get it away, get it away...

There is a cockroach on my screen and it seems, on yours as well. Quick, get it off...

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I did practically nothing today.

government advertising... just spin

In an election year (the election date still to be announced), the amount of federal government advertising on television has been extraordinary.

From The Age (of 2 September)

Taken for a spin by messages ad nauseum

The Government spruiks its policies using the public purse, reports Jason Koutsoukis.

SBS advertising executive Sarah Keith observed last week that Canberra had become the pot of gold that no one in the industry had seen coming.

"August is traditionally not the best month in terms of bookings and revenue, but not this August," she said. "The Federal Government is our biggest client and it's putting a smile on the face of many people in the industry."

No wonder. Barely an ad break passes on TV without some spruiking of the Howard Government's brilliance on a range of policy fronts.

The ads are clean and simple. Nothing so crass as "Vote 1 John Howard", but still a less subtle attempt to reinforce the perception that his Government is doing good things for superannuation, national security, the "war on drugs" and workplace relations.

Such is the power of incumbency.

The way the High Court reads the law, the Commonwealth has virtually unlimited power to spend however much money it sees fit on information campaigns it deems to be in the public interest. Spending on advertising campaigns does not have to be approved by the Senate in the way other forms of appropriation do.

Yet the repeated use of taxpayer funds to promote government programs raise broader issues for voters as they ponder their choices for the next election.

Is the Federal Government misusing taxpayers' money to send a blatant party-political messages? And do the advertisements overstep the official guidelines, which say they should strictly inform taxpayers only of their "rights and responsibilities"?

And given the inherent cynicism that colours many a journalist's copybook, do government spin doctors have a point when they argue that taxpayers would never get a true understanding of how to access government programs if they relied only on media reports.

The rate of spending on advertisements increases in an election year. In the four months before the 1998 election, the Howard Government spent $32 million on advertising; before the 2001 election, it was about $78 million.

Before the 2004 election, that figure topped $100 million and about eight weeks away from the 2007 poll, the ad spend is threatening to surpass $200 million.
...

and also

PRIME Minister John Howard has spent nearly $2 billion on government advertising and information campaigns since coming to power 11 years ago.

A Sunday Age investigation has found that just weeks from calling an election, the Government has 18 advertising campaigns on the air, with a $23 million climate change campaign to air after this week's APEC conference.

The Sunday Age investigation has also shown that since the last election in 2004, Mr Howard has spent a record $850 million of taxpayers' money on government advertising. The Government disputes this figure. "It's probably closer to $400 million," said Peter Phelps, chief of staff to Special Minister of State Gary Nairn.

Spending this year is expected to peak at $200 million before Mr Howard calls the election. After that, the Government will be prevented from airing any communication campaigns because they could influence the election.

The record spending comes despite Mr Howard being elected on a pledge to cut it back.
...

And a great satirical piece from Mike Carlton in The Sydney Morning Herald (29 September)

A massive package of financial and practical aid for the struggling advertising industry will be a central theme of the Federal Government's campaign for re-election. Final figures have not been revealed, but the Prime Minister indicated yesterday it would take hundreds of millions of dollars to rescue advertising agencies from what he called "perhaps the worst of the many national emergencies we face".

The new money would be on top of the $213 million the Government spent on advertising in 2006 and the $1.42 billion outlaid since it came to power in 1996.

"This is not some election gimmick. We're already doing our utmost to help," Howard said. "The Government's multimedia advertising campaigns for our Work Choices policy, for climate change, keeping children safe on the internet and for becoming an Australian citizen have been a huge boost to the industry.

"But everywhere I travel around Australia I still find advertising people doing it tough. Account executives, copywriters and art directors are walking away from their desks, with nowhere to go but their Thredbo ski lodges or their Port Douglas holiday villas."

The Government will also offer more practical aid along the lines of the highly successful Work Choices campaign featuring the Workplace Authority executive director, Barbara Bennett.
...

Today, there was a counter-advertisement during the football grand final.



I like this other perspective of our current National Security campaign



I am also tired of watching useless government advertising.

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The AFL grand final was on today, so I watched that at home. The last two years, I didn't care much for the teams playing in the finals (Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles). However, this year I was gunning for Geelong Cats who really deserve the premiership and they thrashed Port Adelaide by 119 points (which is a huge margin). Woohoo!

