Ex-Montreal
It would be hard to explain to non-Americans (of whom I may have one or two readers) just why the Expos’ relocation to Washington DC is a big deal. I’m not an Expos fan, neither am I particularly invested in having non-U.S. teams available for World Series play, a nomenclature frequently mocked by those from countries where sporting events include actual global participation at least on a four-year cycle. Nevertheless, I’m shocked, dismayed even. The NY Times article explains some of the historical aspects of the move: Senators become Twins; new Senators become Rangers. (Hmm, there’s an argument against renaming the team “Senators.”) I suppose that Montreal was just too far outside the megalopolis of the Northeastern U.S. corridor (the sprawl from Atlanta through Boston) to serve a substantial enough population, whereas Toronto, with its relative proximity to upstate NY population centers, still can. Dropping another team into the middle of the Atlantic states will probably afford a sufficient audience to sustain the team, but wasn’t that Baltimore’s job? Maybe if they’d field a team into the playoffs once in a while. No, I can’t explain why this is a big deal; I’m still stuck on what their name will be.
30 September 2004
Dirty Bombs and Dirty Tricks
Why does Dick Cheney think his George Bush sock puppet would be better at combating terrorism than John Kerry? Maybe because a re-elected Bush administration would be quicker at putting radioactive work sites back to work, while Kerry might focus more on an effective clean-up? The politics of fear play us into the hands of those operating according to the politics of greed.
Why does Dick Cheney think his George Bush sock puppet would be better at combating terrorism than John Kerry? Maybe because a re-elected Bush administration would be quicker at putting radioactive work sites back to work, while Kerry might focus more on an effective clean-up? The politics of fear play us into the hands of those operating according to the politics of greed.
Healing the Nation
I can’t figure out if this is a clever ploy or the nadir of American politics: Bush and Kerry are going on Dr. Phil. Well, you can’t expect them on Oprah anymore, because she doesn’t do that kind of show; too busy interviewing Gwyneth and handing out cars, I guess. Dr. Phil? If you’re Bush, you go on because you’re from Texas and have two children who are out of control. If you’re Kerry, you go on because Bush did, so you have to pander to the pseudo-intellectual Jerry Springer set or lose their votes to Bush. Look, Dr. Phil’s got his function on television, and I suppose he does it well enough and even, often enough, to good effect. But Presidential politics isn’t the same thing as touting your latest movie with Jennifer Lopez, so I’m not really amused by appearances on the late-night talk shows either, regardless of whether the candidate carries it off well or not. Gore smashing Pentagon ashtrays on Letterman is funny, but it isn’t going to educate anyone about policies, including policies to cut government spending. Nobody’s listening to the jabber on these shows or in the advertisements, except for what they already believe or expect, like those cartoons with the dog: “blah blah blah Ginger blah blah.”
I can’t figure out if this is a clever ploy or the nadir of American politics: Bush and Kerry are going on Dr. Phil. Well, you can’t expect them on Oprah anymore, because she doesn’t do that kind of show; too busy interviewing Gwyneth and handing out cars, I guess. Dr. Phil? If you’re Bush, you go on because you’re from Texas and have two children who are out of control. If you’re Kerry, you go on because Bush did, so you have to pander to the pseudo-intellectual Jerry Springer set or lose their votes to Bush. Look, Dr. Phil’s got his function on television, and I suppose he does it well enough and even, often enough, to good effect. But Presidential politics isn’t the same thing as touting your latest movie with Jennifer Lopez, so I’m not really amused by appearances on the late-night talk shows either, regardless of whether the candidate carries it off well or not. Gore smashing Pentagon ashtrays on Letterman is funny, but it isn’t going to educate anyone about policies, including policies to cut government spending. Nobody’s listening to the jabber on these shows or in the advertisements, except for what they already believe or expect, like those cartoons with the dog: “blah blah blah Ginger blah blah.”
Debate Activities
If you're watching the U.S. Presidential debates this year, you've probably already made up your mind whom to vote for, so to keep yourself occupied (not to mention to keep yourself from tearing out your hair), Scott's developed a bi-partisan drinking game. It helps, however, not to play this game with Republicans in the room so you can keep your wallet.
If you're watching the U.S. Presidential debates this year, you've probably already made up your mind whom to vote for, so to keep yourself occupied (not to mention to keep yourself from tearing out your hair), Scott's developed a bi-partisan drinking game. It helps, however, not to play this game with Republicans in the room so you can keep your wallet.
27 September 2004
Some Votes Are More Equal than Others
Overseas
I stole that headline from Rebecca’s Pocket, who got the line from Electoral-Vote.com, which reminds us that in some states, students can register where they’re studying, rather than going the absentee ballot route via their parents’ home state. This can help turn a swing state into a solid state for Kerry. Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, and Oregon are considered “marginally pro-Bush”; while Deleware, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington are “marginally Kerry,” or worse. Even California and Illinois are considered “weak Kerry” states. With a projection of Bush winning the White House with 307 electoral votes to 207 for Kerry, it’s vitally important for everyone who can to vote as strategically as possible.
Locally
It’s all very well for John Howard to play the politics of fear and personal interest over policy, but in the end it comes down to business as usual. To say his experience is what will keep Australia safe in the new age of terror appeals to the uncertainties we face (and the media plays up to it). To say that a Labor government will drive up interest rates is just a flat-out lie. In fact, the Reserve Bank has just said it’s entirely the opposite: the Coalition’s new spending programs are likely to drive interest rates up. Ask any Australian of voting age about Labor, and you’re likely to hear about interest rates of 17%, a situation that occurred the last time Labor was in power, during which period Australia was also suffering (as was most of the world) from an extended recession. Howard’s spending the present budget surplus as if it’s money in hand, rather than just an accounting trick, in one of the biggest pork-barrel sprees I’ve ever seen, and all of the targeted programs are hot-button items: child care tax credits for grandparents, for example. That’s a clever bit of tax relief, but not one that wouldn’t have come in eventually anyway under Latham, and not one that’s going to provide much real relief, so don’t be too easily fooled (again).
Overseas
I stole that headline from Rebecca’s Pocket, who got the line from Electoral-Vote.com, which reminds us that in some states, students can register where they’re studying, rather than going the absentee ballot route via their parents’ home state. This can help turn a swing state into a solid state for Kerry. Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, and Oregon are considered “marginally pro-Bush”; while Deleware, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington are “marginally Kerry,” or worse. Even California and Illinois are considered “weak Kerry” states. With a projection of Bush winning the White House with 307 electoral votes to 207 for Kerry, it’s vitally important for everyone who can to vote as strategically as possible.
Locally
It’s all very well for John Howard to play the politics of fear and personal interest over policy, but in the end it comes down to business as usual. To say his experience is what will keep Australia safe in the new age of terror appeals to the uncertainties we face (and the media plays up to it). To say that a Labor government will drive up interest rates is just a flat-out lie. In fact, the Reserve Bank has just said it’s entirely the opposite: the Coalition’s new spending programs are likely to drive interest rates up. Ask any Australian of voting age about Labor, and you’re likely to hear about interest rates of 17%, a situation that occurred the last time Labor was in power, during which period Australia was also suffering (as was most of the world) from an extended recession. Howard’s spending the present budget surplus as if it’s money in hand, rather than just an accounting trick, in one of the biggest pork-barrel sprees I’ve ever seen, and all of the targeted programs are hot-button items: child care tax credits for grandparents, for example. That’s a clever bit of tax relief, but not one that wouldn’t have come in eventually anyway under Latham, and not one that’s going to provide much real relief, so don’t be too easily fooled (again).
