Bang
So now it’s shoot-to-kill in Florida. Not a state I’d ever spent much time in, certainly not anywhere I ever felt unsafe, either, but now it’s not a place I think I’d be very happy about visiting again. I’m sure that when, after a few weeks or months, there haven’t been any street-to-street gun battles, there will be those who say “See, we should all have guns; they’re perfectly safe,” but there are some interesting legal tests bound to come up before long. There’s enough crime in some parts of Florida that already involve firearms, but when the perps start taking caps back (if that’s the right way to say that), I expect some lawsuits and prosecutions.
27 April 2005
U.S. Cities
I promised I'd stop doing these internet quizzes, but I thought it would be interesting to see how it came out, even though the selection of cities to live in is limited to the States.
So it was a little surprising that the top Northeast city for me came out as Philly, where I've never been, and which has never been particularly attractive to me. I wouldn't have expected Miami, either, but that the top choice is Honolulu is interesting, as it's the one putting me closest to where I live now. Sort of. A Pacific island, I mean.
I promised I'd stop doing these internet quizzes, but I thought it would be interesting to see how it came out, even though the selection of cities to live in is limited to the States.
American Cities That Best Fit You: |
60% Honolulu |
55% Miami |
55% Philadelphia | >
55% San Diego |
50% Chicago |
So it was a little surprising that the top Northeast city for me came out as Philly, where I've never been, and which has never been particularly attractive to me. I wouldn't have expected Miami, either, but that the top choice is Honolulu is interesting, as it's the one putting me closest to where I live now. Sort of. A Pacific island, I mean.
26 April 2005
Courage
Last night on Enough Rope Andrew Denton interviewed a Turkish filmmaker, Tolga Ornek, who has recently completed a documentary on Galliopoli. It would be a fascinating movie to see, having seen the Peter Weir movie more than once and having been inculcated with the story for many years, but more than that, I was impressed by some of the things Mr. Ornek said, notably that his relationship with Australians has always been profoundly positive (well, mostly), and that he has looked at himself in relation to the courage the soldiers, on either side, exhibited during World War I, admitting his doubt that he could do as they did. As frank as that admission is, it better reflects his character in light of the nature of war as it has come to be more so perhaps than any actual lack of commitment and bravery inherent to him.
World War I was the last "non-political" war, and maybe the first "ideological" war, at the same time. Unlike the Second World War, and unlike any war I can think of in the Cold War era (and certainly unlike any being conducted today, at least those involving non-Third World nations), World War I was about territory as much as it was about the shape of global power. Germany sought to reshape its destiny in Europe, Turkey sought to position itself regionally as a force with which to be reckoned by any others wanting a part of commerce there, and the others lined up accordingly. There were atrocities, perhaps none more so than the use of poison gas, and trench warfare, aerial bombardment, long-range cannon bombardment all contributed in creating modern war, but ideology wasn't at the center. Once facsism came into the picture, and communism, and race hatred, war became a tool of philosophy, in a manner of speaking, and it's stayed that way.
At least since Vietnam, speaking as an American, when my government asks for war, I ask why, and in asking don't always get an answer sufficient to the cause espoused. Sometimes, like Bosnia or Haiti, soliders are deployed for a humanitarian intervention where opposing armies are so intractable as to require force to separate them and create peace. Somalia and Rwanda are examples where the determination to apply force failed, and shamefully, but Kosovo worked, to the credit of those who acted. In Afghanistan, a cruel, repressive government that had allied itself with international terrorists was recalictrant in facing international law, and the United States acted for its own protection and for the good of all, and with considerable restraint. All bets since, however, have been off, and the question - why - remains unanswered.
I don't trust ideology as a motivator for war. Like Mr. Ornek, I don't think I would be able to display the resolve of that "lost generation," but I don't think either that that's what's being asked of me.
Last night on Enough Rope Andrew Denton interviewed a Turkish filmmaker, Tolga Ornek, who has recently completed a documentary on Galliopoli. It would be a fascinating movie to see, having seen the Peter Weir movie more than once and having been inculcated with the story for many years, but more than that, I was impressed by some of the things Mr. Ornek said, notably that his relationship with Australians has always been profoundly positive (well, mostly), and that he has looked at himself in relation to the courage the soldiers, on either side, exhibited during World War I, admitting his doubt that he could do as they did. As frank as that admission is, it better reflects his character in light of the nature of war as it has come to be more so perhaps than any actual lack of commitment and bravery inherent to him.