This evening, Kim, Jordan and Liam came over for dinner. I made lamb rogan josh curry for dinner.

random footy pic

Jared (seven goals)
from round 17, 2007

I've been everywhere (man)

I've been everywhere is an old Australian song, which was a hit in the sixties for a number of recording artists. These were the Australian place names:

Tullamore, Seymour, Lismore, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Maroochydore, Kilmore, Murwillumbah, Birdsville, Emmaville, Wallaville, Cunnamulla, Condamine, Strathpine, Proserpine, Ulladulla, Darwin, Gin Gin, Deniliquin, Muckadilla, Wallumbilla, Boggabilla, Kumbarilla;

Moree, Taree, Jerilderie, Bambaroo, Toowoomba, Gunnedah, Caringbah, Woolloomooloo, Dalveen, Tamborine, Engadine, Jindabyne, Lithgow, Casino, Brigalow, Narromine, Megalong, Wyong, Tuggeranong, Wanganella, Morella, Augathella, Brindabella

Wollongong, Geelong, Kurrajong, Mullumbimby, Mittagong, Molong, Grong Grong, Goondiwindi, Yarra Yarra, Bouindarra, Wallangarra, Turramurra, Boggabri, Gundagai, Narrabri, Tibooburra, Gulgong, Adelong, Billabong, Cabramatta, Parramatta, Wangaratta, Coolangatta;

Ettalong, Dandenong, Woodenbong, Ballarat, Canberra, Milperra, Unanderra, Captains Flat, Cloncurry, River Murray, Kurri Kurri, Girraween, Terrigal, Fingal, Stockinbingal, Collaroy, Narrabeen, Bendigo, Dorrigo, Bangalow, Indooroopilly, Kirribilli, Yeerongpilly, Wollondilly.

I haven't been everywhere, but I have been to or passed through the places, underlined above. Not bad hey?

*******************
What a week at work. Woohoo, we have a long weekend.

childrens do learn

From Reuters and widely reported

"Childrens do learn," Bush tells school kids

Wed Sep 26, 2007 1:46pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Offering a grammar lesson guaranteed to make any English teacher cringe, President George W. Bush told a group of New York school kids on Wednesday: "Childrens do learn."

Bush made his latest grammatical slip-up at a made-for-TV event where he urged Congress to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, the centerpiece of his education policy, as he touted a new national report card on improved test scores.

The event drew New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plus teachers and about 20 fourth and fifth graders from P.S. 76.

During his first presidential campaign, Bush -- who promised to be the "education president" -- once asked: "Is our children learning?"

On Wednesday, Bush seemed to answer his own question with the same kind of grammatical twist.

"As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured," he said.

The White House opted to clean up Bush's diction in the official transcript.

Bush is no stranger to verbal gaffes. He often acknowledges he was no more than an average student in school and jokes about his habit of mangling the English language.

Just a day earlier, the White House inadvertently showed how it tries to prevent Bush from making even more slips of the tongue than he already does.

As Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, a marked-up draft of his speech briefly popped up on the U.N. Web site, complete with a phonetic pronunciation guide to get him past troublesome names of countries and world leaders.

President George W. Bush talks, surrounded by children from Public School 76, in New York, September 26, 2007.

If poor literacy didn't stop a mediocre student from becoming president of the United States, then it shouldn't stop anybody else . As long as they have a rich and powerful daddy. So why should we care that he sets a bad example?

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Happy Thursday

Special Olympics

The 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Shanghai, People's Republic of China, 2 - 11 October 2007.

I bet not many people even know about the Special Olympics World Summer Games. I didn't!

We all know about the summer and winter Olympics and even the Paralympics.

The Special Olympics (which is allowed to use the word 'Olympic' by the International Olympic Committee) is for competitors with intellectual and/or learning disabilities.

It has been held since 1968.

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Today was a busy day at work.

a saffron revolution

Burmese Buddhist monks peacefully demonstrating against the military junta.







An historical change is unfolding.