24 September 2004
Zen and the Art of Dogma Cinema
As M. was entertaining work colleagues last night, I took the opportunity to go to the movies for a film I’d wanted to see during the Sydney Film Festival: Zatoichi, the newest Takeshi Kitano offering. Takeshi is a bit of a renaissance man: acting & directing in films and television, painting, and writing. Unlike the last few of his films, this isn’t a gangster flick, but instead a samurai movie, and for the most part, much the same as other such movies, with the exceptions of its use of humor and of music: sort of Dancer in the Dark (hence the “dogma” reference) meets Kagemusha, with a bit of Rashomon thrown in. Beat Takeshi shuffles and mutters through the movie as a blind masseur (whose cane conceals a sword, with which he is adept), occasionally pausing to slice up half a dozen or more assailants. And when I say “pausing,” I mean it; he appears hardly to even move (yes, special effects) and the bad guys are thoroughly dispatched. The finale – a kind of Last Man Standing or Red Harvest scenario – is played out in alternating shots of the villagers performing an ensemble peasant Broadway tapdance and Takeshi’s cleaning up the gangsters, suggesting, I suppose, not only that life goes on, but that it does so regardless of how the struggle between good and evil plays out. The humor, all the way to the final shot of the movie, is slapstick (Takeshi worked as a comedian earlier in his career), but it all goes to proving the moral, including the last line: “Even with my eyes open, I can’t see a thing.” It’s an incredibly pretty movie, too; even the gouts of blood.
As M. was entertaining work colleagues last night, I took the opportunity to go to the movies for a film I’d wanted to see during the Sydney Film Festival: Zatoichi, the newest Takeshi Kitano offering. Takeshi is a bit of a renaissance man: acting & directing in films and television, painting, and writing. Unlike the last few of his films, this isn’t a gangster flick, but instead a samurai movie, and for the most part, much the same as other such movies, with the exceptions of its use of humor and of music: sort of Dancer in the Dark (hence the “dogma” reference) meets Kagemusha, with a bit of Rashomon thrown in. Beat Takeshi shuffles and mutters through the movie as a blind masseur (whose cane conceals a sword, with which he is adept), occasionally pausing to slice up half a dozen or more assailants. And when I say “pausing,” I mean it; he appears hardly to even move (yes, special effects) and the bad guys are thoroughly dispatched. The finale – a kind of Last Man Standing or Red Harvest scenario – is played out in alternating shots of the villagers performing an ensemble peasant Broadway tapdance and Takeshi’s cleaning up the gangsters, suggesting, I suppose, not only that life goes on, but that it does so regardless of how the struggle between good and evil plays out. The humor, all the way to the final shot of the movie, is slapstick (Takeshi worked as a comedian earlier in his career), but it all goes to proving the moral, including the last line: “Even with my eyes open, I can’t see a thing.” It’s an incredibly pretty movie, too; even the gouts of blood.
Sure, After I Buy Coastal Property in Australia
Antarctica is melting. O.k., my apartment has a fair bit of high ground between it and the harbour, let alone any open water, but what's Sydney going to be worth when the Opera House is under water and ships can't pass under the Harbour Bridge anymore? Probably I should have bought out in Strathfield, where it'll be beach-front property in a few years. This is the fault of all those bouffant hair-dos from the 60's, I'll bet.
Antarctica is melting. O.k., my apartment has a fair bit of high ground between it and the harbour, let alone any open water, but what's Sydney going to be worth when the Opera House is under water and ships can't pass under the Harbour Bridge anymore? Probably I should have bought out in Strathfield, where it'll be beach-front property in a few years. This is the fault of all those bouffant hair-dos from the 60's, I'll bet.
Out for a Duck
It’s just as well now that the season is largely underway that someone has provided an easy-to-follow guide to cricket (apparently from Purdue University, and via Kottke), but I may never get a full grip on the innings and outs of the game. No mention of “body line,” either, but that’s a discredited bowling style anyway.
It’s just as well now that the season is largely underway that someone has provided an easy-to-follow guide to cricket (apparently from Purdue University, and via Kottke), but I may never get a full grip on the innings and outs of the game. No mention of “body line,” either, but that’s a discredited bowling style anyway.
The Ancient Mariner
Water levels in the dams out west continue to fall, and rain does not come in sufficient quantities to keep us going. Everyone is conscious of water use, although there are those whose consciousness extends only so far as to water their gardens outside of the prescribed hours or to whether they will be able to rinse off the sand when their done surfing. Experts advise permanent restrictions and dispute Utilities Minister Frank Sartor’s contention that desalination is “inevitable.” Business uses 23% of Sydney’s water, and a fair bit of that would be related to the building trades, is my guess, despite the indications of a decline in industrial usage. Wednesday night on The New Inventors, a brick- and paver-cutting tool was exhibited that recycled its own waste water, eventually allowing the slurry to be mixed into the mortar. This is an example of the kind of the “new thinking” we need, but an even better example would be tradesmen taking up such an innovation despite the high initial outlay and long return on investment. Government could help the ROI by increasing the cost of non-household water use. Architects could probably help out, too, by developing designs to incorporate the use of rainwater storage and grey-water recycling, but the Federation style home might suffer. Anyway, as usual with humans and the environment, progress will be slow until the crunch well and truly arrives, and even then I’d expect Sartor’s desalination plants before more green-friendly developments.
Water levels in the dams out west continue to fall, and rain does not come in sufficient quantities to keep us going. Everyone is conscious of water use, although there are those whose consciousness extends only so far as to water their gardens outside of the prescribed hours or to whether they will be able to rinse off the sand when their done surfing. Experts advise permanent restrictions and dispute Utilities Minister Frank Sartor’s contention that desalination is “inevitable.” Business uses 23% of Sydney’s water, and a fair bit of that would be related to the building trades, is my guess, despite the indications of a decline in industrial usage. Wednesday night on The New Inventors, a brick- and paver-cutting tool was exhibited that recycled its own waste water, eventually allowing the slurry to be mixed into the mortar. This is an example of the kind of the “new thinking” we need, but an even better example would be tradesmen taking up such an innovation despite the high initial outlay and long return on investment. Government could help the ROI by increasing the cost of non-household water use. Architects could probably help out, too, by developing designs to incorporate the use of rainwater storage and grey-water recycling, but the Federation style home might suffer. Anyway, as usual with humans and the environment, progress will be slow until the crunch well and truly arrives, and even then I’d expect Sartor’s desalination plants before more green-friendly developments.
23 September 2004
They're Two for $5 at the Supermarket
O.k., it was a charity auction, but $20,000 for 12 mangoes, even the first mangoes of the season is still worth a bit of head-shaking. I wonder if they were Kensingtons?
O.k., it was a charity auction, but $20,000 for 12 mangoes, even the first mangoes of the season is still worth a bit of head-shaking. I wonder if they were Kensingtons?
Watching the Watchers
With all the fraud of the 2000 election and all the reports of continuing dirty tricks and smear campaigns, it’s nice to hear that A. will be heading to Florida to be a poll-watcher, but there appears to be a great deal of work needed well before November 2 to ensure that potential voters don’t stay home.
