Tuesday, 18 February 2003

They said it: This morning on DW-TV, a German network that (inexplicably) broadcasts over the air here in Australia, a news anchorman and his analyst had this exchange:

German news anchor: Do you believe the compromise [on the EU statement conceding that force could be used as a "last resort"] will undermine Chancellor Schröder's credibility?

German pundit: Well, first you must understand that the Chancellor has very little credibility left to undermine.

I report, you deride.

- Posted by Scott Forbes at 11:45 pm. comments.

Tuesday, 18 February 2003

Today I'm filling out Form 47ES, Application for Employer Sponsored Migration to Australia—in other words, permanent residency Down Under. My work visa is coming up for renewal in a few months, and my employer has graciously offered to sponsor me, so I'm talking to an immigration specialist and collecting lots of paperwork. I don't know that I'll become a permanent resident of Australia in the strictly literal sense of the term, but applying for residency is the practical thing to do.

Form 47ES has lots of nosy questions for me to answer: They want to know my parents' names, my college degrees, my (complete lack of, thank you) criminal record, if I've committed any war crimes, served in the armed forces, contracted any infectuous diseases, applied for Australian welfare, and so on and so forth. They also want birth certificates, transcripts, and—get this—a letter from the police department of Naperville, Illinois certifying that I was an upstanding citizen when I lived there.

(A word to the wise, for anyone going this route: Get a professional to help you complete these forms and walk your application through the immigration department, or you'll waste a lot of your time. You can find a good migration agent in the Yellow Pages.)

- Posted by Scott Forbes at 11:03 am. comments.