New Year's Eve Plans

Since a number of people have been asking, I figured I would disclose my New Year's Eve plans which involve going over to parties being given by clients some gay, some straight, but all live wires. Most years I have no plans at all yet this year I have three party invitations for locations in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk. I plan on starting at the most distant site first and working my way back towards Norfolk, finishing up at the home of my wild Canadian client and her husband. Given that the police will be out in force looking for drivers who have been drinking, I want to take no chances.

I will be doing a year end post looking back on 2007 and events in my life (it may get posted tomorrow) and my thoughts as we head into a new year. I wish each and every one of you a wonderful New Year and look forward to deepening friendships I have made via this blog in the coming year.

In honor of my Aussie blogger friends, Euphoric and Michelle, I have posted a photo of Sydney's New Year's fireworks.

Howard Only Second Prime Minister in Australia's History to Lose Seat

Not only did John Howard's party get thrown from power, but it appears that Howard will also have the humiliation of being only the second second prime minister in Australia's history to be dumped from his own seat in Parliament as well. That's about the strongest repudiation one can receive. I can only hope that a similar humiliation awaits the GOP in the country come November 2008. The Sydney Daily Telegraph is reporting in part as follows (http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22820878-5001021,00.html):

LABOR'S new queen Maxine McKew woke up to a new government and went to mass with her mother Mary yesterday knowing her election prayers had most likely been answered. Her expected victory over John Howard in Bennelong was salt in the wound for the outgoing Prime Minister, in a devastating election loss. But the woman who is set to replace him in the Sydney seat was not rubbing in her predicted victory - instead celebrating the change of government behind closed doors.

As of last night, with 79 per cent of the ballot counted, Ms. McKew had increased her lead to 51.7 per cent of the vote to Mr Howard's 48.3 per cent on a two-party preferred basis. The result was still unclear by late yesterday but the Australian Electoral Commission was classifying Bennelong as a Labor win. If correct, Mr Howard will have achieved the dubious feat of being only the second prime minister in Australia's history to be dumped from his own seat, which has not happened since then prime minister Stanley Bruce was kicked out in 1929. About 5000 postal votes were last night yet to be counted, although in his election night speech Mr Howard said he doubted he had won.