With all the fraud of the 2000 election and all the reports of continuing dirty tricks and smear campaigns, it’s nice to hear that A. will be heading to Florida to be a poll-watcher, but there appears to be a great deal of work needed well before November 2 to ensure that potential voters don’t stay home.
Fireproof
The asbestos story in the U.S. is one I’m passingly familiar with, and not one without contentiousness, although I had thought it largely resolved. If the various litigations haven’t been settled, at least the issue of clean-up seemed to be. In any event, the James Hardie affair here seems to bring the whole mess back into contention, and as usual it’s all about the money first. People’s homes, however, are extensively affected. “Fibro” structures are everywhere, and ugly, too, but I had no idea they were full of asbestos. Nasty stuff, and a disaster waiting to happen every day. The home renovation craze that has been at least partially responsible for keeping the housing economy booming for so long is extensively DIY, putting larger numbers at risk than just the tradesmen and homeowners. This is a major public health issue, and nobody’s got the money to pay for it. It’s no good James Hardie crying poor, and it’s no good putting paid to the company - not that that seems likely anyway. I’d be interested to hear what the party lines are, Liberal and Labor, on keeping the country’s lungs clear.
The asbestos story in the U.S. is one I’m passingly familiar with, and not one without contentiousness, although I had thought it largely resolved. If the various litigations haven’t been settled, at least the issue of clean-up seemed to be. In any event, the James Hardie affair here seems to bring the whole mess back into contention, and as usual it’s all about the money first. People’s homes, however, are extensively affected. “Fibro” structures are everywhere, and ugly, too, but I had no idea they were full of asbestos. Nasty stuff, and a disaster waiting to happen every day. The home renovation craze that has been at least partially responsible for keeping the housing economy booming for so long is extensively DIY, putting larger numbers at risk than just the tradesmen and homeowners. This is a major public health issue, and nobody’s got the money to pay for it. It’s no good James Hardie crying poor, and it’s no good putting paid to the company - not that that seems likely anyway. I’d be interested to hear what the party lines are, Liberal and Labor, on keeping the country’s lungs clear.
22 September 2004
Going Around the Pentagon
In case anyone’s trying to get in to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website and can’t, Verified Voting has setup a mirror site via a proxy server. That way, the military can’t tell you not to vote.
In case anyone’s trying to get in to the Federal Voting Assistance Program website and can’t, Verified Voting has setup a mirror site via a proxy server. That way, the military can’t tell you not to vote.
The Greenskeeping of America
It isn’t enough that we’ve done so much large-scale environmental damage that global warming is indisputable – at least in the Gulf of Mexico – Monsanto, inventor of corn not fit for human consumption that keeps turning up in tacos, has developed golf course grass resistant to their own weed-killers, and with pollen so light it spreads more than 13 times further than they’ve bothered to test for, raising the possibility of a new kudzu, but prettier and puttable. Golf is a big, rich industry – ask my M&P in North Carolina; or watch the “desert classic,” where golfers propel their little white, dimpled ball from green swath to green swath, surrounded by cactus and desert scrub – so it’s no surprise anyone would spend money to make it more possible to install more golf courses. And as more of my boomer siblings adopt golf as a social and business networking tool, more golf courses are more necessary. Unless we learn to share better or take up tennis. Still, always looking out for the “easy way” isn’t always going to be the best option. And when the Great Plains have been inundated with this stuff, we may yet regret our passion for just another sport.
It isn’t enough that we’ve done so much large-scale environmental damage that global warming is indisputable – at least in the Gulf of Mexico – Monsanto, inventor of corn not fit for human consumption that keeps turning up in tacos, has developed golf course grass resistant to their own weed-killers, and with pollen so light it spreads more than 13 times further than they’ve bothered to test for, raising the possibility of a new kudzu, but prettier and puttable. Golf is a big, rich industry – ask my M&P in North Carolina; or watch the “desert classic,” where golfers propel their little white, dimpled ball from green swath to green swath, surrounded by cactus and desert scrub – so it’s no surprise anyone would spend money to make it more possible to install more golf courses. And as more of my boomer siblings adopt golf as a social and business networking tool, more golf courses are more necessary. Unless we learn to share better or take up tennis. Still, always looking out for the “easy way” isn’t always going to be the best option. And when the Great Plains have been inundated with this stuff, we may yet regret our passion for just another sport.
Jumping at (Moon) Shadows
Cat Stevens gets on a plane from London to D.C. and Tom Ridge has the plane stopped in Maine so they can hustle the former pop star off for deportation. I’m no fan of Yusef Islam’s support for the Rushdie fatwah (subsequently recanted), and can’t respect giving money to Hamas, if that’s even true, but I think this is taking things a little further into the ludicrous. Oh, no! It’s a folk singer! Yikes. Anyway, there are now 249 people who’ll never buy a CD reissue of Teaser and the Firecat.
Cat Stevens gets on a plane from London to D.C. and Tom Ridge has the plane stopped in Maine so they can hustle the former pop star off for deportation. I’m no fan of Yusef Islam’s support for the Rushdie fatwah (subsequently recanted), and can’t respect giving money to Hamas, if that’s even true, but I think this is taking things a little further into the ludicrous. Oh, no! It’s a folk singer! Yikes. Anyway, there are now 249 people who’ll never buy a CD reissue of Teaser and the Firecat.
20 September 2004
Lies, Damned Lies, & Statistics
Via Metafilter, don't believe everything you read, at least when Gallup's skewing the numbers in favor of Bush.
Via Metafilter, don't believe everything you read, at least when Gallup's skewing the numbers in favor of Bush.
Supporting the Arts
M. & I did our bit for the Australian film industry yesterday, making our way into Newtown to see Somersault, among the best films to come out of this country. Beautifully shot, and deliberately kept away from the otherwise cinematically ubiquitous beaches (as was Lantana, another relatively recent top Australian movie), Somersault tells a small story and tells it well. The acting is terrific, and with the exception of a couple of small plot points I thought were either insufficiently illuminated or otherwise unnecessary, this is world-class filmmaking.
M. & I did our bit for the Australian film industry yesterday, making our way into Newtown to see Somersault, among the best films to come out of this country. Beautifully shot, and deliberately kept away from the otherwise cinematically ubiquitous beaches (as was Lantana, another relatively recent top Australian movie), Somersault tells a small story and tells it well. The acting is terrific, and with the exception of a couple of small plot points I thought were either insufficiently illuminated or otherwise unnecessary, this is world-class filmmaking.
21st Century Gum Tree
No gumdrops here, but Kookaburra sits, laughing at nothing I can tell, just the same.
No gumdrops here, but Kookaburra sits, laughing at nothing I can tell, just the same.
It’s Your Party; Cry if You Want to
When I see the latest poll results, I wonder: are there really so many people who believe George W. Bush is an effective President, or are the numbers reflective of people deluded by party loyalty? Can they, having been told by the GOP elite and their functionaries and flunkies that Bush is the nominee and the man to follow for the benefit of the country at large and the future of the free world (reminiscent of the traditional listing of royal functions in Britain isn’t it? “Protector of the faith . . .” blah blah blah), can these people be simply responding according to their identification of themselves as “Republicans”? Is this some kind of political autism?
Presented by an alternative after four years of disasterous policies, such people respond with echolalia: “Flip-flop,” they say, or “swift boat.” “Big-L liberal,” “tax-and-spend.” “Nationalized health care” (oh, God forbid). Such phrases trip from their tongues as if they have meaning outside the campaign. Political reality is so much more complex, and we have whole generations who refuse to look beyond chess-board metaphors and really try to understand the meaning of political actions, not to mention hosts of politicians who encourage such blindness or practice it themselves, their interests limited only to the next election.
