Advancing
The Australia Day long weekend is over, notable for some fine hot weather, if not for India wiping us out in cricket, a tennis grand slam with neither of the Williams sisters nor Roger Federer, and some Country-Western singer being named "Australian of the year". Nothing like a three-day weekend, with nothing to look forward to for the rest of the summer, and I never even made it to the beach or a movie. I confess to having some lamb, though.
24 January 2008
Competitive Edge
Pollution’s going to be a problem at the summer Olympics this year, and if I was going, I’d want to wear the mask, even during competition. I think we all know by now that Beijing’s air quality is terrible, and who trusts the Chinese government’s assertions about cleaning it up in seven months? Sure, limit traffic, shut down factories . . . whatever. Hell, I’d wear the mask just to watch, and indoors, too. Maybe China will do something positive about the environment instead of just getting all huffy.
Pollution’s going to be a problem at the summer Olympics this year, and if I was going, I’d want to wear the mask, even during competition. I think we all know by now that Beijing’s air quality is terrible, and who trusts the Chinese government’s assertions about cleaning it up in seven months? Sure, limit traffic, shut down factories . . . whatever. Hell, I’d wear the mask just to watch, and indoors, too. Maybe China will do something positive about the environment instead of just getting all huffy.
Parlous Publishing
It’s a news magazine, essentially, a Newsweek -type publication, but there are few enough Australian periodicals that the end of The Bulletin after 150 years is a shame. The internet isn’t nearly as much to blame, I wouldn’t think, than the content; otherwise, television would have killed it long ago (not to mention radio), traditionally blamed for loss of audience by the print media. To me, there seems to be room enough in the world, or even just Australia, for the continued viability, so perhaps subscriptions lagged because there wasn’t enough unique about what they offered, although it should be noted that the population here is small compared to a lot of other places, and the market is sustained on a very narrow basis.
It’s a news magazine, essentially, a Newsweek -type publication, but there are few enough Australian periodicals that the end of The Bulletin after 150 years is a shame. The internet isn’t nearly as much to blame, I wouldn’t think, than the content; otherwise, television would have killed it long ago (not to mention radio), traditionally blamed for loss of audience by the print media. To me, there seems to be room enough in the world, or even just Australia, for the continued viability, so perhaps subscriptions lagged because there wasn’t enough unique about what they offered, although it should be noted that the population here is small compared to a lot of other places, and the market is sustained on a very narrow basis.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
One of the categorical assertions you’ll inevitably encounter when objecting to the Iraq war is that “Bush never lied. You can’t prove it, so stop saying it.” While most of the candidates for President in opposition (now or then) to the war will avoid making the bald assertion that they were lied to, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and members of the administration did, in fact, lie, repeatedly, before and after the war, and now you can prove it. There’s even a search page. (Thanks, Metafilter.)
One of the categorical assertions you’ll inevitably encounter when objecting to the Iraq war is that “Bush never lied. You can’t prove it, so stop saying it.” While most of the candidates for President in opposition (now or then) to the war will avoid making the bald assertion that they were lied to, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and members of the administration did, in fact, lie, repeatedly, before and after the war, and now you can prove it. There’s even a search page. (Thanks, Metafilter.)
18 January 2008
Island of Lost Souls
Human-Animal embryos? That’s just wrong. England, a pioneering country against animal cruelty and vivisection, is going down a seriously dangerous path here. What would H.G. Wells say?
Human-Animal embryos? That’s just wrong. England, a pioneering country against animal cruelty and vivisection, is going down a seriously dangerous path here. What would H.G. Wells say?
17 January 2008
What?
Laurie Anderson has a piece where she tells an anecdote about an elderly couple, driving across the country, whose car horn gets stuck somehow along the way. After some miles, the wife says, “It’s like the sound of far-away bees on a summer day.” To which her husband replies, “What?”
