I’d agree w/ much that Craig Emerson said in his speech today…but have plenty of questions. Later.

Emerson’s our local member. Seems to be a nice guy. Anyway. Time to relax.

Interview of the Vice President by Greg Sheridan, the Australian
Altitude Restaurant
Sydney, Australia

Q Sir, welcome to Australia. And thank you very much for making time to see me.

Q Of course, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about Iraq. But I wondered, sir, if I might start with Iran. And I’d like to ask you how dangerous for the world would a nuclear-armed Iran be?

Q And, sir, how far away from having nuclear weapons, do you think Iran is?

Q How bad is their interference in Iraq?

Q So would you share Senator McCain’s formulation that the only thing worse than a military confrontation with Iran is a nuclear-armed Iran?

Q Sir, on Iraq, what will success look like?

Q Sir, without providing the terrorists a date, do you have any sense of a time frame for when that might likely evolve, that situation?

Q Sir, Australia has been in Iraq and Afghanistan with the United States from the very beginning. But the troop numbers have been relatively small. Do you believe the Australian contribution has been meaningful — militarily meaningful in both those theaters?

Q Would it be a significant setback if all Australian combat troops were withdrawn from Iraq?

Q Sir, under President Bush and Prime Minister Howard, the U.S.-Australia alliance has become very close. There’s a new level of intelligence sharing and so forth. Have you been happy to participate in that process? Would you say the alliance is now closer than it was when President Bush came to office, closer than it’s been perhaps?

Q The new arrangements between Australia and the U.S. in areas like intelligence, do you think they’ll outlive President Bush and Prime Minister Howard? Do you think there’s a new institutional closeness between the two countries that will live on?

Q Sir, you’ve been Vice President a long time now —

Q Sir, are you concerned about the growth of anti-Americanism around the world, that this compromises the ability of free people to achieve the security ends that are necessary?

Q Sir, looking back now you would say the strategic calculus, it was right to mount the Iraq operation?

Q The benefits outweigh the negatives?

Q Yes, indeed. Sir, thank you very much, indeed.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you.
———

Yes Sir, no Sir, three bags full Sir…

Yes Sir, no Sir
Where do I go Sir
What do I do Sir
What do I say

Yes Sir, no Sir
Where do I go Sir
What do I do Sir
How do I behave

Yes Sir, no Sir
Permission to speak Sir
Permission to breathe Sir
What do I say, how do I behave, what do I say
(The Kinks)

N’…growl…I need a hug.

http://www.roadtosurfdom.com/2008/06/19/greg-the-stop-sign/#comment-343285

Seems like a reasonable use of minimal “cut & paste” to me.

But heck I’m BEARly awake…so what do I know? Time for lemon in soda water to get my mind buzzing.
N’

Every time he takes over something else, my hero-worship of those Indians - especially Indian women - who, after vainly trying to make him see sense re providing them with a service, bought themselves satellite dishes, hijacked his satellite TV broadcasts & set-up wealth-creating small businesses buying satellite dishes & stringing cables around to small (often poor) users!

PS Why is it that writers & film makers portray those who want to take over the world as updated versions of 1930s German & Russian dictators with WMDs, not business moguls? Capitalism GOOD, anyhing else BAD, perhaps?

Articles that might demonstrate how certain media organisations are playing games w/ the public, being hypocrites, playing it both ways, being opportunistic & Machiavellian…like promoting the ugliness of binge drinking in one country…but opportunistically telling people they should be able to exercise their rights as good libertarian citizens in the so called Nanny State overseas…once known as the Great Southern Land.

I wonder where the LABEL “nanny state” came from?

I’m also wondering where the sand for sand bags comes from?…anyone? And whether the bloggers can work out how to use sand bags when the levee breaks?

Here comes the FLOOD.

Good job all.

Murdoch joins Associated Press board
Posted Tue Apr 15, 2008 ABC News

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of News Corporation, will temporarily join the board of directors of US news agency The Associated Press (AP).

Mr Murdoch, whose company owns Fox News and the world’s largest social networking site MySpace, fills the seat vacated by Cox Newspapers president Jay Smith who retired after serving five years on the board, the news cooperative said at its annual meeting.
——————
SHOW ME THE MONEY….

“money makes the world go around…” you can finish the song.

Same fella who supported Bush…the WAR/INVASION…& doesn’t the Bush admin. luv owning intellectual property rights and such? And screw whether they are HAND-ME-DOWNS or not. Mebbe some should interrogate them for borrowing ideas/theories/comments…;) Considering what an original bunch the AP are. Still, don’t try to gather & sue…the Busheviks w/ the aid of their ENABLERS made sure that journey is alot tougher these days.

Or is it?

Hey, I wonder if this is a trick to get us to scrutinise their news offerings even more? Kerching.

One way or another I reckon they think they’ll win. Unless we treat them like they are

INVISIBLE

Further to an attempt to control Blogspace (fat chance, given blogs can set up in countries not signatory to copyright laws) there is another BIG consideration - newspapers are dying! - less slowly in Oz than OS but we will catch up. Internet ad revenue is less & more sophisticated viewers use AdBlocks. International streaming & downloading will further eat into ad revenue - I assume the new breed of Young Nerds will develop AdBlocks for that too.

Reminds me of the 1950s best-seller (filmed)The Cardinal, whose father was a harness maker utterly convinced, then utterly consumed by the belief that motor cars were but a passing fancy and he would make a fortune when humanity switched back to horse & carriage transport.

(Here insert relevant last line of 60’s anthem: The times… )

So, if this became universal, any snarky blog posts dissecting Andy Bolt or Dennis Shanahan or US MSM opinionistas would cease?

How… convenient.

I suspect this will blow over when the AP realise that they can’t impose costs on bloggers without looking like a bunch of greedy fools.

And, Sam, when they realise that you can’t get blood out of a stone.

You shall not use the Content in any manner or context that will be in any way derogatory to the author, the publication from which the Content came, or any person connected with the creation of the Content or depicted in the Content. You agree not to use the Content in any manner or context that will be in any way derogatory to or damaging to the reputation of Publisher, its licensors, or any person connected with the creation of the Content or referenced in the Content

The impact on reader numbers may be less relevant to them than trying to ensure that the readers they do get think their reporting is solid.

Typical rent-seeking bull***t on the aprt of AP.

I am just bemused. All the news services must get so many additional eyeballs as a result of blogs. I never used to go to the US newspapers and the UK ones only rarely. Now I’m a regular, as a result of following links. Are they mad?

I wonder if “Share this Story” webmail based services will have a Paypal logo next to them.