlarks in my garden. Butcherbirds have a pretty full-on call but mudlarks are rather shrill so it's hard to say who's winning.
They're both wearing the same team colours so I don't think it's too serious.

Swinger: Only a butcherbird seems to have discovered the sunflower seeds so far. He or she picks through them (a vego phase?) and then happily sits in the centre of the feeder hanging from the tree.
Not really what I had in mind but it's progress nonetheless.

Passionate plantings: Have planted some nice shrubs and moved some young Bird of Paradise plants to a more suitable locale. Seedlings I've planted so far are pale lilac petunias, berry coloured verbena and some double white impatiens to brighten up the shady spots.
Am happily planning where the herb garden will go and was ecstatic to recently discover a beautiful mint-scented shrub with purple blooms. I nearly cuddled it with joy but Bunnings was kind of busy at the time.

Next: Am feeling more excited about the coming year than I have in a long time. Perhaps the guy at the pub, who said he was a gypsy and read my palm, was right. New things are on the way. Of course I told him that could be true for anyone.
He later asked me to come back to his place for dinner and 'a video'. I declined and later wondered: what kind of 'video'...


*Yes, this revelation did involve much rolling of the eyes.

(pic of mudlark from here)

Me is high tech now

Broadband finally, finally connected. 512/128k. Yet, although an improvement, it don't seem much faster than dial up! Guess I'll have to wait for Rudd to get his 'bringing Oz into the 21st century' broadband thang happening.

Also have been suffering with no dial up as they terminated it earlier than I asked (obviously setting a date was too complex for them - and so you know, I did this so I wouldn't have to call them again). I said to the helpful person on the other end of the line (after yet again waiting half an hour for a live human) you are very nice but I hope I don't have to deal with your company ever again. And just to think, they're not even Telstra! *shudders*


So you want goss on the new digs eh? Well. It's on a quieter street* *yay* but has noisier neighbours, who are a bit on the odd side, *boo*.

The highlights are shiny new jarrah floors and a large and gorgeous kitchen. A good size for any place but mine is on the small side so it's quite luxurious.

Two lovely outdoor areas, and I again have a fair bit of birdlife around me - although they're still finding the new baths and feeders, you can't imagine how excited I was when I finally saw a wattlebird having an enthusiastic bathe the other day!
And the gardens have established trees and some climbers and balgas ('black boys' for the politically incorrect (would that be Howard?)). But the beds still have a lot of room which I'm quite happy about and am making a list and checking it twice...
Sorry, the ubiquitous Christmas Carols seem to have affected me.
My point is I'm loving thinking about the garden and all the plants I'm going to put in, including what's going to go in the herb garden.
Generally I'm planning on some cottage-type plants as well as some natives like Grevillea for the birds. Oh, and I've some rose bushes which has been nice for filling the house with floral abundance. It's been a while since I had roses, or even my own garden to create. Happy happy joy joy. (Anyone else get happy about such things?)

Oh, and joy of joys I have a bath again! This was particularly useful yesterday: I got home all hot and sweaty and plonked myself into a icy cold bath. As I closed my eyes in shock and soon bliss I sensed a sizzling and a hiss of steam. And it's only the start of summer! But don't fret pets: I have air con. Can't live without that! I'm a delicate bloom you know.


* A street in which people, unless walking a canine, curiously tend to carry bags an awful lot, including suitcases. (And no, I'm nowhere near an airport.)
---

PS - Can't go without saying YAY! We have a female PM today!!

Sun sets one last time

Am sitting here watching the sun set over the golf course whilst a mother walks her children through the 'power' sprinklers. They're running round and chasing each other with a few squeals of punctuation.
The world was coloured pink a moment ago, but now it's getting dark with just some orange and yellow tints upon the horizon.

It's my last night staying here so I'm savouring the view, the trees and the birds (would you believe I feel really mean taking their bird bath away from them?). My inclination to admire the view and read some of my book has been greatly enhanced by my dad's help with the packing, as the set top box and aerial are well packed away... and the stereo.

Anyway, this post is just to let you know that I may be kinda unreliable for a while as I don't have phone or broadband set up in the new place yet. Attempted to set up an account today but my phone died before I got to speak to anyone (a half hour on hold will do that...). The other company I rang were that flat out I had to leave a message so they could call me back (yet to happen). Oh, and I rang the gas company today but no one was there except for a recorded lady telling me they were all at training. All. of. them. I offered to keep her company but she hung up on me too. Talk about feeling snubbed!

Hmm. A kookaburra just started laughing...


(Sunset pic from unsanity.)

What's that Lassie? Jimmy's got a bomb?

Dog driving you bonkers? Needs to be active every day and taken for a walk? Can jump a fence, and "loves food"? What a pain in the arse! Get rid of Enlist your mutt today! Australia needs your chihuahua! It may save the world!

ABC News: Feisty dogs wanted for border security

People struggling to cope with a hyperactive dog are being urged to think about giving up their pet for the sake of the country.

Sydney dog training centre Hanrob has launched a national recruitment drive to find animals fit to undertake security work in Australia and overseas.

Hanrob managing director Andrew Biggs says the centre is particularly interested in young beagles and labradors, aged between 10 months and three years, who like to rip up backyards, jump fences and love food.

Mr Biggs says the program is ideal for families who can no longer cope with their dog's high energy and destructive behaviour.

The dogs will undergo an intensive three-month training program that includes learning how to detect illegal materials.

Once completed, five dogs will head to Hong Kong and two to Japan to help strengthen efforts against diseases like bird flu.

The rest of the dogs will find employment in Australia.

Doing doggy paddle to protect our borders from drug smugglers, illegal refugees and terrorists. (Hope they get floaties.)


UPDATE 12 Oct: Just saw this news item. It may be a good example of why they're looking to use dogs... and not cats.

Lukky I be only child I rekn

9 Lives Baby!! Wait, nope 8. Oh shit, 7. ...6?

...
When I was a wee lass of about 2 or 3 I had a wicked sense of humour. I most laughed myself silly at my grandparents' house when I would play and frolic with Tom, their cute little black and white cat.

Years later however, as an older child, I would visit them and every single time Tom would attack me in a screeching, frenetic claw-lashing assault. I would screech in reply and then we'd both flee in panic.

He scared the crap outta me.

For most of my childhood I believed cats hated me. Finally someone explained why Tom despised me with such a hissy and aggressive passion. Mum: 'You mean you don't remember?'


When I had earlier 'played' and 'frolicked' with Tom it was in the kitchen. (BTW, these are the grandparents with the bees and scary dinner table etiquette - now add to the list of hazards aggressive felines; and snakes, spiders, giant glaring horses (and some pretty imposing ponies... hey, I was little) AND the trampoline springs, all coiled and ready to bite.)

Anyway. My Nan's kitchen cupboards were a long way above the tiled floor and so my grandmother used the space to store crates of her potatoes and onions. Dark, airy, perfect. Apparently such conditions were also perfect, for Evil-Mini-Eleanor at least, for a darn good game.

Somehow, I would get Tom cornered under the cupboards and would giggle myself into delirious merriment as I threw potatoes and onions at him. Smack!

Thud!

BAM!

MeeorRRRRR!!!

Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee!!!


I loved it.







Used up a few of Tom's lives though. Poor Tom. Well, he got me back pretty good.

Cat karma baby, don't mess with it.