We’ll leave the story there, I think, despite 5 days in the company of my parents, and go on to mention the new hearing test service being offered in Australia, Telscreen, which allows anyone to ring in on a toll-free number to get a diagnosis. Given the Walkman revolution and prevalence of iPods (and, judging from the way people speak into their mobile phones, I’d put that technology on the list, too), I expect this isn’t a service for the elderly alone. I know I’ve got trouble in loud environments, but then I had an eardrum burst when I was young, and spent a lot of time at rock concerts (but have since bought a pair of Hearos for the upcoming Died Pretty concert), so I may wait to try it out for a little while yet. Nice idea, but.
Laurie Anderson has a piece where she tells an anecdote about an elderly couple, driving across the country, whose car horn gets stuck somehow along the way. After some miles, the wife says, “It’s like the sound of far-away bees on a summer day.” To which her husband replies, “What?”
We’ll leave the story there, I think, despite 5 days in the company of my parents, and go on to mention the new hearing test service being offered in Australia, Telscreen, which allows anyone to ring in on a toll-free number to get a diagnosis. Given the Walkman revolution and prevalence of iPods (and, judging from the way people speak into their mobile phones, I’d put that technology on the list, too), I expect this isn’t a service for the elderly alone. I know I’ve got trouble in loud environments, but then I had an eardrum burst when I was young, and spent a lot of time at rock concerts (but have since bought a pair of Hearos for the upcoming Died Pretty concert), so I may wait to try it out for a little while yet. Nice idea, but.
Out for a Drive
For the Rupert fans. Can't say I've ever noticed an Annual at the newsagent's, or the cartoon on t.v., but somebody's a fan, I guess, although this ride is situated in the bleakest (and soon to shut) outlet shopping center in Sydney. Since some of the paint is worn away, I'd say it's more a case of purchasing steeply discounted merchandise.
For the Rupert fans. Can't say I've ever noticed an Annual at the newsagent's, or the cartoon on t.v., but somebody's a fan, I guess, although this ride is situated in the bleakest (and soon to shut) outlet shopping center in Sydney. Since some of the paint is worn away, I'd say it's more a case of purchasing steeply discounted merchandise.
16 January 2008
Ballot Initiative
My primary ballot has gone out and should arrive in time to be counted for “Super Tuesday.” I was intrigued to see that not all the candidates were present, and that the convention delegates were “committed” to either Clinton or Obama, with none listed for Edwards, Richardson, Kucinich, or Biden. Not that I think any of the latter three have a chance, and it’s looking a lot like Edwards will soon be done, too. My guess is that the Republicans will come down to Romney and Huckabee, maybe Giuliani, but McCain, for all his popular appeal, might just as well head off with Thompson and Paul now. What happens at the conventions thereafter is still hard to prognosticate, although I’ll happily vote for either the first female President or the first African-American against whatever GOP candidate ends up taking the nomination. If I have to guess, I’ll say it’ll be Romney. Huckabee may not be a Mormon, but he’s still a nut, with a bad Presidential name (too much like a bad movie, too), and Giuliani, in addition to being a bully with nothing to say that isn’t belligerent, is far too bald (although thank God he’s stopped with the comb-over).
My primary ballot has gone out and should arrive in time to be counted for “Super Tuesday.” I was intrigued to see that not all the candidates were present, and that the convention delegates were “committed” to either Clinton or Obama, with none listed for Edwards, Richardson, Kucinich, or Biden. Not that I think any of the latter three have a chance, and it’s looking a lot like Edwards will soon be done, too. My guess is that the Republicans will come down to Romney and Huckabee, maybe Giuliani, but McCain, for all his popular appeal, might just as well head off with Thompson and Paul now. What happens at the conventions thereafter is still hard to prognosticate, although I’ll happily vote for either the first female President or the first African-American against whatever GOP candidate ends up taking the nomination. If I have to guess, I’ll say it’ll be Romney. Huckabee may not be a Mormon, but he’s still a nut, with a bad Presidential name (too much like a bad movie, too), and Giuliani, in addition to being a bully with nothing to say that isn’t belligerent, is far too bald (although thank God he’s stopped with the comb-over).