Does anyone believe that if Gore had been in the White House in 2001 that we would not have pursued al Qaeda into Afghanistan? Does anyone believe that Iraq presented such an immediate threat that before our work in the one nation was complete we needed to depose another dictator? (Oh, yeah, the House of Representatives.) Oh, well, go ahead and vote for another four years of lies, then.
When I see the latest poll results, I wonder: are there really so many people who believe George W. Bush is an effective President, or are the numbers reflective of people deluded by party loyalty? Can they, having been told by the GOP elite and their functionaries and flunkies that Bush is the nominee and the man to follow for the benefit of the country at large and the future of the free world (reminiscent of the traditional listing of royal functions in Britain isn’t it? “Protector of the faith . . .” blah blah blah), can these people be simply responding according to their identification of themselves as “Republicans”? Is this some kind of political autism?
Presented by an alternative after four years of disasterous policies, such people respond with echolalia: “Flip-flop,” they say, or “swift boat.” “Big-L liberal,” “tax-and-spend.” “Nationalized health care” (oh, God forbid). Such phrases trip from their tongues as if they have meaning outside the campaign. Political reality is so much more complex, and we have whole generations who refuse to look beyond chess-board metaphors and really try to understand the meaning of political actions, not to mention hosts of politicians who encourage such blindness or practice it themselves, their interests limited only to the next election.
Does anyone believe that if Gore had been in the White House in 2001 that we would not have pursued al Qaeda into Afghanistan? Does anyone believe that Iraq presented such an immediate threat that before our work in the one nation was complete we needed to depose another dictator? (Oh, yeah, the House of Representatives.) Oh, well, go ahead and vote for another four years of lies, then.
17 September 2004
Ichthus vs.
I’ve seen the Christian fish symbol modified with feet to play with the distinction between creationism and evolution, but I have to admit to a sneaking admiration for the "evolushark.” It appears that the fundamentalist/secular divide is turning aggressive.
I’ve seen the Christian fish symbol modified with feet to play with the distinction between creationism and evolution, but I have to admit to a sneaking admiration for the "evolushark.” It appears that the fundamentalist/secular divide is turning aggressive.
16 September 2004
Absenteeism
Overseas Vote 2004 has had nearly 40,000 voters through their site so far to submit a Federal Postcard Application for their absentee ballot, over 1,500 from Australia alone, currently the 7th-ranked country, just after France, Japan, Germany, the U.S. itself, the U.K., and Canada, in ascending order. In the last week, it appears that every country has experienced a significant surge. In Australia, for example, an 58% increase, and in the U.S., an increase of over 100% - twice as many absentees getting their applications in than just one week ago. Now, since the Overseas Vote site is run by the DNC, it’s starting to look a lot like absentee ballots are going to be a crucial part of getting George II dethroned. Makes me proud to be an expat.
Overseas Vote 2004 has had nearly 40,000 voters through their site so far to submit a Federal Postcard Application for their absentee ballot, over 1,500 from Australia alone, currently the 7th-ranked country, just after France, Japan, Germany, the U.S. itself, the U.K., and Canada, in ascending order. In the last week, it appears that every country has experienced a significant surge. In Australia, for example, an 58% increase, and in the U.S., an increase of over 100% - twice as many absentees getting their applications in than just one week ago. Now, since the Overseas Vote site is run by the DNC, it’s starting to look a lot like absentee ballots are going to be a crucial part of getting George II dethroned. Makes me proud to be an expat.
The Limits of Mass Transit
CityRail suffers from mismanagement and chronically bad finances. It is heavily subsidized, and the picture above is an indicator of why that should be so. 5:30 p.m. trains into the city are going to be emptier than those coming from the CBD, because Sydney's sprawl over the years has emptied the city centre, a trend the City of Sydney Council has been trying to reverse since around the time M. & I relocated here. There is only so much a few warehouse conversions and modern multi-use towers can do, however, so while it's nice to see the rolling stock not completely empty heading into Central Station, a large proportion of these few riders is probably going to head over to Railway Square to pick up a bus, transfer to an Eastern Suburbs line, or keep on going over the Harbour Bridge to the North Sydney suburbs. Packs of school children in the morning don't do much for the system's numbers, so a system that worked once, and made the Australian free-standing home dream possible, has been pretty thoroughly brought to near ruin by the successor dream: a two-car garage. With the rise of Parramatta and Chatswood - and next up: Campbelltown - as alternative city centres, the trains become less important to Sydney and more of a luxury, not that you could tell from the condition of many of the carriages.
CityRail suffers from mismanagement and chronically bad finances. It is heavily subsidized, and the picture above is an indicator of why that should be so. 5:30 p.m. trains into the city are going to be emptier than those coming from the CBD, because Sydney's sprawl over the years has emptied the city centre, a trend the City of Sydney Council has been trying to reverse since around the time M. & I relocated here. There is only so much a few warehouse conversions and modern multi-use towers can do, however, so while it's nice to see the rolling stock not completely empty heading into Central Station, a large proportion of these few riders is probably going to head over to Railway Square to pick up a bus, transfer to an Eastern Suburbs line, or keep on going over the Harbour Bridge to the North Sydney suburbs. Packs of school children in the morning don't do much for the system's numbers, so a system that worked once, and made the Australian free-standing home dream possible, has been pretty thoroughly brought to near ruin by the successor dream: a two-car garage. With the rise of Parramatta and Chatswood - and next up: Campbelltown - as alternative city centres, the trains become less important to Sydney and more of a luxury, not that you could tell from the condition of many of the carriages.
Voter Registration Clarification
Democrats Abroad has gotten in touch with its membership by email to clarify some confusing points about applying for an absentee ballot. The deadline is not September 15; it's October 2. The September date was used to account for the vagaries of the postal system. (It can take no time at all for mail to reach Australia from the U.S., but try posting something the other way, and you may notice a difference.)
In fact, you can fax your Federal Postcard Application to your state via a central fax number: 703-693-5527. You can also get a toll-free fax number from FVAP.gov. Of course, to use this service, you can't have been previously voting from New York, Alabama, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota, Wyoming, or Guam. Other states impose other restrictions. More information is available from Democrats Abroad.
Democrats Abroad has gotten in touch with its membership by email to clarify some confusing points about applying for an absentee ballot. The deadline is not September 15; it's October 2. The September date was used to account for the vagaries of the postal system. (It can take no time at all for mail to reach Australia from the U.S., but try posting something the other way, and you may notice a difference.)
In fact, you can fax your Federal Postcard Application to your state via a central fax number: 703-693-5527. You can also get a toll-free fax number from FVAP.gov. Of course, to use this service, you can't have been previously voting from New York, Alabama, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Dakota, Wyoming, or Guam. Other states impose other restrictions. More information is available from Democrats Abroad.
15 September 2004
The Neon Lights Are Bright
It's just a golf shop; there are millions of them, all over greater Sydney. But this kind of advertising signage is not often used anymore, and it's fairly remarkable that Sharpie's golfer still chips his hole-in-one, time after time, night after night.
It's just a golf shop; there are millions of them, all over greater Sydney. But this kind of advertising signage is not often used anymore, and it's fairly remarkable that Sharpie's golfer still chips his hole-in-one, time after time, night after night.