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What a day at work.

water spinach

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) is a leafy vegetable commonly used in Asian cuisine. It is also called swamp cabbage, water convolvulus, water morning-glory, kangkung (Malay), kangkong (Tagalog), tangkong (Cebuano), kang kung (Sinhalese), trawkoon (Khmer), pak boong (ผักบุ้ง Thai), rau muống (Vietnamese), kongxincai (空心菜 Mandarin Chinese), home sum choy (Hakka Chinese), or ong choy (蕹菜 Cantonese Chinese).

Every now and again I buy a bunch and cook it like spinach in a wok or fry pan until it wilts and add preserved bean curd.



The vegetable may not be available in some parts of the US, especially Florida and Texas, as it has been declared a weed.

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Tonight I am watching Spiderman 3 on DVD. I missed it at the cinema.

what is Big Bird's name?

For all these years, this character from Sesame Street has been known as 'Big Bird'.

Even the grouch is called Oscar and Big Bird's friend Mr Snuffleupagus has a first name, Aloysius.

What sort of a name is Big Bird?

I reckon he should be named Stuart.

***********************
I had a lazy day today, though did some more house cleaning. Oops, I forgot to mop the floor.

save Burma and Zimbabwe

Surely Burma and Zimbabwe must have oil. Perhaps those regimes are developing weapons of mass destruction.

****************
Today I did some house cleaning (still need to do some more) and even cleaned the bathroom. Then I started making pea and ham soup.

Devi came over with her electric hedge trimmer and trimmed the hedge by the drive way. She earnt her supper of pea and ham soup and a strawberry dessert.

We watched the season three finale of the new Doctor Who.

our football is the oldest...

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the first 'recorded' game of Australian Rules football. Actually our game has a history even older than that, based on Marn Grook, which was played by early indigenous Australians. From The Age

Aussie rules kicked off by Aborigines

Detail from an etching of Aborigines playing 'kick-to-kick' near Mildura, made by scientist William Blandowski in 1857.
Photo: Museum Victoria

September 21, 2007 - 2:33PM

An etching of Aborigines playing "kick-to-kick" near Mildura could be the first record of Australian football, experts say.

The black-and-white image, created from Victorian scientist William Blandowski's 1857 observations, precedes Australia's first known game of football - a match between Scotch College and Melbourne Grammar in 1858.

Dr Patrick Greene, Museum Victoria's chief executive, was thrilled with the historic find, which could ignite debate on Australian Rules Football's origins.

"We're suggesting this could be the first image of football in Australia," Dr Greene said.

"We're encouraging debate on this and if anyone can come up with earlier images."

The etching, created by German artist Gustav Mutzel in 1862, was unearthed recently during research for a Blandowski exhibition in Mildura.

It is believed Blandowski took his observations back home to Germany where he instructed Mutzel to etch the Aborigines playing football.

Blandowski returned to Europe after falling out with his Victorian colleagues, the museum confirmed.

"This is a remarkable image and we at the museum are delighted to be able to publicise its discovery," Dr Greene said.

"If what we are seeing is indeed an Australian 'football' game, involving both marking and kicking, then this image may be the earliest yet known."

Blandowski's 1857 notes describe a game played by the Yerre Yerre people near Merbein in Victoria's north-west.

"The ball is made out of typha roots - it is not thrown or hit with a bat but it is kicked up in the air with the foot," Blandowski wrote.

"Aim of the game: never let the ball touch the ground."

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane said Tom Wills, who was influential in establishing the rules of Australian football, spent time with an Aboriginal community who played Marn Gook [sic], a game similar to football.

"The Aborigines played a sport that had elements we use in AFL," Mr Keane said.

"We have acknowledged their game (Marn Gook [sic]) in our history."

The picture is on exhibition at the Mildura Arts Centre until November 21.

AAP

Now if only the rest of the world had taken it up.

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Ah, what a strange week at work. The longer the election announcement is delayed, the stranger it will get.

burgle or burglarize

I've always found Americanisms to be peculiar and wondered why they say burglarize instead of burgle. Thanks to WordWatch, this is the answer

...What’s odd is that it looks – to users of both British and Australian English – to be unnecessary.

However, it seems as though the Americans may have beaten us to the punch on this one.

The history is this:

“Burglar” is an old term from legal Latin, in use in English from the 13th century.

But for centuries it was a noun that didn’t have a verb.

The “burglar” broke in to steal, but there wasn’t a single word to name what he did.

Until, that is, the late 19th century. In 1872 the verb “to burgle” first appeared in English, and that’s the word most familiar to us today.