Plenty for Everybody
The Japanese “research” whaling program is a farce: it’s all about food, and probably a substantial amount of it is pet food. Well, pet’s have to eat, too, I suppose. Still, the arguments put forward by Minoru Morimoto, Japan’s commissioner to the IWC, are largely just an attempt to recast the argument, making out Australia as irrational and out-of-step with a substantial international community, who all, quite reasonably, kill and eat marine mammals, including whales. Do Australians eat much dolphin? No more than Canadians are stuffing themselves silly with seal burgers. But what’s really getting up Morimoto’s nose is Australia’s insistence on claiming a 200-mile area of prime whale breeding grounds off Antarctica, and the High Court’s decision that any whaling by Japan in that zone would be a crime, albeit a crime without any recourse to justice, as well as the successful chase by Greenpeace of the Japanese fleet (and now the outcry over the hostages).
If Japan was honest about their intentions, then we might really be able to make progress towards an end to commercial whaling. Instead, they play Simpsons-esque tobacco giant games to ensure a steady demand and to drum up support for their fleet and activities, while claiming it’s all about the science. “We now know more about . . . whale biology than at any time in history”, Morimoto says, and I’m sure that’s true, as far as it goes, but what did we learn this year different from last year or in the last ten years that’s actually helpful to anyone, let alone helpful to whales themselves? That they’re delicious deep-fried? I think someone already worked that out, besides which, there are many other things also delicious prepared that way.
We’ve got a positive result in the High Court, and maybe we can translate that into something bigger. Meanwhile, Japan’s behavior gets more intransigent.
The Japanese “research” whaling program is a farce: it’s all about food, and probably a substantial amount of it is pet food. Well, pet’s have to eat, too, I suppose. Still, the arguments put forward by Minoru Morimoto, Japan’s commissioner to the IWC, are largely just an attempt to recast the argument, making out Australia as irrational and out-of-step with a substantial international community, who all, quite reasonably, kill and eat marine mammals, including whales. Do Australians eat much dolphin? No more than Canadians are stuffing themselves silly with seal burgers. But what’s really getting up Morimoto’s nose is Australia’s insistence on claiming a 200-mile area of prime whale breeding grounds off Antarctica, and the High Court’s decision that any whaling by Japan in that zone would be a crime, albeit a crime without any recourse to justice, as well as the successful chase by Greenpeace of the Japanese fleet (and now the outcry over the hostages).
If Japan was honest about their intentions, then we might really be able to make progress towards an end to commercial whaling. Instead, they play Simpsons-esque tobacco giant games to ensure a steady demand and to drum up support for their fleet and activities, while claiming it’s all about the science. “We now know more about . . . whale biology than at any time in history”, Morimoto says, and I’m sure that’s true, as far as it goes, but what did we learn this year different from last year or in the last ten years that’s actually helpful to anyone, let alone helpful to whales themselves? That they’re delicious deep-fried? I think someone already worked that out, besides which, there are many other things also delicious prepared that way.
We’ve got a positive result in the High Court, and maybe we can translate that into something bigger. Meanwhile, Japan’s behavior gets more intransigent.
09 January 2008
5 Years
Rounding out the ex-pat experience, I made the trip back to the States, making sure to experience the full range of U.S. culture, including domestic air travel, as noted earlier (although that was only the half of it). Christmas in Buffalo with the Counsellor, who’s the one with the kids, which makes all the difference, included snow on the ground, until global warming caught up and melted it all the next day.
Travelling down to North Carolina included a stop-over in D.C. for some federal entertainment: training drug-sniffing dogs. Well, why not? My flight was already delayed, so another fifteen minutes to watch the enthusiastic puppies sniff the agents planted around the terminal and jetway couldn’t hurt. Not that they asked anyone if we’d mind.