Get Out the Vote
Today it’s too late. Although your State may vary, for the most part, if you haven’t submitted your Federal Postcard Application for an Absentee Ballot, you’re not going to get one. Of course, if you’re living back in the U.S., you can still register, and in many instances you can even register where you are rather than where you live, so long as you’ve been there long enough to meet the local requirements. If, however, you’ve got your application in or you’ve already registered, don’t just sit there. There are still plenty of things you can do, even if it’s no more than sending Kerry-Edwards $20. According to a fund-raiser I met at last night’s meet-up, the Kerry-Edwards campaign is raising $1 million daily just from small donations. The Counsellor points to a Voice piece of activist ideas for you locals.
Today it’s too late. Although your State may vary, for the most part, if you haven’t submitted your Federal Postcard Application for an Absentee Ballot, you’re not going to get one. Of course, if you’re living back in the U.S., you can still register, and in many instances you can even register where you are rather than where you live, so long as you’ve been there long enough to meet the local requirements. If, however, you’ve got your application in or you’ve already registered, don’t just sit there. There are still plenty of things you can do, even if it’s no more than sending Kerry-Edwards $20. According to a fund-raiser I met at last night’s meet-up, the Kerry-Edwards campaign is raising $1 million daily just from small donations. The Counsellor points to a Voice piece of activist ideas for you locals.
14 September 2004
Silicon Chips Falling Where They May
Things move quickly in the software business; well, sometimes they do. And sometimes, howsoever fast or slow, there are surprises. The outcome in the antitrust suit over Oracle vs. PeopleSoft is one. Mostly, when one software company swallows up another, the biggest effect is on the employees, rather than the customers, but if Oracle is successful, existing PeopleSoft customers are going to see some changes sooner rather than later, and they’re going to be big ones. Even more significant is the message the judge’s decision sends to other large software companies, including Microsoft. It may seem at first like niche applications, but Oracle and PeopleSoft and SAP are the big players (at the moment) in payroll and human resources ERP. Everybody else is serving a much different market. Microsoft’s been looking for a way into this market, and while I don’t see them buying up SAP anytime soon, the way has been cleared somewhat for them to improve their position through takeovers, despite prior decisions regarding their status as a monopoly. Sure, that’s in operating systems, but their argument has often relied upon application bundling, so if they could integrate a large-scale payroll database into Windows, well, that would change everything. Windows got where it is via DOS and an early IBM relationship, which translated into market dominance for Word and Excel. Explorer rode along, and that’s worked out well for Bill Gates, too. If some high-end business software could be effectively bundled in, there would be little room for anyone else. Maybe that’s why PeopleSoft has fought so hard against the takeover. Their more recent releases have made extensive use of IE compatibility, so maybe they’d have preferred getting in bed with the 600-pound gorilla. No matter; as an friend of mine used to say, it’s all going to end up one big company anyway, and it’ll be Time Warner. Well, maybe Sony-Time Warner.
Things move quickly in the software business; well, sometimes they do. And sometimes, howsoever fast or slow, there are surprises. The outcome in the antitrust suit over Oracle vs. PeopleSoft is one. Mostly, when one software company swallows up another, the biggest effect is on the employees, rather than the customers, but if Oracle is successful, existing PeopleSoft customers are going to see some changes sooner rather than later, and they’re going to be big ones. Even more significant is the message the judge’s decision sends to other large software companies, including Microsoft. It may seem at first like niche applications, but Oracle and PeopleSoft and SAP are the big players (at the moment) in payroll and human resources ERP. Everybody else is serving a much different market. Microsoft’s been looking for a way into this market, and while I don’t see them buying up SAP anytime soon, the way has been cleared somewhat for them to improve their position through takeovers, despite prior decisions regarding their status as a monopoly. Sure, that’s in operating systems, but their argument has often relied upon application bundling, so if they could integrate a large-scale payroll database into Windows, well, that would change everything. Windows got where it is via DOS and an early IBM relationship, which translated into market dominance for Word and Excel. Explorer rode along, and that’s worked out well for Bill Gates, too. If some high-end business software could be effectively bundled in, there would be little room for anyone else. Maybe that’s why PeopleSoft has fought so hard against the takeover. Their more recent releases have made extensive use of IE compatibility, so maybe they’d have preferred getting in bed with the 600-pound gorilla. No matter; as an friend of mine used to say, it’s all going to end up one big company anyway, and it’ll be Time Warner. Well, maybe Sony-Time Warner.
13 September 2004
In the Event of an Emergency, You Will Be Told Where to Go
For the 3rd anniversary of the September 11 murders, NYC is advising residents to prepare and maintain a “go bag,” a ready-to-hand satchel containing a few necessities for going on the lam from some calamity other than the subways getting flooded. I’ve annotated the list.
• Copies of your important documents. Does Immigration issue duplicate passports, or should I forge my own?
• Extra set of car and house keys.
• Credit and ATM cards and small, unmarked bills. Personally, I think gold and precious stones would be more useful.
• Bottled water and granola bars. You will get hungry on the long march.
• Flashlight, portable radio, and batteries. It will be dark in the tunnels, but you can have a rave on the way if your radio gets FM. Otherwise, the flashlight will mostly be useful to any snipers wishing to pick you off in the dark.
• Medication (n.b., unexpired medication). ‘Ludes would be good.
• First aid kit. Or bandaids, anyway.
• Shoes, rain gear, and a mylar blanket. (That’s a space blanket to anyone born before 1979.)
• A regional map, presumably marked with the preselected meeting place you’re advised to pack.
• Child care or other special care items. These may or may not include your teddy. If you’re packing diapers, keep in mind that cloth is going to work better than the disposable kind during the period you’re a refugee, or else you’ll run out.
Looking at the list, I’m thinking your go bag better be a backpack, because it’s going to be heavy, especially with all the shoes, water, and gold. I shouldn’t joke too much, though, because it’s not a bad idea. When brother T. lived in SF, he kept a supply of canned goods and filled the bathtub at night in case of earthquake, which made a lot more sense than you might initially think. A refugee backpack, however, isn’t necessarily going to provide much more than comfort should anyone need to march over to Jersey.
For the 3rd anniversary of the September 11 murders, NYC is advising residents to prepare and maintain a “go bag,” a ready-to-hand satchel containing a few necessities for going on the lam from some calamity other than the subways getting flooded. I’ve annotated the list.
• Copies of your important documents. Does Immigration issue duplicate passports, or should I forge my own?
• Extra set of car and house keys.
• Credit and ATM cards and small, unmarked bills. Personally, I think gold and precious stones would be more useful.
• Bottled water and granola bars. You will get hungry on the long march.
• Flashlight, portable radio, and batteries. It will be dark in the tunnels, but you can have a rave on the way if your radio gets FM. Otherwise, the flashlight will mostly be useful to any snipers wishing to pick you off in the dark.
• Medication (n.b., unexpired medication). ‘Ludes would be good.
• First aid kit. Or bandaids, anyway.
• Shoes, rain gear, and a mylar blanket. (That’s a space blanket to anyone born before 1979.)
• A regional map, presumably marked with the preselected meeting place you’re advised to pack.
• Child care or other special care items. These may or may not include your teddy. If you’re packing diapers, keep in mind that cloth is going to work better than the disposable kind during the period you’re a refugee, or else you’ll run out.