World War I was the last "non-political" war, and maybe the first "ideological" war, at the same time. Unlike the Second World War, and unlike any war I can think of in the Cold War era (and certainly unlike any being conducted today, at least those involving non-Third World nations), World War I was about territory as much as it was about the shape of global power. Germany sought to reshape its destiny in Europe, Turkey sought to position itself regionally as a force with which to be reckoned by any others wanting a part of commerce there, and the others lined up accordingly. There were atrocities, perhaps none more so than the use of poison gas, and trench warfare, aerial bombardment, long-range cannon bombardment all contributed in creating modern war, but ideology wasn't at the center. Once facsism came into the picture, and communism, and race hatred, war became a tool of philosophy, in a manner of speaking, and it's stayed that way.
At least since Vietnam, speaking as an American, when my government asks for war, I ask why, and in asking don't always get an answer sufficient to the cause espoused. Sometimes, like Bosnia or Haiti, soliders are deployed for a humanitarian intervention where opposing armies are so intractable as to require force to separate them and create peace. Somalia and Rwanda are examples where the determination to apply force failed, and shamefully, but Kosovo worked, to the credit of those who acted. In Afghanistan, a cruel, repressive government that had allied itself with international terrorists was recalictrant in facing international law, and the United States acted for its own protection and for the good of all, and with considerable restraint. All bets since, however, have been off, and the question - why - remains unanswered.
I don't trust ideology as a motivator for war. Like Mr. Ornek, I don't think I would be able to display the resolve of that "lost generation," but I don't think either that that's what's being asked of me.
Agenda
Over at The Daily Kos, there's a breakdown of Senator Harry Reid's proposals for legislation to be introduced directly to the floor of the Senate as a "fight-back" should the Republican majority invoke the "nuclear option" to prevent filibusters on judicial nominees. Aside from the great love Americans have for the tradition of the filibuster, largely arising from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, no doubt, I'd like to see these bills introduced anyway. From the taglines, there doesn't appear to be an unworthy bit of legislation in the bunch. Why wait? Let's put it to a vote. Go on, Harry, do it.
Over at The Daily Kos, there's a breakdown of Senator Harry Reid's proposals for legislation to be introduced directly to the floor of the Senate as a "fight-back" should the Republican majority invoke the "nuclear option" to prevent filibusters on judicial nominees. Aside from the great love Americans have for the tradition of the filibuster, largely arising from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, no doubt, I'd like to see these bills introduced anyway. From the taglines, there doesn't appear to be an unworthy bit of legislation in the bunch. Why wait? Let's put it to a vote. Go on, Harry, do it.
Whose Backyard?
In order to get just about anything done in home renovation, the national sport of Sydney, it’s necessary to submit a development application to the local council (and there are plenty of them) for approval. That’s fine, as it keeps homeowners from turning their semidetached Federation-style home into a multiple occupancy mini-slum. There are horror stories, too, of DA’s being rejected on heritage-listing grounds, sometimes ludicrously so, but by-and-large, the development process works, even if it also largely amounts to just another municipal revenue stream.
So why would the State make it easier on the big developers, bypassing the local council approval process to stream projects through? Well, there is the argument that it would clear hurdles where projects straddle councils, but are there so very many of those? The list of projects offered by the Herald - Luna Park, Prince Henry Hospital, Pyrmont renewal, Optus, and Fox Studios – are pretty varied in scope and area impact, Luna Park and PHH being notable for some level of controversy from the neighbors. Interestingly, the Carlton brewery project isn’t mention, and that’s one I’d have thought would surely have turned up, because this power grab smacks, to me, of just the kind of “punishment” the Carr government would like to inflict on Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, for having thwarted their power consolidation move when City of Sydney and South Sydney Councils were merged and she defeated Labor’s candidate. This is worth keeping an eye on.
