With the cold snap we are having in Melbourne it was only fitting that we should head for a mall if we wanted a walk.

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I am proud to announce that recently I got rid of my electric toothbrush. Now that may not signify as one of the world’s greatest protests, but for me, it meant a lot.

I got sick of charging the blasted thing. I got sick of having another gadget to be plugged in. I got sick of the brush telling me how long I have to brush my teeth and allotting to me the requisite two minutes which the gadget manufacturer said I have to do.

It made me feel as if I wasn’t in charge at all. Let’s face it, if you’re at the mercy of an electric toothbrush how autonomous are you?

There are people out there who bid their gadgets goodnight and then charge them ready for the next day’s onslaught.

All this dependency on electric gadgets has been getting on my nerves.

Which brings me to why my web site was down over the weekend. I use a web host as do a few other people and apparently a very selfish or ignorant company which monopolised all the available space on the host’s internet. This company was told not to do this again and I have been assured that said company will not be so greedy in future.

I wish I could believe it, but all sorts of things get screwed up on the internet. If it’s not the internet provider then it’s the connection somewhere on the line. Or else it’s because the rotten schoolkids are on holiday and they sit at their computers all day shooting demons or whatever or taking photos of their private parts and putting them on Youtube to impress the world.

Then there’s the twits or the twats and Facebook. I’m uncomfortable with all that and do not take part.

Nowadays, even the politicians twitter away, just to be with it. Do we really need more soundbites from the politicians? Still, even Julia Gillard has somebody twittering away for her. Some junior member of her staff with the gelled ridge of hair is doing the deed so that she can appear trendy.

I seriously doubt that her busy schedule allows her the time to twit. Not should it.

I would rather she concentrate on policies and leave the silly bits to some nerd who is already afflicted with a sore and arthritic thumb at the venerable age of 20.

You may well argue that I too have joined the ranks of internet afficionado since I have a web site. That’s not quite true, though. It’s a love/hate relationship that I have with my computer. I like the word processing part and I enjoy surfing the net for information.

But I am well aware of the dangers of the World Wide Web as a disseminator of falsehoods, a tool for propaganda more invasive than any newspaper by its speed and unaccountability.

I must confess I fear it.

On the other hand, I can’t think of anything in this world that is totally good. And so I endure the frustration of technology when I have to, while feebly protesting against it when it doesn’t really matter, as in the case of the electric toothbrush. T’is but a rather lukewarm attempt at aligning myself with the Luddites.

So there! I showed them, all right. lol

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Last Friday afternoon my web site was down and I felt very frustrated that nobody could do anything to help me until Monday. It is now Sunday evening and the site is up again. Very strange…

I have no idea why this happened and why it mysteriously came back. Am looking forward to finding out why tomorrow morning.

Anyhow, Happy Fourth of July to my American reader!!!!

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It didn’t take long before the usual bigots brought up the subject of Israel after Julia Gillard’s defeat of Kevin Rudd. So what is the gripe this time? A former ambassador to Israel, Mr Ross Burns, has written a letter to The Age newspaper accusing Gillard of being soft on Israel. This opinion was repeated by another reviled former ambassador to Israel, a Mr Rodgers who is notorious for being anti-Israel.

What these two bigots are really saying is that unless you are vehemently anti-Israel then you are soft on Israel.

Prime Minister Gillard has denied this accusation. All this happened because Gillard’s partner, Tim Mathieson, works in real estate for an Israel supporter. Apparently, that’s a crime according to Burns and Rodgers.

Which brings me to the topic of our former Prime Minister. I first met Kevin Rudd a few years ago in Queensland. He attended a Jewish function, praised the Jewish community and generally sucked up to everyone there assuring the Jewish community of his true and genuine admiration and loyalty.

When he became Prime Minister, however, Rudd revealed his true colours. He took hasty actions against a member of the Israeli embassy long before other nations in the alleged passport affair. He also directed his representative at the United Nations to vote against Israel.

