Quick Christmas post

On the CD player now:

Arvo Part's Te Deum - some of the most powerful music I have ever listened to. This is deep emotional music stripped back to its bare essentials, where even the pauses - the short aching silences - grab at my heart.

And when, almost at the end, the choir sings in full voice, accompanied by the full orchestra:

Fiat misericordia tua, Domine, super nos,
quemadmodum speravimus in te.
In te, Dominus, speravi:

The might of the heavens come crashing down on me.

Then that single quiet unaccompanied voice pleadingly sings that line again:

In te, Domine, speravi:

So fragile, so vulnerable.

So utterly alone.

This is awesome music.

Merry Christmas to everyone.

saturday evening music

Going out for dinner tonight with the usual suspects - currently on the playlist:

Love is Like Oxygen Sweet
Big Boss Groove Style Council
Ebeneezer Goode Shaman
Dead eyes Opened (remix) Severed Heads
How Soon is Now The Smiths
Atomic Blondie
Mad Dogs and Englishmen Noel Coward
Down To Mexico Boca 45

Time to get ready for dinner...

Making Sausages

Otto von Bismark once said making legislation was like making sausages - best not watched. Well, I didn't have much choice this week. But seriously, for me, the inner workings of law making is rather fun. I know, I need to get a life. But hey, it's Canberra.

But this week, I managed to get something done that normally takes a couple of months, even here in the ACT territory government. So pretty chuffed. Policy settled in the department and ministerial brief on Thursday; Bill, explanatory statement, presentation speech, Cabinet brief prepared; Human Rights Unit clearance on Friday; Caucus and opposition briefings, possible questions and answers, debate speaking notes, media release prepared Monday; Ministers endorsed Bill on Monday; Bill presented to Assembly on Tuesday; Scrutiny of Bill Committee checked and OK's Bill on Wednesday; debated and passed Thursday. Phew. Good when the boss thanked me for digging the department out of a hole, again. Nice to be needed. Could do with a beer now though.

So yeah, been a bit busy lately.