In order to get just about anything done in home renovation, the national sport of Sydney, it’s necessary to submit a development application to the local council (and there are plenty of them) for approval. That’s fine, as it keeps homeowners from turning their semidetached Federation-style home into a multiple occupancy mini-slum. There are horror stories, too, of DA’s being rejected on heritage-listing grounds, sometimes ludicrously so, but by-and-large, the development process works, even if it also largely amounts to just another municipal revenue stream.
So why would the State make it easier on the big developers, bypassing the local council approval process to stream projects through? Well, there is the argument that it would clear hurdles where projects straddle councils, but are there so very many of those? The list of projects offered by the Herald - Luna Park, Prince Henry Hospital, Pyrmont renewal, Optus, and Fox Studios – are pretty varied in scope and area impact, Luna Park and PHH being notable for some level of controversy from the neighbors. Interestingly, the Carlton brewery project isn’t mention, and that’s one I’d have thought would surely have turned up, because this power grab smacks, to me, of just the kind of “punishment” the Carr government would like to inflict on Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, for having thwarted their power consolidation move when City of Sydney and South Sydney Councils were merged and she defeated Labor’s candidate. This is worth keeping an eye on.
24 April 2005
In Support of John Howard
Tomorrrow is the Anzac Day holiday, and there's a lot of buzz this year over Galliopoli. Over the last decade, Australians have been making a increased annual presence in the Dardanelles, where Turkey successfully defended itself against the Allied troops attempting a landing in what turned out to have been the wrong location. From April to December 1915, British, Australian, and New Zealand troops fought valiantly and in vain to launch from Anzac Cove their march on Constantinople, while the Turks, led by the man who would become Ataturk, fought with equal bravery and determination to repel them. The Turks, of course, were on the wrong side of history in that battle, allied with the Germans, but unlike thirty years on, we're not dealing with political war, but territorial, by and large, in what may have been the last such war.
In any event, because so many Australians and New Zealanders want to visit Anzac Cove each April, a request was put to Turkey to put in some infrastructure improvements, which was honored. Now there's a terrific beat-up going on over widening the road there, even without all the facts in place. Political opportunism may be understandable, but not the expense of good relations. As the article says, it's the Turk's land, and they're helping out at Australia's request, and there's no sign they've been in any way disrespectful of anyone in the process. Howard deserves a bit of credit for working this out.
As much as I disagree with Howard's social policies - his selfishness in dismantling Medicare and the pensions system - and his decision to support the invasion of Iraq, I don't think he deserves everything he's getting on the road at Anzac Cove. If nothing else, more people can now more easily review the futility of war.
Update (Forget all that; he's a jerk): Howard snubbed NZ, declining to attend their Galliopoli services, the first Australian Prime Minister to do so. Brilliant statesmanship.
Tomorrrow is the Anzac Day holiday, and there's a lot of buzz this year over Galliopoli. Over the last decade, Australians have been making a increased annual presence in the Dardanelles, where Turkey successfully defended itself against the Allied troops attempting a landing in what turned out to have been the wrong location. From April to December 1915, British, Australian, and New Zealand troops fought valiantly and in vain to launch from Anzac Cove their march on Constantinople, while the Turks, led by the man who would become Ataturk, fought with equal bravery and determination to repel them. The Turks, of course, were on the wrong side of history in that battle, allied with the Germans, but unlike thirty years on, we're not dealing with political war, but territorial, by and large, in what may have been the last such war.
In any event, because so many Australians and New Zealanders want to visit Anzac Cove each April, a request was put to Turkey to put in some infrastructure improvements, which was honored. Now there's a terrific beat-up going on over widening the road there, even without all the facts in place. Political opportunism may be understandable, but not the expense of good relations. As the article says, it's the Turk's land, and they're helping out at Australia's request, and there's no sign they've been in any way disrespectful of anyone in the process. Howard deserves a bit of credit for working this out.
As much as I disagree with Howard's social policies - his selfishness in dismantling Medicare and the pensions system - and his decision to support the invasion of Iraq, I don't think he deserves everything he's getting on the road at Anzac Cove. If nothing else, more people can now more easily review the futility of war.
Update (Forget all that; he's a jerk): Howard snubbed NZ, declining to attend their Galliopoli services, the first Australian Prime Minister to do so. Brilliant statesmanship.
