And When I Woke Up, I Thought, Now That's a Funny Place to Put One of Those
I will not admit to any hallucinatory experiences while going in or out of consciousness in the course of my surgical adventures recently, but I am somewhat put in mind of at least the potential for the anaesthesiologist with the grey hair sticking out from under his cap to have morphed perversely by reason of the drugs he was causing me to ingest in combinatoin with my own perversity of imagination into a more, let us say, native form, which was the first thing that came to mind when I read about the Hero 'Roo (who I think now ought to take a new name: rather than Lulu, I think Nelson, as in Lord Nelson, the Hero of Waterloo, yeah?). Wild creatures, howsoever domesticated, who save humans, this one even engaging in some basic first aid, are evidence to me that we ought to take their lives into greater concern with our own than we usually do.
30 April 2004
27 April 2004
Appendages and Their Disposition
I've learned a valuable lesson: if your gut hurts but there are no symptoms of indigestion, check if it might be your appendix, because if you delay, it's going to hurt a lot more. Not that having your appendix out doesn't hurt. Nothing that involves a two-inch incision through the abdominal muscle wall followed by somebody poking around in there and cutting stuff out isn't going to result in pain. If, however, I'd been more aware, I think I might have gone in for the surgery prior to my appendix having become gangrenous (apparently mere minutes away from bursting and resultant peritonitis, although the doctors all said that's not the problem it used to be, my appendix was rushed out of my body and into the parking lot, where specially developed robots were used to detonate it safely). Then the doctors had to find something else, and they had to tell me about it in the most ominous fashion. There was Something Else we found. Pause. Nothing serious (brightly). Apparently I had a small, congential leftover from my days as a fish in mommy's belly. The small intestine has a bit that's part of the umbilical or connected in there somehow or other, which usually detaches and goes away. Mine detached but stayed, a small diverticulic (I think I made that word up) pouch that doesn't do anything (like the appendix), usually doesn't ever cause trouble later but can sometimes (like the appendix) and was right there where they could find it and a bit infected because of the appendix situation. Well, imagine that; I come to Australia and discover I'm a marsupial from birth. No wonder I've wanted to come here for so long. So anyway, I got two surgeries for the price of one. Sort of like when you take your car into the garage and the mechanics change the oil and the plugs but don't overcharge you for the unspecified work. Socialized medicine. Wonderful. This has, however, left me with a two-inch incision instead of the smaller, "keyhole" variety and a longer healing time. It's also meant I've been off-line for four days and will probably spend more time staring stupidly at the television than surfing the 'net. I will also probably spend a lot of time re-reading really bad books instead of any of the great works of literature lying around the house, because I'm sick, so I'm allowed. I will make an effort to get to at least one Martin Beck mystery, however, just to save face.
I've learned a valuable lesson: if your gut hurts but there are no symptoms of indigestion, check if it might be your appendix, because if you delay, it's going to hurt a lot more. Not that having your appendix out doesn't hurt. Nothing that involves a two-inch incision through the abdominal muscle wall followed by somebody poking around in there and cutting stuff out isn't going to result in pain. If, however, I'd been more aware, I think I might have gone in for the surgery prior to my appendix having become gangrenous (apparently mere minutes away from bursting and resultant peritonitis, although the doctors all said that's not the problem it used to be, my appendix was rushed out of my body and into the parking lot, where specially developed robots were used to detonate it safely). Then the doctors had to find something else, and they had to tell me about it in the most ominous fashion. There was Something Else we found. Pause. Nothing serious (brightly). Apparently I had a small, congential leftover from my days as a fish in mommy's belly. The small intestine has a bit that's part of the umbilical or connected in there somehow or other, which usually detaches and goes away. Mine detached but stayed, a small diverticulic (I think I made that word up) pouch that doesn't do anything (like the appendix), usually doesn't ever cause trouble later but can sometimes (like the appendix) and was right there where they could find it and a bit infected because of the appendix situation. Well, imagine that; I come to Australia and discover I'm a marsupial from birth. No wonder I've wanted to come here for so long. So anyway, I got two surgeries for the price of one. Sort of like when you take your car into the garage and the mechanics change the oil and the plugs but don't overcharge you for the unspecified work. Socialized medicine. Wonderful. This has, however, left me with a two-inch incision instead of the smaller, "keyhole" variety and a longer healing time. It's also meant I've been off-line for four days and will probably spend more time staring stupidly at the television than surfing the 'net. I will also probably spend a lot of time re-reading really bad books instead of any of the great works of literature lying around the house, because I'm sick, so I'm allowed. I will make an effort to get to at least one Martin Beck mystery, however, just to save face.
22 April 2004
An Unhealthy Interest in Literature
It doesn't seem a univeral truth, Byron et al. excepted, I suppose, but poets die young. Well, younger, anyway, than novelists, and even at that, it appears to be largely a question of noteriety. Nevertheless, for longevity, nonfiction is the literary discipline of choice, which I suppose will give a leg up to most 'bloggers.
It doesn't seem a univeral truth, Byron et al. excepted, I suppose, but poets die young. Well, younger, anyway, than novelists, and even at that, it appears to be largely a question of noteriety. Nevertheless, for longevity, nonfiction is the literary discipline of choice, which I suppose will give a leg up to most 'bloggers.
Trench Life
This weekend is Anzac Day, the nearest U.S. equivalent being Memorial Day, I suppose, given that Veterans’/Armistice/Remembrance Day is more-or-less universally 11 November. Usually, for the weekend, in addition to parades and memorial services, you can head to the local RSL (Returned Serviceman’s League) club and have a nice game of Two-Up, an otherwise illegal form of gambling, involving the use of a flat stick to hurl two coins high into the air and betting on their arrangement, head and tails, when the land. Why is it illegal? I don’t know; maybe because you could put your eye out. Since the coin denominations below five cents were eliminated, it may be tough now to find pennies to “give a toss” anyway.
This weekend is Anzac Day, the nearest U.S. equivalent being Memorial Day, I suppose, given that Veterans’/Armistice/Remembrance Day is more-or-less universally 11 November. Usually, for the weekend, in addition to parades and memorial services, you can head to the local RSL (Returned Serviceman’s League) club and have a nice game of Two-Up, an otherwise illegal form of gambling, involving the use of a flat stick to hurl two coins high into the air and betting on their arrangement, head and tails, when the land. Why is it illegal? I don’t know; maybe because you could put your eye out. Since the coin denominations below five cents were eliminated, it may be tough now to find pennies to “give a toss” anyway.
