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leaving here

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Sydney, 2001.05.11

Didn't do too much, today. Took the clothes I can no longer use (e.g. stand to look at) to the St. Vincent De Paul society (which, for North Americans, is something akin to the United Way). Goodbye office wear. Goodbye beloved Eccos that I outgrew (at the age of 30!) before I wore them out. Goodbye, too, the shoes I bought in Australia; the cheap ones I bought for the gym, and the big size 16's (Australian) I had to buy when we arrived, for interviews.

I'm back (significantly?) to the shoes I brought with me in the first place; my hiking shoes and my marine sandals. I also got rid of the jacket I bought last winter, and a couple of sweaters. Amazing how 90% of the stuff you buy doesn't wear well, anymore.

Much of the rest of the day was spent packing and shipping books. $160 and change, this time, for the use of the 'economy' air freight. I wonder if economy means each package gets crammed in and fed something with luke-warm potato paste all over it.

Anyway, Air Canada has seen fit to allow me to change my route home, but only after the locals were able to track down authority in Winnipeg (of all places). So I hope to be travelling back via Vancouver, and see Ken and Heidi while I'm there.

I'm thinking of founding a micronation. Just need a name, a flag, and a 'market differentiator'. Maybe it should be a micronation for people who just want dual citizenship; cos paperwork loves company. Or a place for people to elude high corporate/personal taxes (I could institute a 1% tax on all entities, I'm sure that's competitive (or not, you can't beat the 0% that the wealthy pay)). Maybe a state for people who want empty titles to tracts of land; surely that's what the world needs.

Well, I don't know about that. But I do know one thing. I'm gonna have to split out this damn journal. It takes too long to load, with 2000's stuff in there; good-bye 2000.

rand()m quote

On the endless saga of Rob Ford, mayor of Toronto; "It shouldn't have had to come to this. I'm so tired of getting up every morning and wondering, 'What will it be today?' I'm so tired of giving the benefit of the doubt again and again, only to be let down again and again.... Somewhere a responsible adult has to appear, draw a bright moral line, tell the truth and say unequivocally what won't be tolerated. Somebody has to do the right thing."

—Denzil Minnan-Wong