Paul

From a rabid anti-royalist [c'est moi], I'm sure that it didn't take such an 'honour' as this, for you to be made aware of your wife's special qualities - which she has probably had, or developed, for many years, if not all her life.

Naturally this particular recognition may make you feel good but I doubt it's the prime motivation for her good works which seem to stem from a genuine need to help others. This alone would create a sense of pride.

Unfortunately, we have to be aware that powerful authority figures - politicians, CEOs, teachers, . . . - are desperate to be associated with our community's genuine high achievers in the hope that they are perceived, as the bestowers of such 'honours', to have even greater status than that of the recipients. It's an intrinsic part of the power game.

My congratulations on your choice of spouse, since a failure to offer them would be perceived by many to be bad manners.

"S'pose I canit leave you thrashin' about on the ground, mumblin' sumptin' about titanium decks ... or wrecks ... or whatever" said Kevin as he let go of the sheep and approached the prostrate form of the incredibly tall and handsome Ross, still in the grip of an alcoholic fit.

"I wish I knew how to quit you," Kevin thought with some resignation as he adjusted his prized black Resistol.

Our hero, Kevin, the Office Tea Boy, always prepared to help another human being, no matter how degraded by the demon drink, failed to understand how warped and twisted Ross's alcohol soaked brain had deteriorated. He unsuspectingly bent down to help the convulsing form back on his horse when ...

Kevin turned on the incredibly self satisfied and handsome Ross. "Show some respect! ...... for the creative efforts of others. Don't dismiss their scribblings as beneath your contempt. There are unwritten rules of credibility here that those of us with integrity respect."

He paused for breath.

"Your alcoholism has made you delusional. I'm no longer a drinking buddy of yours.... and cut that crap about spies, stealth helicopters and watch buttons and get back on your horse. I've had it with you and your alcoholic ravings. I wish I knew how to quit you."

The incredibly handsome Ross's face contorted with pain at Kevin's onslaught. He clutched his chest as he slowly collapsed into a sobbing heap.

Kevin's daydreams led him to conjure in his mind a scene set high in the Rockies where he, wearing a black cowboy hat, [He would have preferred a straw, rolled brim like Daniel's but a Resistol was okay] was completely surrounded by sheep . . .

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/bernardhagan/SketchUpUpload02/photo#5164102366961485202

Toby - I take it you're in favour of the Bull Ring? Why?

You would think that after spending half a billion pounds on the building they would want to show it off. The website should be crammed with wonderful images of what appears to be an interesting modern building smack in the middle of Birmingham's CBD - not so.

That roof [the little you see of it] looks like something Frank Gehry might have designed.

I notice a Landscape Architect designed one of the art works - the glass cubes water sculpture.

Was there much criticism or opposition to its construction? They must have had to knock down a lot of old buildings to make room for it.

Bull Ring? You'll have to explain . . . or is there something I'm missing here?

Toby - The trees do make a difference [to the pollution and the view] - especially those in that shot. The work of a mature landscape architect no doubt?

As for the population - you'd know more about that than I would. I'm not picking that hairy chestnut out of the fire.

I'll be heading to the Northern Hemisphere in about 10 days and don't want to get off on the wrong foot.

Tobobo - I've always had the idea that Birmingham was a very polluted city - but when I think about it, that must have been a long time ago.

I notice that you've always on holiday [street] even when at work.

Shaun

It is quite serious - but there is always the media hype.

The drought has affected the whole country with reduced rainfall but some areas are much harder hit than others. Its impact on urban populations has been mostly through water restrictions because dams are running dry. Here in Brisbane our biggest dam is 18% full but Rockhampton [400 miles north], where my family live, will never run out because it gets its water from the Fitzroy River - one of the biggest in the country. Our garden in Rocky is very green and lush.

NEWS FLASH: It is raining! My rainwater tank [13,500 litres] is nearly full! Yippie! . . . and more is forecast. This is the most rain we have had for 2 years. It's weird since we normally get most of our rain in summer. Winter started here on the 1st June and day temperatures are still in the mid 20s - Celsius.

What is much more serious is the drought's affect on the Murray/Darling River system - the nation's largest. It has been used and abused ever since white settlement began 200 years ago. There are more agricultural water licenses taking water out than there is water to allocate. Parts of it are often just a series of waterholes contaminated by blue-green algae.

It has been a political football for decades with the environment coming out the looser. This drought may make politicians finally do something but any solution is going to take a long long time. Global warming may just be the catalyst to get all the vested interests to co-operate for the benefit of all.

Unfortunately it is far away from the areas of population on the coast where the votes are. It will take a catastrophe to make them wake up. This may just be it.

Ross

Love the lawn - especially because it's green. Mine's tiny and brown.

We'er in the middle of the worst drought on record so water restrictions mean no water for lawns. I use the bath water for plants and shrubs though we are allowed to bucket water [no hoses or irrigation systems] for a few hours on certain days.

I'm so anal that if I had your lawn tractor I'd have every blade of grass trimmed right up to the edge of the bitumen road.