20 April 2005
Third Time's the Charm
If you had your money on Ratzinger, you bet the odds and you won. The "defender of the faith," as was his role under J2P2, is now the supreme pontiff: Benedict XVI. At 78, we're not likely to get the same kind of long service as his predecessor, but his ideology should provide the same, if not a greater, conservativism.
The internal prejudice against a younger man appears to me to stem from a reluctance towards change and from a lack of, shall we say, apostolic succession. 26 years, the duration of J2P2's reign, is a long time in which no one else gets to exercise any greater role than they've already achieved, there being only so much room for cardinals (despite the record number of appointments made in the last papacy), a fairly limited growth potential for diocesan appointments, and so forth. Of course, that's not the point, but every hierarchical system suffers from ambition, and Ratzinger's election appears to play to that situation. The church isn't noted for being open to experimentation, so however long Benedict XVI lasts, the next election isn't likely to offer any more change than this one does. Too bad, too, but if the scandals of the last ten to twenty years weren't enough to initiate reform, I can't imagine what will.
If you had your money on Ratzinger, you bet the odds and you won. The "defender of the faith," as was his role under J2P2, is now the supreme pontiff: Benedict XVI. At 78, we're not likely to get the same kind of long service as his predecessor, but his ideology should provide the same, if not a greater, conservativism.
The internal prejudice against a younger man appears to me to stem from a reluctance towards change and from a lack of, shall we say, apostolic succession. 26 years, the duration of J2P2's reign, is a long time in which no one else gets to exercise any greater role than they've already achieved, there being only so much room for cardinals (despite the record number of appointments made in the last papacy), a fairly limited growth potential for diocesan appointments, and so forth. Of course, that's not the point, but every hierarchical system suffers from ambition, and Ratzinger's election appears to play to that situation. The church isn't noted for being open to experimentation, so however long Benedict XVI lasts, the next election isn't likely to offer any more change than this one does. Too bad, too, but if the scandals of the last ten to twenty years weren't enough to initiate reform, I can't imagine what will.
15 April 2005
Entertainment Notes
So we made the scene in Newtown last night, out to the Vanguard for Ron Peno and Brett Meyers, the core of the Died Pretty, performing an acoustic set of all the old faves, and they were terrific. Made me kinda wish I'd been around for their heyday in the early '80's, but not too much, they were that good with the new arrangements.
Still, it made for a nice segue with the day's other news: M.'s made it to the top 10 in Project Greenlight. Her script is set in that period and that scene, so it was more than fitting to be revisiting it while we were also celebrating her latest success. (I know the other 9 scripts have to be pretty good, but I've read their loglines, and I think I'm married to the Next Big Thing.)
So we made the scene in Newtown last night, out to the Vanguard for Ron Peno and Brett Meyers, the core of the Died Pretty, performing an acoustic set of all the old faves, and they were terrific. Made me kinda wish I'd been around for their heyday in the early '80's, but not too much, they were that good with the new arrangements.
Still, it made for a nice segue with the day's other news: M.'s made it to the top 10 in Project Greenlight. Her script is set in that period and that scene, so it was more than fitting to be revisiting it while we were also celebrating her latest success. (I know the other 9 scripts have to be pretty good, but I've read their loglines, and I think I'm married to the Next Big Thing.)
13 April 2005
Promises
See, during the election, John Howard made all the promises, so if the ministers start reneging, he didn’t tell any lies. Like how much better Medicare would be. So Treasurer Peter Costello is going to reduce benefits, increase out-of-pocket, and allow higher prices. Tony Abbott’s awfully quiet right now, but he doesn’t usually have much worth saying on health care anyway, despite his portfolio. Costello’s also looking to create the largest political slush fund of all time out of something called the “Future Fund” (.pdf) a program designed to put some funding into the unfunded government superannuation plan. With a start of AU$25 billion, that’s some kinda mad money.
Meanwhile, the states have caved and are going to reduce corporate taxation so as to keep getting their piece of the GST. Well, a deal’s a deal, and cutting these taxes is part of how Howard got the GST through in the first place. Will it translate into any benefit to consumers? Don’t be naïve.
So much for the safety net. (Better be some jobs out there.)
