Today's Monday Forum is another go where you like. But first, notes on a few things that have attracted my attention.
My thanks to Sue for alerting me to the tweets of Donaeld The Unready. Quire funny. A few examples:
Canute. What a loser. Can't even hold back the sea. It's just water. We're going to be so tough on the sea. Canute was too soft. Sad.It's hard to go past the theatre of the Trump Presidency, although we may be talked out.
I've got only one thing to say to all those lousy so called scribes and their Twisty animals and weird callig, callig, writing. YOU'RE BARD!
Loser scribes saying Spokesmonk not accessible enough. TOTAL LIES! There's a door and a grating on his cell on St Kilda! Totally Accessible!
@ReillocNaes @projectania @realDonaldTrump We need more Angles and fewer Danes!
@emmaaum Flaxism. The insistence that flax is the only true weft and that outsiders like cotton should never be mixed in.
Mercia fallen behind in cutting edge weapons technology, particularly swords and spears. We must achieve New Spear Supremacy! FACT!
From my first visit to the US, I have found US border control confronting. More so now, I guess. Professor Henry Rousso (photo), a French historian on his way to a conference in Texas was detained for 10 hours by US border officials and threatened with deportation. Australian children's writer Mem Fox was subjected to two hours questioning. Muhammad Ali Jr was also subjected to two hours questioning. .In all the turmoil, the thing I find most discomforting at present is the adversarial relationship between the Administration and a growing section of the US media.
The New York Times is a case in point. Here there appears to be an unhealthy symbiotic relationship. The paper needs the President as adversary since this is driving circulation. The President needs the paper as adversary since this plays into the consistent theme he is trying to present of press as enemy. I do wonder where truth and objectivity fits in all this.
Here in Australia, the 7,000 word Santos Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on coal seam gas on Liverpool Plains has been released, something I will have more to say on in a different place. In places, the "English" is best describes as convoluted. This led Jamieson Murphy in the Northern Daily Leader to try to provide some simple plain English translations. Here is one example:
Potential impacts on groundwater in the Pilliga Sandstone and Namoi Alluvium from the project are expected to indiscernible in relation to the existing variations in the groundwater pressures and storage volumes that occur in response to existing uses and replenishment, with the expectation that these changes would not be perceptible to existing bore owners.
What that means: Farmers and other bore users won't be able to notice the drop in the underground watertable, as the drop fall within its natural rising and falling cycle.While we have discussed this before, I wondered what you find the most misused or meaningless terms in current English o, alternatively, the worst examples of garbled English that you have found?
That's all for an introduction today. Now over to you to go in whatever direction you want!
Postscript
On English, this is another example..
14 comments:
Just to note it. Say what you will about DJT but the 3 minute honouring of the dead marine was one of the finest bits of political theatre I've ever witnessed.
And the speech in toto was as good as any given by BHO. Let's hope for all our sakes that DJT can move on from promise to performance - unlike his predecessor.
kvd
Morning, kvd. it was a more presidential speech, something of a relief after the twitter barrage! This is the NPR transcript of the speech with interpolating commentary. http://www.npr.org/2017/02/28/516717981/watch-live-trump-addresses-joint-session-of-congress
While the speech was low on detail, not unexpectedly given the early days of the Administration, it does provide a framework for further action.
A belated follow up question, kvd. What actually are your views on Mr Trump? You have flagged some, but I am not clear. And what are the things that you are watching for in terms of judging the performance of the new Administration?
Hi Jim
Why should kvd even have a view on Mr Trump at the moment? I have minor opinions on his actions but I think it's much too early to say whether (for instance) he really doesn't get it, or he's the first one for ages who does get it and the Mainstream Media are the ones who are out of date. I really hope that is not the case for a wide variety of reasons, but I would have also hoped other things about Australians' attitudes to immigration. But if wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets.
It's not Monday, but have you seen the latest developments on the move to Armidale by the Ag and Vet chemicals people? Working from Macca's, no appropriate building in the whole town and 457 visas (not Australians) to fill the skills gap. And those who stay in Canberra *have* to work from home, which will make all of their home expenses, including the mortgage, tax deductible. Madness.
Evening, 2t. You make a fair point, but it's not a complete point. To paraphrase your comment, you are actually saying that we must wait and see, which is an opinion in itself with several overlays. Would you have made the same comment about Obama or the Bushes? It could well have been appropriate to do so.
My questions may have been badly phrased, although they were genuine ones. I wasn't asking whether kvd approved or disapproved, simply trying to get an alternative view. Probably the most important part was this: "And what are the things that you are watching for in terms of judging the performance of the new Administration?" I think it appropriate to ask this question even if you are withholding judgement on the overall pattern or results.
