Aussie Go Home

The Age's Travel Blog has an article on the end of the honeymoon for Aussie travelers.

"It's a real worry that Aussies in Europe are now being tagged "New Yanks". No offence to the old Yanks, but that's not something I want to be."

Ben Meets Parliament

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this week participating in the annual Science Meets Parliament event in Canberra - a joyous time when Australia's scientific elite dust off their suits (assuming they have one) and march into Parliament House to speak one-on-one with the nation's leadership about science.

In addition to enjoyable meetings with two labor MPs (Anthony Albanese and Daryl Melham), I scored a seat at the speaker's table at the dinner Tuesday (populated with folks like Minister Julie Bishop, Will Steffen, and current and former presidents of FASTS), attended question time in both the Senate and the House (catching a well-publisised blunder by Peter Garrett as it happened), and gave a short talk on climate change and risk.

I also cemented my opinons regarding transport in Canberra (it's rubbish, save yourself time and trouble and rent a car) as well as hotels (also rubbish, but you've got to sleep somewhere).

Photo Updates

A few snapshots of events from weeks gone by are now available at Flickr.

Moomba Festival
Camping at Wilson's Promontory

Melbourne Grand Prix

Flying Carbon Free

Numerous businesses are now jumping on the carbon offset bandwagon, with travel agencies as well as airlines offering the option of paying an additional fee to offset the carbon emissions associated with travel itineraries. Participants include the Swiss-owned STA Travel , Scandanavian Airlines, British Airways, the Association of British Travel Agents, and Australia's Virgin Blue.

Oxfam Trailwalker

As I write this, Uta and the rest of Tab Sportsbet Team 226 are headed to the starting line of Melbourne's Oxfam Trailwalker. Over the next 24 hours, the team of four will trek 100 km across the hills and dales of suburban Melbourne. It promises to be a hot one, with temperatures currently 28C at 6:00am, rising to 33C, before cooling off (and raining) tonight. I'll be catching up with the team and the rest of the support crew later tonight. . . certainly should be some stories out of this one.

UPDATE 24/7/07, 16:46: Mission Accomplished! After approximately 28 hours (including 23 hours of walk time), team 226 crossed the finish line. There were highs and lows, tears and cheers. They faced boiling temperatures and driving rain. They overcame hunger, fatigue, sunburn, and blisters. They're sleepy and sore (and their feet look like objects your neighbor's dog drags under the porch and chews on), but proud.


Additional photos are available at Edouard's blog.

1, 2, 3. . .3 and a half. . .

In an attempt to postpone the implementation of Level 4 water restrictions on Melbourne, the city has introduced a new level of restrictions known as Level 3a. The move hopes to avoid the complete banning of outdoor watering (including sports fields), which would threaten the footy season for many leagues as ground deterioration and hardness would exceed levels insurers are willing to cover.

As critics pointed out, there are 26 letters in the alphabet. So how many new levels will be developed to keep the dread Level 4 at bay?

Exit Strategy

Bush Announces Iraq Exit Strategy: 'We'll Go Through Iran'
March 9, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC—Almost a year after the cessation of major combat and a month after the nation's first free democratic elections, President Bush unveiled the coalition forces' strategy for exiting Iraq.

"I'm pleased to announce that the Department of Defense and I have formulated a plan for a speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq," Bush announced Monday morning. "We'll just go through Iran."

More

Mr. Gore Goes to Washington

Gore gave Congress (including its skeptical members) an earful yesterday in testimony. He's a pit preachy and makes the mistake of assuming that evidence of a problem necessarily dictates the policy response to that problem (which is obviously not the way it works), but he's still effective. I particularly like his analogy to flame retardant babies.

C&L

While a big fan of Crooks and Liars, I found the following comment/question to be a dark commentary on the state of U.S. journalism. In response to an alleged statement from a White House reporter regarding the absurdity of partisan bloggery, C&L asked:

"While it's clear that there are some in the media that inject their own biases into stories, and there are some flat out lazy journalists, is it dishonest of us to ascribe more malevolent motives when we don't see stories covered the way we think they should be?"

