Disqus - Latest Comments for Toaf

Re: Steve Bannon: A fascist in the White House

Toaf — Fri, 18 Nov 2016 05:11:26 -0000

The comment comparing politics to wrestling is incorrectly attributed. Peter Schweizer said it, not Bannon.

Re: How LNP, Labor and Big Media gave ASIO more power to spy on you

Toaf — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 02:34:47 -0000

I needed to get up to speed with this issue. Thanks for covering it so comprehensively. I hope this piece gets a run somewhere.

Re: James Paterson’s Diary

Toaf — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:00:01 -0000

The shorter Paterson: I use taxpayer-funded broadcast time for trolling.

Re: 2012 Top fives – biggest moments in science

Toaf — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 07:02:37 -0000

Very enjoyable.

Re: Mother Jones loves sustainability, except when there’s delicious, fancy food involved

Toaf — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 02:39:03 -0000

I, too, am a proud gaywad.

Re: Mother Jones loves sustainability, except when there’s delicious, fancy food involved

Toaf — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:59:06 -0000

Heh. I enjoyed this post a lot.

Re: Perspectives

Toaf — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:07:33 -0000

I've already said too much.

(I haven't said enough.)

Re: Don't go swimming at Benchasiri Park

Toaf — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:17:26 -0000

Back in Canberra now. VP is "on the bench" for a few weeks before her next deployment and I am back here for 12 months at least. Sadly.

Re: Don't go swimming at Benchasiri Park

Toaf — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 05:28:04 -0000

We're about to fly out, too! Yes, I saw your twitter comments about being in BKK last night, alas too late!

Re: Snippets

Toaf — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:06:00 -0000

Yep, same same. And in C Asia, that defence of the status quo stands in the way of reform - political, judicial, economic - and therefore deters foreign investment and trade, which means the economy stays small and the poor stay poor.

Re: Don't go swimming at Benchasiri Park

Toaf — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:47:52 -0000

Some mates have also suggested that it might have been a monitor lizard. I'm leaning toward believing it was a spliced catfishoon.

Re: The lady with the stall below Thong Lo station

Toaf — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 01:00:53 -0000

Mmm... Gizzards...

I like the sound of lugaw and lumpia. And yep, hoping the blog will stand up again. No excuses, really.

Re: The lady with the stall below Thong Lo station

Toaf — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:59:29 -0000

There's this other woman, Bink, who has a little grilled fish stall in the next street down from where we are currently staying. We love her - and her grilled goodies. All these books just waiting to be written. Oh, and I need to take the camera with me when we go to dinner. Keep forgetting!

Re: The time has come

Toaf — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:53:36 -0000

No plans at the moment, Rob, but I hope the opportunity will arise at some point.

Re: Sending them home

Toaf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:39:46 -0000

Yeah, you'd think that Djibouti - which is playing a part in peacemaking in Somalia - would take a different approach. Sure, there may be political obstacles to accepting these people, but surely there is another option besides sending them to Mog.

I'm also surprised that Yemen turned these people away. Yemen has taken in thousands of Somali refugees.

The article doesn't mention whether they hold asylum status, so perhaps they have not been assessed yet. That would make them vulnerable to these sorts of political actions, I suppose.

Re: Sending them home

Toaf — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:57:30 -0000

On telly last night a bloke from the Sri Lankan gumment was trying to convince us of exactly that line of argument. I think the Liberal Party had emailed him some talking points.

Re: Refugee debate (2009 remix), or "Opinions are like bums..."

Toaf — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:00:03 -0000

Hey Jen. We need more than luck at present.

Re: The carnage in Congo continues

Toaf — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:16 -0000

Invaluable reporting.

Re: Refugee debate (2009 remix), or "Opinions are like bums..."

Toaf — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:51:40 -0000

Sheridan believes it alright. That's the sad thing.

Rational discussion? Let me know if you find some.

Re: This week's readings on peace and conflict

Toaf — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:47:06 -0000

There are some hefty questions in there, mate. Not sure I can answer them. Mind you, if we get our heads together over a few pints down at Filthy's one night I'm sure we can give it a crack.

Re: My dream t-shirt

Toaf — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:16:08 -0000

Vasco and I have discussed food miles often, and it usually factors when we're making decisions about buying items we don't buy every day. As you'd expect, the big question is about rice. The transport costs have to be weighed up against the costs of producing rice locally - a wet crop in a dry climate. Of course, there's also the matter of who controls the trade. It's complex. The label would be ideal, but just imagine the political difficulties of getting all the relevant actors to agree to its content.

Re: Two interesting stories among the sad ones

Toaf — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:30:47 -0000

That's a fair point, Leon. The (Pashtun) "nationalist" element is certainly ascendant at present, but there definitely are, as you suggest, other elements in there with different goals.

While our views on the conflict are widely divergent, perhaps we can share the view that understanding the insurgency and its constituent parts is critical to developing any real insight into what the conflict is all about and where it's likely to go.

Re: Two interesting stories among the sad ones

Toaf — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:13:00 -0000

Fair enough. Our different views on this matter reflect our divergent perspectives on this conflict.

Re: Two interesting stories among the sad ones

Toaf — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:39:36 -0000

That may well be true, Leon. Links to AQ to one side, when in power the Taliban was hardly a good neighbour in its region. Moreso, it was anything but a good government for the Afghan people.

I'm certainly not saying we should believe anything the Taliban's propagandists have to say.

What I think is more important, though, is the tone and intent of the latest statement. Looking beyond its words, can we find some indication of the Taliban's attitudes toward the conflict and its plans for the future?

I'd be interested to hear what you think. Can we learn anything from announcements like this? Or is it simply white noise that can be safely ignored as we stay the course?

Re: Defending American prestige

Toaf — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:01:13 -0000

I've heard that phrase at Club Wah: I didn't realise it was a quote.