To illustrate, I focused on the administrative competence question because that is in my core field. I may well have called it too early as you and kvd argued, although my track record here is not bad. To extend, two things that I am watching are trade and security.
As I write, your APVMA comment came up. Will respond!
Comments on Monday Forums don't have to be on Monday! Reading my way through the Estimates hansard. Response tomorrow,
Hi 2t. I have now worked my way through the estimates committee material not just on APVMA but also a couple of others. This is the link. http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=committees/estimate/d361919c-f8bb-4b70-a648-2e034c1d4d98/&sid=0000 Have a browse. Given your background, I think you will find some interesting material in a general sense.
I am going to do a proper APVMA post on the relocation issue on my New England blog. However, specifically on the Maccas point, it could well have been in (and probably was also) their motel rooms; they simply haven't finalised interim office arrangements yet. They still hope to do this in March in accordance with their original schedule. They could certainly have got very short term drop-in office accommodation, that wasn't mentioned but I know of several options.
There was some fascinating general management stuff in the APVMA section that I am going to write about as a separate issue.
Sorry for delay in replying Jim; internet down from Friday lunchtime until an hour ago. As to your question/s, both tanners and you are correct:
a) it is too early
b) the "new administration" as I understand it, is heavily dependent upon an extended administration still heavily infested (I know that's the wrong word!) by carry-over appointees. Thus it would be unfair or at least premature to be too fixed in an opinion of this new administration.
c) I will look for deeds, not simply words. Some of his policies I actually support, others probably oppose. But whatever my views, I just think it's all rather academic at this early stage.
d) But I do wish he'd get off twitter. My impression of that platform is that it is for the looney fringe who think the world's problems can be addressed in 140chs - which I'd strongly dispute.
e) The above is heavily influenced by my continuing distaste for the MSM - which, now however small or petty the point, seems intent upon interpreting every thought or action in the worst possible light. It is unsurprising to me what low regard they are held in, and their ever-waning influence upon American political affairs.
f) And finally, I think I've said before that whatever DJT actually gets done, he has been set a very low bar by his predecessor, so that should work in his favour for the first year, at least.
kvd
Thanks, kvd. Appreciated. I wanted you to articulate a view so that we had another set of benchmarks (ie, not just mine). So we leave President Trump for a while to see what happens. Like you, though, I wish that he would get of twitter!
As it's Monday :) I also was going to give a shout out to https://milkmaidmarian.com/ again, as a seriously good intro to one of our primary industries.
The last five (and now there's another I'm about to read) posts are worthwhile spending time thinking about if you are at all interested in the byplay between the producer and the endless layers of government placed between the farmer and the consumer.
kvd
Yes, worth a close read. This was triggered in my mind by a comment one of my staff made this morning about her son. She's an old 'dairy lady' from many years back, and her son is now sharefarming one of the biggest remaining dairies in the district.
He has an interest in genetics (don't we all :) and is pretty heavily invested in embryo implants as a way of improving his herd.
Anyway, what I was told this morning was that he was waiting upon the visit from Victoria (as the nearest available source) of an implantation expert, but had of course to wait his turn with other dairy farmers in the district for his 'services'.
And I thought, here's a young guy, farming not more than 15 km from Graham Park at Berry - formerly a State Government backed artificial insemination facility - that I see is now a church:
http://www.southcoastregister.com.au/story/1360657/bull-at-the-gate-lets-worshippers-in/
- and that I should maybe think more about the cost/benefit ratio next time I buy my $2 milk at Woolies :)
kvd
Hmm. They have to go to Armidale. To keep capital costs off the balance sheet someone will generously build and lease a purpose built building to them, knowing it is the only suitable space in the city and that APVMA can't say "Improve your offer or we'll look at Townsville instead". Someone is going to make a fortune.
Poor Ms Arthy! I've rarely read a better Senate Estimates performance, but a lot of things really stick out. She's sure that the regulatory scientist retention figures will be even worse than she claims (the inability to simply present tables on an organisation with 100 scientists and 150 others is a bit of a giveaway, as is the fact that she hasn't yet formally asked people to give an opinion), she's going to have to find a way to pay salaries after the "incentive" pot of gold is gone, and there's no structure for the remote workers in Canberra to talk to each other.
I don't suppose BJ has costed in to the move the fact that if he directs that remote workers must work from home nearly every home expense (particularly the mortgage) will become tax deductible.
I'll assume Ms Arthy's previous incarnations were virtuous. As such, this attack of bad karma should set her up nicely for the next life. But while she still lives out this nightmare, she'll need the patience of Job.
tanners - shades of this? Only because it's a Monday :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-5zEb1oS9A
kvd
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