Dunce Nation

Hey everyone. I'm still having technical difficulties at the moment, but will keep trying to post up stuff as often as I can. Things are all feeling a little bit crazy and manic this end, wrapping up work, buying a car, planning where to go, and as ever, I'm stressed as hell before setting off and doing something new. I just keep reminding myself that most things worth doing aren't easy.

On other news, I read with interest the results from a Newsweek poll conducted on political and cultural issues in the US. Crooks & Lairs pointed out, one section was particularly noteworthy.

Even today, more than four years into the war in Iraq, as many as four in ten Americans (41 percent) still believe Saddam Hussein’s regime was directly involved in financing, planning or carrying out the terrorist attacks on 9/11, even though no evidence has surfaced to support a connection. A majority of Americans were similarly unable to pick Saudi Arabia in a multiple-choice question about the country where most of the 9/11 hijackers were born. Just 43 percent got it right — and a full 20 percent thought most came from Iraq.

Worst still, the number of people who are 'confused' about Iraq’s non-existent role in the 9/11 attacks has actually gone up - when Newsweek asked the same question in the fall of 2004, 'only' 36% said Saddam Hussein was “directly involved” with the attacks. I guess it all goes back to that great Bush quote, 'the hardest part of my job is to connect Iraq to September 11th...'

Sick

Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in ages - I've had some problems accessing my blog again - and they're mysteriously disappeared again as before.

Sadly, I'm sick right now - I've got some nasty stomach bug and its pissing me off big time, I mean, come on, its been three days now already! I'm not impressed.

Still, I'm looking for a car, trying to get everything in order and also getting very close to buying a digital camera - check out the package, tell me what you think!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=013&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=230138796469&rd=1&rd=1

Anyway, I'm going go home and feel a bit sick. I'll leave you with one of my favourite pics I've taken recently.

Sunni Homeboys 4 Life

So, the US military decided to try another course of utter maddness...

The US military has embarked on a new and risky strategy in Iraq by arming Sunni insurgents in the hope that they will tackle the extremist al-Qaida in Iraq.

The US high command this month gave permission to its officers on the ground to negotiate arms deals with local leaders. Arms, ammunition, body armour and other equipment, as well as cash, pick-up trucks and fuel, have already been handed over in return for promises to turn on al-Qaida and not attack US troops

Great, so the US solution to the ever escalating civil war in Iraq is to align themselves with dozens of Sunni militiamen, cooperate, fund and arm sectarian militias - death squads- who work outside the Iraqi security forces, and include insurgent groups that have attacked Americans and coalition forces in the past.

“We have made a deal with the devil,” said an intelligence officer in the battalion.

Doesn't anyone, any where, see the horrific potential for blow back in this entire fucked situation? Please? Someone?

Back from the Long Weekend

Well, indeed, the Queen had her official birthday and us fine people here in Australia got a holiday for it - sadly this pleasure doesn't extend so far as to the British people in the UK itself. Which is a shame really, because a day off is always nice.

Unless of course your a contractor like me, and don't get paid for it. Which means it then kind of sucks. It then begins to really suck when your hit for almost the entire length of the 4 days by a massive storm that rocks the entire coastal region of your current country of residence. Here's an example of the what I'm talking about. This is at the beach I used to go to all the time in summer, Coogee. Pretty wild hu?

It got a whole lot worse further up the coast though, and fortunately Sydney was spared the worst of it by a long way - just look what happened to this tanker! The guys didn't heed the warning and tried to keep on going through the storm, up at Newcastle. Bit of a mess really!

Still, I actually had a really fun weekend, booze fuelled as it was - but I digress and its getting late. Even worse, its frickin' cold now - really cold - and the houses here have no insulation and no central heating. So its really rather unpleasant. I'm going to go now and freeze my way back home on my bike, but I'll post more tomorrow.

Bush in Albania, June 2007

Heres a hilarious video of 'Bushie' being 'cheered' in Fushe Kruja

Notice that nice black watch on his left wrist at 00.50 minutes? It doesn't last long to the 'adoring' crowd - they fleece him for everything he's worth...

I wonder what you could sell THAT for on eBay?


Update: So, apparently, from another camera angle you can see Bush, sensing the potential, actually took off his watch and put it in his pocket. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed.

But the more serious issue is, why is Secret Service letting people get so close to him? Its got to be a massive security issue, surely?

Just for kicks

http://studenthome.nku.edu/~russelljo/flash/dudefalling.swf

All Too True

Green Day performing Working Class Hero

Google Chan

Just don't tell Vice I'm stealing their content :)

If you had to imagine someone that knows every fact in the world, he would probably look like this. Google Chan at your service.

Taronga Zoo!

Hello all,

Not a huge amount to say today really, I'm mostly been just trying to get my shit sorted out, tidy up and get a bit more organised generally - I can't believe I'm going to be finished work in just a few weeks time! Very strange indeed.

Anyway, I thought I'd put up a few pics of a trip to Taronga Zoo that me and Emilie took a few weeks ago (back when it was atually warm! sob!). An awesome day and a lot of fun - I can't remember the last time I went to the zoo, I really can't We brought a picnic and stuff, and it was generally a fantastic day out. If you want to have a look at some more pics, just click here.

Thought of the Day

'The fatal idea of progress, which means leaving things behind us, has utterly obscured the real idea of growth, which means leaving things inside us'

G.K. Chesterton

the street (in progress)

Just a quick additional post whilst I think of it.

As some of you might know, I'm a keen amateur photographer and really just love capturing the world around me as I see it and live it. I've been seriously looking into buying a digital camera (thanks for all the advice Ben), but at 800 quid plus, I'm going to take my time figuring out exactly what SLR I want. Still, all very exciting.

Anyway, I just wanted to link you to this fantastic flickr album by a French photographer of various homeless people living in France (primarily Paris I think). These mostly black and white portraits are really stunningly moving, displaying such honesty and intensity. I challenge you not to be moved.

Please, as ever, get interactive, let me know what you think.

Driving Lesson Today!

Evening all,

As my incredibly original posting title might suggest, I actually got behind the wheel of a car today and moved the damn thing around the quiet back suburbs of Sydney. First of all, let me go on record as saying Redfern isn't nearly as shitty and diseased and crime ridden as most of those snobs in Surrey Hills would have you believe.

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Though the guy was 20 minutes late on the account of the fact my house on Albion Avenue is a complete nightmare to drive to, everything kicked off very well indeed. I was honestly amazed at how quickly a lot of it all came back to me - I was expecting things to be a real struggle - but I guess its like riding a bike. You can get rusty but you never forget (I should hope not - was a fucking nightmare to get my license!).

But seriously, he said just another hour or two to get my confidence back up and get used to driving and I'm good to go - everything else was pretty good, just got to watch mirrors, practice three point turn, all that jazz really. So thats a massive, huge relief to me - I've been quietly stressing over this one for a while now! I'm sure all the cycling has helped a lot - you've got to be really road aware, especially over here - far fewer cyclists and a lot of crappy drivers.

So, all in, I'm in a good mood today, because I'm so pleasantly surprised by the entire thing to be honest! Now we've just got to buy a damn car and hit the wide open road!