Bulleted Bulletin
¨ Still outraged at the absence of a huge crisis in John Howard's Australia - and desperate for a new agendum to put on his now comedic never-never - the Prime Minister says he wants to pursue an Asia-Pacific Union by 2020. The idea builds on foreign policy emphases of the Hawke-Keating and Howard governments and is, of itself, unobjectionable and probably worthwhile. It does, though, demonstrate Mr Rudd's preference for grandiosity over bread and butter subjects. This could be seen as both tin-eared and a Big Picture distraction at a time when he and his government have been hammered over incompetent policy-rhetorical responses to fuel and food price rises. Alexander Downer is right about this "new" initiative.
¨ The government has also bungled the economic modelling of its Medicare reforms, has binned its election promise on medical and dental care for defence families and stands accused of wanting to keep 95 percent of the Howard government's workplace laws intact. As I suggested in a recent discussion at Jason Soon's, news stories on this government should now be accompanied by the Benny Hill theme.
¨ It isn't just Mark Steyn being harassed by the Canadian police state. Catholicism is also now a hate crime in the once great nation.
¨ Democrat Party presidential nominee-presumptive, Barack Obama, has been advised by fellow terrorist-appeaser, Jimmy Carter - the worst president in American history - that naming Hillary Clinton as his running mate "would be the worst mistake that could be made." Coming from the Commander-in-Chief of Operation Eagle Claw, that's advice probably worth taking. Senator Obama has appointed Jim Johnson and Caroline Kennedy (daughter of President Kennedy) to manage the search for a prospective Vice President.
¨ It's interesting that a Kennedy-heavy influence - and a Kennedy-Johnson ticket, as it were! - will be brought to bear on this. Apart from running the Veep-choosing process for the failed campaigns of Walter Mondale (1984) and John Kerry (2004) - hey, well done - Johnson has also served as chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Arts. Caroline Kennedy, for her part, has probably imbibed from family lore a thing or two about the conundrums of this ritual. Her father loathed the man he ended up being lumbered with in 1960 but it was thought a southern charmer and good ol' boy was a necessary counterbalance to a Catholic, Ivy League northerner. Whether Ms Kennedy's familial wisdom makes any difference remains to be seen. My guess - and it is just a guess: John Edwards for the Veep slot.
¨ World Environment Day (today) has produced the headline of the week: "Polar bear swims 300km, police shoot it." There were no tranquiliser guns available and Icelandic police decided that waiting the one hour needed to fetch some would unnecessarily endanger human life. Video here. Nice shooting. If greenies wish to expiate themselves of the guilt this may have created, they can take the UN's latest planet-saving advice and give up their electric tooth brushes.
¨ "The children range from babies to 18 years of age and they come from various countries." So said Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Mick Keelty, at a press conference to discuss a child pornography sting that has resulted in at least 90 offenders being charged. One of photographer Bill Henson's nude models was 13. Mr Keelty's terminology reminds us she was a child and thus not legally capable of informed consent. Why the "arts" community needs such a reminder, of course, remains a cultural and moral puzzle.
¨ Quite: Why does it take Bishop Nazir-Ali to tell us how it really is?
¨ Magnus Linklater in The Spectator has an interesting review of Hugh Trevor-Roper's last book, The Invention of Scotland. The late great historian was an arch-critic of the historical underpinnings of the Scottish independence movement. Linklater argues, persuasively, that Trevor-Roper's scepticism about certain cherished elements of Scottish mythology isn't original, is blind to the existence and cultural worth of English myths like the Round Table and is more than a little hypocritical. On that last point, Linklater begins his critique of the book's treatment of the Ossian Hoax thus: "It is the central three chapters of the book, however, that will divert students of the Trevor-Roper canon. For here, the man who authenticated the Hitler Diaries examines in scrupulous detail the perpetration of one of the greatest hoaxes of the 18th century..." As Glenn Reynolds would say, ouch!
¨ Via Paco, a story about a Good Frenchman. Hugues Eliard was driving beside a Normandy river 12 years ago and found something quite incredible. The industry and dedication expended to restore it to its former glory are exceedingly admirable. Well done, Monsieur.
¨ I enjoy Meghan McCain's campaign diary, McCain Blogette. (It's in the 'Elsewhere' section of the sidebar). Check out her latest, as she abandons her Dad the Senator and heads off to Graceland during a campaign trip to Memphis. I also think she's very cute.
¨ The itinerary for Pope Benedict's visit to Sydney has been released. He'll head straight to the Mary MacKillop memorial and chapel after arriving on 17 July. Speculation the foundress of the Josephites might be canonised during the visit is, of course, nonsense.
