Saturday, June 24, 2006
APPOINTMENTS PHILLED
Phillip Adams is outraged by a handful of conservative appointments to government bodies. But, as Labor’s Barry Cohen points out, Adams himself is an argument for right-wing appointees:
I wonder whether Phillip would have been appointed to the Powerhouse Museum, the Adelaide Festival, the National Museum of Australia, Centenary of Federation, the National Australia Day Council, the Commission for the Future, the Victorian Arts Council, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation and the Film, Radio and Television Board if he had been a life-long supporter of a right-wing political party? I doubt it.
Labor sure looked after their boy. Adams was also appointed chairman of the Australian Film Commission, and is a self-appointed member of the Plastic Turkey League. Closing line from Cohen:
Oh, by the way, Phillip, of course the ABC has a left-wing bias. Why the hell do you think we love it?
PERSONALLY, I HOPE TO NEVER MEET “THE PAIN TEAM”
Blogger David Tiley describes, with impressive lucidity, post-surgical episodes following his bowel resection and heart attack. His visitors included a friendly corner-dwelling bear (hallucination) and The Pain Team (real).
LEFT CAN’T WRITE
New Republic owner Martin Peretz on Daily Kos:
Forgive me. But I never read Daily Kos until today. Well, now that I’ve read it, the first thought that came to me is how illiterate Kos is, just plain illiterate.
Illiteracy is a persistent problem for the revolutionary leftoid movement. Via LGF, which also carries celebrity diet news:
Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan announced Wednesday that she plans to begin an “open-ended hunger strike” on July 4 to urge the Bush administration to bring troops home from Iraq.
Friday, June 23, 2006
WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?
Charles Krauthammer is right. We rule.
UPDATE. Daniel San:
I was born in England, but my family moved to Australia when I was three years old. Let me state , for the record, how eternally grateful I am that I didn’t have to grow up in England. For the English are a miserable race. And I have a lovely piece of paper that says I’m no longer one of them. I freakin’ love this country.
AVAILABLE TIME SHRINKING
Australian scientist Tim Flannery said the world still had “one to two decades” to take action to reduce global warming.
Gore says people have only five to 10 years to avert cataclysmic disasters, one thousand times worse than the terror of September 11—and all directly due to global warming.
TOMORROW’S NEWS TODAY
The story list for tomorrow’s Age … featuring ten soccer pieces from nine Melbourne-based reporters:
FED SQR:The Croatians had the first roar. As they saw their first goal — the game’s first goal — cries rang out from their small encircled enclaves in the great crush of green and gold. A mother and her children, all decked out in red and white checks, chanted in triumph: “Mir Hrvati! Mir Hrvati!” (We Croatians!) Others, who had come armed with more than just their voices, hurled celebratory plastic bottles, rolls of unfurling loo paper and hot pink phosphorescent flares at the big screen in Federation square. This was their moment. Socceroos fans nearby were less than generous in allowing it to them. “Bullshit! Bullshit! Bullshit!” some of them jeered in unison.(KISSANE)
FED SQR 2: UP TO 14 people will be charged for offences relating to lighting or possessing flares following World Cup celebrations in Melb. They are expected to receive summonses to appear in court and face fines of up to $1000.(COOKE)
FED SQR 3: Voices from the square. male and female, different walks, what was their comment on the match (win lose or draw) about 8 good ones would suffice. (COOKE/pix)
CROATIAN HALL:Festive mood with 400 Melbourne Croatians at Croatian Hall in Footscray. Most of the young crowd had been born in Aus but strongly identified as Croatian. This meant they couldn’t lose — they wanted Aus and Croatia to win. (WEBB/pix)
TELSTRA: Soccer fever invaded one of the bastions of AFL football yesterday as hundreds of delirious fans celebrated Australia’s win against Croatia at Telstra Dome. The Locker Room bar, where the World Cup game was telecast live on a large screen, exploded in celebrations at the end of a nerve-racking 90 minutes of soccer.(SHTARGOT)
LYGON ST: While the “oi, oi, oi’s” were still ringing out at Fed Sqr, some Socceroo fans made a beeline for Lygon St to book a spot for the next clash with Italy. With around 1million of Vic’s pop of Italian origin, every Italian- Aussie will be a winner whatever way the games goes.(EDWARDS)
MERCHANDISE:Rebel has sold tens of thousands of scarves, jumpers, balls and t- shirts — not to mention more than 5000 pairs of lucky undies(RUMBLE)
VOXPOP:quizzing famous Italian Australians about where their loyalties lie ahead of Monday night’s huge clash. Talked to Bettina Liano, Olimpia Bortolotto - owner and head chef Cecconis restaurant Melbourne, Stefano the restaurateur, Connie Pagliantiti - President Carlton Business Assoc, Stephen Silvagni.(KINSELLA)
SBS:SBS TV estimates that it wd have had about 2.5m viewers last night - an SBS record - SBS expects that to be eclipsed next Monday night for Italy Vs Australia. SBS averaged 1m viewers on each night of the Ashes.(KINSELLA)
NATIONAL PSYCHE:impact on Australia’s national psyche when a national sporting team does so well; getting psychologists to talk about this phenomenon; and what about the let down when we get knocked out?(RUMBLE/MEDEW)
And that’s before we get to the sports pages.
