But for us, the biggest change in the Australian market over the last five to 10 years has been local companies becoming more international in their focus, which plays to our strengths.

Portrait of a Man.

This is a very important year for Democrats, nationally and locally. Many national issues ? like the war, like torture, like the response to Katrina, like Medicare Part D, like the incompetence of the Bush administration ? have a very real impact locally, in our quality of life and what we expect from our country.

It's about the way the brewing cycle goes. So much is tied to the harvest.

It has certainly not been a smooth ride.