He did this because he was sucking up to the Arabs in the U.N. Rudd’s ambition is so rapacious that he would be prepared to court anyone who can support his aim of becoming a bigshot at the U.N. And that is why he joined the enemies of Israel.

But then Rudd’s popularity polls went south and he suddenly remembered that he had betrayed an ally and that he had wounded the Jewish community in Australia. So just a few short weeks ago he tried to win over the Jewish community once again by meeting with some leaders and assuring them that he was “a friend of Israel.”

We all know the saying “With friends like these who needs…”

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The position of Foreign Minister should be given to someone who has the respect of other nations. Rudd, with his grandstanding on the world stage and embarrassing demeanour, should not be representing us in such an important position.

Moreover, Rudd is now regarded by Australia and the rest of the world (that’s if anyone else really cares about Australia) as a loser and so has no credibility in that representative role.

How can one introduce him as Foreign Minister after he has been kicked out of the Prime Minister’s office?

Julia Gillard is now in a bind because she has, no doubt, promised Rudd something so that he would leave without a fuss.

She could make him our ambassador to the U.N so that he can pal up with his friends there. The U.N is a circus with no credibility so it would suit Rudd perfectly, in my opinion.

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This piece of news was kept away from the rest of the world. A group of Australian soccer fans was attacked and robbed by South Africans. One of the fans was a policeman who had his head trodden on. A female was sexually attacked and yet this was not publicised. Why is that?

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Sometimes good news and bad news come together. I cheered when Kevin Rudd was ousted as Prime Minister. His farewell speech was quite impressive and welcome although he failed to thank the troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Julia Gillard, on the other hand, remembered to thank the troops and did a fine job of explaining why she challenged Rudd. She also did a clever thing by acknowledging the contribution made by John Howard, something that Rudd never did. He should have done so. Why not give credit where credit’s due?

Rudd has only himself to blame for his downfall. He was a one-man band and a poor listener. I’m sure that nobody except his young minions and Ms Rein could give him any advice. He certainly did not listen to his party and now he has paid the ultimate price for his arrogance. I would be sorry to see him appointed as Foreign Minister, so fingers crossed that Gillard has not promised him that sweetener.

The bad news is that Lindsay Tanner will be leaving and that is disappointing. He always answered questions and stuck to the subject during interviews. I would have preferred him to be Federal Treasurer instead of our current one. Never mind, it has been a happy and exciting day and now we will see if Gillard can do any better.

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If you are going to read Lionel Shriver’s latest novel, brace yourself. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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If you like scarves you may be interested in going to the National Wool Museum’s exhibition in Geelong. I love scarves so I went.

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I am about to have a serious heart to heart with my grandson. He is four years old and it’s about time he did his grandparents proud. Is it too much to ask that he do stuff that icons do? Stuff like sailing solo around the world, perhaps? Or painting masterpieces like that toddler in the U.S. Give her a brush and off she goes. With a little help from her doting parents, right there beside her.

What the world needs now is more precocious kids egged on by needy parents. These kids can take part in beauty pageants, fly in balloons, (oh that’s right, that was a con job) be the youngest mountain climber and of course become child movie stars. Mummy and daddy swear that the kid wants to do it. Apparently she luuuvs putting on make-up and struttin’ up and down the catwalk singing “Tonight’s the night…” It’s so cute!

So you can see why I’m so jealous of all these icons. These solo sailors who are described as heroes because they achieved…what? In what way does this benefit anyone? Except for a few photographers and the honourable media. Not to mention the politicians who lap up a photo opportunity with Jessica Watson or Abby Sunderland.

I was not impressed when good old Bullimore sailed solo and got lost. This was very expensive for our government and quite frankly, I would not have shed a tear had he drowned. But he was an adult and it was his decision.

When a young person does it, I seriously question the self-esteem of his or her parents. Where is parental responsibility in all this?

And I’m not convinced by the platitude. “He died doing what he loved most…” Are you referring to drowning and being eaten alive by sea monsters? What an icon!!! A veritable hero, unlike my grandson, but then I like to have him around because he’s simply adorable.

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