Community Collegiality
I've added a new section of 'blogs, the idea being to focus on Sydney, of course, as the community to which I now belong. There are plenty of others out there, and I may yet add one or two as their content comes to seem more imperative to track for myself. (Others I can do without, despite their prominence; warblogs and political whinging - left or right - seem to have become altogether too hysterical to endure. In any event, they don't need any advertising from me.) In addition to Clarence Street, which keeps up an excellent compendium of Sydney life, and The Swanker (n.b., link amended), which appears to follow a more usual 'blogging arc, I've also thrown in Living in Australia, part of a global network of 'blogging news and views, organized by region, and Power Up, a intriguing new political resource I think is worth keeping an eye on.

The Decibels of Home
What? What did you say? I can’t hear you.

Power to the People
Howard Dean’s innovative use of the internet to help drive his campaign is particularly notable for the degree to which he, along with outfits like MoveOn and from my own experience Democrats Abroad (not to mention Expats Against Bush), have contributed to the expansion of on-line interconnectivity as a tool for effecting social change. A new entry is Power Up, an Australian forum for political discussion and resources. This may turn out to be an excellent resource for citizens here to organize and to discuss the issues in various local and national campaigns, some of which are already coming to a vote (i.e., the new Sydney super-council mayoral election next Saturday). I expect a tie-in to MeetUp would be worthwhile.

Nobody Asked Me, But
In MIT’s statistical survey of ‘blogging, I fall outside a number of the demographic categories, which is personally interesting, but I found it fascinating that “Australian” is reported as a separate ethnic group – that must be Aboriginal, I suppose, but how then 1.4%? Of “living in Australia,” the 10 ‘bloggers reported comprise 2.05% of the total by my calculation, and from what I’ve seen on-line, I have my doubts 68% aren’t Anglos. It’s MIT’s math, though, so I’ll have to take it as is; their math skills are better than mine.

What About Smith?
I know a student who could probably do with some extra cash.

Premier League
I’ve been thinking a fair bit about the NSW Premier, Bob Carr, especially after the mess with the trains, but most recently because of an essay in the most recent edition of the Griffith Review, but I mention all this more because of encountering the musings of the Swanker, a fellow Sydney ‘blogger, on Mr. Carr’s behavior in response to John Howard’s changes in federal allocations to the state. These two editorials bring home the point that it’s all well and good to have a philosopher king, but only insofar as he can get things done. Mario Cuomo, for example, the former NY governor frequently cited by Bill as a paragon of this political type, at least sought to raise the level of discourse in his jurisdiction, but I don’t find this quite so true of Bob Carr, for all his apparent erudition. Mr. Carr manages his government well enough, if that is the only goal required of a Premier, but not the state. His eye appears too focussed on the bottom line of the NSW ledger rather than on the product: a healthy environment, affordable lifestyles, quality health care delivery mechanisms, sustained or developing infrastructure (including mass transit systems), etc. His government is failing to keep up with its promises and slow to react to problems. When it does react, it is more likely to lay blame than to address problem itself. As Quentin Dempster points out in his Griffith Review article, “Media Rules in the Court of Carr,” re-jigging the Cabinet may shift attention, but ultimately resolves nothing. Bob Carr has time to fix the problem with his governance, but after the problems with the hospitals, the rail debacle, and the forced merger of the City of Sydney and South Sydney councils, he’d better start now rather than later.

Very Batman
The Stun Ring (found on Boing Boing) is a very nice piece of concealed weaponry, just right for my superhero fashion collection, but doesn’t come in my size.

Real Life Journalism
M. brought home a copy of the New Yorker, and even though it's a week out-of-date, I was immediately reminded how much I have enjoyed that magazine over the years, along with the Atlantic. I cannot think of two finer periodicals on the face of the earth, but subscription, let alone news agent prices are a bit beyond my budget right now. On-line just isn't quite the same, but it will have to do.

