Biggles

Since when does the Australian Prime Minister wear a uniform? This looks suspiciously like a kind of uniform that our PM was wearing when appearing on the US Naval ship today.

Tomato Ripening

I've been wondering for a while how I could ripen my tomatoes in Winter. I think I have hit upon the answer...

El Nino on the Horizon

I don't want to be unnecessarily alarmist, but it does appear as though another El Nino event is looming in South Eastern Australia. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, there is a current warming trend across the tropical Pacific Ocean. If the warmer conditions persist over the Tropical Pacific, this can interrupt the trade winds around the equator, resulting in cloud build up, and a change in ocean temperatures. The El Nino occurs when there are differences between the Ocean Temperature in the Western Pacific around Australia, and the Eastern Pacific around South America. This difference causes a change in weather patterns, with higher rainfall in the East, and lower in the West. Past El Ninos have been associated with droughts in Australia. At the moment, the BOM is saying that an El Nino could develop as early as July, with warnings at an alert level. WHilst it is early days in the modelling, watch the Bureau at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/enso/ as the conditions develop. I would suggest to farmers and growers in South Eastern Australia, start planning for dry conditions, and plant your crops early to take advantage of Autumn soil moisture.

Logging of Tasmania

What planet is the PM on? He is supporting the logging of old growth tassie forests. It must be Venus, where there are no trees, and it's hotter then hell..

Penalties

No I'm not talking the upcoming World Cup, but the debate taking place, mainly by the right wing media on penalty rates. I did a bit of searching, and you know what, the established award rates seem pretty fair to me. Here they are: Hospitality Award (covers hotels, motels) Sat - 125% Sun - 175% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals get an additional 25% loading to cover sick/annual leave etc) Restaurant Award (self explanatory) Sat -125% Sun - 150% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals + 25% loading except the Pub Hols, which is the same) Registered Club Award Sat - 150% Sun - 175% Pub Hol - 250% (casuals + 25% loading only on Mon - Fri, no extra on Weekends or Pub Hols for being a temporary gun for hire) Retail Award M-F after 6pm - 125% Sat - 125% Sun - 200% Pub Hol - 250% or time in lieu based upon hours worked casuals + 25%, and + 10% on Saturday, but on Sunday they get 200% including the 25% loading ie the penaly rate is in effect 175% so we can see from the above, penalty rates are reasonable, time and a quarter to time and three quarters, and double time and a half for working on Christmas Day, Anzac Day, Boxing Day, when the rest of us are at home catching up with family that we don't see the rest of the year cause we are too busy working! note that many people are employed casually in the services or retail sector, and these casuals are not getting any extra for weekends or public holidays for working at the RSL..

Politics, politics, POLITICS!

Why does it have to be so divisive? Why can't there be more unity amongst our leaders, on issues of (inter-) national importance. Climate change? Refugees? Globalisation? Borders are just boundaries on a map. Parties are just parties. How about reaching across the divides, and working together? Politics, politics, POLITICS!

Rustic Spaghetti

I was chatting with a new friend at work yesterday, he originates from Calabria in Southern Italy. Italian food is one I like to cook, as it is so fresh, seasonal and CHEAP! I conjured up this recipe last nite, using my friend Ross's freshly made chilli sauce. 1/2 packet of wholemeals spag, about $2 from the super 1 bottle of passata (italian tomato pasta sauce), about the same 2 or 3 diced home grown tomatoes 1 home grown capsicum 1 tsp chilli sauce, home grown of course! 2 cloves coarsely sliced garlic sea salt olive oil, extra virgin if u can afford it. i have bottles given to me by a friend basil leaves fresh from the garden cook your spaghetti according to instructions, and set aside to keep warm in a hot sauce pan, add 3 tbsp olive oil, passata, capsicum, tomatoes, chilli, garlic slices and a good pinch of sea salt. pretty much everything! let it bubble away for about 45mins, while opening and consuming a bottle of local wine. serve with fresh basil leaves sliced, crusty bread, more olive oil and the rest of the wine!!!!!!!!! so fresh, healthy, tasty and wholesome. Gotta love the Italians!