But a year earlier, in 1871, the Americans got tired of waiting for the English to coin a verb and they coined their own: “burglarize.”

It may seem odd, but it was first.

So there you have it. Still, it sounds tidier to say it with two syllables instead of three.

***********************
Bring on the election.

Happy 25th birthday :-)

The smiley face made by using the colon, dash and close bracket was first used by Scott E. Fahlman on 19 September 1982. Now everybody uses it! From Associated Press

Digital 'Smiley Face' Turns 25

By DANIEL LOVERING –

PITTSBURGH (AP) — It was a serious contribution to the electronic lexicon. :-) Twenty-five years ago, Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman says, he was the first to use three keystrokes — a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis — as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message.

To mark the anniversary Wednesday, Fahlman and his colleagues are starting an annual student contest for innovation in technology-assisted, person-to-person communication. The Smiley Award, sponsored by Yahoo Inc., carries a $500 cash prize.

Language experts say the smiley face and other emotional icons, known as emoticons, have given people a concise way in e-mail and other electronic messages of expressing sentiments that otherwise would be difficult to detect.

Fahlman posted the emoticon in a message to an online electronic bulletin board at 11:44 a.m. on Sept. 19, 1982, during a discussion about the limits of online humor and how to denote comments meant to be taken lightly.

"I propose the following character sequence for joke markers: :-)," wrote Fahlman. "Read it sideways."

The suggestion gave computer users a way to convey humor or positive feelings with a smile — or the opposite sentiments by reversing the parenthesis to form a frown.

Carnegie Mellon said Fahlman's smileys spread from its campus to other universities, then businesses and eventually around the world as the Internet gained popularity.

Computer science and linguistics professors contacted by The Associated Press said they were unaware of who first used the symbol.

"I've never seen any hard evidence that the :-) sequence was in use before my original post, and I've never run into anyone who actually claims to have invented it before I did," Fahlman wrote on the university's Web page dedicated to the smiley face. "But it's always possible that someone else had the same idea — it's a simple and obvious idea, after all."

Variations, such as the "wink" that uses a semicolon, emerged later. And today people can hardly imagine using computer chat programs that don't translate keystrokes into colorful graphics, said Ryan Stansifer, a computer science professor at the Florida Institute of Technology.

"Now we have so much power, we don't settle for a colon-dash-paren," he said. "You want the smiley face, so all these chatting softwares have to have them."

Instant messaging programs often contain an array of faces intended to express emotions ranging from surprise to affection to embarrassment.

"It has been fascinating to watch this phenomenon grow from a little message I tossed off in 10 minutes to something that has spread all around the world," Fahlman was quoted as saying in a university statement. "I sometimes wonder how many millions of people have typed these characters, and how many have turned their heads to one side to view a smiley, in the 25 years since this all started."

Amy Weinberg, a University of Maryland linguist and computer scientist, said emoticons such as the smiley were "definitely creeping into the way, both in business and academia, people communicate."

"In terms of things that language processing does, you have to take them into account," she said. "If you're doing almost anything ... and you have a sentence that says 'I love my boss' and then there's a smiley face, you better not take that seriously."

Emoticons reflect the likely original purpose of language — to enable people to express emotion, said Clifford Nass, a professor of communications at Stanford University. The emotion behind a written sentence may be hard to discern because emotion is often conveyed through tone of voice, he said.

"What emoticons do is essentially provide a mechanism to transmit emotion when you don't have the voice," Nass said.

In some ways, he added, they also give people "the ability not to think as hard about the words they're using."

Stansifer said the emoticon was part of a natural progression in communication.

"I don't think the smiley face was the beginning and the end," he said. "All people at all times take advantage of whatever means of communication they have."

On the Net:

• Carnegie Mellon University's smiley page: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/smiley/

Carnegie Mellon professor Scott E. Fahlman is shown in his home office on Monday, Sept. 17, 2007, in Pittsburgh. Twenty-five years ago, three keystrokes _ a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis _ were first used as a horizontal "smiley face" in a computer message by Fahlman, the university said. Fahlman posted the emoticon in a message to an online electronic bulletin board at 11:44 a.m. on Sept. 19, 1982. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

My only comment? :-)

******************************
Yawn. Just two more work days before the weekend.

Torture by Coldplay

Some people actually don't like Coldplay. I liked them way before they became popular but now only listen to them sparingly.

