ZIMBABWE MAIZE
The distressing and crazy situation that exists in Zimbabwe under the brutal rule of President Mugabe has been written about here before.
Since the Zimbabwe government has driven the white farmers from their land the country's economy has collapsed and many people are now tragically starving.
Instead of insisting the country restore full democracy, as they once used to when Ian Smith was Prime Minister, the United Nations nowaday provides multi-millions of dollars to buy maize from other countries.
This helps prop up the dictatorship there.
It has now been reported that the bulk of the imported maize is coming from the former white farmers who Mugabe evicted back in 2000.
Many of those farmers who were not killed in the chaos that existed then, fled with their families to Zambia where they bought and established new farms in that country.
Using the donor UN money, the Zimbabwe government has imported 300,000 tonnes of maize from Zambia to feed its starving millions.
Some people receiving this grain were shocked to read the labels on the bags to find the maize had been grown in Zambia by former Zimbabwean farmers who Mugabe had driven off their farms and out of the country.
News of this has spread like wildfire and caused much embarrassment to the government.
Furious officials have now demanded all the Zambian bags be destroyed and the grain repackaged in Zimbabwe bags.
The expense of this farcical exercise is an example of even more unnecessary waste.
In the past I have had the opportunity to visit some of these farms where the white farmers have been evicted and their previously content black workers persecuted and killed.
To see previously carefully tendered farms with such rich soils reduced to non-productive wastelands was a soul destroying experience that I have never been able to erase from my mind.
BLACK CAVIAR
What percentage of our shire's residents sat up to watch Black Caviar at the Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot recently?
Instead of rejoicing at her win I suspect many of us were left with an empty feeling and relieved that this great mare had escaped being beaten.
It was a bit like watching the last few minutes of the rugby tests between Australia and Wales.
Sure, Australia won all three, but the feeling was one more of relief, than celebration.
The bounce of the ball could just as easily have produced a different result.
It was hard not to have some sympathy for the Welsh team.
By contrast, Wimbledon has been a disaster for Australia, delivering the worst results for both men and women in over 70 years.
If the connections of Black Caviar do decide to retire her from racing, I wonder if there is some way we could teach her to play tennis before Wimbledon next year.
CAVIAR VERSUS FRANKEL
The day following the big race it was revealed that Black Caviar had incurred two significant muscle tears and a haematoma.
Given this, it was extraordinary she could still stretch out on the line and beat the best Europe had to offer.
She will receive treatment for the next 14 days at Newmarket before flying home.
Let us not forget how good she is though.
Most of us saw the TV news of Frankel's win by 11 lengths in the Queen Anne Stakes over one mile.
It was an incredibly impressive run, leading many to judge this horse as superior to our Black Caviar.
However, the fastest furlong Frankel ran during that race was 10.58 seconds.
Black Caviar's best 200 metre time (virtually the same distance as a furlong) is 9.98 seconds, when she won the, admittedly shorter, Group Lightning Stakes at Flemington earlier this year.
This was the first time that ten seconds had been bettered for this distance in Australia and equates to a speed slightly over 72 kilometres per hour.
BAD ADVICE
What is the worst piece of advice you have ever given anyone?
Bloodstock consultant, Troy Corstens reckons his was in 2008 when he said to his client, Peter Carrick who had just bid $200,000 for a filly they both fancied: "I think that's enough for a Bel Espirit filly".
His client immediately stopped bidding.
Peter Moody then bid $210,000 and had Black Caviar knocked down to him for his connections.
Troy Corstens now admits "It was probably the stupidest thing I've ever said in my life."
He is still scanning the sale catalogues hoping one day to rectify his error.
Still, for every champion sold at auction there has to be an underbidder.
TEACHERS' STRIKE
What did you make of the teacher's strike last week?
Though I have spoken to only a few people about it, no-one I've met yet seemed to know what it was all about.
They all thought it was about salary increases, which apparently was not the case.
The proposed government changes I have seen seem sensible.
For example, school principals will have the power to spend up to $5000 without going through the present bureaucratic maze.
The union is complaining that the Minister would not sign their charter of guarantees they drew up. Surprise, surprise.
The Industrial Relations Commission examined the issues surrounding the dispute and said any strike would be illegal. Enough said, perhaps.
It is interesting to look at the salaries paid these days.
According to the official websites a first year teacher with four years training now receives a starting salary near $59,000.
That is a fair bit higher than a number of other professions, such as Veterinary Science graduates.
A head subject teacher in a secondary school receives over $100,000 and a grade 1 secondary school principal now takes home over $150,000.
I declare a reverse conflict of interest on this issue as I have a niece and a cousin who are both teachers.
One of my sons also teaches maths and physics to senior students at a secondary public school in Victoria.
It sure beats farming.