See, during the election, John Howard made all the promises, so if the ministers start reneging, he didn’t tell any lies. Like how much better Medicare would be. So Treasurer Peter Costello is going to reduce benefits, increase out-of-pocket, and allow higher prices. Tony Abbott’s awfully quiet right now, but he doesn’t usually have much worth saying on health care anyway, despite his portfolio. Costello’s also looking to create the largest political slush fund of all time out of something called the “Future Fund” (.pdf) a program designed to put some funding into the unfunded government superannuation plan. With a start of AU$25 billion, that’s some kinda mad money.
Meanwhile, the states have caved and are going to reduce corporate taxation so as to keep getting their piece of the GST. Well, a deal’s a deal, and cutting these taxes is part of how Howard got the GST through in the first place. Will it translate into any benefit to consumers? Don’t be naïve.
So much for the safety net. (Better be some jobs out there.)
12 April 2005
Power to the People, Man
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Shuriken of Forgiveness.
Get yours.
(Read all about it. via Sister Cattle Prod of Reasoned Discussion, via Sister Sword of Courteous Debate.)
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Shuriken of Forgiveness.
Get yours.
(Read all about it. via Sister Cattle Prod of Reasoned Discussion, via Sister Sword of Courteous Debate.)
11 April 2005
North Shore Animal Safari
It's not one of the mean ones, and with only 7 legs, probably somewhat less of a threat anyway, but he's a fine example of some of the insect life on the other side of the harbour. I suppose it's because the suburbs there - and undoubtedly many of the other near-harbour suburbs regardless of compass orientation - have such lush gardens, but these particular arachnids were everywhere.
Our excursion to Manly on Saturday was accomplished with the purpose of spending time with M.'s brother's ten-year-old twins, for whom M. has great fondness. Because M.'s brother (also M., but different) has himself always been athletic, the boys - and boys will be boys - enjoy sports immensely, not least rugby. Only Bohdi was playing, however, as Ry was recuperating from an injury resulting from a tackle, but that allowed Ry to provide commentary. As near as I've been able to tell, rugby consists of passing the ball backwards while running forward until such time as there's either no one to pass to or a hole opens in the opposition line or the one with the ball believes he's going to be able to charge through the other players whether they get out of the way or not. However, there does seem to be more to it than that, even though at this age level, there's some relaxation of the rules, at least if I'm any judge of offsides and so forth. I don't know what Bohdi's position is, but as the smallest on the field, he wasn't charging the line much. His primary function appeared to be the "dummy half pass" while his team had possession, and dogpiling on opponents in tackles.
In any event, having skipped an age group, the Manly Cove team did very well, not winning, but keeping the score tight. They looked half the size of their opposition, but hung tough all the way.
It's not one of the mean ones, and with only 7 legs, probably somewhat less of a threat anyway, but he's a fine example of some of the insect life on the other side of the harbour. I suppose it's because the suburbs there - and undoubtedly many of the other near-harbour suburbs regardless of compass orientation - have such lush gardens, but these particular arachnids were everywhere.
Our excursion to Manly on Saturday was accomplished with the purpose of spending time with M.'s brother's ten-year-old twins, for whom M. has great fondness. Because M.'s brother (also M., but different) has himself always been athletic, the boys - and boys will be boys - enjoy sports immensely, not least rugby. Only Bohdi was playing, however, as Ry was recuperating from an injury resulting from a tackle, but that allowed Ry to provide commentary. As near as I've been able to tell, rugby consists of passing the ball backwards while running forward until such time as there's either no one to pass to or a hole opens in the opposition line or the one with the ball believes he's going to be able to charge through the other players whether they get out of the way or not. However, there does seem to be more to it than that, even though at this age level, there's some relaxation of the rules, at least if I'm any judge of offsides and so forth. I don't know what Bohdi's position is, but as the smallest on the field, he wasn't charging the line much. His primary function appeared to be the "dummy half pass" while his team had possession, and dogpiling on opponents in tackles.
In any event, having skipped an age group, the Manly Cove team did very well, not winning, but keeping the score tight. They looked half the size of their opposition, but hung tough all the way.