Translation: Is it dishonest of a blogger to subjectively speculate regarding the cause or intent of a journalist's actions when that journalist's reporting doesn't conform to the blogger's subjective worldview?

It's not dishonest. It's just bad journalism, but that's no big deal unless bloggers seek greater presence and credibility in the mix of U.S. media. If so, well, biased hackery is biased hackery - doesn't matter what the underlying ideology is. If everyone gets journalism delivered to them in their own personal frame of reference, then it's no longer journalism. It's custom entertainment.

Rivers at Risk

WWF has released a report identifying the top 10 at-risk rivers in the world, and citing the key source of risk for each. Though the report assembles a respectable list of troubled waterways, I found the prioritisation of drivers a bit cavalier. For example, climate change is listed as the key threat to the Nile-Victoria system, but by my reading of the report, over-extraction and geopolitical conflict are the major challenges. Discussion of likely future changes in the regional climate aren't even mentioned. Similarly, the report cites invasive species as a big threat for the Murray-Darling system in Australia. Yep, big problem. But what about the fact that due to drought and irrigation the Darling River is currently not a river but a creek (if that), the Murray is one of the most heavily developed stretches of river in the nation, and climate projections suggest significant declines in catchment runoff in the future (by my calculations 1-37% by 2070). Even the invasives are going to be doing it tough.

Yes, yes, WWF was trying to communicate the diversity of threats facing water resources all over the world, but a little more rigour in their examination of drivers would have made for a more useful (and accurate) presentation of risk.

Happy Anniversary, George!

Mazel Tov

The U.S.-based Hooters chain takes its family dining to the Holy Land, opening a restaurant in Tel Aviv. I reckon those with a predisposition to strapping explosives to themselves will be lining up to pay the establishment a visit.

Thunder Down Under

A recent international poll of public perceptions of climate change places Aussies at the top when it comes to taking climate risk seriously as well as willingness to invest to address the problem.

I-Tunes

Interesting, but sloppy, investigation into the randomness of I-Tunes randomization. Sure to illicit further examinations in the future. . .

Lucky Charms

We had a rip-roaring St. Paddy's day, joining all the convict offspring at the Dan O'Connell Hotel in Carlton. Huge street party, cheap beer, and even U2 showed up to play a show.

And if you're looking for a heart-warming story on the luck of the Irish, check out this story: Backpacker survives rooftop plunge

F1

Saturday, I joined the Irish and English expats for a day at the races, F1 that is. Opting not to splurge on Sunday's final, we settled for Saturday's qualifying runs and other assorted vehicular buffoonery (e.g., F3 events, celebrity races). The key to any Grand Prix event appears to be noise - if it's loud, it's welcome. In addition to the cars themselves (which are extraordinarily loud), there were fly-overs by various bits and pieces of Australia's military arsenal, and rock and rollers such as Wolfmother were on the scene as well.

One of the more amusing (albeit complete time-filler) events of the day was a "speed comparison." Essentially, they let a production BMW set off down the track, followed 1.5 minutes later by a V8 Supercar, followed another 1.5 minutes later by an F1 auto. Guess which won?

I'll post some photos from the track as soon as I get around to it - can't guarantee good quality. It's tough to take pictures of objects moving at 300 kph.

Big Weekend

It's a weekend of big sports action, with both the FINA World Championships (splash, splash)and the Melbourne Grand Prix (zoom, zoom).

Harbour Bridge Turns 75

Today marks the 75th birthday of Sydney's Harbour Bridge, still the longest single-span and highest steel arch bridge in the world.

Frat Boy Tackles Complex Policy Issues

Check out the latest publication from the Heinrich Boell Foundation entitled: "The Debate over Fixed Price Incentives for Renewable Electricity in Europe and the United States: Fallout and Future Directions."

