Alan Bond

It is with sadness I read in the paper of the suicidal death of Diane Bliss, Alan Bond's wife. She had suffered mental illness and severe depression for quite some time. This is a woman who had everything, the best of everything, and a great man for a husband. What had happened that she should have suffered so. Bondie is devastated of course. Alan Bond suffered a series of setbacks, financial losses and many other dramas since this tycoon had the winged keel built on his yacht Australia II and went off to win the America's Cup. Kerry Packer was made wealthier because of the flak against Bondie as he is fondly called, after his wonderful win. Perth is enriched by Bondie's building the Bankwest Tower and preserving the old Palace Hotel at its base, and other buildings and in Mandurah also. That's just a small part of his exploits into progress. Why is it that some people who are rich and famous, become subjected to public abuse at the hands of the media and other rich people? If it was an ordinary older person under this abuse, Elderly Abuse would do something to help the individual. I can't help wondering if they would help Bondie? Is he considered too rich to seek such aid against abuse from the publoic and the media? Was she, Diane Bliss, beyond such help?

From Perth Now: THE wife of former tycoon Alan Bond left a heart-wrenching suicide note to her husband and family, apologising for the stress and pain her struggle with mental illness had caused them during the dark, final months of her life.
Diana Bliss, who took her own life on Saturday after battling months of depression, wrote that she "just couldn't keep going on as she had", her younger brother Peter said yesterday.
After two previous suicide attempts she had undergone electric shock treatment late last year, but "sometimes it seemed to be working and other times it didn't", Mr Bliss said.
She had left notes in the past with a similar tone to the one found at the $4 million home in the Perth suburb of Cottesloe where her body was discovered floating in the swimming pool.
Mr Bliss said the note, in his sister's handwriting, was loving and apologetic.

Australia Day

Today I was supposed to go to Wireless Hill to abush poetry muster, but with Danny home with a crushed heal, and a heatwave in process, I didn't want to go, so sent my apologies to Irene for missing it. Being Australia Day also, a day to remember just who we Aussies are and where we are living, the country that is ours, should be remembered. Many thousands turned out for a spectacular Skyshow on the swan river at Perth Water. At the same time, fierce thunderstorms were raging around and several photos show the Lord's handiwork on display as well as that of man.

abominable heat in WA and floods in SE Qld

Dan and I sweltered here at 109 Third Avenue and I longed for that cooling breeze that arrived daily at Wynnum. Though we had the air cooler going and a fan, the heat and humidity was still felt. I have to get aclimatized again to Perth weather! Little was reported in the papers of any elderly or other people suffering from heat stroke. In south east Queensland, there was much flooding at the Gold Coast and other areas, with several schools actually closed.

THE state's North-West remains on cyclone alert today but the weather bureau says Tropical Cyclone Iggy moved slower than expected overnight and is now not expected to make landfall.
The Bureau of Meteorology said today a blue alert remained in place for people in or near coastal and island communities between Mardie and Coral Bay with the category-two cyclone growing stronger.
At 9am today, the cyclone was estimated to be 355km West-North-West of Exmouth and 570km North-North-West of Carnarvon, and was moving South-East at 5km an hour towards the coast. While it is expected to be upgraded to category three later today, the weather bureau says destructive winds are not expected on the coast. A flood watch for the Pilbara has been cancelled.
“Tropical Cyclone Iggy has been moving very slowly overnight and is expected to move slowly South or South-East today before taking a more South-Westerly track on Monday,” a statement from the bureau said.
“During today Tropical Cyclone Iggy may move close enough to cause gales on the coast between Onslow and Coral Bay though destructive winds are not expected on the coast. Gales may extend south to Carnarvon during Monday if Iggy tracks closer to the coast.”
Tides will be higher than expected and there will continue to be large swells along the Pilbara and Kimberley coasts, but because the system is now expected to remain well off the coast, significant rainfall is unlikely over the North-West corner of the state.
Iggy formed early on Thursday morning and had been slowly moving towards the coastal areas of Mardie, Coral Bay, Exmouth and Onslow.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority yesterday issued a warning advising locals to review their family cyclone plan, prepare emergency kit with a portable battery-operated radio, torch and first aid kit as well as check the community alerts system.
David Hall, from the Exmouth Diving Centre, whose store was badly damaged during cyclone Vance, said locals were well prepared for Iggy.
"You go to the shop there is not much milk or bread left. Everyone is stocking up on all the goods they need and they are just sort of hunkering down and either waiting for it to pass,'' he said.
"Exmouth has been through a few cyclones so a lot of the locals are used to it.
"It may bypass us which if that is the case we will get some much needed rain. Personally I wanted to drive out but the DEC had closed the road because of a bushfire out near Carnarvon.
"So my family and I are going to have to wait it out.''
Workers on the multi-million dollar Chevron-led Gorgon gas project remain on Barrow Island despite calls by the construction union for the site to be evacuated.
FairWork Australia met with the CFMEU yesterday to discuss the matter.
According to union secretary Mick Buchan, the industrial relations body recommended Kellogg Joint Venture (KJV)/ Chevron to tell their contractors to give staff the option to leave Barrow Island before the cyclone neared the coast.
A Chevron spokesman confirmed workers remained on the island but that the company had initiated cyclone readiness procedures.
He said this included safe evacuation procedures, the tying down of equipment to secure sites and the suspension of Gorgon construction activity.
- with Emily Moulton