NC itself was sere. They’re having a bit of a drought there right now, so added to winter, pretty much only the golf courses show much green. The weather was disappointing only insofar as I had hoped for cold throughout my visit, so as to store it up against my return to high summer. (The humidity here even in the air conditioned airport was like a smack in the face.) Mom & Dad didn’t make a scene of my prodigal return, but their friends did. A little. We also made the traditional visit to a cinema for New Year’s Eve, and I can recommend Enchanted. It was very entertaining. I don’t know much about Amy Adams, but she was very good.
From a number of perspectives, the highlight of the trip was California, visiting my brother the chef and his wife the jazz musician, very notably the culinary experience. T.’s career has been varied, and I’d heard he was doing take-out lunches as “some sushi bar,” but that’s such an inaccurate gloss.
Oco Time, in Ukiah, deserves to be central to anyone’s experience of Nor Cal. It’s hella good, as the expression goes. This isn’t just sushi, this is Japanese dining at it’s very best. While Australians visiting the West Coast are likely to stick to Los Angeles and San Francisco, Ukiah is redwood country, only three hours north of SF, and worth a trip just for dinner.
While I didn’t think it would be possible to exceed the Oco Time experience, we made the trip down to SF and hit The Slanted Door for Vietnamese food. That’s an inaccurate description, too. Calling this food simply “Vietnamese” pigeonholes it. It’s far more. While I’m sure SF is full of many wonderful restaurants, this one made me think I’ve either got to either move back to the States or import my brother to start something like it (or Oco Time) here. There must be restaurants like this in Sydney, and I’ve been to some that are close, but, well, wow.
As much fun as I had, and as pleasant as it is to travel on two passports (like Jason Bourne), the flights were gritty. I’ll do it all differently next time, probably in three years, when the Counsellor’s two youngest have their respective university and high school graduations, approximately, and with less hopping around, although the flight delays coming in helped me adjust from jet lag and leaving from California provided a relatively minimal return folded into coach. For now, if the weather clears, it’s time to get back some of the vitamin D I left in the northern hemisphere’s winter.
Rounding out the ex-pat experience, I made the trip back to the States, making sure to experience the full range of U.S. culture, including domestic air travel, as noted earlier (although that was only the half of it). Christmas in Buffalo with the Counsellor, who’s the one with the kids, which makes all the difference, included snow on the ground, until global warming caught up and melted it all the next day.
Travelling down to North Carolina included a stop-over in D.C. for some federal entertainment: training drug-sniffing dogs. Well, why not? My flight was already delayed, so another fifteen minutes to watch the enthusiastic puppies sniff the agents planted around the terminal and jetway couldn’t hurt. Not that they asked anyone if we’d mind.
NC itself was sere. They’re having a bit of a drought there right now, so added to winter, pretty much only the golf courses show much green. The weather was disappointing only insofar as I had hoped for cold throughout my visit, so as to store it up against my return to high summer. (The humidity here even in the air conditioned airport was like a smack in the face.) Mom & Dad didn’t make a scene of my prodigal return, but their friends did. A little. We also made the traditional visit to a cinema for New Year’s Eve, and I can recommend Enchanted. It was very entertaining. I don’t know much about Amy Adams, but she was very good.
From a number of perspectives, the highlight of the trip was California, visiting my brother the chef and his wife the jazz musician, very notably the culinary experience. T.’s career has been varied, and I’d heard he was doing take-out lunches as “some sushi bar,” but that’s such an inaccurate gloss.
Oco Time, in Ukiah, deserves to be central to anyone’s experience of Nor Cal. It’s hella good, as the expression goes. This isn’t just sushi, this is Japanese dining at it’s very best. While Australians visiting the West Coast are likely to stick to Los Angeles and San Francisco, Ukiah is redwood country, only three hours north of SF, and worth a trip just for dinner.