Think Globally, Act Locally
I’ve never been one to work the system particularly, although political activism has had its place in the family over the years, from dinner table argumentation to active registration of voters, attendance and participation in protests to fund raising activities. Since becoming an expatriate citizen of the U.S., however, and as a long-standing registered Democrat myself, it has been increasingly important for me to find ways to act on my political principles. Usually, it’s been writing barbed posts here regarding the professional characters and disreputable activities of the present administration in Washington D.C. Back some months ago, M. and I began down a more activist path, one which last night became ever so much more so, as I attended a meeting (or ”meet-up”) of Democrats Abroad, a new chapter of which is being formed in Australia, at the invitation of one of the more active members. The goals Democrats Abroad – Australia are simple: increase the presence and thus the strength of the chapter, thereby making the many thousands of Americans living in this country a more effective part of the political process at home; register voters; and raise campaign funds. (That last bit is the one a lot of people might focus on, myself included, since it sounds like we’re creating an organization that will dun its members for endless monetary contributions, but really, it’s like voting: everything counts; contribute a dollar, or twenty, or two thousand, because it won’t go to waste.) The meeting, held the third Wednesday of each month at the Lord Nelson Hotel in the Rocks, last night was a new experience for me, not just because I’m Australia, but because I’ve never actually been this politically active. The other members present were all very impressively engaged and committed individuals, not to mention personable, which made for a pleasant enough evening, but what is particularly exciting is the level of organization already accomplished. So, although I don’t expect I’m getting much of an ex-pat audience here, I’m going ahead and using this as a means of putting out the call to other Democrats to join in. Donate time, money, both, but this year it’s beyond important that we learn and we act.
I’ve never been one to work the system particularly, although political activism has had its place in the family over the years, from dinner table argumentation to active registration of voters, attendance and participation in protests to fund raising activities. Since becoming an expatriate citizen of the U.S., however, and as a long-standing registered Democrat myself, it has been increasingly important for me to find ways to act on my political principles. Usually, it’s been writing barbed posts here regarding the professional characters and disreputable activities of the present administration in Washington D.C. Back some months ago, M. and I began down a more activist path, one which last night became ever so much more so, as I attended a meeting (or ”meet-up”) of Democrats Abroad, a new chapter of which is being formed in Australia, at the invitation of one of the more active members. The goals Democrats Abroad – Australia are simple: increase the presence and thus the strength of the chapter, thereby making the many thousands of Americans living in this country a more effective part of the political process at home; register voters; and raise campaign funds. (That last bit is the one a lot of people might focus on, myself included, since it sounds like we’re creating an organization that will dun its members for endless monetary contributions, but really, it’s like voting: everything counts; contribute a dollar, or twenty, or two thousand, because it won’t go to waste.) The meeting, held the third Wednesday of each month at the Lord Nelson Hotel in the Rocks, last night was a new experience for me, not just because I’m Australia, but because I’ve never actually been this politically active. The other members present were all very impressively engaged and committed individuals, not to mention personable, which made for a pleasant enough evening, but what is particularly exciting is the level of organization already accomplished. So, although I don’t expect I’m getting much of an ex-pat audience here, I’m going ahead and using this as a means of putting out the call to other Democrats to join in. Donate time, money, both, but this year it’s beyond important that we learn and we act.
21 April 2004
Distillations
I’ve had Canadian (rye), American (bourbon), Scottish and Irish (scotch), and I’ve meant to try Japanese, at least now I’ve had Australian whiskey, specifically, Tasmanian single malt. It’s comparable to many high-quality single malts I’ve sampled from the Highlands, and tops most of the best blends, too. The climate’s similar, by all accounts, as is, apparently, some of the flora, insofar as there is peat to be had for the smoking process. Only in operation from 1995, the whiskey’s still got some ageing to do, but for immature spirits, to be this good is remarkable. I’ll be sure to follow up periodically as the barrels roll out. Spirits being taxed so highly here, however, international visitors are not exempt from stopping at the duty-free shop.
I’ve had Canadian (rye), American (bourbon), Scottish and Irish (scotch), and I’ve meant to try Japanese, at least now I’ve had Australian whiskey, specifically, Tasmanian single malt. It’s comparable to many high-quality single malts I’ve sampled from the Highlands, and tops most of the best blends, too. The climate’s similar, by all accounts, as is, apparently, some of the flora, insofar as there is peat to be had for the smoking process. Only in operation from 1995, the whiskey’s still got some ageing to do, but for immature spirits, to be this good is remarkable. I’ll be sure to follow up periodically as the barrels roll out. Spirits being taxed so highly here, however, international visitors are not exempt from stopping at the duty-free shop.
Respected Leader of the Opposition
We watched Mark Latham last night on the ABC addressing a panel of residents from his Parliamentary district and fielding questions on the various topics presently framing the campaign issues for the elections next Spring: taxes, of course, both personal and business; immigration, especially regarding illegal entrants to the country and the present policy of mandatory detention; the “war on terror” and Australia’s relationship with the U.S.; and when will Australia become a republic. Outside one question regarding governmental subsidization for IVF procedures that I think he might have dealt with more forthrightly if he hadn’t been flummoxed by the selfishness it represented, I was perhaps only disappointed with Latham’s response to the issue of illegal immigration and detention, and that is tempered by how he means to address the issue. I’m very impressed by Latham generally. I think he takes a good line on the country’s place in the region and how it should engage with its neighbors and with the U.S. He is nobody’s lapdog internationally. The fact that he intends to take the country into the future as a republic is, I think, very positive indeed. However, mandatory detention is a problem. At least the prospect of indefinite detention will be largely removed: Latham wants immigration status sorted out within 90 days, at which point it’s either deportation or integration. I’m a little worried over the effective placement of immigrants into outlying areas; although it will decrease the burden on cities, especially Sydney, the destination of choice, is there or can there be sufficient infrastructure and employment opportunities to support the policy? At least he’s thinking of these things and trying to work up the policies and budget to address them. How successful he’s actually going to be is, I think, more dependent on getting more than one term in office than in getting the top spot alone.
We watched Mark Latham last night on the ABC addressing a panel of residents from his Parliamentary district and fielding questions on the various topics presently framing the campaign issues for the elections next Spring: taxes, of course, both personal and business; immigration, especially regarding illegal entrants to the country and the present policy of mandatory detention; the “war on terror” and Australia’s relationship with the U.S.; and when will Australia become a republic. Outside one question regarding governmental subsidization for IVF procedures that I think he might have dealt with more forthrightly if he hadn’t been flummoxed by the selfishness it represented, I was perhaps only disappointed with Latham’s response to the issue of illegal immigration and detention, and that is tempered by how he means to address the issue. I’m very impressed by Latham generally. I think he takes a good line on the country’s place in the region and how it should engage with its neighbors and with the U.S. He is nobody’s lapdog internationally. The fact that he intends to take the country into the future as a republic is, I think, very positive indeed. However, mandatory detention is a problem. At least the prospect of indefinite detention will be largely removed: Latham wants immigration status sorted out within 90 days, at which point it’s either deportation or integration. I’m a little worried over the effective placement of immigrants into outlying areas; although it will decrease the burden on cities, especially Sydney, the destination of choice, is there or can there be sufficient infrastructure and employment opportunities to support the policy? At least he’s thinking of these things and trying to work up the policies and budget to address them. How successful he’s actually going to be is, I think, more dependent on getting more than one term in office than in getting the top spot alone.
Drafty in Here
Is the U.S. running out of troops to send to Iraq?
