Tonight's photo: The Domain. The castle-like building is Sydney Hospital. And the inside does look like the impression given by the outside!Dick Cheney arrived in Sydney today and he is far from welcome. His visit is overwhelmingly regarded with distaste, resentment and scorn. To put it simply - we do not want him in Sydney. In fact the word around town is that city streets have been cordoned off to protect Australians from Dick Cheney.
That's another thing. Normally we accept disruption when a visiting statesperson hits town. But not this time. People are furious that traffic has been thrown into chaos because of a man no one here wants polluting our beautiful city.
To add insult to injury, State Premier Maurice Iemma revealed that state firearm legislation had been changed for this unwelcome foreigner. It was changed to allow the US Secret service to carry guns.
Today he has been described by mainstream media commentators as, "a deceitful, dangerous liar" and an "obnoxious barbarian".
Personally I think he is a great entertainer. How can anyone forget the song he so loved to sing in his younger days.
I'm just a typical American boy from a typical American town
I believe in God and Senator Dodd and keeping old Castro down
And when it came my time to serve I knew better dead than red
But when I got to my old draft board, buddy, this is what I said:
Sarge, I'm only eighteen, I got a ruptured spleen
And I always carry a purse
I got eyes like a bat, my feet are flat, and my asthma's
getting worse
O think of my career, my sweetheart dear, and my poor old
invalid aunt
Besides, I ain't no fool, I'm a goin' to school, and I'm
working in a defense plant
I've got a dislocated disc and a racked up back
I'm allergic to flowers and bugs
And when the bombshell hits, I get epileptic fits
And I'm addicted to a thousand drugs
I got the weakness woes, and I can't touch my toes
I can hardly reach my knees
And if the enemy came close to me
I'd probably start to sneeze
(chorus)
I hate Chou En Lai, and I hope he dies,
but one thing you gotta see
That someone's gotta go over there
and that someone isn't me
So I wish you well, Sarge, give 'em Hell
Yeah, Kill me a thousand or so
And if you ever get a war without blood and gore
Well I'll be the first to go
Phil Ochs December 19, 1940–April 9, 1976: "Draft Dodger Rag" 1964
Full blogging day again tomorrow
Wherever you may be - be safe