While I didn’t think it would be possible to exceed the Oco Time experience, we made the trip down to SF and hit The Slanted Door for Vietnamese food. That’s an inaccurate description, too. Calling this food simply “Vietnamese” pigeonholes it. It’s far more. While I’m sure SF is full of many wonderful restaurants, this one made me think I’ve either got to either move back to the States or import my brother to start something like it (or Oco Time) here. There must be restaurants like this in Sydney, and I’ve been to some that are close, but, well, wow.
As much fun as I had, and as pleasant as it is to travel on two passports (like Jason Bourne), the flights were gritty. I’ll do it all differently next time, probably in three years, when the Counsellor’s two youngest have their respective university and high school graduations, approximately, and with less hopping around, although the flight delays coming in helped me adjust from jet lag and leaving from California provided a relatively minimal return folded into coach. For now, if the weather clears, it’s time to get back some of the vitamin D I left in the northern hemisphere’s winter.
24 December 2007
Blues Bros. Blues
Stuck in Chicago. United Airlines' incompetence leaving Sydney got me into SFO forty minutes late, which meant my luggage couldn't be rechecked. Which meant I couldn't board the plane either. So they put me up in the cheapest dive hotel as far from anything they could find, which I left at 5 a.m. for the connection, originally to D.C., but rebooked to Chicago. Which meant getting caught in the bad weather here. Now, if they'd just said at 7 that there wasn't going to be a shot, I'd have tried for Amtrak, but the just kept leading me on and on, until here I am in another hotel, but this time, mostly at my own expense. Never United again. Never Christmas, either, at least not if it means connecting through Chicago.
Stuck in Chicago. United Airlines' incompetence leaving Sydney got me into SFO forty minutes late, which meant my luggage couldn't be rechecked. Which meant I couldn't board the plane either. So they put me up in the cheapest dive hotel as far from anything they could find, which I left at 5 a.m. for the connection, originally to D.C., but rebooked to Chicago. Which meant getting caught in the bad weather here. Now, if they'd just said at 7 that there wasn't going to be a shot, I'd have tried for Amtrak, but the just kept leading me on and on, until here I am in another hotel, but this time, mostly at my own expense. Never United again. Never Christmas, either, at least not if it means connecting through Chicago.
21 December 2007
Security Jet Lag
As anyone who spends any time on the internet can tell you, airport security is a joke. X-raying carry-on luggage doesn’t help. Taking off our shoes doesn’t help. Confiscating 13 million disposable lighters doesn’t help. So why are we doing it? I’m about to board an international flight for the first time in five years. Most of the security restrictions we hear about have been implemented in that time. In addition to the twenty hours I’ll spend in the air just getting to my destination, add hours at the airport just for the initial boarding, and hours for the layovers. I still arrive the same day I leave, which is a nice bit of Einsteinian physics, but I used to be able to arrive before I left, whereas now it’ll take an extra eight hours. And I forgot to get those dried cherries.
As anyone who spends any time on the internet can tell you, airport security is a joke. X-raying carry-on luggage doesn’t help. Taking off our shoes doesn’t help. Confiscating 13 million disposable lighters doesn’t help. So why are we doing it? I’m about to board an international flight for the first time in five years. Most of the security restrictions we hear about have been implemented in that time. In addition to the twenty hours I’ll spend in the air just getting to my destination, add hours at the airport just for the initial boarding, and hours for the layovers. I still arrive the same day I leave, which is a nice bit of Einsteinian physics, but I used to be able to arrive before I left, whereas now it’ll take an extra eight hours. And I forgot to get those dried cherries.
20 December 2007
There’s a Movie About This
Make that a lot of movies: Japanese government believes in UFO’s. No reports on Mechagodzilla, though.
Make that a lot of movies: Japanese government believes in UFO’s. No reports on Mechagodzilla, though.
Apologies, but no Excuses
CNN and others can’t excuse Osama/Obama errors. They are inexcusable among people who claim to be professionals. Wolf Blitzer and every other idiot who makes this on-air error, as well as every technician in charge of composing the on-screen banners and tags and hearing-impaired transcriptions similarly serially screwing up, ought to be fired. They are incompetent and dangerously insulting.