Sez O'Grady: Skype

Sez O'Grady: Skype

Skype

Skype Call Recorder

Riviera for Skype is a Skype call recorder. It automatically records Skype calls and conversations to MP3 files.
Very convenient for recording interviews, tech talks, conferences, audio casts, pod casts for learning later, etc.

Leaving

This is an article I wrote about leaving Wynnum. It tells why I left and where I am.

So I’m leaving. I’ve been packing. Tonight my back is breaking, my legs are stiff, my head is up there or maybe it’s down there and I am wondering what I am doing packing to shift to the other side of this big, brown continent at the age of seventy. I ask you, is this really necessary? It would seem so to take over a house recently vacated by the dearly departed ex-husband who has crossed the great divide and left this...mess that has been inherited by the four sons we shared from our matrimonial stakes. They needed help they said, so I am leaving. What do I take? What do I leave behind? Does it really matter? Oh, yes, there are grandchildren to think about. There are all those containers full of precious historical bits and pieces that were their great grands. Oh yes, there are the photographs the sons want submitted to the Stockman’s Hall of Fame. The ex that is, not me. I wasn’t a bucking, dungaree-clad horsewoman. I never got that far in the outback stakes, thanks to his nibs. His photographs, not mine. Well you see, the ex in our very young-in-love days before matrimony decided he would teach me to ride. I sat the horse like a pro and he didn’t like that. So he decided he would teach me to shoot and I cleaned up all the cans laid along the stockyard rail. He didn’t like that either, for I had bested him. I neglected to tell him that my beloved stepfather had taught me to sit a horse and the rules of handling a .22 and a .303 when as a teenager and I went scrap-iron hunting with him out amongst the old goldfields diggings. Stockwoman extraordinaire and Dead Shot Brown I was then, the O’Grady came later. Sorry husband-to-be and that was the end of any grandiose scheme I might have had about ridin’ and shootin’. Jealous bugger.
So why am I packing and moving? It’s a challenge. A filthy house awaits me. It’s full of boxes and baggage stacked everywhere. It’s full of junk and daddy long-legged spiders. It’s got an overgrown back and front yard that who knows what is lurking there. It’s got old bombs, the kind that ‘might make something of it one day’ look. The ex collected them. Like he did car parts. I’m curious. What is hidden amongst all that junk? There are more photographs I know. There is stuff there from when I was married to him. There are photographs of the ‘oldies’ on that side of the family. And there will be more aching backs, stiff legs, a head up in the clouds or down under facing me and an opportunity to find the truth. The truth you say? Oh, yes. He was a great romancer of the truth, twisting it around till it scarce resembled what it had been and having everyone believe it was gospel, didn’t you know? He ‘taught’ me to cook, wash and clean house. Me! The eldest of a family of eight kids. Bragging bugger! A son said Dad wanted me to move in after he had gone. No rent. Now that is something to think about, being a poor, miserable pensioner pretending to be a writer. What do you mean pretend? I am! The ex was cunning though as I would seek the truth amongst grotty and anciently deteriorating papers that were stacked in deteriorating cartons. He also knew I would clean all his messes and junk up that he had been too lazy to do himself and rescue what was worthwhile. Men! Some mothers had ‘em! And she did the same thing to me when she died! Mother-in-laws...er...the ex-type. So I’m going, saying goodbye to my writing buddies, to my friends, to my way of life. Hey, hang on there! There are my bush poetry and other poetry friends over the other side of this big brown continent. There is a lot of my family over there. But I have family here too. Oh gloom. Another box taped down, another box prepared. Time to take the aching body, stiff legs and silly head to bed. I’m going and that’s that. Good night!

Moving

I have moved from Wynnum, Queensland to Western Australia and am living in Kelmscott. It has taken nearly three weeks to get my system connected to bring in the outside world, and now, after many prayers, patience and hassles (urk), I've finally made it. Accessing my email was to find a delightful message from my friend in Penn Valley, California, who has started a blog about the adventures of the Young family and I am thrilled to be a follower, as I hope Allison will be for mine. This is a great way to let friends and family know what we are up to. My next goal is to visit the Perth Temple when it reopens next week.