08 April 2005
PNG Shoe-Bomber
It seems entirely reasonable to me that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea would feel insulted by having to undergo a security search that included being required to take off his shoes. Yes, it wasn’t a full body search, but he’s the Prime Minister – yes, of a country plagued by violence – not a terrorist. Australia’s spending AU$800 million on aid to PNG, you’d think the PNG PM could be treated with a little more respect on top. Nobody asks George Bush or Tony Blair – or John Howard himself – to take their shoes off, and fair is fair. Alexander Downer is the worst foreign minister I’ve ever seen anywhere. He is incapable of accepting criticism and treats saying sorry as if it amounted to surrender. It’s called diplomacy, and it’s part of your job, twit.
It seems entirely reasonable to me that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea would feel insulted by having to undergo a security search that included being required to take off his shoes. Yes, it wasn’t a full body search, but he’s the Prime Minister – yes, of a country plagued by violence – not a terrorist. Australia’s spending AU$800 million on aid to PNG, you’d think the PNG PM could be treated with a little more respect on top. Nobody asks George Bush or Tony Blair – or John Howard himself – to take their shoes off, and fair is fair. Alexander Downer is the worst foreign minister I’ve ever seen anywhere. He is incapable of accepting criticism and treats saying sorry as if it amounted to surrender. It’s called diplomacy, and it’s part of your job, twit.
06 April 2005
Odds
People will bet on anything, including the next pope. Unless I can see ‘em parade through the paddock, though, I’m not sure I’m going to bother with this. Joseph Ratzinger (Germany) is the favorite, and Count Christoph von Schoenborn (Austria) is going off at the longest odds. I like Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras, however, because of his point of origin. What with all the interest in a return to the Latin mass . . . oh, right, not that kind of Latin. Never mind.
People will bet on anything, including the next pope. Unless I can see ‘em parade through the paddock, though, I’m not sure I’m going to bother with this. Joseph Ratzinger (Germany) is the favorite, and Count Christoph von Schoenborn (Austria) is going off at the longest odds. I like Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga from Honduras, however, because of his point of origin. What with all the interest in a return to the Latin mass . . . oh, right, not that kind of Latin. Never mind.
05 April 2005
A Man for All Seasons II
I don’t think Charles and Camilla should have postponed their wedding. Getting around popes is what the whole Church of England set-up was about. He’ll never be defender of the faith this way.
(And I wonder what J2P2 would have thought if he’d known George Bush would attend his funeral. After all, there’s a report he was a little worried for the end times.)
I don’t think Charles and Camilla should have postponed their wedding. Getting around popes is what the whole Church of England set-up was about. He’ll never be defender of the faith this way.
(And I wonder what J2P2 would have thought if he’d known George Bush would attend his funeral. After all, there’s a report he was a little worried for the end times.)
02 April 2005
J3Px
Continuing on from the previous post, the question of who will be the next pope presents some intriguing doctrinal questions, particularly in light of the Roman Catholic Church's demographic developments over the last few decades. There is significant notice taken of the long-term drop-off in church attendance in Europe and North America, as well as a concomitant decline in the numbers entering the priesthood, while at the same time numbers in both areas have increased in Africa and Latin America, and, especially in the latter, have been accompanied by a rise in fundamentalist doctrinary teachings and behavior. While J2P2's stacking the college of cardinals with an apparently larger-than-usual number of selectors has suggested he has sought to ensure the apostolic succession achieves the preservation and even advancement of his own agenda, the cardinals themselves have spoken to their independence in such mattters, and one rather hopes to see that exercised, at least because the challenges faced by the Church in the near future will likely see the need not for rigid adherence to holding or deepening a particular adherence to the catechism but the strength of mind to express and inspire the "body of Christ" to accept and support a challenged theology. That is likely to be a dismaying precondition should any of the longer-odds papal candidates, i.e., those of more fundamentalist bent from Africa or to a lesser extent South America, be announced when the white smoke issues forth, so I'm rather hoping for just another boring choice: an Italian, maybe, although it would be interesting if an American was chosen - think of the conspiracy theories from that one. I'd also like to see more imagination in the choice of papal name. "John Paul" wasn't particularly inspired, and John Paul II was positively dull, although the reasons for both were obvious. We haven't had a "Clement" in a while, and maybe that would be a good choice, faced with a tumultuous time to come as the next pope will be.
