Longfellow's Soapbox

Night and Day

The nationwide annual confusion of daylight saving is upon us once again as the clocks are advanced by one hour in some states !
At this time it seems reasonable to ask -- why ?
I believe there was a referendum of sorts in some states - back in the mists of time ?
It's interesting to speculate who succesfully lobbied for it in the first place in certain states and are able to maintain it - even extend it as some nutters are trying to do ?
Was it the golfin and sailin crowd who can afford to escape to the course or the bay after work - or who are able to avoid any other responsibilites between the hours of 5.30 and 9.30 pm ?
Was it really mums and dads who just can't wait to spend hours picnicing on the beach and in the park on sunny summer evenings ?
Was it a band of mothers who enjoy the challenge of getting small children to bed in the dayight ?
Was it the greens with an argument that greenhouse gasses are saved by putting the lights on later ?
Was it the people who enjoy getting up in the dark at the beginning and end of the daylight saving period - especially those who live on the western margin of a time zone ?
Nevertheless, there is a significant band of people who loathe daylight saving - who hate high blazing sun at 7 pm on hot summer evenings; when all they want is the cool cool cool of the evening - and this effect is magnified if you happen to live on the western margin of the time zone !
In fact in some of the western regions of NSW and Queensland - there might be a good case for daylight "wasting" - put the clocks back an hour !
There are others who prefer to get up in the cool peace and quiet of a summer morning and make use of the early morning light - people who are robbed of this pleasure by daylight saving.

Back to the Bush Possums

Possums have become an obnoxious urban pest of plague proportions even in our inner city areas - particularly in Melbourne. It is impossible to grow grape vines, roses, geraniums, pansies and a range of plants without them being totally destroyed by possums. I personally had a beautiful, shady ornamental grape covering a pergola destroyed within two years; when brushtail possums moved in to my area.
Apart from the destruction of plants; their droppings carpet patios and footpaths. Patios, outdoor furniture - everything is drenched in their vile urine.
At best it's most unpleasant - at worst a health hazard !
At my place an unpleasant cleanup is required every single day!
There seem to be two reasons why possums have reached plague proportions in the city.
Firstly they much prefer to eat introduced plant species than their original native food and they seem to breed more prolifically on them.
Secondly, various groups from the Greens and RSPCA to animal libbers have managed to have laws enacted elevating possums to the status of endangered and protected species ........ endangered ! ... that's a laugh !
You are not allowed to disturb their nest(s) unless it happens to be in your roof space - and then you are only allowed to move them to the nearest tree !!!! They may not be relocated from your property to bushland under threat of severe penalty.
All you can do is use a range of deterrent sprays and ultrasonic devices;some very expensive - and which range from partially to totally ineffective !
Its clearly ridiculous to provide such extreme protection to an urban pest - becoming actively hated by most city folk --- as they have become in New Zealand.
A modicum of common sense introduced into the legistlation would allow their complete protection in bushland areas and their humane control in those urban areas where they have reached plague proportions.