so many boiling frogs

Barely a week passes now without another report, or more substantial evidence, that the earth is in the midst of global warming. The prognosis's are wide and as just about anyone should know by now, even the best case scenario is very gloomy indeed.

One might have thought that the political elites would, at the very least, be moving with public opinion. People are clearly getting worried, but we are cursed with the most talentless and mendacious coterie of political hackery in generations.

We have a Prime Minister who professes to be relaxed about global warming and ministers who variously dismiss serious scientific documents as nothing new or mere speculation. Our state government can't even put together a serious and bipartisan proposal on the water crisis.

There is a failure at the most basic level of governance. At a time when intelligent leadership is demanded, there is little more than a ghastly vacuum, or utterences that are so grimly stupid that one wonders at the vacuity.

So I guess we are all boiling frogs. Some of us know the water is getting hotter but have no means to jump out. Some don't care or want to know about the temperature. And some are in denial about it.

At least the dinosaurs were blameless. They never knew what was coming at them from the heavens.

returnings

As anticipated, the final few days in Japan were hectic and stressful in fairly equal measure. Barely a minute was available for rest and we cleaned and packed and had unexpected guests drop in right up until the moment we actually left. Apologies to Beckie...we just couldn't do anything more.

I won't talk about the long journey from Mukogaoka to Hazelbrook, except to say that it just confirms my view of modern travel.

Now five days later we are better rested than before but the house is in confusion from the suitcases and impending boxes. The imac arrived safely. Yesterday we even had the time to buy a new (used) car. A 2002 Mazda Premacy. Pretty much our first choice, though Nadia insisted on an automatic.

The evenings are dark and there is a scent of winter in the air. Still somewhat distant, but looming.