Looking at the list, I’m thinking your go bag better be a backpack, because it’s going to be heavy, especially with all the shoes, water, and gold. I shouldn’t joke too much, though, because it’s not a bad idea. When brother T. lived in SF, he kept a supply of canned goods and filled the bathtub at night in case of earthquake, which made a lot more sense than you might initially think. A refugee backpack, however, isn’t necessarily going to provide much more than comfort should anyone need to march over to Jersey.
This Is What VCR's Are for
That Australian Idol beat the first PM debate in the television ratings (but why are they "rating" the debates anyway?) probably isn't much of a surprise, but it is disappointing in that a conversation I was part of over the weekend included the expressed thought that the present span of voting-age generations is more actively engaged in politics than they have been in recent memory. This is evidently an over-estimation, especially when a colleague here at the office tells me he only saw 5 minutes of the debate because his daughter wanted to watch the nascent pop stars. Our household managed to watch both, technologically adept as we are, but I have to admit that Mark and John weren't nearly as entertaining as they might have been. Hardly Celebrity Death Match, the two sparred like kittens; neither inclined or able to land a telling blow against the other. Somehow Latham came out in the polls with a significant margin of "victory," but I didn't really see it that way myself.
That Australian Idol beat the first PM debate in the television ratings (but why are they "rating" the debates anyway?) probably isn't much of a surprise, but it is disappointing in that a conversation I was part of over the weekend included the expressed thought that the present span of voting-age generations is more actively engaged in politics than they have been in recent memory. This is evidently an over-estimation, especially when a colleague here at the office tells me he only saw 5 minutes of the debate because his daughter wanted to watch the nascent pop stars. Our household managed to watch both, technologically adept as we are, but I have to admit that Mark and John weren't nearly as entertaining as they might have been. Hardly Celebrity Death Match, the two sparred like kittens; neither inclined or able to land a telling blow against the other. Somehow Latham came out in the polls with a significant margin of "victory," but I didn't really see it that way myself.
10 September 2004
Back to Bali
Jemaah Islamiyah is not done with Australia, and have attempted an attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta. While I remain steadfast in my expectation that a terrorist attack on Australian soil remains only a possibility, rather than a probability, as some politicians would have us believe, the attack points up to me the dangers of the region and the dangers in Australia's relationships with southeast Asia. I cannot understand, however, the nature of these criminals, that they would callously harm innocent civilians. I can only hope that those responsible are caught and put away where they can do no further harm. And this time, perhaps the retrospective errors of the Bali court can be avoided.
Jemaah Islamiyah is not done with Australia, and have attempted an attack on the Australian embassy in Jakarta. While I remain steadfast in my expectation that a terrorist attack on Australian soil remains only a possibility, rather than a probability, as some politicians would have us believe, the attack points up to me the dangers of the region and the dangers in Australia's relationships with southeast Asia. I cannot understand, however, the nature of these criminals, that they would callously harm innocent civilians. I can only hope that those responsible are caught and put away where they can do no further harm. And this time, perhaps the retrospective errors of the Bali court can be avoided.
09 September 2004
Keeping Tabs
A map of Australia showing the Federal Election Districts is going to be very useful for our election party next month. (Via Southerly Buster, who also helpfully provides other election-related links.)
A map of Australia showing the Federal Election Districts is going to be very useful for our election party next month. (Via Southerly Buster, who also helpfully provides other election-related links.)
08 September 2004
Taxes and the Tides of Election Season
Political promises about taxes are never to be counted upon. Looking at Mark Latham’s proposal for low income earners, I’m a bit dismayed. Labor (and I’ve been spelling it wrong up to now, trying to spell it correctly) is proposing $8 per week in tax relief for taxpayers on $52,000 annually, but taking away the government matching funds on voluntary superannuation contributions for those same earners. He says most of the affected population don’t have $1,000 to put into their super, but that’s disingenuous. In fact, although I wouldn’t be eligible for the matching funds, M. would be, and I’d hoped to put us into a position to begin taking advantage of this scheme before long. If Labor gets in, that won’t happen, and our potential old age funds reduced. Not very Laborish, is it? On the other hand, I do agree that a $600 annual payment is not as effective as $130 weekly, so that part of the scheme is not only generous, but truly beneficial. Mark doesn’t get full marks for this: B.
Political promises about taxes are never to be counted upon. Looking at Mark Latham’s proposal for low income earners, I’m a bit dismayed. Labor (and I’ve been spelling it wrong up to now, trying to spell it correctly) is proposing $8 per week in tax relief for taxpayers on $52,000 annually, but taking away the government matching funds on voluntary superannuation contributions for those same earners. He says most of the affected population don’t have $1,000 to put into their super, but that’s disingenuous. In fact, although I wouldn’t be eligible for the matching funds, M. would be, and I’d hoped to put us into a position to begin taking advantage of this scheme before long. If Labor gets in, that won’t happen, and our potential old age funds reduced. Not very Laborish, is it? On the other hand, I do agree that a $600 annual payment is not as effective as $130 weekly, so that part of the scheme is not only generous, but truly beneficial. Mark doesn’t get full marks for this: B.
Professional Expatriatism
I’ve sometimes thought to myself: I’m an expat now, why not spread it around? I think travel; I think relocation. Why not move to England, I think sometimes. Why not, indeed? S. never told me about this development in British society, this devolution into binge-drinking hell. But I don’t speak French, Spanish, Italian, or any other language than English - a sad commentary on my education or my lack of foresight and ambition therein - so now I’m pretty much stuck with Canada, Ireland, the U.S., and here. Given the weather alone, I’ve made the right choice in my expat career (so long as they don’t bring back the six-o’clock swill).
I’ve sometimes thought to myself: I’m an expat now, why not spread it around? I think travel; I think relocation. Why not move to England, I think sometimes. Why not, indeed? S. never told me about this development in British society, this devolution into binge-drinking hell. But I don’t speak French, Spanish, Italian, or any other language than English - a sad commentary on my education or my lack of foresight and ambition therein - so now I’m pretty much stuck with Canada, Ireland, the U.S., and here. Given the weather alone, I’ve made the right choice in my expat career (so long as they don’t bring back the six-o’clock swill).
Meow
Don’t you just love Kitty Kelly? She dishes more and better dirt than anybody She did the royals; she did Sinatra. And now that she’s putting out a book on the Bush Dynasty, she’s even turning up timely dish, including the revelation that W.’s reformation has had its ups and downs over the years, more recently than he’d have had us believe, if any of us ever did. Or highs and lows, I guess that would be.
Look, I know it’s dirty pool to gossip or make unsubstantiated allegations; it’s sinking to their level. What’s that quote: If they stop telling lies about us, we’ll stop telling the truth about them? But I’m angry, and I think more of us should be angry. Remember Dean? Remember how angry he was? Not irrational, you know, just really mad at what Bush has done to this country and what the Democratic Party has failed to do to counter the damage. Last night on SBS I caught a bit of Insight, and part of the discussion was the tactic of getting a subject into the public discourse, regardless of its veracity or meaningfulness in the overall debate. This is something the Bush team does frequently, blatantly, and nobody in the mainstream bothers to call them on it. Yesterday, Cheney claimed that a vote for Kerry is a vote for the terrorists to bomb America. Before that, there were claims that Kerry’s service in Vietnam was a tissue of lies.