Is the U.S. running out of troops to send to Iraq?
20 April 2004
Sustainability
We’ve recently made a couple of transitional changes at home to decrease our environmental footprint: a little old lady shopping trolley so we don’t have to have our groceries delivered in endless plastic bags (which will eventually save us from the tax levies proposed in NSW and in use elsewhere in Australia already), and organic fruit-n-veg via Lettuce Deliver, an on-line shopping service that buys from local area organic farmers and delivers seasonal produce to your door (in boxes, which are re-used week-to-week). I bring it up following my discovery of Eat Manifesto, a topical weblog devoted to traditional cookery and food production.
Addendum: Over at Beyond Brilliance, Beyond Stupidity, a number of posts have gone up recently on environmental matters, including: solar power cell phone batteries and the relationship between renewable energy and jobs.
Update: What's your ecological footprint? We'd need two more planets if everyone lived like us.
We’ve recently made a couple of transitional changes at home to decrease our environmental footprint: a little old lady shopping trolley so we don’t have to have our groceries delivered in endless plastic bags (which will eventually save us from the tax levies proposed in NSW and in use elsewhere in Australia already), and organic fruit-n-veg via Lettuce Deliver, an on-line shopping service that buys from local area organic farmers and delivers seasonal produce to your door (in boxes, which are re-used week-to-week). I bring it up following my discovery of Eat Manifesto, a topical weblog devoted to traditional cookery and food production.
Addendum: Over at Beyond Brilliance, Beyond Stupidity, a number of posts have gone up recently on environmental matters, including: solar power cell phone batteries and the relationship between renewable energy and jobs.
Update: What's your ecological footprint? We'd need two more planets if everyone lived like us.
Asking for It
Why do Condolezzaa Rice’s comments about a terror attack in the U.S. before November sound like wishful thinking? Is this the kind of National Security Advice she’s been feeding George II? I’m probably just reading unintended meaning into what she’s said, as parsed by the relentlessly liberal media. Thank goodness the President hired such eminent academics to help him run the country, people who really know how to form a sentence. “We hope” – who’s “we”?
Why do Condolezzaa Rice’s comments about a terror attack in the U.S. before November sound like wishful thinking? Is this the kind of National Security Advice she’s been feeding George II? I’m probably just reading unintended meaning into what she’s said, as parsed by the relentlessly liberal media. Thank goodness the President hired such eminent academics to help him run the country, people who really know how to form a sentence. “We hope” – who’s “we”?
Roadside Attraction
Up until sometime around when I was in college, the Peter Pan Diner was an iconic chrome steel-faced hash house. They refaced it and expanded the seating in the '80s, as I recall, but left everything else intact: from the basic menu to the wait staff. Well, actually, I think maybe the changed their cole slaw receipe, but that was probably about all. It's all different now, of course, but it's still good to know it's there, even without the original sign. (Via Andy, who linked there in service of an entirely different subject.)
Up until sometime around when I was in college, the Peter Pan Diner was an iconic chrome steel-faced hash house. They refaced it and expanded the seating in the '80s, as I recall, but left everything else intact: from the basic menu to the wait staff. Well, actually, I think maybe the changed their cole slaw receipe, but that was probably about all. It's all different now, of course, but it's still good to know it's there, even without the original sign. (Via Andy, who linked there in service of an entirely different subject.)
Recommended Reading
I'm taking up Boswell's suggestion and keeping up with Lypton Village. And thank you for the kind words.
I'm taking up Boswell's suggestion and keeping up with Lypton Village. And thank you for the kind words.
19 April 2004
Empty Garage
From about age 16 onward, I have invariably received strange looks at the revelation that I have never held a driver’s license, although those looks are often subsequently tempered when I mention that a significant portion of my lifespan have been spent in NYC and now in Sydney (just 5 minutes from Central and the heart of the city – and now Dave Edmunds is singing in my head). In fact, I haven’t been behind the wheel of the car since my eldest niece was born and I circled the block at Beth Israel while her father went in to retrieve her and her mother. We think about getting a car now and then, although renting the car space we own does provide a nice little supplement to our income, one more necessary now than when we bought the place, given the wages at Parramatta working for the Catholics, and at least I’d have the advantage of not having to unlearn too much. Thanks to the web goddess, I can practice developing my skills – o.k., my knowledge base - on-line. I may end up one of the few drivers in town to actually know the rules for using a round-about.
Addendum: for the roundabout-challenged, behold the Swindon magic roundabout. For those who would scoff at carlessness, I provide this handy calculator. It's a dollar-sixty here for a one-zone trip on the bus, for comparison.
From about age 16 onward, I have invariably received strange looks at the revelation that I have never held a driver’s license, although those looks are often subsequently tempered when I mention that a significant portion of my lifespan have been spent in NYC and now in Sydney (just 5 minutes from Central and the heart of the city – and now Dave Edmunds is singing in my head). In fact, I haven’t been behind the wheel of the car since my eldest niece was born and I circled the block at Beth Israel while her father went in to retrieve her and her mother. We think about getting a car now and then, although renting the car space we own does provide a nice little supplement to our income, one more necessary now than when we bought the place, given the wages at Parramatta working for the Catholics, and at least I’d have the advantage of not having to unlearn too much. Thanks to the web goddess, I can practice developing my skills – o.k., my knowledge base - on-line. I may end up one of the few drivers in town to actually know the rules for using a round-about.
Addendum: for the roundabout-challenged, behold the Swindon magic roundabout. For those who would scoff at carlessness, I provide this handy calculator. It's a dollar-sixty here for a one-zone trip on the bus, for comparison.
Smug-duggery
Cheney only emerges from under his undisclosed location in order to and long enough to remind us of what an evil creep he is. If for no other reason, Kerry deserves to be President because then Dick Cheney won’t be Vice President. Does anyone else think he’s taken the term “vice” in the wrong sense?
Cheney only emerges from under his undisclosed location in order to and long enough to remind us of what an evil creep he is. If for no other reason, Kerry deserves to be President because then Dick Cheney won’t be Vice President. Does anyone else think he’s taken the term “vice” in the wrong sense?
Open Invitation
My last experience with going to a meet-up having been unsatisfactory, I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm put off from further attempts. A personal invitation (also open to any expatriate audience members hereto) is irresistable, although my preference had originally been to attend the weblogger event. With Salam Pax appearing in Parramatta at the Sydney Writers' Festival, I'll wait until next month to do that and meanwhile go to the Lord Nelson Brewery for the politics.
My last experience with going to a meet-up having been unsatisfactory, I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm put off from further attempts. A personal invitation (also open to any expatriate audience members hereto) is irresistable, although my preference had originally been to attend the weblogger event. With Salam Pax appearing in Parramatta at the Sydney Writers' Festival, I'll wait until next month to do that and meanwhile go to the Lord Nelson Brewery for the politics.