From Chris Cook in The Age Blogs

Torture by Coldplay

While travelling in Morocco by car, a relative unknowingly subjected me to one of the most awful experiences I can imagine - a Coldplay album.

I tried, I really tried, to listen and appreciate. To understand why other people like Mr Gwyneth Paltrow and his irritatingly atmospheric pals. To get my head around why it's so popular.

And I couldn't. I hate it. It's just so bland, one-dimensional and insipid. And to hear Chris Martin bleating and whining in that awful falsetto was akin to fingernails on a blackboard. The last time I felt that was when Alanis Morissette released Jagged Little Pill.

But that's not what gets me riled up so much. I like a lot of music that most people can't stand, and I'm OK with that. Music, for the most part, is subjective. I hate your music, you hate mine. Whatever. We move on.

But what really gets to me the most about Coldplay is that a band so average and unchallenging can be so popular and the subject of much unwarranted praise. It simply doesn't make sense.

I find myself repeatedly returning to a piece that Michael Dwyer wrote for EG last year in which he concluded that Coldplay are obscenely popular because they're so safe and bland:

"The unsettling fact was and remains that Coldplay are the monster rock'n'roll sensation the 21st century wants. They're sober, sensitive, safe, soothing and benign in a world that's mad, cruel, menacing, alarming and horrific.They're also at the vanguard of the progressive reduction of music from art into digital information, a comforting development in a modern consumer paradise eager to trade quality for control and convenience."

And I find it frightening. Coldplay's popularity reflects a consumer majority that's more concerned with safety and security than artistic challenge or creativity; a society that would rather elect the guy who'll keep their mortgage safe than the one who wants to make serious change on social issues. It seems that most people don't want music, or often lives, that are creative or challenging.

It's a feeling emphasised by an excerpt from a review of X&Y by Pop Culture Press:

"While sweeping numbers like Speed of Sound reach the pinnacles of timeless pop, X&Y mostly washes by in a bland mid-tempo blur and some of its slower ballads plumb the murky depths of banal self-indulgence. Martin's wallowing presence often bogs things down, his lyrics frequently recalling weepy 'woe is me' diary entries by a 13-year-old girl, cluttered with awkward couplets: 'Tears come streaming down your face/When you lose something you cannot replace,' he bleats on Fix You. This is what it sounds like when millionaires cry. On Swallowed in the Sea, Martin brags 'I could write a song a hundred miles long.' Oh no. X&Y consolidates Coldplay's status as a famously anti-corporate band who make paradigmatic corporate rock music: slick,inoffensive and self-absorbed; flawlessly executed, meticulously produced and ready for global export."

And that's it really. It's music for mass consumption and maximum profit, not art for art's sake.

Happily, however, it seems that a large number of people out there are just as incensed by Coldplay. According to the UK's Telegraph, if you Google "Coldplay" and "insufferable" there are about 9633 pages of comment, much of it highly abusive of the whining Brits.

But how many people are going to bother taking my little rant about Coldplay as a symbol of an apathetic society seriously? Probably very few, but at least I feel better for putting it out there. I'm happy to say it. I can't stand Coldplay.

In the interests of balance, you can find a piece from the Telegraph here that canvasses the for and against Coldplay arguments equally.

But for those who just prefer to take the piss, there's an anti-Coldplay myspace site, with a wonderful little spoof of that most awful of songs, Yellow. Click here.

Too much success can be a bad thing. My tip for the next big group is The Feeling. Get on board now while they are still relatively unknown.



********************
When I woke up this morning, I thought it was Wednesday. Not a good sign.

Taiwan still wants to join the UN

Taiwan is still trying to join the United Nations. From Taipei Times -

'UN Membership: Taiwan belongs in UN, experts say' (15 September 2007)

Taiwan's application for UN membership represents the political will to self-determination of all Taiwanese people, and the UN, the US and the international community should support the idea that the nation belongs in the UN, US academics said yesterday.

As Article 55 of the UN Charter stipulates that the organization respects self-determination of peoples and promotes human rights, the UN General Assembly and the Secretariat have no right to reject Taiwan's application, Jordan Paust, a law professor at the University of Houston, said in an address to a conference on Taiwan's UN application hosted by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy in Taipei yesterday.