Fantasy Journalism
I have to think that I should either post less often or give up ‘blogging. If the statistics on Sitemeter mean anything, it’s that I’m not getting a lot of cross-referencing, and most of the searches I get are for puzzles. (I should probably stop using that word, too, as it’s only going to exacerbate the problem.) I don’t mine from any particularly unusual sources, so my “reportage” is unlikely to be fresh or particularly interesting to any of the people who are reading this stuff. Family I understand, and of the other known users, I also understand friends: they might want to catch up on what I’m up to on the other side of the planet; but what’s bringing in any of my fellow ‘bloggers or those who link in from them? Curiosity, I suppose, one-shots: there’s little enough evidence that anyone makes a return trip unescorted as it were. I’ve been trying to locate fellow Australian ‘bloggers, particularly in Sydney, but I don’t visit especially frequently, even if the content in some is notable. (Maybe I should pay more attention to the “Bloggies”, which have a category of best Australian or New Zealander ‘blog – except Pixelkitty isn’t posting, Scorpiogirl seems to be a national site with registration issues, Brainsluice is NZ, so Synapse better have won the award.) I think what’s really called for in my on-line life is, if not a reduction in the plethora of ‘blogging blather, a compendium of useful enthusiasms, something more along the line of Charlie Suisman’s Manhattan User’s Guide. Of course, since I’m not technically adept enough and don’t really have the time or the network to put something like this together, at least not without a major government grant and substantial subscriptions, I have to leave it to someone else. (In other words, this is a post of jaded carping. Sorry.) Of course, “SUG” as an acronym isn’t as good as “MUG,” which has multiple connotations (some more fortunate than others), so whoever takes up the challenge will have a little work to do just finding an effective abbreviation: Sydney Access Guide? Sydney Access Directory? Sydney User’s Monthly? Well, that one could work. Maybe I should contact Anthony Hicks to see if he’d get the word out.

PS: Nice scoop on the King Kong movie. If ever a tower looked climbable by a giant ape, it’s UTS.

Dining Out
I don’t understand: what’s happened to Martha Francis? Here’s a review of cheesecake in NYC, and this little Upper East Side storefront isn’t included. I never bothered with anything but the cupcakes from Yura & Co., and I don’t even know if Two Little Red Hens was open when I was there last, but that was only because I could count on the best slice I ever had from Martha’s daughter. Of course, my sentimental attachment might have some bearing on my assessment: this is the shop that provided the wedding cake for M. and me. Well, if I’m ever in the vicinity again, I’m going to 90th & 2nd first, then I’ll visit the Hens or Yura.

Immigration vs. Conservation
Anti-immigrationists and animal rights activists are working to form a coalition to take over the board of the Sierra Club. I can’t find the weblog I found this on first (Frogs & Ravens maybe?), but now that the NY Times is reporting the issue, it’s mainstream news, and I’d like to give credit for breaking the story where it’s due. Originally, this had been presented as the efforts of two extremist groups, but the Times report puts the slant a little differently, as anti-hunting/trapping activists working with accused racists. The Sierra Club has long been considered a mainstream environmental group because of their self-described reasonable stance regarding hunting and logging, so these days, when the environment is palpably under threat, it’s not surprising that more activist elements within the organization would seek to drive the Club into pursuing a course more in line with their own concerns. The anti-immigrationists, however, represent an outside stream with only an arguably environmental agenda and a decidedly racialist bias. Immigration may account for up to 45% of population growth in the U.S., but I’m not convinced that represents an overall increase in the next 100 years of over 300%, and neither am I convinced that immigration itself is within the purview of any environmental group.

Yo Ho
Friend Simon, who visited over Christmas, first presented me with the thesis that Johnny Depp based his pirate character on Keith Richards, so I publicly acknowledge the insight, even before I’ve actually seen the movie. All the more reason to go, I suppose, although I doubt Orlando Bloom used Mick Jagger to inform his character.