16 April 2004
Walk-Thru
Car culture has been at the heart of the fast food empire, even before McDonald’s opened drive-through service. (There’s little more nauseating than the smell of french fries in a car, something about the two kinds of oil in use together.) Salads and adult versions of Happy Meals™ only deflect criticism, even when the toy surprise is a pedometer. Maybe, as part of the new drive to encourage exercise, they can install treadmills in front of the registers.
Car culture has been at the heart of the fast food empire, even before McDonald’s opened drive-through service. (There’s little more nauseating than the smell of french fries in a car, something about the two kinds of oil in use together.) Salads and adult versions of Happy Meals™ only deflect criticism, even when the toy surprise is a pedometer. Maybe, as part of the new drive to encourage exercise, they can install treadmills in front of the registers.
Movies and the Internet
I cannot recall having ever seen better use of the internet in promoting a movie, at least in regard to pure style. I would like to see The Uninvited now. (Via jill/txt - whose instructions are worth following.)
I cannot recall having ever seen better use of the internet in promoting a movie, at least in regard to pure style. I would like to see The Uninvited now. (Via jill/txt - whose instructions are worth following.)
Another Earl of Oxford
Did Vladimir Nabokov steal Lolita? He’d have been 17 when Heinz von Eschwege’s short story appeared in print in 1916, and it would have been 23 years later, when he was 40, that Nabokov first attempted the tale, in “The Enchanter.” Another 16 years passed before story became novel, and with a history of nearly 40 years, I suppose “cryptomnesia” may be a valid explanation. (Source: Arts & Letters Daily.)
Did Vladimir Nabokov steal Lolita? He’d have been 17 when Heinz von Eschwege’s short story appeared in print in 1916, and it would have been 23 years later, when he was 40, that Nabokov first attempted the tale, in “The Enchanter.” Another 16 years passed before story became novel, and with a history of nearly 40 years, I suppose “cryptomnesia” may be a valid explanation. (Source: Arts & Letters Daily.)
Paying Off the Mortgage
He worked until he was 104 years old, but I guess he finally figured he might as well start drawing his social security payments before Alan Greenspan eliminated them or George II lost it all in the stock market. Go fishing already!
He worked until he was 104 years old, but I guess he finally figured he might as well start drawing his social security payments before Alan Greenspan eliminated them or George II lost it all in the stock market. Go fishing already!
Next Up on the Five-Day Forecast: Volcanoes
The next big California earthquake is on its way. Apparently the methods used by Dr. Keilis-Borok’s UCLA team is accurate within months, beating the Jeanne Dixons of the world by a significant margin. So Southern California should see a 6+ ‘quake by September. Fill the bathtub and stock up on canned goods and batteries.
The next big California earthquake is on its way. Apparently the methods used by Dr. Keilis-Borok’s UCLA team is accurate within months, beating the Jeanne Dixons of the world by a significant margin. So Southern California should see a 6+ ‘quake by September. Fill the bathtub and stock up on canned goods and batteries.
Neighbourhood News
Last night I made a stab at attending a Meet-Up, but it wasn’t a successful outing as such. I did, however, stop in at the Hollywood Hotel around the corner from home on my way back, where I was made aware of an impending event that sounds vaguely intriguing: Thief’s Journal, a DJ party centered around William S. Burroughs. Maybe I could go and do my MC Burroughs routine: “Kit recruits a band of outlaws, known as the Wild Fruits. . . .”
Last night I made a stab at attending a Meet-Up, but it wasn’t a successful outing as such. I did, however, stop in at the Hollywood Hotel around the corner from home on my way back, where I was made aware of an impending event that sounds vaguely intriguing: Thief’s Journal, a DJ party centered around William S. Burroughs. Maybe I could go and do my MC Burroughs routine: “Kit recruits a band of outlaws, known as the Wild Fruits. . . .”
15 April 2004
Iran, Contras, and Political Favors
Why is anyone surprised Bush would appoint John Negroponte as ambassador to Iraq? This is the administration that back in 2002 made John Poindexter head of DARPA. (O.k., he resigned, but only after the casino plan got him laughed out.)
Why is anyone surprised Bush would appoint John Negroponte as ambassador to Iraq? This is the administration that back in 2002 made John Poindexter head of DARPA. (O.k., he resigned, but only after the casino plan got him laughed out.)
Somebody-or-Other's Country, 'Tis of Thee
There are numerous court cases regarding the display of U.S. flags where the decision supported the free-speech rights of the defendant’s choice to do so in a manner offensive to others. But that was before homeowner associations in community developments. So, you’re 65 years old, Australian, and move into a development where the community puts in a rule about hanging out flags: only the U.S. flag may be displayed. This, of course, significantly cuts down on the blight of cute banners with colorful butterflies on them and the like. It also prevents the display of flags from other countries, even if they’re allies of the U.S. with troops in Iraq. Well, you signed your agreement to the by-laws – present and future – when you moved in. Still, there are limits to the infringements on free speech that can be countenanced, and I think Windermere Gardens Villas or Del Boca Vista Mark II or wherever has gone into ludicrous territory here. Mrs. Hogberg is not likely to take the case to court, and I don’t expect the ACLU to turn up on this one either. Maybe there’s a nice retired lawyer living next door who’ll take on the homeowners association? Florida. Go figure.
There are numerous court cases regarding the display of U.S. flags where the decision supported the free-speech rights of the defendant’s choice to do so in a manner offensive to others. But that was before homeowner associations in community developments. So, you’re 65 years old, Australian, and move into a development where the community puts in a rule about hanging out flags: only the U.S. flag may be displayed. This, of course, significantly cuts down on the blight of cute banners with colorful butterflies on them and the like. It also prevents the display of flags from other countries, even if they’re allies of the U.S. with troops in Iraq. Well, you signed your agreement to the by-laws – present and future – when you moved in. Still, there are limits to the infringements on free speech that can be countenanced, and I think Windermere Gardens Villas or Del Boca Vista Mark II or wherever has gone into ludicrous territory here. Mrs. Hogberg is not likely to take the case to court, and I don’t expect the ACLU to turn up on this one either. Maybe there’s a nice retired lawyer living next door who’ll take on the homeowners association? Florida. Go figure.
Why Rice?
George W. Bush picked Condoleezza Rice as his National Security Advisor because she can pronounce the names of foreign nations and dignitaries that he couldn’t. As for national security advice, well, she never has had any that I can tell. Even Dr. Evil himself, Henry Kissinger, would go to Nixon and give advice, not just wait to be asked. We hear the Republicans say that government has to be run like a business; we’ve been hearing that for decades. Running a business into the ground is the speciality pursued by George II (he’s a failed oil tycoon, remember, and the Texas Rangers baseball club enriched him only because his rich buddies bought him out), so we shouldn’t be surprised he can’t pick decent staff. Dr. Rice may be smart, but I don’t see the evidence.
Postcript: I’ve read the transcript of Bush’s press conference, and I can’t say I thought the press offered the grilling I’d have preferred. I know he’s the President, but couldn’t they throw some heat instead of just lobbing the softballs? I mean, asking if there’s anything he regrets or if he’d apologize . . . nobody actually expected anything from that, did they? It’s the same song and dance from Bush to the same tired old tunes the press always plays. Everybody’s willing to go in swinging in the op-ed pages, but not so much in the press room at the White House. I guess they don’t want to be retired early, but where’s the story?