"Taiwan functions as an independent state and it is time for Taiwanese self-determination to ripen into a far more widely recognized statehood status for Taiwan and membership in the United Nations," he said.

'Taiwan's statehood is undeniable' (17 August 2007)

One theory is that Taiwan is part of China. This is what the People's Republic of China (PRC) argues, citing history, the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Declaration, succession to the Republic of China (ROC), UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and that "Taiwan is an internal affair of China," to support its position.

Yet Beijing's argument fails the tests of both reality and international law, for the following reasons.

One, Taiwan has been fought over by foreigners for hundreds of years, while the Taiwanese have battled for their existence and self-governance. There have been the indigenous peoples and the Han Chinese, the Dutch and Spanish colonial empires competing over Taiwan, Cheng Cheng-kung's (鄭成功) family dynasty, the nominal rule of the Qing dynasty (which ceded Taiwan to Japan shortly after making it a province), the brief establishment of the Republic of Formosa, 50 years of Japanese colonial rule and the military occupation following World War II.

Taiwan has evolved into a sovereign and independent nation. Clearly, Taiwan has not been "an inseparable part of China since ancient times."

'The evolution of Taiwan's statehood' (9 August 2007)

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) sent an official letter of application for UN membership using the name "Taiwan" to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on July 19. However, Ban ignored realities and UN procedure and had the UN legal department return the letter.

The Chinese government fiercely opposes Taiwan's UN application on the grounds that Taiwan is not a country but only a part of China. Whether or not Taiwan is a state or a country will become a central topic for international political forces.

Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation, not a part of the People's Republic of China (PRC). It's status is therefore not an internal issue of China.

I don't think much of their chances. Is 'Taiwan' now claiming that their Republic of China never existed and which claimed to govern mainland China? History of their own making now comes back to haunt them.

When the Republic of China (on Taiwan) had the chance, they should have admitted defeat and recognised the communist regime on the mainland instead of continuing the 'civil war'. Then they should have declared Taiwan as an independent state at that time instead of the farcical 'one China' which continues to this day, and which Taiwan now pretends never existed.

They may carry on, and some of the Taiwanese and mainland Chinese diaspora may have some strong views, but the rest of the world has no interest in this matter.

Still, it is a fascinating case study in international relations.

********************************
I arrived at work this morning earlier than usual. After I arrived home from work, I fell asleep for an hour or so. Clearly I have my limits.

thirsty...

I wrote about bottled water on 17 April 2007 and how buying bottled water is very environmentally unsound.

New from Evian - 'the most important body of water is your own', enough to make you thirsty for bottled Evian water.









What I actually want is this cool looking water bottle.


Now for an interesting article from Fast Company magazine of July 2007 called 'Message in a Bottle '.

Worldwide, 1 billion people have no reliable source of drinking water; 3,000 children a day die from diseases caught from tainted water.

We pitch into landfills 38 billion water bottles a year -- in excess of $1 billion worth of plastic.

24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi.

I don't actually like the taste of Evian.

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I didn't do anything today either. What a 'do nothing' weekend. Sometimes they are the best. In the morning, I did visit Tim and Toni at the house around the corner, which they bought a few months ago. Even their adopted daughter Phrim let me carry her. Aside from that, nothing.

Paddington Bear tries Marmite

Paddington Bear, originally from 'darkest Peru' and who arrived at Paddington Station (in London) nearly fifty years ago with a sign on his duffle coat saying "Please look after this bear. Thank you." is famous for being a marmalade addict.

He has now decided to try Marmite. And he likes it.


DARK SIDE: Paddington tucks into Marmite sandwich in new TV advert



I like Marmite. It has a sweeter taste compared to Vegemite. I wonder if Paddington would try Vegemite.

*******************
I meant to clean the house today and do some gardening (weeding), but I didn't.

Bad me!

spiral staircase

The Guggenheim Museum in New York has a spiral ramp which is spectacular and winds around going up (or down). It isn't actually a staircase.


The Emirates Palace (hotel) in Abu Dhabi features an equally spectacular spiral staircase called the Wings Staircase


The Arc de triomphe in Paris also has a spiral staircase inside.