Don’t let them get away with it. It isn’t enough to vote in November, you need to talk to your friends, write to your newspapers, call in to talk radio, and spew. Let it out. Let’s hear about it: Bush’s substance abuse problem is a problem for America. Bush’s cowardice in the 70’s is a problem for America. Bush’s conduct in the “war on terror” is a problem for America. It’s a problem for the world.
Don’t you just love Kitty Kelly? She dishes more and better dirt than anybody She did the royals; she did Sinatra. And now that she’s putting out a book on the Bush Dynasty, she’s even turning up timely dish, including the revelation that W.’s reformation has had its ups and downs over the years, more recently than he’d have had us believe, if any of us ever did. Or highs and lows, I guess that would be.
Look, I know it’s dirty pool to gossip or make unsubstantiated allegations; it’s sinking to their level. What’s that quote: If they stop telling lies about us, we’ll stop telling the truth about them? But I’m angry, and I think more of us should be angry. Remember Dean? Remember how angry he was? Not irrational, you know, just really mad at what Bush has done to this country and what the Democratic Party has failed to do to counter the damage. Last night on SBS I caught a bit of Insight, and part of the discussion was the tactic of getting a subject into the public discourse, regardless of its veracity or meaningfulness in the overall debate. This is something the Bush team does frequently, blatantly, and nobody in the mainstream bothers to call them on it. Yesterday, Cheney claimed that a vote for Kerry is a vote for the terrorists to bomb America. Before that, there were claims that Kerry’s service in Vietnam was a tissue of lies.
Don’t let them get away with it. It isn’t enough to vote in November, you need to talk to your friends, write to your newspapers, call in to talk radio, and spew. Let it out. Let’s hear about it: Bush’s substance abuse problem is a problem for America. Bush’s cowardice in the 70’s is a problem for America. Bush’s conduct in the “war on terror” is a problem for America. It’s a problem for the world.
07 September 2004
Dreamtime, USA
Not a political post, well, not exactly, but there’s now evidence that the North American continent was first populated from Australia. However, not finding any worthwhile marsupials, they didn’t stay.
Not a political post, well, not exactly, but there’s now evidence that the North American continent was first populated from Australia. However, not finding any worthwhile marsupials, they didn’t stay.
Kyoto & Bob Carr
Bob Carr’s statistical speech on the environment is very nice, but it’s coming from a man who campaigned on an end to logging in old-growth forests, but continues to ship timber to the wood-chippers in Japan. Are there any politicians who practice what they preach?
Bob Carr’s statistical speech on the environment is very nice, but it’s coming from a man who campaigned on an end to logging in old-growth forests, but continues to ship timber to the wood-chippers in Japan. Are there any politicians who practice what they preach?
Grey
One of the big concerns moving to Australia was employment, not just because it was a new market with new business practices (business is business, after all), but also because I’m getting into age-discrimination range [thanks, Kate]. Working on the margins of IT, I get the searching questions, the off-hand remarks – sometimes – but because I also work in HR, for the most part it seems that my interviewers know better than to make a serious and overt effort to exclude me based on age. But it is a significant problem for many people here, and recent examples of the trend in Australia have appeared in the daily newspapers; articles on older-age apprenticeships, for example, or TAFE course work in hospitality and similar industries. For a country that has prided itself on the strength of its labor movement, it’s almost surprising to encounter these ideas. It’s also disheartening sometimes. Back in the States, I knew that it was going to be increasingly a problem for me. My bosses would get younger, and they’d want to bring their friends in. The technology has continued to outpace me, as has the jargon. But no matter what you call it or how you code it, I know what I’m talking about and I can make you understand it, too, so don’t let the grey hairs fool you.
One of the big concerns moving to Australia was employment, not just because it was a new market with new business practices (business is business, after all), but also because I’m getting into age-discrimination range [thanks, Kate]. Working on the margins of IT, I get the searching questions, the off-hand remarks – sometimes – but because I also work in HR, for the most part it seems that my interviewers know better than to make a serious and overt effort to exclude me based on age. But it is a significant problem for many people here, and recent examples of the trend in Australia have appeared in the daily newspapers; articles on older-age apprenticeships, for example, or TAFE course work in hospitality and similar industries. For a country that has prided itself on the strength of its labor movement, it’s almost surprising to encounter these ideas. It’s also disheartening sometimes. Back in the States, I knew that it was going to be increasingly a problem for me. My bosses would get younger, and they’d want to bring their friends in. The technology has continued to outpace me, as has the jargon. But no matter what you call it or how you code it, I know what I’m talking about and I can make you understand it, too, so don’t let the grey hairs fool you.
06 September 2004
Conventioneering
You know that claim by George II that because of his administration, senior citizens now have better pharmaceutical benefits? It's a lie. Medicare costs to seniors will rise 17.5% next year. Gotta pay for them drugs somehow, huh? He's not going to pay for them.
You know that claim by George II that because of his administration, senior citizens now have better pharmaceutical benefits? It's a lie. Medicare costs to seniors will rise 17.5% next year. Gotta pay for them drugs somehow, huh? He's not going to pay for them.
Draft-Dogding Cowards
The Navy has initiated a review of Kerry's service awards. What is Judicial Watch? Are they really bi-partisan? Tell me the Commander-in-Chief has nothing to do with this.
The Navy has initiated a review of Kerry's service awards. What is Judicial Watch? Are they really bi-partisan? Tell me the Commander-in-Chief has nothing to do with this.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Love Peter Sellers
Out and about this weekend, to see The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, with Geoffrey Rush, followed by dinner at the Green Gourmet, a vegan restaurant, serving both a la carte and buffet, where we had a very nice meal and got home in time to watch, God help us, Australian Idol, which was terrible (they’re all pretty much good singers, but what execrable taste), and Regency House Party’s conclusion, which was enjoyable, if especially for how surprisingly seriously everyone was taking his or her role. Poor Mr. Fox-Smith. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Rush continues to impress me as a harbringer of worthwhile cinematic experiences, because he’s always good, and the movies he’s in are either equally good or at least entertaining (if it’s Pirates of the Caribbean, anyway, or Intolerable Cruelty). He is a terrific character actor who could easily carry the lead role, but seems much more interested in doing the work, rather than where his name appears in the titles. In Peter Sellers he not only does the work and carry the lead, he also plays a number of the other characters in nice bits of cinematic business that add to the film’s exposition of a very troubled man’s life. I think he even does Kubrick better than the actor hired for the role.
Out and about this weekend, to see The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, with Geoffrey Rush, followed by dinner at the Green Gourmet, a vegan restaurant, serving both a la carte and buffet, where we had a very nice meal and got home in time to watch, God help us, Australian Idol, which was terrible (they’re all pretty much good singers, but what execrable taste), and Regency House Party’s conclusion, which was enjoyable, if especially for how surprisingly seriously everyone was taking his or her role. Poor Mr. Fox-Smith. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Rush continues to impress me as a harbringer of worthwhile cinematic experiences, because he’s always good, and the movies he’s in are either equally good or at least entertaining (if it’s Pirates of the Caribbean, anyway, or Intolerable Cruelty). He is a terrific character actor who could easily carry the lead role, but seems much more interested in doing the work, rather than where his name appears in the titles. In Peter Sellers he not only does the work and carry the lead, he also plays a number of the other characters in nice bits of cinematic business that add to the film’s exposition of a very troubled man’s life. I think he even does Kubrick better than the actor hired for the role.