George W. Bush picked Condoleezza Rice as his National Security Advisor because she can pronounce the names of foreign nations and dignitaries that he couldn’t. As for national security advice, well, she never has had any that I can tell. Even Dr. Evil himself, Henry Kissinger, would go to Nixon and give advice, not just wait to be asked. We hear the Republicans say that government has to be run like a business; we’ve been hearing that for decades. Running a business into the ground is the speciality pursued by George II (he’s a failed oil tycoon, remember, and the Texas Rangers baseball club enriched him only because his rich buddies bought him out), so we shouldn’t be surprised he can’t pick decent staff. Dr. Rice may be smart, but I don’t see the evidence.
Postcript: I’ve read the transcript of Bush’s press conference, and I can’t say I thought the press offered the grilling I’d have preferred. I know he’s the President, but couldn’t they throw some heat instead of just lobbing the softballs? I mean, asking if there’s anything he regrets or if he’d apologize . . . nobody actually expected anything from that, did they? It’s the same song and dance from Bush to the same tired old tunes the press always plays. Everybody’s willing to go in swinging in the op-ed pages, but not so much in the press room at the White House. I guess they don’t want to be retired early, but where’s the story?
14 April 2004
Innumeracy Ills
O.k., it's the English edition of a Russian newspaper online, and we all know nobody can spell on the internet. I'm sure it will be fixed sooner rather than later, but meanwhile, Mathimatically [sic] gifted people use all their brain, according to this Pravda article, while apparently newpaper editors only use the part that knows when it's lunchtime. The body of the article manages to use the correct spelling. I may not be able to balance my checkbook, but I can use a dictionary.
O.k., it's the English edition of a Russian newspaper online, and we all know nobody can spell on the internet. I'm sure it will be fixed sooner rather than later, but meanwhile, Mathimatically [sic] gifted people use all their brain, according to this Pravda article, while apparently newpaper editors only use the part that knows when it's lunchtime. The body of the article manages to use the correct spelling. I may not be able to balance my checkbook, but I can use a dictionary.
The MTA Should Have Said “Yes”
The Gothamist reveals that the IRT 2 train’s brakes produce the opening notes of “Somewhere” from West Side Story, but it turns out to be just a coincidence.
The Gothamist reveals that the IRT 2 train’s brakes produce the opening notes of “Somewhere” from West Side Story, but it turns out to be just a coincidence.
13 April 2004
April
I don't remember how I got on the list, but for Poetry Month I get a poem in my Hotmail account every day from Knopf. I don't like all of them, but that's one of those things about poetry. So what? I do like quite a lot of what comes through, even though if I don't read them right away, they will pile up and start to clog the inbox.
I don't remember how I got on the list, but for Poetry Month I get a poem in my Hotmail account every day from Knopf. I don't like all of them, but that's one of those things about poetry. So what? I do like quite a lot of what comes through, even though if I don't read them right away, they will pile up and start to clog the inbox.
Getting Busted for Becoming Your Dream
Made famous in 2000 as his “tag” was highlighted across the Harbour Bridge, and at the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Olympic Games, Arthur Stace was a sidewalk chalker, writing “Eternity,” the one word, in a distinctive script, across the city from 1930 to 1967. He endeared himself to Sydney by his art and will be remembered for decades to come, even though there is no lasting example of his work. For the entire period I lived on the Upper East Side, I was subjected to the empty platitudes and overbearing admonishments of James De La Vega, who scribbled the sidewalks of the neighborhood in chalk. Towards the end of those years, Mr. De La Vega had gallery shows in Spanish Harlem. Well, if “Become Your Dream” and crap about being wearing a suit to work making you a wage slave is art, that’s nice for him. Actually, it’s graffiti, even in chalk, when taken to extremes, and now De La Vega’s been busted well and truly for it. He’s also being called a muralist, and from the sound of things, he’s stepped up from the cheap, pop adages and bad line drawings to larger canvases and multiple colors. There’s a line between art and vandalism, and I think he’s crossed it. He says he’ll “consider refraining from painting illegally” in exchange for no jail time, but maybe he should have thought of that option sooner. Other graffitists have opted for alternative media. Graffiti philosophers, like Arthur Stace, just kept it simple and stayed out of jail.
Made famous in 2000 as his “tag” was highlighted across the Harbour Bridge, and at the opening ceremonies of the Sydney Olympic Games, Arthur Stace was a sidewalk chalker, writing “Eternity,” the one word, in a distinctive script, across the city from 1930 to 1967. He endeared himself to Sydney by his art and will be remembered for decades to come, even though there is no lasting example of his work. For the entire period I lived on the Upper East Side, I was subjected to the empty platitudes and overbearing admonishments of James De La Vega, who scribbled the sidewalks of the neighborhood in chalk. Towards the end of those years, Mr. De La Vega had gallery shows in Spanish Harlem. Well, if “Become Your Dream” and crap about being wearing a suit to work making you a wage slave is art, that’s nice for him. Actually, it’s graffiti, even in chalk, when taken to extremes, and now De La Vega’s been busted well and truly for it. He’s also being called a muralist, and from the sound of things, he’s stepped up from the cheap, pop adages and bad line drawings to larger canvases and multiple colors. There’s a line between art and vandalism, and I think he’s crossed it. He says he’ll “consider refraining from painting illegally” in exchange for no jail time, but maybe he should have thought of that option sooner. Other graffitists have opted for alternative media. Graffiti philosophers, like Arthur Stace, just kept it simple and stayed out of jail.
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling
Another expatriate blogger in Sydney appears. Enjoyable content, scary bunny face.
Another expatriate blogger in Sydney appears. Enjoyable content, scary bunny face.
Nobel Oblige
Every year, when the Nobel prize for literature is awarded, I make an attempt at gathering up one or more significant works by the winner and acquainting myself with the reason the prize committee made their selection. The prizes are a long way off this year, but last year’s winner, J. M. Coetzee, was one writer I felt myself already sufficiently familiar with not to go out and buy the latest books. I did, however, during my late period of unemployment, go back to Waiting for the Barbarians, one of his early works, because it’s a great favorite of mine and one I hadn’t been back to since it came out in the ‘80s. Around this time, M. had been saying she’d like to read the most recent volume, Elizabeth Costello, which I located at a second-hand shop during my job hunting peregrinations. She really, really like it, so we also located a copy of Disgrace and have borrowed a copy of Boyhood, Coetzee’s memoir of growing up in South Africa. I’ve only gotten through Disgrace, but our copy of Elizabeth Costello should be coming home soon, so once I finish Patrick White’s The Vivisector (he’s the Australian Nobelist, by the way), I’ll get on to it. Coetzee’s prose is deceptive. He reminds me of Hemingway in the spareness of his style, but he wears his heart on his sleeve, too, without making a great point of it. I’d say his writing is some of the most Human I’ve read in a long time. He lets you make your own judgments without withholding his own and in a tempered, natural language. He’s living in Adelaide now. I would welcome a chance to hear him speak, although he doesn’t apparently do that often.