(Via a Spencer Street spy)
Thursday, June 22, 2006
WHAT WOULD MARKETS KNOW
Reader Jack H. writes:
If the debate on global warming and rising sea levels is over, shouldn’t properties like these be selling at a massive discount?
MIAMI HEAT
Seven arrested in Miami on terrorism charges.
WORLD CUP OPEN THREAD
Not awake for this morning’s Australia v Croatia match. Coverage over to you in comments.
FEAR OF WARMTH
Dennis Prager asks:
Observers of contemporary society will surely have noted that a liberal is far more likely to fear global warming than a conservative. Why is this?
Because liberals are stupid. Well, that’s only one theory.
UPDATE. Jonathan David Morris has advice for warming-frightened Al Gore:
I think An Inconvenient Truth is a convenient starting point for changing hearts and minds on the global warming issue. But in order to truly make a difference, I believe it needs some sort of marketing tie-in. People need to know this problem hits close to home. And they need to know it transcends mere politics. They need a reason to cross partisan boundaries—a reason to unite on the steps of Capitol Hill and hold hands and sing the Pledge of Allegiance and/or We Shall Overcome.
Only one thing can compel people to act this way. And that one thing is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s baby, Shiloh.
In order to stop global warming, Al Gore has to threaten to kill that baby.
Hmm. Maybe a little extreme. Gore could possibly achieve some advances merely by threatening to injure the Pitt/Jolie infant. Also too extreme is Jim Hansen in the New York Review of Books:
How much will sea level rise with five degrees of global warming? Here too, our best information comes from the Earth’s history. The last time that the Earth was five degrees warmer was three million years ago, when sea level was about eighty feet higher.
Eighty feet! In that case, the United States would lose most East Coast cities: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Miami; indeed, practically the entire state of Florida would be under water. Fifty million people in the US live below that sea level. Other places would fare worse. China would have 250 million displaced persons. Bangladesh would produce 120 million refugees, practically the entire nation. India would lose the land of 150 million people.
Shiloh will surely be drowned!
NICKY BARR
Wing commander Andrew William “Nicky” Barr died recently aged 90. A brilliant WWII pilot, although equipped with aircraft he believed inadequate, Barr once offered this tactical advice:
The Tomahawk and Kittyhawk were not considered by us to be top fighter aircraft.
I decided early on that any deficiency either type had could be offset by unbridled aggression. I had done some boxing, and had beaten better opponents by simply going for them, and I decided to use this tactic in the air. It paid off.
Read the whole thing. Nicky Barr is a hero.
HEADLINE OF THE WEEK
News.com.au reports:
Lack of sex blamed for low birth rate
“A” IS FOR ALLAH
Children learn a great many things at Laskhar-e-Taiba junior jihadi school:
YOUNG BOY: I am a soldier of Khalif Farouq-e-Azam and Siddique-e-Akbar. Allah is great. Allah is great. Allah is great. Allah is great. We are the Suns of Truth, the Stars of Greatness. Our hearts are speaking the Koran. We are the awakening destiny of the world.
Impressive and innovative teaching techniques abound:
TEACHER: Die ... for ... Allah.
CHILDREN: (repeating) Die ... for ... Allah.
Some lessons are even presented in English:
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL ABDUL HADI: Do for Allah.
CHILDREN: Do for Allah. Do for Allah. Do for Allah. Do for Allah. Do for Allah. Do ... for ... Allah. Do ... for ... Allah. Die ... for ... Allah. Die ... for ... Allah. Die for Allah. Die for Allah. Give for Allah. Die for Allah. Obey for Allah. Give for Allah. Pray for Allah.
Obviously a science class.
(Via Ganesh Sahathevan)
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
UNUSUAL ANIMALS ARRIVE
ABC News (US) wants to know about the ruin visited upon you by global warming:
Witnessing the impact of global warming in your life?
ABC News wants to hear from you. We’re currently producing a report on the increasing changes in our physical environment, and are looking for interesting examples of people coping with the differences in their daily lives. Has your life been directly affected by global warming?
We want to hear and see your stories. Have you noticed changes in your own backyard or hometown? The differences can be large or small — altered blooming schedules, unusual animals that have arrived in your community, higher water levels encroaching on your property.
Please, do go and tell them about the “unusual animals” in your community and the swamping tide that’s wrecking your Iowa commute.
(Via Art Vandelay)
JANE’S MEDICATION
Diagnosed schizophrenic Jane tells of her battle with Al Gore Syndrome:
I suffered from a lot of anxiety. I was hearing voices, which is very common. I sort of believed that the end of the world was nigh and that I was responsible for saving it, if you like.
Jane’s medication kicked in before she entered the terminal phase, ie: making documentaries.
(Via J.F. Beck)