To those of you who couldn't connect to The Interpreter on the weekend, apologies for the outage. But we're back today, and later we'll continue the North Korea debate we started last week (here's the last post in the series, containing links to the others). Look out also for a post on China's coal demand, more from the US campaign trail, and plenty of other stuff.

We recently emailed our Lowy Institute contacts with details on how they can subscribe to The Interpreter's email digest service. I'm very pleased to welcome over 450 new subscribers to that service.

If you want to receive a daily or weekly email with headlines and links for everything that's happening on The Interpreter, you can subscribe to the email digest too. Just look for the little green email digest button in the right hand column of this page. Enter your email address in the box, and then choose whether you'd like to get a daily or weekly service.

Actually, it's just a sign for the restaurant that's about to open next door. But the proximity of the signage to our entrance is a little unnerving.

Speaking of our HQ, you can get another view of it on Google Street View, the Australian version of which was released just this week. Be assured that, just after Google took its photo, I was outside with a broom and an ornery expression, chasing away the dangerous looking teenagers loitering on our step.

Regular readers will know that over the past few months, The Interpreter has developed a nice little conversational relationship with World Politics Review's blog. This was not an intentional thing, and no-one here at the Lowy Institute knows anyone on the editorial staff of WPR. One of us just happened to read something they liked on the other's blog, and linked to it. As is often the case, that led to some linkage in return, and we're now regularly discussing strategic issues of the day. It's a good example of how blogging can facilitate the exchange of ideas, and can direct readers to valuable new views and opinions.

All this is just to say that we'll soon be trying a little experiment where we host blog posts from WPR, and vice versa. Look out for it, and be sure to add WPR to your favourites.

The passing of Hollywood royalty would not ordinarily rate a mention here, but since the death in question is of Sydney Pollack, who directed the thriller, The Interpreter, this is as good a time as any to explain that the film did not inspire the naming of this blog. Myself and several other Lowy staff struggled for weeks to come up with a name, with some of the more interesting suggestions being 'Frank' (after the Institute's founder), '31' (after our address), and 'Lowy Lowdown'.  In the end, my wife turned her mind to the problem, and after about 10 minutes, came up with 'The Interpreter'. When I later found the Reagan-Gorbachev image you see on the banner, I knew we had a winner.

On Pollack himself, I like this tribute. 

The Lowy Institute is on the lookout for new talent in international security policy. We have just advertised this year’s Michael and Deborah Thawley Scholarship in International Security. If you are a student (preferably at PhD or MA level) at an Australian tertiary institution, with a strong interest in policy-making and analysis in the field of international security, this is an exceptional opportunity to broaden your horizons and make your mark. As recent posts on The Interpreter by inaugural Thawley Scholar Raoul Heinrichs attest, this scholarship provides direct exposure to cutting-edge policy debates in Washington, as well as involvement in the work of the Lowy Institute in advancing policy debate in Australia.

Just one piece of advice: think hard about the essay outline that you will be required to submit as part of your application. The broad topic is Australia’s global strategic interests and role. Define these how you will, but please make your proposal original, evidence-based and policy-relevant. You have until 18 June.

Speeches and presentations made at the Lowy Institute — including our regular and very popular Wendesday Lowy Lunches — are now available for viewing at Fora TV. Michael Fullilove's reflections on the US political scene are here, and Dr Jeffrey Eisenach's presentation on the future of global internet regulation is also available. We'll also be embedding Fora TV clips on The Interpreter and on the Lowy Institute homepage soon.

Will Grant writes:

I've just signed up for your Interpreter blog posts via the email you sent — but you don't allow comments!  I really don't trust blogged opinions hidden behind comment barriers — it seems a little one sided to me. If you plan to change this, I'll happily keep reading your posts.  But if not, I'll unsubscribe fairly soon.

There are several reasons we've decided not to have open comments at The Interpreter. More...

Today we sent an email to people on the Lowy Institute's mailing list inviting them to subscribe to The Interpreter's email digest. We got a great response, with over 300 new subscribers already. For those not familiar with the email digest, it brings The Interpreter straight to your email inbox; to subscribe, look for the green Email Digest button on the right-hand column of this page.

And for those subscribers new to The Interpreter, here's some recent blog reading you may like to catch up on: More...

We've added a new feature to The Interpreter: you can now email individual posts by clicking on the 'Email a friend' button at the bottom left of each post.

Photo by Flickr user tri-x guy, used under a Creative Commons licence.

The Daily Show host's 2004 commencement address to students at the College of William & Mary has become a minor classic, which you can read or listen to here. Enjoy your weekend, and for our non-Australian readers, note that blogging will be light to non-existent on Monday, which is the Australia Day holiday.

The Interpreter has an Email Digest feature (in the column to the right, just below the RSS button). Enter your email address, and you can receive a daily or weekly email that lists all the items that have been posted on The Interpreter in the previous day/week. The emails will contain the titles and a few lines of text from each item — just click on the item to read the whole thing. The emails will carry no advertising, and you can unsubscribe any time.

The Interpreter now has an Email Digest feature (in the column to the right, just below the RSS button). Enter your email address, and you can receive a daily or weekly email that lists all the items that have been posted on The Interpreter in the previous day/week. The emails will contain the titles and a few lines of text from each item — just click on the item to read the whole thing. The emails will carry no advertising, and you can unsubscribe any time.

Blogging will be light, at best, until 7 January. I'd like to thank our readers for supporting this new blog, and wish you all the best for Christmas and the New Year.

The Interpreter now has an Email Digest feature (in the column to the right, just below the RSS button). Enter your email address, and you can receive a daily or weekly email that lists all the items that have been posted on The Interpreter in the previous day/week. The emails will contain the titles and a few lines of text from each item — just click on the item to read the whole thing. The emails will carry no advertising, and you can unsubscribe any time.

As you can see on the right-hand sidebar, The Interpreter now has an Email Digest feature (it's just below the RSS button). Enter your email address, and you can receive a daily or weekly email listing all the items that have been posted on The Interpreter in the previous day/week. The emails will contain the titles and a few lines of text from each item — just click on the item to read the whole thing. The emails will carry no advertising, and you can unsubscribe any time.