Every year, when the Nobel prize for literature is awarded, I make an attempt at gathering up one or more significant works by the winner and acquainting myself with the reason the prize committee made their selection. The prizes are a long way off this year, but last year’s winner, J. M. Coetzee, was one writer I felt myself already sufficiently familiar with not to go out and buy the latest books. I did, however, during my late period of unemployment, go back to Waiting for the Barbarians, one of his early works, because it’s a great favorite of mine and one I hadn’t been back to since it came out in the ‘80s. Around this time, M. had been saying she’d like to read the most recent volume, Elizabeth Costello, which I located at a second-hand shop during my job hunting peregrinations. She really, really like it, so we also located a copy of Disgrace and have borrowed a copy of Boyhood, Coetzee’s memoir of growing up in South Africa. I’ve only gotten through Disgrace, but our copy of Elizabeth Costello should be coming home soon, so once I finish Patrick White’s The Vivisector (he’s the Australian Nobelist, by the way), I’ll get on to it. Coetzee’s prose is deceptive. He reminds me of Hemingway in the spareness of his style, but he wears his heart on his sleeve, too, without making a great point of it. I’d say his writing is some of the most Human I’ve read in a long time. He lets you make your own judgments without withholding his own and in a tempered, natural language. He’s living in Adelaide now. I would welcome a chance to hear him speak, although he doesn’t apparently do that often.
Third Party Politics
Since the days of John Anderson, I’ve been attracted to the possibility of voting for someone outside the Democratic or Republican parties. To be accurate, that’s really just the Democrats, because I’ve never been seriously interested in voting Republican, but we can leave that aside for now. What have I gotten, other than Anderson, to vote for: Ross Perot, Steve Forbes, and Ralph Nader. One’s a nut, one’s a Republican in tax-reformist clothing, and the other is a wild man running on a sufficiently strong political base as to marginally disrupt voting patterns, but with that margin being enough to potentially derail an effective opposition to the present regime. I’m in full agreement with Dr. Dean’s editorial statement in the NY Times, including his statement that voting for Nader means “a vote for a candidate who has no realistic shot of winning the White House.” Despite Nader’s Presidential bid in 2000, one which left him with an insufficient margin for his party to receive matching funds this year, I do still believe a Third Party might become viable someday in the United States. It’s happened elsewhere, although it’s proved difficult to sustain. The Democrats here in Australia, for example, and the Greens, are both forces to be reckoned with both locally and nationally. I still recall when the Greens became a potent force in (West) Germany. Running for President, however, is not the best means to achieving political presence on the necessary scale. To adapt the old ecologicalist adage: act locally, think nationally. Building up a political base from which to launch a Presidential campaign is a necessary first step. Once enough of an effective presence has been established in State and local legislatures, Congress is inevitable, and the White House can be effectively pursued. I’d happily vote for alternative candidates (so long as I can agree to the platform they run on) especially if I believe they can make the changes they promise.
Since the days of John Anderson, I’ve been attracted to the possibility of voting for someone outside the Democratic or Republican parties. To be accurate, that’s really just the Democrats, because I’ve never been seriously interested in voting Republican, but we can leave that aside for now. What have I gotten, other than Anderson, to vote for: Ross Perot, Steve Forbes, and Ralph Nader. One’s a nut, one’s a Republican in tax-reformist clothing, and the other is a wild man running on a sufficiently strong political base as to marginally disrupt voting patterns, but with that margin being enough to potentially derail an effective opposition to the present regime. I’m in full agreement with Dr. Dean’s editorial statement in the NY Times, including his statement that voting for Nader means “a vote for a candidate who has no realistic shot of winning the White House.” Despite Nader’s Presidential bid in 2000, one which left him with an insufficient margin for his party to receive matching funds this year, I do still believe a Third Party might become viable someday in the United States. It’s happened elsewhere, although it’s proved difficult to sustain. The Democrats here in Australia, for example, and the Greens, are both forces to be reckoned with both locally and nationally. I still recall when the Greens became a potent force in (West) Germany. Running for President, however, is not the best means to achieving political presence on the necessary scale. To adapt the old ecologicalist adage: act locally, think nationally. Building up a political base from which to launch a Presidential campaign is a necessary first step. Once enough of an effective presence has been established in State and local legislatures, Congress is inevitable, and the White House can be effectively pursued. I’d happily vote for alternative candidates (so long as I can agree to the platform they run on) especially if I believe they can make the changes they promise.
Republicanism
In 1999 Australia declined to pursue becoming a Republic. The debate’s back on, in large part due to Mark Latham, and this time things might turn out differently. Parliamentary politics are a bit alien to me, and I can’t say I like the idea of an appointed President. The present method of electing MPs, which utilizes the application of “preferences” strikes me as entirely workable. It’s one of the systems we heard about in the States in 2000, when George II usurped the White House, as a method for eliminating the Electoral College. Direct election of a chief executive is problematic in the States and in Australia because of population distribution, giving the preference to the eastern states in both countries. O.k., California, too. But only in the U.S. The preferences system or an Electoral College would balance this, and would allow the executive more potential for independent action over politicized appointment via Parliament. In any event, there’s no benefit to Australia to remain tied to England, especially now that the Governor General appears more and more to be a figurehead, one not even cutting a lot of ribbons these days. The most important thing the present committee can do this time is to try to assure that the process is not driven by John Howard’s rhetoric. He is a clever man and sidestepped the issue last time by recasting the referendum to the advantage of his agenda. Give the power to the people this time, and I think the outcome might be different.
In 1999 Australia declined to pursue becoming a Republic. The debate’s back on, in large part due to Mark Latham, and this time things might turn out differently. Parliamentary politics are a bit alien to me, and I can’t say I like the idea of an appointed President. The present method of electing MPs, which utilizes the application of “preferences” strikes me as entirely workable. It’s one of the systems we heard about in the States in 2000, when George II usurped the White House, as a method for eliminating the Electoral College. Direct election of a chief executive is problematic in the States and in Australia because of population distribution, giving the preference to the eastern states in both countries. O.k., California, too. But only in the U.S. The preferences system or an Electoral College would balance this, and would allow the executive more potential for independent action over politicized appointment via Parliament. In any event, there’s no benefit to Australia to remain tied to England, especially now that the Governor General appears more and more to be a figurehead, one not even cutting a lot of ribbons these days. The most important thing the present committee can do this time is to try to assure that the process is not driven by John Howard’s rhetoric. He is a clever man and sidestepped the issue last time by recasting the referendum to the advantage of his agenda. Give the power to the people this time, and I think the outcome might be different.
Roads and Tolls
Holiday weekends are renowned for traffic fatalities, although this year’s Pascal period ended up at about half last year’s rate. Listening to the news reports of the “hoons” speeding through Parramatta at twice the posted limit and similar depredations on the traffic laws, it strikes me as no wonder that Mad Max and the Road Warrior were made here.
