A Watched Pot Never Boils

 

Live each day like it's a whole new life. Anon.

They were in a rush because the world was in a rush, those Watchers on the Watch, those military analysts and aficionados of the obscure, the oblique, the little known.

At times the ancients were like a bubbling brook, rushing by, pools of images forming and disbanding in a panic as they rushed towards the sea, or in this case a cataclysmic future. All life on Earth. Atomic War. Reality had overtaken science fiction. No one could have made up the story of the Iran War, much less the Covid drama which had now settled into established fact, the conspiracy theorists having been proven correct all along. Again. 

Most of it passed in some other world far from here. The teenagers with their children in the beer garden. A life, another life. A thousand years ago. They tried to distract him. There was nothing to be gained. He remained invisible as best he could. The swirl, that ancient swirl, which had nothing to do with wisdom but with great power, which was why those forces of both good and evil congregated amongst the leadership of this nation; and others.

In this deranged period when mismanagement was standard for this government, and many other governments; when morale was squandered on the steps of the temple, when both Baal and Jehovah competed for attention amidst the lemmings of the flock, or mob, and when the point of it, the infinite point of no return, was lost in the clashing swords, a bewildered population, moments of heroism swept up in the great and heartless tide of history.

This was it, then, their analysis. A watched pot never boils; a soldier never dies. A moment was born and died and was born again, an erupting force of joy and terror, a volcano spewing fire into the sky while mere mortals juggled their daily chores, and tried to find love or meaning in detritus on the floor. 

Those little villagers, those moments of delight, those spectacular visuals, landscapes draped in a beauty only he could see, but all could see; a living contradiction in a landscape drenched with the ancient beauties. 

Far above, far beyond, the armies gathered, and others, of whom he could not speak, took aim and recorded everything, arching back to this moment, this derelict person, these dismal circumstances, where the primitive nature of these entities, these animals, these humans, continued to astound their direct descendants. 

But there it was, this tweak, this twerk of history, and he had no choice but to take up the batton. None at all. All those voices would be summoned and dashed; and they would rise up to seize the crown, as lives sprayed either side, like bodies falling from a collapsing plane. And this inflection in history, well it was ours to take.

NEWS

Australia’s economic landscape is under close scrutiny this week, with the unemployment rate climbing to 4.5 per cent in July—the highest level since the early post-COVID period—signalling a cooling labour market that has tempered expectations of further interest rate rises by the Reserve Bank. At the same time, federal debt has crossed the symbolic $1 trillion threshold for the first time, prompting political debate over fiscal management even as the sharemarket recovered some ground. These developments coincide with banks actively competing for mortgage customers by cutting selected rates and easing lending conditions, a shift highlighted by property investment expert Scott Kuru in a recent video analysis. 

abc.net.au

In a video Scott Kuru, founder and CEO of Freedom Property Investors, argues that major Australian banks are showing signs of concern over declining loan applications amid property market uncertainty, recent rate rises and tax changes. He notes that lenders have begun reducing fixed and variable rates for new customers and extending interest-only periods—moves he describes as unusual given the broader economic pressures—and suggests households now hold greater negotiating power to secure better mortgage deals or refinance. Kuru frames this as both a warning about underlying market softness and an opportunity for borrowers during a cost-of-living squeeze. 

youtube.com

Beyond the economy, social and health policy has seen movement, with the federal government extending funding for aged-care programs that assist older Australians with shopping and transport until 2029, providing continuity for hundreds of thousands of people after earlier uncertainty. Separately, an outbreak of bird flu has escalated in one state, with more than 1,000 birds found dead across multiple mass-death events, raising biosecurity concerns. Crime and public safety stories also featured prominently, including a fatal house fire involving a child and various police investigations. 

news.com.au

Sport and international affairs rounded out the headlines. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised the AFL’s handling of a high-profile scandal involving suspended Sydney Swans players, calling the response “completely unacceptable.” Australia also summoned Israel’s ambassador after the IDF decided not to pursue charges related to the death of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom, while domestic politics continued with debates over veterans’ support and other legislative matters. Overall, the week reflected a mix of economic caution, policy adjustments and ongoing social challenges across the country. 

News Summary Courtesy of Grok xAI.