Watching in the background just before Japan hold Brazil to a 2 all draw in the Confederations Cup - OK, OK, so it's not the World Cup, but after I thought the first couple of Confeds that it was just a fun kickaround, to get more exposure for the FIFA sponsors, it has actually evolved into quite a good little international comp. And don't worry about the Brazilians, they always come through in the knock out matches :)
Not often in winter you get top line international sport on free to air Aussie TV, but tonight we have Australia v England in the cricket, Wimbledon, and the Confederation Cup highlights on three of the channels. Oh, and Big Brother shortly on Channel Ten LOL.
OMG, why does anybody even think of listening to Silvio Berlusconi or many of the other Italian politicians - yeah, the lira was so much more stable than the euro guys LOL. Anyways, the PM's latest faux pas is to say he used his 'playboy charms' on Finland's (female) president. And then makes a silly situation even worse by saying he had to endure Finnish food.
Hmm, there's a very rolling eyes ad on TV here at the moment, about Masterfoods' finishing sauces - actors with accents pretending to be Finnish. But their stupid laughter is quite infectious, at least to create a grin. At least, I think it's Masterfoods LOL, otherwise the opposition has gotten that company in my mind :)
Onto a less appealing subject - what the hell is going on in Zimbabwe? Yes, let's make 200,000 people homeless (and counting) by destroying shanty towns, at the same time our economy is a tattered shell of itself, and our agriculture is so bad we have to import 1.2 million tons of food - insanity, and verging on apocalyptic. Does Mugabe have any brains left? What has to happen before the rest of southern Africa actually do anything? Is Zimbabwe on the State Department's state sponsors of terrorism list? Why on earth does anyone still play cricket with them?
Another not nice topic - US casualties in Iraq. While Iraqi casualties mount up in the hundreds and thousands, US and coalition casualties have kind of taken a back seat in the mainstream international media - which is hiding a disturbing (though totally to be expected) trend, that the insurgents are getting more effective attacking the foreign forces. New types of bombs, laser triggered instead of cellphone or radio frequency (avoids radio jamming), bigger bombs - last month was the highest death toll through roadside bombs for the US military since the invasion began, and this month, only up to 10 June, has already outstripped the whole of May.
Read a report in one of the papers, maybe the Economist, that said the thing with Iraq is that the opponents of the war still haven't given up their initial objections to the war - which is unusual for such a big ongoing story more than two years later. Usually it seems that yes, there is still opposition to a war, but the reasons change - whereas with Iraq, the illegality or otherwise of the war, whether the States and Britain should have secured a second UN resolution, those damned WMDs are still hanging around like a millstone. Just as some of the pro-war crowd get itchy feet about the seeming quagmire and query an exit strategy. And the US armed forces get shredded, both in casualties and lack of new recruits. Hmmph.
I could go on and on, but that's enough for the night. Hmmph, apart from, would it be a good idea if a democratic Iraq couldn't keep to an imposed timetable for a constitution, if the US pulled troop levels down as punishment? Or maybe it's just petty Democrat point scoring. And Rumsfeld, in the middle of a pretty successful insurgent campaign, is thinking of drawing troop levels down anyway - less troops more technology doctrine again. Is ANYONE sane in Washington DC?
Not often in winter you get top line international sport on free to air Aussie TV, but tonight we have Australia v England in the cricket, Wimbledon, and the Confederation Cup highlights on three of the channels. Oh, and Big Brother shortly on Channel Ten LOL.
OMG, why does anybody even think of listening to Silvio Berlusconi or many of the other Italian politicians - yeah, the lira was so much more stable than the euro guys LOL. Anyways, the PM's latest faux pas is to say he used his 'playboy charms' on Finland's (female) president. And then makes a silly situation even worse by saying he had to endure Finnish food.