CNN and others can’t excuse Osama/Obama errors. They are inexcusable among people who claim to be professionals. Wolf Blitzer and every other idiot who makes this on-air error, as well as every technician in charge of composing the on-screen banners and tags and hearing-impaired transcriptions similarly serially screwing up, ought to be fired. They are incompetent and dangerously insulting.
17 December 2007
Warming Up
Over in Bali, the latest round of climate-change talks have been getting essentially nowhere. It’s nice we’ve got an agreement to have more talks, in 2009, but really it’s no more than agreements-in-principle. Still, I’m happy enough that Australia has pulled its head out and signed on to reduce its emissions. But the best moment has to have been when the U.S. delegation got called on its continued intransigence: “Lead or get out of the way!” Maybe an email campaign directly to Bush on this and other issues?
Over in Bali, the latest round of climate-change talks have been getting essentially nowhere. It’s nice we’ve got an agreement to have more talks, in 2009, but really it’s no more than agreements-in-principle. Still, I’m happy enough that Australia has pulled its head out and signed on to reduce its emissions. But the best moment has to have been when the U.S. delegation got called on its continued intransigence: “Lead or get out of the way!” Maybe an email campaign directly to Bush on this and other issues?
13 December 2007
Look for Me at the Duty Free
The problem I have with the various no-carry-on rules is that the airlines can now steal from their passengers. Swiss Army knife? Now it’s theirs. Litre of vodka? Well, there’s a way around that, if you don’t mind a little alcohol poisoning.
Yes, he had the liquor with him prior to the security screening, so he was, essentially, forewarned that liquids in excess of a set quantity were prohibited. Still, if they’re not going to make provision to return your personal items to you either at the other end of your flight or when you get back, how is it not stealing to confiscate whatever material they happen to find objectionable? I actually am a little concerned about this, since I fully expect to make use of my duty free allowance to bring in some nice whiskey on my trip to the States, but don’t know if (a) purchases made post-security can be carried on during the second, State-side leg of my trip, or if (b) the duty-free shop will be open at my terminus terminal. If (a) isn’t going to be allowed, how can legally purchased material be confiscated?
The problem I have with the various no-carry-on rules is that the airlines can now steal from their passengers. Swiss Army knife? Now it’s theirs. Litre of vodka? Well, there’s a way around that, if you don’t mind a little alcohol poisoning.
Yes, he had the liquor with him prior to the security screening, so he was, essentially, forewarned that liquids in excess of a set quantity were prohibited. Still, if they’re not going to make provision to return your personal items to you either at the other end of your flight or when you get back, how is it not stealing to confiscate whatever material they happen to find objectionable? I actually am a little concerned about this, since I fully expect to make use of my duty free allowance to bring in some nice whiskey on my trip to the States, but don’t know if (a) purchases made post-security can be carried on during the second, State-side leg of my trip, or if (b) the duty-free shop will be open at my terminus terminal. If (a) isn’t going to be allowed, how can legally purchased material be confiscated?
07 December 2007
R.U.R. Update
There’s my robot. My God, it even pours for you. Reminds me of someone (and not the obvious someone, either).
There’s my robot. My God, it even pours for you. Reminds me of someone (and not the obvious someone, either).
04 December 2007
Advances Australia
There are a panoply of Australian inventions that we can point to with great pride, chief among them the cochlear implant, Australian Rules Football, and Tim Tams. And now, a wash-and-wear wool suit.
There are a panoply of Australian inventions that we can point to with great pride, chief among them the cochlear implant, Australian Rules Football, and Tim Tams. And now, a wash-and-wear wool suit.
The Eye of the Beholder
If a bad self-image is a brain glitch, what about when someone really is ugly?
If a bad self-image is a brain glitch, what about when someone really is ugly?
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