Targeting
Participation in the “coalition of the willing” has not made Australia an Al Qaeda target, but as Spain has experienced, it does make us a more likely victim selection, despite the sledging of Mick Keelty by Howard’s government. Federal Police Commissioner Keelty has backed off his original comments, claiming his remarks were taken “out of context,” but his clarification shouldn’t be taken as support for the Iraq war, which I believe has probably made Mr. Keelty’s job that much harder. It isn’t Al Qaeda I expect to act, but radical Islamists in Indonesia working with them. Because terrorism tends to feed on itself, eventually degenerating into factional in-fighting after a period of dramatic, outwardly-focussed actions, I believe Europe has more to fear than Australia, but the proximity to Indonesia and the Philippines remains worrisome for the same reasons. Australia, as an open, democratic society, is much more amenable to organizational activities by terrorist groups than the societies from which their members spring. It becomes that much more likely as a result that terrorists should also commit their crimes within their host countries than in those where their problems really lie. Unfortunately, it is part of the nature of these fundamentalist groups that they blame others for what they object to. They arise from societies that actively discourage freedom, innovation, and personal responsibility, and their religious focus excuses such repression. This is why they will eventually fail, too, but in the meanwhile, we’ve got to protect ourselves. Discouraging dissent in our own societies isn’t a good method toward that end.

Thus Spake
The search for the pre-lapsarian language continues. Having recently completed Umberto Eco’s Search for the Perfect Language, which examined European efforts over the centuries to reconstruct the language of God (originally presumed to be Hebrew) or alternatively to construct a universal tongue, I have a certain appreciation for these biological efforts, if only from an entertainment standpoint, for effectively appeased by such efforts as Paul Auster’s City of Glass. Is it possible to reconstruct an original language? What would we learn if we did? Would we be instantly understood by all the people of the world, like the apostles at Pentacost? Well, maybe not; we’d probably be limited to only such universals as “tastes great, less filling” or “fire bad, friend good,” instead of having our ears opened to some celestial speech permeating the created world.

It’ll Never Get Out of Committee
The fundamentalist agenda of the United States, in addition to opposing gay marriage and abortion, includes gutting the Constitution. (Brought to you by Metafilter.)

Blurring the Line
George II’s re-election campaign is using fake news in advertisements for its Medicare reforms, but without even the “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on t.v.” disclaimer. The use of press releases to direct media towards a particular bias in reporting an event is one of long standing, but this is beyond the pale. They are liars, and they are corrupt.

Alarms
As reassuring as it may be to know that various municipalities are conducting exercises to keep emergency crews capable of dealing with large-scale terrorism (notably, my old home town; my new city has and will again be running drills, too), it’s frustrating to know that right now there’s nothing to be done to prevent an attack. Al Qaeda doesn’t care about Iraq, you know, any more than they cared about Afghanistan per se. They live in the twelfth century at best and want everyone else back there with them. They will continue their crimes against the modern world until the populations from which they have come are raised up 800 years. That’s not going to happen soon.

Sorry
William Safire takes aim at Kerry’s characterization of the Bush/Cheney re-election machine as “the most crooked . . . lying group I’ve ever seen” and shoots himself in the foot. I expect more from Mr. Safire than this kind of whinging. Kerry was not insulting “tens of millions” of Republicans, and to ask for or expect an apology is disingenuous at best. Mr. Safire would like his readers to believe this is macho posturing unbecoming a presidential candidate, but I suggest instead the column is more in line with this criticism: it is undignified, it is feeble, it is insulting. Mr. Safire should be ashamed for using the prestige of the NY Times in this fashion.