Holiday weekends are renowned for traffic fatalities, although this year’s Pascal period ended up at about half last year’s rate. Listening to the news reports of the “hoons” speeding through Parramatta at twice the posted limit and similar depredations on the traffic laws, it strikes me as no wonder that Mad Max and the Road Warrior were made here.
11 April 2004
Spot-on
M. and I attended a screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the latest Charlie Kaufman screenplay project, in advance of the general release, and recommend it highly, as we do all the Kaufman movies. How telling is it that Kaufman's screenplay makes it his project regardless of the actors, the director, or the producers? Nothing is wasted here, including the use of Lacuna Inc. as the name of the company delivering the technology that makes the story possible; a nice touch, and almost thrown away, like a notice board in the Simpsons. The plot drives towards deeply layered understanding of human relationships. M. put it that we saw played out the fundamental truth that often what we like best about another person is precisely what drives us mad, too. As for Jim Carrey, I was surprised at how good he was as a serious actor in The Truman Show, mostly because I've never liked his comedy, but if that film had been written by Kaufman, it would have been a stroke-inducing revelation. Carrey delivers a heart-felt and nuanced performance that stands right up there with the best performances we've seen, including Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. Someday Kaufman will slip up and a mediocre piece will result, but it's going to be a long time before that happens.
Addendum: we also saw a preview for the Coen brother's upcoming remake of The Lady Killers, the old Alec Guiness movie, and even with Tom Hanks and a deep South setting, it looks like it ought to be a lot of fun. A Coen Bros. remake? A big step for them, and one I'll make a point of attending.
M. and I attended a screening of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the latest Charlie Kaufman screenplay project, in advance of the general release, and recommend it highly, as we do all the Kaufman movies. How telling is it that Kaufman's screenplay makes it his project regardless of the actors, the director, or the producers? Nothing is wasted here, including the use of Lacuna Inc. as the name of the company delivering the technology that makes the story possible; a nice touch, and almost thrown away, like a notice board in the Simpsons. The plot drives towards deeply layered understanding of human relationships. M. put it that we saw played out the fundamental truth that often what we like best about another person is precisely what drives us mad, too. As for Jim Carrey, I was surprised at how good he was as a serious actor in The Truman Show, mostly because I've never liked his comedy, but if that film had been written by Kaufman, it would have been a stroke-inducing revelation. Carrey delivers a heart-felt and nuanced performance that stands right up there with the best performances we've seen, including Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. Someday Kaufman will slip up and a mediocre piece will result, but it's going to be a long time before that happens.
Addendum: we also saw a preview for the Coen brother's upcoming remake of The Lady Killers, the old Alec Guiness movie, and even with Tom Hanks and a deep South setting, it looks like it ought to be a lot of fun. A Coen Bros. remake? A big step for them, and one I'll make a point of attending.
09 April 2004
Noteriety or the Lack Thereof
Congratulations to Boswell (as she's known [except if you saw her real name on t.v. last night]), and The Swanker, who were featured to one degree on another on last night's Mondo Thingo, a program devoted to tracking the latest trends (even months or years after they've been trendy). Also prominently featuring Tim Blair, whose content I don't follow closely, it was nice to see some new acquaintances on the tube. So who's coming on the 21st? (And if the big guns out of the U.S. could be used, why not a humble little ex-pat in Sydney? N.b. to self: get better content.)
Congratulations to Boswell (as she's known [except if you saw her real name on t.v. last night]), and The Swanker, who were featured to one degree on another on last night's Mondo Thingo, a program devoted to tracking the latest trends (even months or years after they've been trendy). Also prominently featuring Tim Blair, whose content I don't follow closely, it was nice to see some new acquaintances on the tube. So who's coming on the 21st? (And if the big guns out of the U.S. could be used, why not a humble little ex-pat in Sydney? N.b. to self: get better content.)
08 April 2004
Competition
A Yank in Oz is a new one on me: another American 'blogger working out of Australia. Since he shows up on Anthony Hicks' Aussie Blogs site under NSW, I suppose he, too, is in Sydney. I'll have to dig through the archives for a bit to find out more. (He better not be stealing any of my traffic.)
Postscript: Hi, Scott, who'd've guessed? Well, that's what I get for posting before researching. Do you engage in non-Dean Meetups? Great content, by the way. I'm sorry your parents are terrorists.
A Yank in Oz is a new one on me: another American 'blogger working out of Australia. Since he shows up on Anthony Hicks' Aussie Blogs site under NSW, I suppose he, too, is in Sydney. I'll have to dig through the archives for a bit to find out more. (He better not be stealing any of my traffic.)
Postscript: Hi, Scott, who'd've guessed? Well, that's what I get for posting before researching. Do you engage in non-Dean Meetups? Great content, by the way. I'm sorry your parents are terrorists.
07 April 2004
The 73
‘Blogging reaches new . . . something or other. Now there’s a weblog devoted to riding the bus in London, specifically, route 73. I haven’t really thought about doing any more than the usual entries on commuting, although if I was paying attention, I’m sure I could have reported something similar to Cheryl’s conversation with her grandmother. Probably I need a digital camera and a site that let’s me post photos.
‘Blogging reaches new . . . something or other. Now there’s a weblog devoted to riding the bus in London, specifically, route 73. I haven’t really thought about doing any more than the usual entries on commuting, although if I was paying attention, I’m sure I could have reported something similar to Cheryl’s conversation with her grandmother. Probably I need a digital camera and a site that let’s me post photos.
No-Fly Zones
Now that Hussein is out of power in Iraq, the Transportation Security Administration has established similar travel restrictions to those imposed in that country following the first Gulf War. The ACLU is bringing a suit to end the practice, claiming that insufficient safeguards exist to ensure passengers Constitutional rights. It’s an interesting problem. If airlines are simply complying with the TSA, a governmental body, then the case looks pretty much open-and-shut to me (unless they're using psychics, like they do in Florida). However, if this is a recommendation by the TSA that the airlines can comply with or not, then it appears more difficult. In the latter case, the airlines should have the right to refuse service to anyone they choose, and if there’s even the slightest possibility that the little old lady trying to board a flight to visit her grandchildren might be a suicide bomber, then she can just ride the bus or stay home. It’s the airline’s plane, and it cost them plenty to get it and run it. They can’t just have people blowing them up willy-nilly. In the former case, pre-screening would have to occur, with an appeals process through the courts, and well before the actual execution of travel plans. Instead of having to arrive at the airport three hours before your flight, you’d have to appear before a judge as soon as the docket was sufficiently clear to hear your plea. That should help the economy.