¨ The pontiff 's Italian head of security is visiting Sydney this week to finalise security arrangements. He is Dr Domenico Giani, Inspector General of the Corpo della Gendarmeria - the Vatican's security force - and the chief bodyguard of Pope Benedict XVI. Being a bodyguard with a doctorate is impressive, to be sure, but he has big shoes to fill. A wonderful article about his legendary predecessor here.
¨ The government has also bungled the economic modelling of its Medicare reforms, has binned its election promise on medical and dental care for defence families and stands accused of wanting to keep 95 percent of the Howard government's workplace laws intact. As I suggested in a recent discussion at Jason Soon's, news stories on this government should now be accompanied by the Benny Hill theme.
¨ It isn't just Mark Steyn being harassed by the Canadian police state. Catholicism is also now a hate crime in the once great nation.
¨ Democrat Party presidential nominee-presumptive, Barack Obama, has been advised by fellow terrorist-appeaser, Jimmy Carter - the worst president in American history - that naming Hillary Clinton as his running mate "would be the worst mistake that could be made." Coming from the Commander-in-Chief of Operation Eagle Claw, that's advice probably worth taking. Senator Obama has appointed Jim Johnson and Caroline Kennedy (daughter of President Kennedy) to manage the search for a prospective Vice President.
¨ It's interesting that a Kennedy-heavy influence - and a Kennedy-Johnson ticket, as it were! - will be brought to bear on this. Apart from running the Veep-choosing process for the failed campaigns of Walter Mondale (1984) and John Kerry (2004) - hey, well done - Johnson has also served as chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Arts. Caroline Kennedy, for her part, has probably imbibed from family lore a thing or two about the conundrums of this ritual. Her father loathed the man he ended up being lumbered with in 1960 but it was thought a southern charmer and good ol' boy was a necessary counterbalance to a Catholic, Ivy League northerner. Whether Ms Kennedy's familial wisdom makes any difference remains to be seen. My guess - and it is just a guess: John Edwards for the Veep slot.
¨ World Environment Day (today) has produced the headline of the week: "Polar bear swims 300km, police shoot it." There were no tranquiliser guns available and Icelandic police decided that waiting the one hour needed to fetch some would unnecessarily endanger human life. Video here. Nice shooting. If greenies wish to expiate themselves of the guilt this may have created, they can take the UN's latest planet-saving advice and give up their electric tooth brushes.
¨ "The children range from babies to 18 years of age and they come from various countries." So said Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, Mick Keelty, at a press conference to discuss a child pornography sting that has resulted in at least 90 offenders being charged. One of photographer Bill Henson's nude models was 13. Mr Keelty's terminology reminds us she was a child and thus not legally capable of informed consent. Why the "arts" community needs such a reminder, of course, remains a cultural and moral puzzle.
¨ Quite: Why does it take Bishop Nazir-Ali to tell us how it really is?
¨ Magnus Linklater in The Spectator has an interesting review of Hugh Trevor-Roper's last book, The Invention of Scotland. The late great historian was an arch-critic of the historical underpinnings of the Scottish independence movement. Linklater argues, persuasively, that Trevor-Roper's scepticism about certain cherished elements of Scottish mythology isn't original, is blind to the existence and cultural worth of English myths like the Round Table and is more than a little hypocritical. On that last point, Linklater begins his critique of the book's treatment of the Ossian Hoax thus: "It is the central three chapters of the book, however, that will divert students of the Trevor-Roper canon. For here, the man who authenticated the Hitler Diaries examines in scrupulous detail the perpetration of one of the greatest hoaxes of the 18th century..." As Glenn Reynolds would say, ouch!
¨ Via Paco, a story about a Good Frenchman. Hugues Eliard was driving beside a Normandy river 12 years ago and found something quite incredible. The industry and dedication expended to restore it to its former glory are exceedingly admirable. Well done, Monsieur.
¨ I enjoy Meghan McCain's campaign diary, McCain Blogette. (It's in the 'Elsewhere' section of the sidebar). Check out her latest, as she abandons her Dad the Senator and heads off to Graceland during a campaign trip to Memphis. I also think she's very cute.
¨ The itinerary for Pope Benedict's visit to Sydney has been released. He'll head straight to the Mary MacKillop memorial and chapel after arriving on 17 July. Speculation the foundress of the Josephites might be canonised during the visit is, of course, nonsense.
¨ The pontiff 's Italian head of security is visiting Sydney this week to finalise security arrangements. He is Dr Domenico Giani, Inspector General of the Corpo della Gendarmeria - the Vatican's security force - and the chief bodyguard of Pope Benedict XVI. Being a bodyguard with a doctorate is impressive, to be sure, but he has big shoes to fill. A wonderful article about his legendary predecessor here.
<< Home