Hmm, there's a very rolling eyes ad on TV here at the moment, about Masterfoods' finishing sauces - actors with accents pretending to be Finnish. But their stupid laughter is quite infectious, at least to create a grin. At least, I think it's Masterfoods LOL, otherwise the opposition has gotten that company in my mind :)
Onto a less appealing subject - what the hell is going on in Zimbabwe? Yes, let's make 200,000 people homeless (and counting) by destroying shanty towns, at the same time our economy is a tattered shell of itself, and our agriculture is so bad we have to import 1.2 million tons of food - insanity, and verging on apocalyptic. Does Mugabe have any brains left? What has to happen before the rest of southern Africa actually do anything? Is Zimbabwe on the State Department's state sponsors of terrorism list? Why on earth does anyone still play cricket with them?
Another not nice topic - US casualties in Iraq. While Iraqi casualties mount up in the hundreds and thousands, US and coalition casualties have kind of taken a back seat in the mainstream international media - which is hiding a disturbing (though totally to be expected) trend, that the insurgents are getting more effective attacking the foreign forces. New types of bombs, laser triggered instead of cellphone or radio frequency (avoids radio jamming), bigger bombs - last month was the highest death toll through roadside bombs for the US military since the invasion began, and this month, only up to 10 June, has already outstripped the whole of May.
Read a report in one of the papers, maybe the Economist, that said the thing with Iraq is that the opponents of the war still haven't given up their initial objections to the war - which is unusual for such a big ongoing story more than two years later. Usually it seems that yes, there is still opposition to a war, but the reasons change - whereas with Iraq, the illegality or otherwise of the war, whether the States and Britain should have secured a second UN resolution, those damned WMDs are still hanging around like a millstone. Just as some of the pro-war crowd get itchy feet about the seeming quagmire and query an exit strategy. And the US armed forces get shredded, both in casualties and lack of new recruits. Hmmph.
I could go on and on, but that's enough for the night. Hmmph, apart from, would it be a good idea if a democratic Iraq couldn't keep to an imposed timetable for a constitution, if the US pulled troop levels down as punishment? Or maybe it's just petty Democrat point scoring. And Rumsfeld, in the middle of a pretty successful insurgent campaign, is thinking of drawing troop levels down anyway - less troops more technology doctrine again. Is ANYONE sane in Washington DC?
Woke up this morning to the news that a plane had gone down near Ireland, with a three mile slick. Of course, shaking the grogginess out of my head, listened to the story more and it was the 'On This Day' segment, the Air India bombing in 1986. Canada's very own home grown terrorism hmmph.
Was on late shift at work today and forgot about it didn't I. Until about a block away from work, when I realised LOL. Too late to go home and sleep or laze for an extra little bit, so what I did was have a sit down breakfast for the first time in like months. Eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce yum, and a cappucino - very civilised, and watching the highlights from Wimbledon last night to add to the mix. Was a bit chilly (for Brisbane), but my wool jacket is coming in very handy - and I even had a mobile phone conversation over my coffee, sorting out that debt that I was worried about - all paid off, now just owe the parents LOL. And then a sedate, leisurely, stroll up the hill to work. Was all very civilised :)
The last, outstanding, unsecured debt. Of course I have a payment plan for my bigger debts that will go on for months yet. Bloody credit cards, bloody banks just letting my credit limit build up and up and up :)
The work report from today can wait for tomorrow methinks.
Onwards to the weekend :)
Pauly
Was on late shift at work today and forgot about it didn't I. Until about a block away from work, when I realised LOL. Too late to go home and sleep or laze for an extra little bit, so what I did was have a sit down breakfast for the first time in like months. Eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce yum, and a cappucino - very civilised, and watching the highlights from Wimbledon last night to add to the mix. Was a bit chilly (for Brisbane), but my wool jacket is coming in very handy - and I even had a mobile phone conversation over my coffee, sorting out that debt that I was worried about - all paid off, now just owe the parents LOL. And then a sedate, leisurely, stroll up the hill to work. Was all very civilised :)
The last, outstanding, unsecured debt. Of course I have a payment plan for my bigger debts that will go on for months yet. Bloody credit cards, bloody banks just letting my credit limit build up and up and up :)
The work report from today can wait for tomorrow methinks.
Onwards to the weekend :)
Pauly
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