Now that Hussein is out of power in Iraq, the Transportation Security Administration has established similar travel restrictions to those imposed in that country following the first Gulf War. The ACLU is bringing a suit to end the practice, claiming that insufficient safeguards exist to ensure passengers Constitutional rights. It’s an interesting problem. If airlines are simply complying with the TSA, a governmental body, then the case looks pretty much open-and-shut to me (unless they're using psychics, like they do in Florida). However, if this is a recommendation by the TSA that the airlines can comply with or not, then it appears more difficult. In the latter case, the airlines should have the right to refuse service to anyone they choose, and if there’s even the slightest possibility that the little old lady trying to board a flight to visit her grandchildren might be a suicide bomber, then she can just ride the bus or stay home. It’s the airline’s plane, and it cost them plenty to get it and run it. They can’t just have people blowing them up willy-nilly. In the former case, pre-screening would have to occur, with an appeals process through the courts, and well before the actual execution of travel plans. Instead of having to arrive at the airport three hours before your flight, you’d have to appear before a judge as soon as the docket was sufficiently clear to hear your plea. That should help the economy.
Iditarod
Congratulations to the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team. I have always enjoyed how the “UConn” team is called the Huskies, even though that should the Yukon’s team name – there’s got to be a connection. (Kentucky’s “Vols” always makes me think of a small rodent, even though I know it isn’t pronounced that way.)
Congratulations to the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team. I have always enjoyed how the “UConn” team is called the Huskies, even though that should the Yukon’s team name – there’s got to be a connection. (Kentucky’s “Vols” always makes me think of a small rodent, even though I know it isn’t pronounced that way.)
06 April 2004
The Wrong Debate
Once again, William Safire has got it wrong. He casts the present debate in terms of hindsight, mischaracterizes the antiwar movement, and addresses the dilemma facing the U.S. and its allies as a choice between moving forward or of treading water. That’s not it, which is probably why Tony Blair is on his way over to have frank words with George II. The debate may include assessments of the choices made by Bush and his administration cronies to ignore terrorism in favor of developing an agenda against Iraq, and the developing situation there (or collapse into chaos depending on your perspective) has to inform our present decisions for the future. Nevertheless, the debate is ultimately that of the population at large, not just the politicians sitting in judgment, and consists of trying to choose between fighting terrorism using all the methods available to us or simplistically opting for military force alone against nations regardless of their participation in supporting non-state terrorists. We have to choose between who do we bomb next and how do we defeat terrorism? Letting Condoleeza Rice off the hook doesn’t help the debate, much as Mr. Safire would prefer it. I really have to stop reading his column.
Once again, William Safire has got it wrong. He casts the present debate in terms of hindsight, mischaracterizes the antiwar movement, and addresses the dilemma facing the U.S. and its allies as a choice between moving forward or of treading water. That’s not it, which is probably why Tony Blair is on his way over to have frank words with George II. The debate may include assessments of the choices made by Bush and his administration cronies to ignore terrorism in favor of developing an agenda against Iraq, and the developing situation there (or collapse into chaos depending on your perspective) has to inform our present decisions for the future. Nevertheless, the debate is ultimately that of the population at large, not just the politicians sitting in judgment, and consists of trying to choose between fighting terrorism using all the methods available to us or simplistically opting for military force alone against nations regardless of their participation in supporting non-state terrorists. We have to choose between who do we bomb next and how do we defeat terrorism? Letting Condoleeza Rice off the hook doesn’t help the debate, much as Mr. Safire would prefer it. I really have to stop reading his column.
05 April 2004
VBC Nod
How nice. Raymond Tomlin, a journalist in Vancouver, British Columbia, started a weblog in February and I’m already on his list of fellow travellers. This is gratifying especially in that Raymond’s ‘blog is very nicely done. I aspire to such a professional look. Content’s better than most, too.
How nice. Raymond Tomlin, a journalist in Vancouver, British Columbia, started a weblog in February and I’m already on his list of fellow travellers. This is gratifying especially in that Raymond’s ‘blog is very nicely done. I aspire to such a professional look. Content’s better than most, too.
Sea Camp
We watched Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend, at the sufferance of M., who was too under the weather to form even the will to object to the selection. Keith Richards, I mean Johnny Depp, played all his scenes as if a lifetime of drinking had left him with alcohol instead of hemoglobin, nicely offsetting Orlando Bloom’s earnest sincerity. Geoffrey Rush, on the other hand, is the one I’d guess got the most personal and professional satisfaction in the flick, his character having a nice balance of comedy and existential angst – the monsters are always the most interesting, even when they’re supporting characters. Master and Commander may have had the better sea battles, but it didn’t have any zombies.
We watched Pirates of the Caribbean this weekend, at the sufferance of M., who was too under the weather to form even the will to object to the selection. Keith Richards, I mean Johnny Depp, played all his scenes as if a lifetime of drinking had left him with alcohol instead of hemoglobin, nicely offsetting Orlando Bloom’s earnest sincerity. Geoffrey Rush, on the other hand, is the one I’d guess got the most personal and professional satisfaction in the flick, his character having a nice balance of comedy and existential angst – the monsters are always the most interesting, even when they’re supporting characters. Master and Commander may have had the better sea battles, but it didn’t have any zombies.
02 April 2004
2 April
I know the URL for the SMH story about Learner’s plates for yum cha carts has 31 March in it, but the dateline of the article is actually 1st April; so why is everyone reporting this straight? Are the perpetuating the gag, or have enough of them been cut off on their way to the laksa they think it’s worthwhile?
I know the URL for the SMH story about Learner’s plates for yum cha carts has 31 March in it, but the dateline of the article is actually 1st April; so why is everyone reporting this straight? Are the perpetuating the gag, or have enough of them been cut off on their way to the laksa they think it’s worthwhile?
Sportin’ Life
What’s the difference between a bowl and a throw? It’s in the elbow, apparently.
What’s the difference between a bowl and a throw? It’s in the elbow, apparently.
Exile
One man, alone on an island, and virtually ignored by those who put him there. The refugee crisis in Australia continues to be a problem of embarrassing proportions.
One man, alone on an island, and virtually ignored by those who put him there. The refugee crisis in Australia continues to be a problem of embarrassing proportions.
Barbarism
I am deeply saddened by the events in Falluja. Beyond the horrific violence and medival behavior, beyond even my disgust and amazement that no one from the police or the armed services went in during or after the events there to address the immediate situation, what galls me is that we are in Iraq at all because Bush lied, Rumsfield lied, Rice lied, even Powell – who was supposed to be a balance to the rabidity of the Wolfowitzs et al. – lied. Kurt Brobeck, over at the Coffee Sutras, put it nicely: “Bush said he would not engage in nation building. So far he has kept that promise.” It can only get better, but I expect it will get worse first. 8 April, when Rice testifies, ought to be a storm.
I am deeply saddened by the events in Falluja. Beyond the horrific violence and medival behavior, beyond even my disgust and amazement that no one from the police or the armed services went in during or after the events there to address the immediate situation, what galls me is that we are in Iraq at all because Bush lied, Rumsfield lied, Rice lied, even Powell – who was supposed to be a balance to the rabidity of the Wolfowitzs et al. – lied. Kurt Brobeck, over at the Coffee Sutras, put it nicely: “Bush said he would not engage in nation building. So far he has kept that promise.” It can only get better, but I expect it will get worse first. 8 April, when Rice testifies, ought to be a storm.
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