the witch is dead

hello americans and non.

i just thought, you know, with an american election in the works (and reworks, and deworks, and waterworks), you might want to take a look at what we're doing down here in australia.

namely, showing the evil dwarf who has slimed this place for the past age the door.

sure, the australian elections aren't as full-combat as the american ones in some ways. first off, they only really last for a month and some. none of this two year ramp up to a final year of spit-balling and televised whinging. and secondly, in these elections, the winner is clearly the winner.

in case you didn't hear; the winner this time is clearly not john howard and his "liberal" coalition. now, they is losers. big losers. as in, don't let the door hit you on the way out losers.

and there was much rejoicing.

not that the winner, kevin rudd, seems like australia's answer to vaclav havel or anything, but he is not-howard, and he is signing the (too late) kyoto accord, and he is something new.

why am i writing about this? because it's a relief. after surviving two elections that, winner or not, installed gwb as president of the usa, i was honestly worried that howard would somehow squeak through yet again.

he didn't. it even appears that he has lost his own seat in government, so not only is he not prime minister, but soon he will be somewhat less important then they guy who used to check his security badge. i'm only sorry i can't see him in person to point and snicker.

there is something else the americans might learn from australian elections. here, when the votes are being tallied, they do this great thing. they get the candidates on camera and ask them questions like:

Interviewer: Bruce, it sure seems like you're going to lose this race and be a losing loser. Do you think you're a losing loser?

Bruce: Gosh, Ned. It's early yet and there's the possibility that an entire race of lost subterranean dwellers will have mailed in votes all naming me lord chancellor of gumdrop-land, so I'll just hold on to that hope for the next twelve minutes in a frenzied delusion while you continue to taunt me.

Interviewer: Ha ha. Good one, loser.

it's good tv.

we had a little party over at our neighbours to watch the returns, drink cheap beer, and make snide comments at the television. it was very pleasant.

summer is here. i bought a bike. we've been playing lawn bowls (i suck). ed and heather sent us canned pumpkin pie filling. we bought tickets to see sufjan stevens in january. rachel and matt are coming out to visit in february.

and (ding dong) the witch is dead.