Look! Over There!

There was a little embarrassment (not much, but a little) when Bush finally admitted that he's been bugging americans without seeking court orders, (and just what is anyone goin' to do about it?)

There will no doubt be concern when Al Gore made an inspired speech where he suggested just what ought to be done about it.

So, it's interesting that Bin Laden chooses this moment to pop out of the woodwork, just when the american people need a bit of 'focus'.

(Think about it: would the average american be inclined to follow advice given by Osama Bin Laden? Do you not think he might be aware of the likely attitude?)

I shall take a paranoid appraoch, and predict that some new and dastardly plot is about to be foiled in the nick of time (or, to be truly machiavellian, would have been *much* worse) only because a caring president and his helpers were listening in.

Sounds silly? Just look at what the Australian Government did recently to get its way (in full view, too)!

Fortunately, no one was fooled.

So, a silly ditty inspired by Osama Bin Laden's latest appearance.
(sung to the tune of 'Bring Back my Bonnie')

Osama's come out of the woodpile,
We've smuggled him under the bed.
he threatens big bangs to obscure that
his opposite number misled!

Phone tap! Phone tap! Let's listen to our enemy (tee hee!)
Phone tap! Phone tap! We wouldn't be talking of thee!?

So what if I have no court order?
Can I bomb Al-Jazeera today?
And I'm going to be here in oh-eight,
Despite what Al Gore has to say!

Phone tap! Phone tap! Let's phone tap our worries away (hey hey!)
Phone tap! Phone tap! Why is it no one wants to play?

Bread Is Toast

I mentioned the competition put up by the SEIU (since Sliced Bread), that was supposed to invite new ideas to create jobs and get America going.

It has now entered the next phase: a first round of voting on 21 ideas selected by judges.

The general reaction has been .... well, 'unfavourable' is an understatement!

The general concensus is that the ideas nominated are neither new nor inspirational. Nor do they necessarily fit the criteria. Another complaint is that, where several people have submitted what is essentially the same idea, only one has been selected, and not necessarily the first one.

I have to agree that none of the final ideas are going to set the world on fire. Given that there would be about one thousand other entries per finalist, there is surely a better selection to be made than these.

Touch The Sky

The following is inspired by the thought of the space elevator that the Liftport Group is trying to build. (Big dreams!).

It comes from thinking what it would be like climbing a ribbon of nanotube on a Harley-Davison.

I thought of calling it 'Tsiolkovsky's Dreaming' but decided that was a bit of a mouthful (for a title, at least!).

Touch the Sky

Did you ever think that you would touch the sky?
A vision: Heaven's gate flung open wide.

Ever feel the universe was watching you?
As you soar into a vault of midnight blue.

At twelve hundred K's an hour, where there's no wind in your hair.
Driving straight up to the zenith, on a road that goes nowhere.

We're on a road to nowhere/ d'you want to make something of it?
On a road to nowhere/ that's just what we could do!

On a strand of silk that's stronger far than steel.
Coriolis plucking gently at your wheel.

Ride that strand from mother earth into the void,
to where the pulls of spin and mass are in accord

Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, had a dream to make it so!
and Yuri Artsutanov, saw the way that it should go!

It's the road to nowhere! It's Tsiolkovsky's dreaming.
The road to nowhere, and what a dream to make come true!

- Tony Fisk