03 September 2004
Sportin' Life
I signed up with the Parramatta Park Runners (scroll down) today. It's a pretty informal outfit, only pursuing one team race entry (City-to-Surf, naturally, as it's the biggest event of the year), meeting every Friday at 1 p.m. for an as-much-as-you-can workout around the park. I only managed to complete a 5K circuit (1 1/2 times around), and I swear the kookaburras were laughing at me as I came down the home stretch, but maybe it was for the guy behind me. It's going to be a long month.
I signed up with the Parramatta Park Runners (scroll down) today. It's a pretty informal outfit, only pursuing one team race entry (City-to-Surf, naturally, as it's the biggest event of the year), meeting every Friday at 1 p.m. for an as-much-as-you-can workout around the park. I only managed to complete a 5K circuit (1 1/2 times around), and I swear the kookaburras were laughing at me as I came down the home stretch, but maybe it was for the guy behind me. It's going to be a long month.
Even his speechwriters don’t know for sure
“This changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to earn a better living, support your [sic] family . . .” (does he mean “your” as in the delegates at the convention?)
“We will transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to make your [sic] own choices and pursue your [truly sic] own dreams.” (Look, he’s doing it consistently! He must mean the delegates.)
Maybe he really does need Arnold to correct his English. Then again, he can forge a pretty cagey sentence when he needs to:
“. . . women in Afghanistan are no longer shot in a sports stadium.” (They’re shot someplace else, maybe?) “. . . the people of Iraq no longer fear being executed and left in mass graves.” (They’re still getting killed, of course, just not executed, and often they even get to be buried in a grave of their own.)
George lies; people die.
“This changed world can be a time of great opportunity for all Americans to earn a better living, support your [sic] family . . .” (does he mean “your” as in the delegates at the convention?)
“We will transform these systems so that all citizens are equipped, prepared, and thus truly free to make your [sic] own choices and pursue your [truly sic] own dreams.” (Look, he’s doing it consistently! He must mean the delegates.)
Maybe he really does need Arnold to correct his English. Then again, he can forge a pretty cagey sentence when he needs to:
“. . . women in Afghanistan are no longer shot in a sports stadium.” (They’re shot someplace else, maybe?) “. . . the people of Iraq no longer fear being executed and left in mass graves.” (They’re still getting killed, of course, just not executed, and often they even get to be buried in a grave of their own.)
George lies; people die.
Bounce
It remains to be seen if George II can achieve the kind of positive numbers increase in the polls that could translate the Presidential campaign into a tight race now that the convention is over, the balloons have tumbled prettily from the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and the hundreds upon hundreds of political protestors bounced illegally into jail by Bush's toadying mayor, Bloomberg the Beholden, are being summarily bounced right back to the street. I sincerely hope every effort is being made to capitalize on the police-state mentality exhibited in NYC during the convention, as these arrests, among so many other examples too numerous to mention in the days since September 11, 2001, are typical of the kind of fear-mongering oppression Bush has imposed on the nation. Don't forget: they want you to be afraid; they want you to be divided. Bush and Cheney and Ashcroft and Rumsfield and Rice and all their cronies and lackeys want to divide the nation into those who stand with them and those they can rob. Yes, it's all about the money, the power and privilege money conveys. If you have it, they don't; so they'll take it from you. They do this best when you're too afraid to stop them. But they can be stopped, on November 2, so if you're an American, register to vote and then get out there and do it. If your an expatriate American, or just away from home, register to vote by September 15 and then do it when the ballot arrives. If you know an American, tell him or her to vote, a lot. We only get one shot at this for the next four years, and the next four years will shape the next decade.
It remains to be seen if George II can achieve the kind of positive numbers increase in the polls that could translate the Presidential campaign into a tight race now that the convention is over, the balloons have tumbled prettily from the rafters of Madison Square Garden, and the hundreds upon hundreds of political protestors bounced illegally into jail by Bush's toadying mayor, Bloomberg the Beholden, are being summarily bounced right back to the street. I sincerely hope every effort is being made to capitalize on the police-state mentality exhibited in NYC during the convention, as these arrests, among so many other examples too numerous to mention in the days since September 11, 2001, are typical of the kind of fear-mongering oppression Bush has imposed on the nation. Don't forget: they want you to be afraid; they want you to be divided. Bush and Cheney and Ashcroft and Rumsfield and Rice and all their cronies and lackeys want to divide the nation into those who stand with them and those they can rob. Yes, it's all about the money, the power and privilege money conveys. If you have it, they don't; so they'll take it from you. They do this best when you're too afraid to stop them. But they can be stopped, on November 2, so if you're an American, register to vote and then get out there and do it. If your an expatriate American, or just away from home, register to vote by September 15 and then do it when the ballot arrives. If you know an American, tell him or her to vote, a lot. We only get one shot at this for the next four years, and the next four years will shape the next decade.
02 September 2004
27 Lies
Actually, I don't think the ALP's compendium of outright lies and broken promises make 27 distinct points, but it does document at least one good reason for just about anyone to vote against Howard. A similar summary might be useful in locating one good reason to vote for Labour, but if you read their platform, I'm pretty sure you'll find something.
Actually, I don't think the ALP's compendium of outright lies and broken promises make 27 distinct points, but it does document at least one good reason for just about anyone to vote against Howard. A similar summary might be useful in locating one good reason to vote for Labour, but if you read their platform, I'm pretty sure you'll find something.
1000 Points of Hope
I don’t normally go in for hokey, but I’ll be at the American Can Do Better rally tonight in Martin Place. Around the world, timed to coincide with Bush’s appearance at the GOP Convention in NYC, protestors will gather with flashlights, candles, and so forth, to declare their preference for an end to the Bush Presidency this November. Democrats Abroad – Australia will be registering voters for absentee ballot. (Don’t forget: the deadline is 15 September.) Americans and Australians are welcome at the rally; in fact, the more the merrier, especially if the media turn up.
I don’t normally go in for hokey, but I’ll be at the American Can Do Better rally tonight in Martin Place. Around the world, timed to coincide with Bush’s appearance at the GOP Convention in NYC, protestors will gather with flashlights, candles, and so forth, to declare their preference for an end to the Bush Presidency this November. Democrats Abroad – Australia will be registering voters for absentee ballot. (Don’t forget: the deadline is 15 September.) Americans and Australians are welcome at the rally; in fact, the more the merrier, especially if the media turn up.
I Cannot Tell a Lie
I suppose there’s more than just the slanderous aspect of Dennis Hastert’s slimy accusations against George Soros on national television, there’s also the fact that he did this because Soros backs the Democrats, so that by slandering someone other than the candidate, he still manages to smear Kerry. This is worse than Bush and the Swifties (only just). (It doesn’t look like an apology’s going to be issued, not that I’d expect one without a very big, public fight, and even then it won’t be on Fox News Sunday.) Anyway, beside the fact that I don’t know where Hastert gets his money either, I only have one question: Dennis, have you stopped beating your wife?
I suppose there’s more than just the slanderous aspect of Dennis Hastert’s slimy accusations against George Soros on national television, there’s also the fact that he did this because Soros backs the Democrats, so that by slandering someone other than the candidate, he still manages to smear Kerry. This is worse than Bush and the Swifties (only just). (It doesn’t look like an apology’s going to be issued, not that I’d expect one without a very big, public fight, and even then it won’t be on Fox News Sunday.) Anyway, beside the fact that I don’t know where Hastert gets his money either, I only have one question: Dennis, have you stopped beating your wife?
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