The Barrel

Anyone who HASN'T heard "The Bricklayers Lament" MUST hear it now. Absolutely compulsory!! Classic monologue. This barrel is not the one under discussion but I DID think it made a good image.

The bad fire weather day proved largely uneventful for us in the upper Blue Mountains (thus far). Despite the media's best efforts, it was disappointingly not entirely apocalyptic elsewhere either .... although in Victoria and south eastern NSW, some properties WERE lost, the dispossessed satisfactorily exploited and some footage (from the day before) convincingly re-edited for rebroadcast.

Quite seriously our hearts DO go out to the folk that have been directly affected.  Millions of more dollars (as announced today) have been raised via a myriad of public appeals to support the victims. Certain Big Bash players have pledged $250 per six until the tournament ends). Players in the ATP tennis tournament have pledged amounts for each ace served etc. 

Meanwhile, most of the people that WERE feared missing (or dead) HAVE been found. Never mind. The day is not yet over and hope yet persists for a better headline.

In any event, 26 million Australians HAVE managed to survive (heavens) and some highly dramatic footage WAS indeed secured for the 7:00 pm news. The prime minister DID call up 3000 army reservists for fire emergency duty, several more naval and air force assets were applied to the task (along with a number of photo opportunities with generals and admirals) and he did agree to pay for four more high capacity water bombers ... thus ensuring his re-election making up for the scenes broadcast yesterday in which he was screamed at by destitute fire survivors for his climate change denial policies.  

The mental image of someone being struck over the head by a barrel of bricks (see the link above) puts me in mind of our PM's current awakening to the need for re-election ... er ..  the imperative for climate change remediation - in which (we are breathlessly assured) he has always believed.

Me? Cynical? Never!