News From Down Under

 Where's The Beef?
  Since the news up here is not so good, I went looking for news that is better and began searching in Australia. I noticed first this headline and was puzzled: "Unions put the bite on Maccas." Although my subtitle refers to Wendy's you may have figured out that 'Maccas' is how McDonald's Australia is referred to and that has been the case for over a decade. Established in Yagoona back in 1971, the history of the company in Australia is subsumed under "Macca's Story" on the corporate website. 

  Reading on, I did stumble upon some headlines that were refreshing, at least to me, since they indicated that Australians are happy celebrating Australia Day. These are from The Australian, Jan.26, 2025:

‘Unity is What Stands Out’: Aussies Young and Old Reclaim Our National Day: Australia Day Has a New Lease of Life, with Citizenship Ceremonies, Beach Parties, Barbecues and Events of all Kinds Attracting Record Turnouts."
AND
"Gloomsters, Listen Up – the People are Speaking Out: Australians are Proud of Their Country, Proud of How it has Evolved Into One of the World’s most Prosperous, Fair and Free Societies. That’s Something Mighty to Celebrate."

  When I returned to our northern and colder climes, the bit of news I looked at was bad - even the news about Australia.  I suppose I should have suspected that the rosy news in The Australian might not reflect how all Australians felt. Here is the headline from the New York Times, Jan. 26, 2025. 

"Monuments in Australia Are Vandalized to Protest National Day: The Vandalism Unfolded in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. Australia Day is a Divisive Holiday That Critics See as a Symbol of Racism and Oppression," Mike Ives. 
  I suppose the lessons to be drawn from this are rather limited, but suggest that one needs to read the news both from the north and the south and the left and the right.