From Kylie in Australia!

Yes it's all true. We are in a new house AND we have a new Government in Australia!!
Our ELECTION! What a fantastic result! Hard to believe that it went so well really. An overwhelming sense of relief that the Howard era is over at last! 11 Long years we have been led by that horrible, petty little man. It's hard to be jubilant as there is so much damage to repair. The list is mind numbing, but the new team have begun with a bang by ratifying Kyoto on their first day in office. Now to make us, as we should be, kinder, more intelligent, more responsible, more inventive citizens of the world.
One of the most wonderful parts of the whole she-bang was the exquisite moment of schadenfreude when it became clear that the Prime Minister had lost his OWN seat; to an ex-ABC (PBS equivalent) FEMALE journalist no less!! Fantastic. So, he went out with a whimper and a whine, most excellent!! The appalling ex-PM's wife ( the real villain of the piece according to those in the know) had a face 'like a dropped pie' during the concession speech. My mother was beside herself with joy (she being the closest to a Bolshevik in the family) and was baying for the ex-PM's blood by way of war crimes trials (re: Iraq) and wide ranging retribution. Dad is just happy to get rid of Howard and his cronies. The deposed Government fell to pieces within days of the election loss. Resignations, recriminations etc. We will see how things go once this honeymoon period is over.
Have enjoyed reading your blog, but haven't managed to sign on as an author etc. No need really, it's great just to read the entries.
I am with you on Obama. He seems like the real deal, and now that Oprah is backing him, he can't lose can he? They say she has all the influence in the world with 50+ white women who are the ones he needed to win over. Very exciting! If she can do for him what she does for a book she selects to promote, it's in the bag!! I would love to see what he could do for the US and the world. Maybe there is hope if he can get up and win these primaries. I will continue to watch the campaign with more than a little interest.