And this one is in the Vatican Museums.


***********************
Yawn... it has been a dull week at work. Thank goodness the weekend is here.

Ramadan

Today, I was talking to a colleague on the phone, who works in our Sydney office about a project which I am coordinating. Anyway, he mentioned Ramadan and that it would be a difficult time at work. It must be difficult as the rest of us eat and drink (but not alcohol at work) while our Muslim colleagues fast during daylight hours.

Here is an interesting article from the BBC - The trials of Ramadan fasting.

Even President Bush issued a Presidential Message, which was very nice of him.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 12, 2007

Presidential Message: Ramadan, 2007

September 7, 2007

I send greetings to Muslims observing Ramadan in America and around the world.

Ramadan, the holiest days of the Islamic faith, begins with the first light of dawn and commemorates the revelation of the Qur'an to the prophet Muhammad. During the days of fasting, prayer, and worship, Muslims reflect and remember their dependence on God. Ramadan is also an occasion for Muslims to strengthen family and community ties and share God's gifts with those in need.

America is a land of many faiths, and our society is enriched by our Muslim citizens. May the holy days of Ramadan remind us all to seek a culture of compassion and serve others in charity.

Laura and I send our best wishes. Ramadan Mubarak.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Not even having a drink of water must be very difficult and the challenge of staying focussed at work in the afternoon would be great.

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Tonight I managed to remember Ghost Whisperer on tv. I don't understand people who don't like Jennifer Love Hewitt.

pfft... Poland ruins a European Day

From

Poland blocks EU protest over death penalty

Ian Traynor in Brussels
Wednesday September 12, 2007
The Guardian

Poland is blocking a move by all other EU countries to inaugurate a continent-wide day of protest against the death penalty, with the conservative and staunchly Roman Catholic government in Warsaw arguing for parallel European condemnation of abortion and euthanasia.

Frantic efforts were under way behind the scenes yesterday to try to persuade the government of Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the prime minister, to end its opposition to making October 10 Europe's day against the death penalty.

Capital punishment is outlawed everywhere in the EU. All 26 EU countries, except Poland, support the proposal which was scheduled for agreement next week at a meeting of EU ministers.

The decision may need to be scrapped because of Poland's opposition which has exasperated many EU governments and added to the Kaczynski government's reputation as the most troublesome in the union.

The measure requires the support of all EU governments to be implemented.

The issue was to have been discussed by EU ambassadors in Brussels today but has been dropped because of the prospect of failure.

Instead ministers from Portugal, currently chairing the EU and hosting next week's meeting, were lobbying the Polish government yesterday to lift its veto.

While Poland observes the European ban on the death penalty, its president, Lech Kaczynski, the prime minister's twin brother, has called for a re-examination of the ban, while Roman Giertych, leader of a far-right party and, until recently, deputy prime minister, wants it to reintroduced for convicted paedophiles.

Richard Howitt, a Labour MEP and vice-president of the European parliament's human rights subcommittee, said Poland's position brought into question its commitment to European values. Any attempt by Warsaw to reintroduce the death penalty could see its EU membership frozen, he added.

"The Poles think it's very restrictive to talk only of the death penalty," said one source. "They want a discussion on a larger scope, on the right to life, on abortion, on euthanasia."

Polish officials confirmed their government's opposition.

"Our position is quite clear," said one official. "We want to discuss this in a broader context. Maybe we could call [the day] differently."

Jacek Holówska, a philosopher at Warsaw University, wrote:

In my opinion the protest against the European day against the death penalty was aimed at forcing the states of Western Europe to change their stance on abortion and euthanasia. This moral blackmail seems uncalled for. It exploits human life for political purposes. The government seems to be saying - although it won't admit it - that we would agree to ban the death penalty if abortion and euthanasia are banned at the same time... You can't seriously argue that the moral status of a foetus is equal to that of an adult person - although you can state that both were created by God. For agnostics and atheists this argument is irrelevant.

Moral blackmail it is. 26 EU member countries derailed by lone protester Poland which wants to push its own agenda unrelated to the original plan.

See also - European Union - policy and action on the death penalty

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Tonight's episode of The Chaser's War on Everything showed the clip of the Chaser's stunt at APEC. Check them on MySpace. Australian satire at its most extreme - no wonder our politicians hate them!