picture by Gus — from Stanwell Park

But if Sydney is Elizabeth Taylor, then Melbourne is Helen Mirren. Far from faded glory, Mirren is using her later years to put in some of the best performances of her career. And boy can she rock a swimsuit!

In eight days, when NSW voters boot Labor out of power for the first time in 16 years, it will be less about the rejection of a few wayward politicians who demonstrate a desire to dance about in their underwear. It will be the rejection of what we see reflected in the mirror.

Sydney has changed. It is a sadder, meaner and angrier place to live. Sydney is a city under siege; from higher house prices, to mortgages, electricity prices, toll roads, congestion … you name it.

Research by Access Economics shows the proportion of people choosing to live in NSW as opposed to other Australian states has been shrinking since the Olympics. And yet the population continues to swell, putting more pressure on existing resources.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/sydney-is-a-sadder-meaner-angrier-city-20110317-1byw0.html

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Gus: well what an awful place to live... Pity so many people want to be living here ... and that Sydney is one of the most sought-after spot in the world... I had some old friends from Germany — old because I've known them for more than 30 years and old because we're... just old — who had a whale of a time in Sydney. Pity about some restaurant who serve food way below par at some of the nicest spots in this paradise.

Why is there so much pressure on this city then? Because more people want to be here — in paradise. And on a sunny day, religious heaven is a pale immitation of this real thing...

As I have said before, Sydney is a classy whore (or gigolo, for the ladies) who makes you pay for things... while Melbourne is an old lady (or decrepit old grump, for the ladies) who dreams of making whoopee... Which one will give you the best intercourse in paradise? The choice is no contest...

Is Jessica Irvine the new Miranda? The dour and sad face of not knowing where to find joy in this place? Or is the cost of joy too much for the hip-pocket? Have a look at the picture above and tell me this is not magnificent? A magic cloud in paradise... fan-bloody-tastic! And it's FREE!...