Continuing on from the previous post, the question of who will be the next pope presents some intriguing doctrinal questions, particularly in light of the Roman Catholic Church's demographic developments over the last few decades. There is significant notice taken of the long-term drop-off in church attendance in Europe and North America, as well as a concomitant decline in the numbers entering the priesthood, while at the same time numbers in both areas have increased in Africa and Latin America, and, especially in the latter, have been accompanied by a rise in fundamentalist doctrinary teachings and behavior. While J2P2's stacking the college of cardinals with an apparently larger-than-usual number of selectors has suggested he has sought to ensure the apostolic succession achieves the preservation and even advancement of his own agenda, the cardinals themselves have spoken to their independence in such mattters, and one rather hopes to see that exercised, at least because the challenges faced by the Church in the near future will likely see the need not for rigid adherence to holding or deepening a particular adherence to the catechism but the strength of mind to express and inspire the "body of Christ" to accept and support a challenged theology. That is likely to be a dismaying precondition should any of the longer-odds papal candidates, i.e., those of more fundamentalist bent from Africa or to a lesser extent South America, be announced when the white smoke issues forth, so I'm rather hoping for just another boring choice: an Italian, maybe, although it would be interesting if an American was chosen - think of the conspiracy theories from that one. I'd also like to see more imagination in the choice of papal name. "John Paul" wasn't particularly inspired, and John Paul II was positively dull, although the reasons for both were obvious. We haven't had a "Clement" in a while, and maybe that would be a good choice, faced with a tumultuous time to come as the next pope will be.
01 April 2005
He'll Always Be J2P2 to Me
I haven't always liked this pope, but just because we don't agree on everything doesn't mean I can't respect him. He's tried very hard to work for peace, and that's a worthy role, so we can leave aside the stuff that I think he's been wrong and even damaging about (and there's plenty). I hope the geezer won't suffer, now that it looks like his time has come; he's had it pretty tough these last years.
I haven't always liked this pope, but just because we don't agree on everything doesn't mean I can't respect him. He's tried very hard to work for peace, and that's a worthy role, so we can leave aside the stuff that I think he's been wrong and even damaging about (and there's plenty). I hope the geezer won't suffer, now that it looks like his time has come; he's had it pretty tough these last years.
Webloviation
If I didn’t have such swell blood pressure, I’d really have to stay away from all those newspaper columnists and web diarists who invariably infuriate me, and pretty soon I’m going to have to really start every comment I leave or letter I write with “I am not a crank,” even though it’s becoming increasingly clear even to me that I am indeed about as cranky as the old man who starts every conversation with “when I was your age.” I am put in mind of all this from walking past the Parramatta River and seeing
the first pelican of autumn, reminding me of the Dixon Lanier Merritt poem:
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican. . . .
Why? Well, my convoluted thinking appears to have made an obscure connection, as M. often finds occasion to point out, but when I can no longer stomach what some others have said, my mouth will tend to get me into trouble.
Never mind; it’s just an excuse to put up a photo. Later we can discuss why the pelican is a Christ symbol.
If I didn’t have such swell blood pressure, I’d really have to stay away from all those newspaper columnists and web diarists who invariably infuriate me, and pretty soon I’m going to have to really start every comment I leave or letter I write with “I am not a crank,” even though it’s becoming increasingly clear even to me that I am indeed about as cranky as the old man who starts every conversation with “when I was your age.” I am put in mind of all this from walking past the Parramatta River and seeing
the first pelican of autumn, reminding me of the Dixon Lanier Merritt poem:
A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican. . . .
Why? Well, my convoluted thinking appears to have made an obscure connection, as M. often finds occasion to point out, but when I can no longer stomach what some others have said, my mouth will tend to get me into trouble.
Never mind; it’s just an excuse to put up a photo. Later we can discuss why the pelican is a Christ symbol.
Work, or Be Damned
I tend towards agreement with the proposition that moving welfare recipients into employment is a good idea. The Americans with Disabilities Act had some strange provisions, but overall was positive, not least insofar as it put businesses in the position of having to accommodate individuals who otherwise might end up on the rolls. Work-for-the-dole schemes also have their positive aspects, as do training programs. Discouraging bludging seems to me to be taking responsibility, the kind of custodial relationship I want from government, not only because they’re spending my money for me, but also because I want the best value from that expenditure. Taking responsibility does not, however, mean abusing welfare recipients.