Gardening
When M. & I moved here, one of the principles we knew we would have to address was that in a place like Sydney there is no reason not to live somewhere with outdoor space. In NYC it had been one of my ambitions to have a balcony, but in the end I elected a fireplace instead, that being the opportunity having presented itself to me and balcony-equipped apartments being more expensive, less available, and pretty much impractical for some significant part of the year anyway. Because we are in a hot country, a fireplace seemed extraneous to our needs, although in winter we have now learned that Sydney may regard itself as tropically situated, but it is not; without direct sun it can get distinctly chilly, particularly indoors, where the delusion of proximity to the equator has led to a general lack of central heating. Because of Australia’s schizophrenic relationship with the sun over the years, there are many apartment blocks without balconies immediately adjacent to those fully equipped, just as there are many houses with great expanses of decking and glass right next to those with tiny windows that don’t look like they were ever meant to open. We opted for a balcony, which has led to a housekeeping effort I hadn’t really anticipated: plants. It’s a swell balcony. There’s room for a (little) table and four chairs, the air conditioning condenser units (attractively hidden away in a large, louvered box we had built for the purpose), and a few plants. It turns out, however, that plants need light, and if they’re on our balcony, they have to be raised about three feet off the ground in order to get any. Ours is an enclosed balcony; not the kind that’s stuck on the outside of the building like a fire escape with no ladder, but a corner of a room, with one window facing south and one facing east. This has the advantage of being an outdoor space that’s quite cool in summer, but it isn’t particularly good for keeping plants, not to mention the prevailing winds here appear to be from the south, so it sweeps through the balcony quite steadily. One of our lovely plants is a yucca, a desert plant that can grow quite tall, but which is characterized by a stout trunk a few inches in diameter surmounted by a brush of long spiky leaves. It catches the wind beautifully, and if it was a sailboat it would have been in New Zealand ages ago. Instead, it falls over frequently, and we come home to have to reset it in its pot. I tried tying it to the rail, but that didn’t help as much as we thought it would. So this weekend’s major activity was spent in finding a new pot, some dirt, and repotting the yucca. Luckily, this activity afforded an excellent excuse to sit out on the balcony in the wind enjoying the satisfaction of a job well done along with a cold beer. I’m beginning to think we should have gotten a place with a yard, but it’s difficult to balance in my mind the extended need for gardening with the prospect of drinking more beer. I should probably give up the exercise. If you’re coming over, bring a six-pack.

Spain
I’m very sorry for all the murdered Spaniards and their families, and I hope the new government there will do everything in their power to care for them and to ensure no such event recurs. I hope the French and the Germans, among others, take preventive measures and that the kind of cooperation called for in the U.S. creation of a Department of Homeland Security, intended to ensure that intelligence and law enforcement were aligned and communicating (but also that it should be more effective than we’ve seen so far), and that such efforts can be accomplished internationally, because we’re all on the list, and we need to do something about it. The second war on Iraq is not an example of the best method for running a war on terrorism. The Cold War is probably the most useful model in ending this threat, but without any of the self-interested back-biting and shameful illegalities that went on during that period. Non-state organizations cannot be fought effectively with the methods of conventional warfare. The tools can be used – helicopters, cruise missiles, etc. – but they need to be employed differently than we’ve seen in Iraq. Afghanistan was an exception to this, as the government there elected to be entirely complicit in the goals of the new international terrorism; potentially other nations would fall into this error, in which case the option for open war remains. Nevertheless, we face a situation more akin to that of the days of pirates and the need for the international community to enforce peace in the shipping lanes: small bands of rogues who need to be tracked and stopped wherever they can be found. This can be done without having to resort to extralegal methods, although I won’t cry over any missed opportunities to put terrorists in a court of law. Countries like Pakistan, who claim to be allies and yet are acting against international interests, or Syria, who implausibly deny supporting terrorists, these are nations that need to be brought into compliance with the goals of a broader community than they presently serve (themselves). We have methods for doing this that were effective in the Cold War, too, such as international sanctions on the one hand and foreign aid on the other. There is much to give and to take away without having to force coups or drop bombs. We find ourselves at a kind of evolutionary crossroads: Neanderthal set against Cro Magnon yet again. The new species won because of its intelligence. It’s time to use ours.