Friday Wrap – of sorts

My partner announced this morning that today being the First of December, we are officially in the Christmas cheer month. She was excited, I groaned. On a completely un-Christmassy thread, here's a bit of a wrap of what I've come across this past week, and what's on the near horizon – a bit of a licorice all-sorts variety:

Barista is hosting History Carnival XLIV, a compilation – or rather aggregation – of some excellent posts and stories on historical subjects. There are some really clever history buffs out there, so go take a look! My favourites are the point about the possibilities for a history of disability, and Axis of Evil Knievel's post on the history of the colonialisation of Hawaii (which I'd read on his blog earlier this week. I'm still thanking my lucky stars that Barista introduced me to that blog via previous History Carnivals).

The Long Walk 2006 will happen in Melbourne this Sunday (3 December), in case you hadn't heard. The walk aims to aims to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in some efforts towards Reconciliation, and raise money for Indigenous leadership. I went to the first one last year, and was impressed at the turn-out, if not at having to wait so long for it to start. I won't be able to attend this year, so if any Melbourne bloggers go, I'd like to hear what you think.

The campaign to stop the development of a gas plant in the incredibly important Aboriginal cultural heritage site in Western Australia has had a boost, with "both the Western Australian State Government and Woodside [the company concerned] have just dropped their opposition to heritage listing of Murijuga, the Burrup Peninsula site!" GetUp!, one of the campaigners, got over 20,000 petitioners against the development online, but is pushing for more support to stop the company wanting to proceed with their gas plant on the site despite its heritage listing!

And, after a week of rumour, speculation and what Jon Faine loves to call 'scuttlebutt' about a challenge by Kevin Rudd and Julian Gillard against his leadership, federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has just called for a leadership ballot in the ALP federal caucus for next week. So, this time next week we may have a new Opposition Leader. Or we may not.

Oh, and I love the twist on the panoramic photograph above. Based on panoramic shots of Notting Hill garden, London, 'little planet' is by strollerdos.

Update: Oh, yeah. Today is World AIDS Day. How could I forget.

Is that enough to keep you going for the weekend?