So why are single mothers being singled out? I wasn’t raised in a single-parent family, and, for that matter, my mom worked, so I’m probably not as qualified as some to comment on this issue. While it appears reasonable for single parents to take on part-time work once their kiddies are in school, there’s a lot more at issue than just school hours being suddenly “free” time. In fact, there’s all the appearance of taking advantage of the vulnerability of particular categories: unmarried mothers and the disabled. In regard to single mothers, leaving aside the issue of whether there is sufficient support in place for them to take jobs, is it just wild conspiracy theorizing to suggest that their status is somehow repugnant to legislators like Treasurer Peter Costello, that single women with children somehow represent to them all that’s wrong with society? I really do get the impression that John Howard’s government wants to take Australia back in time, with Tony Abbott looking for backhanded methods of returning to back alley abortion days, and the more general push to, on one hand, remove women from the workforce, unless, now on the other hand, their single mothers, in which case they’d better get jobs sooner rather than later. Maybe they can just strap the ol’ papoose on their backs and go pick some cotton, huh?
This is the point where you’ll start hearing the government (or at least its supporters) say, well of course we’ll have the support systems in place, but unless it’s already there or you actually specify what you’re going to do, it’s like the Bush proposals for Social Security, where unless they’re speaking at dog-whistle pitch, there’s nothing but the sound of the wind.
I tend towards agreement with the proposition that moving welfare recipients into employment is a good idea. The Americans with Disabilities Act had some strange provisions, but overall was positive, not least insofar as it put businesses in the position of having to accommodate individuals who otherwise might end up on the rolls. Work-for-the-dole schemes also have their positive aspects, as do training programs. Discouraging bludging seems to me to be taking responsibility, the kind of custodial relationship I want from government, not only because they’re spending my money for me, but also because I want the best value from that expenditure. Taking responsibility does not, however, mean abusing welfare recipients.
So why are single mothers being singled out? I wasn’t raised in a single-parent family, and, for that matter, my mom worked, so I’m probably not as qualified as some to comment on this issue. While it appears reasonable for single parents to take on part-time work once their kiddies are in school, there’s a lot more at issue than just school hours being suddenly “free” time. In fact, there’s all the appearance of taking advantage of the vulnerability of particular categories: unmarried mothers and the disabled. In regard to single mothers, leaving aside the issue of whether there is sufficient support in place for them to take jobs, is it just wild conspiracy theorizing to suggest that their status is somehow repugnant to legislators like Treasurer Peter Costello, that single women with children somehow represent to them all that’s wrong with society? I really do get the impression that John Howard’s government wants to take Australia back in time, with Tony Abbott looking for backhanded methods of returning to back alley abortion days, and the more general push to, on one hand, remove women from the workforce, unless, now on the other hand, their single mothers, in which case they’d better get jobs sooner rather than later. Maybe they can just strap the ol’ papoose on their backs and go pick some cotton, huh?
This is the point where you’ll start hearing the government (or at least its supporters) say, well of course we’ll have the support systems in place, but unless it’s already there or you actually specify what you’re going to do, it’s like the Bush proposals for Social Security, where unless they’re speaking at dog-whistle pitch, there’s nothing but the sound of the wind.
More Signs of the Apocalypse
Albany passes the budget on time. First the Red Sox won the World Series, now this. Perhaps it’s a parting gift to Pataki? (Not if he won’t leave.)
Albany passes the budget on time. First the Red Sox won the World Series, now this. Perhaps it’s a parting gift to Pataki? (Not if he won’t leave.)
Real Estate
I want one with a clock. When I read the headline, I immediately thought of the former PanAm building above Grand Central. Now that would be a condo and a half, wouldn’t it? (It’d certainly cut down on commuting time.)
I want one with a clock. When I read the headline, I immediately thought of the former PanAm building above Grand Central. Now that would be a condo and a half, wouldn’t it? (It’d certainly cut down on commuting time.)
Foreign & Domestic
He was a lobbyist for Lockheed Martin, and now Dick Cheney’s son-in-law will be general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. Has George Bush never heard of conflict of interest?
He was a lobbyist for Lockheed Martin, and now Dick Cheney’s son-in-law will be general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. Has George Bush never heard of conflict of interest?
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