One of the authors, Wilson Rickerson, was a fellow brother of the Phi Beta chapter of Psi Upsilon (suspended as of 2006 due to buffoonery). He wooed the ladies, he rocked the world as the frontman for The Velveteens, and now:
"Wilson Rickerson is a Boston-based energy consultant focusing on renewable energy policy and markets. He assists state and municipal governments with policy development,consults to businesses seeking to invest in the renewable energy industry, and helps organizations with energy program management and planning.

Good on ya, Wilson!

Hummer

How to greet a Hummer.

Nod to Jeremy. . .

Australia Unlimited

I took part in the Global Foundatin's Australia Unlimited Roundatable last week, which gave me the opportunity to hear opposition leader Kevin Rudd speak (a man, by the way, who appears poised to knock Howard and the Liberal party out of Canberra), mix with various corporate leaders from around the nation, and meet Victoria's governor,Professor David de Kretser (which subsequently caused me to go look up what it is that the governor does. . .).

Best of all, I finally managed to get a media quote that makes me sound half-way reasonable on climate change as opposed to predicting the end of the world and other such apocolyptic stuff that is often attributed to my name:

"A CSIRO scientist who works on climate impact, Ben Preston, told the roundtable that while those attending had been asked to consider the environment and trade as potentially conflicting forces, the real way to consider them is to regard them as being allied, for example, as a potential market in Asia for Australian technologies that can control pollution and help promote sustainable growth."

Sweet. . .

Public Service Announcement

Only in Australia (or Las Vegas, or certain parts of Russia):

"The man who lined the Gateway Motorway with bikini models in a bid to convince drivers to keep left will take his message directly to the office of Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Andrew McNamara."

On what planet do have naked chicks on the side of the road alleviate traffic congestion? The only way this works is if thousands of motorists pull off the road entirely to get a better look at those, er, signs.

Yo!

Stallone on growth hormone charge
Leonie Lamont
March 13, 2007 - 10:41AM

"Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone denied having restricted drugs shortly before 48 vials of human growth hormone were found in his luggage, a Sydney court has been told."

Now we know what's responsible for his "eye of the tiger". Imagine he won't be heading back down under any time in the near future.

Sgt. Jarvis

The following is spam that ended up in my inbox today:

"From: Jarvis Jr [mailto:sgt-jarv.rjr@ usarmy.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2007 4:06 PM
To: Subject: Can I trust you??

Hello Friend,

I am in need of your assistance. My name is Sgt. Jarvis Reeves Jr. I am a military attache with the Engineering unit here in Ba'qubah Iraq for the United States, we have about $14 Million dollars that we want to move out of the country.

My partners and I need a good partner someone we can trust to actualize this venture.The money is from oil proceeds and legal.But we are moving it through diplomatic means to your house directly or a safe and secured location of your choice using diplomatic courier services.

But can we trust you? Once the funds get to you, you take your 30% out and keep our own 70%. Your own part of this deal is to find a safe place where the funds can be sent to. Our own part is sending it to you.

If you are interested I will furnish you with more details. Awaiting your urgent response.

Your Buddy.
Sgt Jarvis Reeves

God Bless America!!!"

Granted, it's spam, but amusing on so many different levels:
1) Despite the appearance of a .com email address, it actually goes to a yahoo account in Denmark (not very patriotic!)
2) Jarvis? Brilliant (the jr. is a nice touch as well).
3) The U.S. military can't move 14 million dollars out of Iraq without the help of Australian civil servants? You're kidding right?
4) The U.S. government wants me to keep 30% of anything? That'll be the day. . .
Pretty dopey, but more entertaining the usual Nigerian nonsense.

Waarom?

Nude workouts? No sweat, says gym
"THE first clothing-free workout at a Dutch gym went ahead as planned — and participants and observers said it met expectations."