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I took this photo late this afternoon at a place that is now better known to people in the UK, North America and Europe, than it is to people who live across the road from it!Funny things about ducks and their littlies, I have never seen two adult ducks swimming or waddling along with their offspring. Admittedly there is a tennis practice court nearby, so that may explain it. Anyway, this mother duck looks quite content and seems to be able to manage quite well on her own.
I will try to upload some more photos to Sydney Irresistible later tonight.
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It's official - Australia is a Third World Country - at least when it comes to broadband. A study by the Washington-based independent think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said Australia pays nine times more for broadband than most other western nations. It also claimed Australian broadband was 35 times slower - ranked 26th out of 30 developed countries for broadband internet transfer speeds.
The government hit back, claiming the report is eight months out of date, released in April 2007, and based on figures from December 2006.
That's not all that bloody long ago!
Communications and Information Technology Minister Helen Coonan said the same US think-tank released this month ranks Australia fifth out of 30 OECD countries by price of the fastest generally available broadband. She added Australia was ahead of the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and many other developed countries.
Helen, let me tell you something. There would more Aussies believing in Santa Claus than would be believe that statement!
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On a sad note, the other night I made a comment in the comments section about the body of a little Sydney boy being found in a suitcase in a duck pond. It has now been confirmed that the poor mite was two years old.
Police are now questioning a man and a woman over the death, the woman is believed to be the boys mum. Police ramped up attention on the woman when it was discovered she had two other children.
The Sydney Morning Herald tonight reports, "Hundreds of people tonight flocked to the Sydney duck pond where a dead toddler was found stuffed inside a suitcase. Mothers with their children in prams, men walking dogs and others gathered at the pond for an impromptu memorial for the dead two-year-old. Many left candles and flowers close to the water's edge at Mandurama Reserve, in Ambarvale in Sydney's south-west, as they came to pay their respects.
Police had cordoned off a section of the park with a 20-metre long tarpaulin leading to the lake's edge and a large police rescue truck beamed a light onto the water close to where the two-year-old boy's body was found.
At the pond tonight, the atmosphere was restrained and eerie in the dark.
Groups of people stood or crouched, some with candles. Two teenage girls brought flowers and a red heart.
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Till tomorrow...
...wherever you may be - be safe
