Open Forum July 24, 2010 at Catallaxy Files

Open Forum July 24, 2010

835 comments

Written by Sinclair Davidson

July 24th, 2010 at 12:16 am

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Oakes on Gillard’s catastrophically stupid climate “policy”:

Gillard’s proposal for a 150-member citizens’ assembly to try to reach consensus on climate change and the case for a carbon price is the wackiest idea to come along in quite a while.

Kevin Rudd’s farcical 2020 Summit looks sensible by comparison.

The very reason we are going to the polls on August 21 is to elect a 150-member citizens’ assembly. It is called the House of Representatives.

Paul Kelly:

JULIA Gillard has learnt nothing from Kevin Rudd’s failure — she tells us the planet is under threat, but she cannot act until a political consensus is reached.

Labor’s stand is riddled with hypocrisy and gimmicks.

The spin that crippled Rudd seems more intense under the new Prime Minister.

The proposed Citizens Assembly to assess the case for climate change is an unconscious Labor joke — a grand focus group to conceal its leadership failure.

Labor can’t be serious about citizens plan.

So Kevin was axed to make way for an imbecile.

Tanner and Faulkner bolted for a reason. A very good, very understandable reason.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 12:41 am
Of course. They didn’t want their reputations blighted by this.

This is the equivalent of total catastrophic engine failure for Labor. Rudd was like 3 of the four engines blowing up on 747. Gillarudd is doing her best blow up the fourth.

I just had a frightening idea. Imagine if Shiny got onto that 150 person panel somehow by sneaking in while the guard was looking horizontally, then started the lying and dissembling….and they believed him. He could destroy the economy.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 12:47 am
All we need now is for Steve to tell us how it’s been well received by the single neighbor two houses down form his who was also enthralled by Abbott in speedos.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 12:57 am
It’s a sign of how pathetic Gillard is that Labor has wheeled out daffy old sleazeball Bob Hawke to chaperone her through the campaign.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:06 am
Top Gear news:

Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz no match for The Stig.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:08 am
As I said in the other thread – I know I’m not the typical voter (conservative-leaning libertarian,) but this just didn’t sound like it would work with the mainstream. This is not just a foolish policy – it will lose votes!

Oakes is coming in pretty hard at Gillard lately… he must have had a lot invested in Rudd!

Fleeced

24 Jul 10 at 1:20 am
Paul Kelly’s criticism is incredibly brutal given what a Labor shill artist he is. He still knocks Abbott for not having a “carbon policy” (as if it matters) but he’s now saying – in essence – that Gillard is Rudd Lite. Now think about that: Rudd Lite. That’s like decaffeinated coffee without the de.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:28 am
I read it twice it was so brutal. I think there are two issues here.

Possibly Kelly doesn’t like the way Rudd was dumped and how the Bogan princess took over. It could also be that he genuinely thinks she’s an airhead that will damage labor to the point of causing a fatal crash.

On that last point.. part of me doesn’t want to see the Libs win this election by a few seats and then live in fear of labor trampling over them at the next election.

I want to see the libs win with +35 seats in a complete and total defeat for labor to the point where it’s a bleeding carcass for over decade or so. Gillard could deliver that in 3 years time in a NSW style trouncing.

If the Greens get the balance of power labor is going to have serious problems. It can lurch to the left, but if it does it will have to deal with those frightening zombies. The libs won’t give them a time of day.

The more I think about it, the more I’m thinking this would be a great election for labor to win with around 5 seats in preparation for total annihilation down the road.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 1:39 am
In fact… dare I say… I’m actually thinking of voting Greens in the senate. Yes. In fact I would advise everyone to vote Greens in the senate and give them the balance of power for no other reason that if this is what the voting public wants I want to help them achieve their objective. Give it to them good and freaking hard as it’s the only way they’re going to learn a lesson.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 1:43 am
I don’t want libs to be in tJC, cut that rubbish out now, or I will come down there and kick you up the arse…

Though I have to admit, a Greens-balance in the senate would mean long-term trouble for an ALP government, there’s just too many risks. Slap yourself in the face a few times right now, sir!

Fleeced

24 Jul 10 at 1:54 am
Speaking of the old guard Laborite journos: Kerry O’Brien called out for being a militantly biased cock.

ABC picks sides while the ‘editor-in-chief’ watches on.

Background from former ABC staff member, Kevin Naughton:

“The ABC has always publicly defined itself as balanced. It does so, because that’s what its editorial guidelines demand of reporters and broadcasters.

“The reality is different. ABC newsrooms get very nervous when the Liberal Party looks a winning chance and they get angry when Liberal governments retain power.

“One classic example was the clarion call of 1996 when a flustered senior current affairs producer exhorted the troops to get stuck into the Libs because, ‘we could lose this thing . . . Keating could lose’.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:54 am
Fleeced:

I don’t want the Libs to win with a 3 to 4 seat majority, as they would always be looking over their shoulder living in fear and end up doing stupid shit trying to act like labor light, hoping that will keep them in good with the public. It would ruin them.

I’d rather labor take the blame for the next election cycle and with Gillard there they’ll fuck things up so badly they could end up being a rump of a party next time around.

Anyways I never said I was going to vote for Labor in the house as that ought get me the electric chair.

I want this festering burning boil (the Greens) to hold the balance of power, as it really needs to burst open so the voters VISIBLY see the puss.

That’s why I’m toying with the idea of voting for them in the senate.

Think about this Fleeced….

Bob Brown has already said that he will be voting against Gillard’s last mining tax proposal because it isn’t big enough and wants it to be a much larger grab.

Good.

The only options Labor then has is to go with the Greens or ditch the tax. If they go with the Greens they’ll essentially root our most decent industry and they’ll be fucked electorally.

If they ditch the tax they will have a hole bigger than ground zero in the latter years budget forecasts.

The next 3 years could be Dante’s 9th circle of hell for labor and a 35 seat win could be in the bag for the libs 3 years from now.

Please don’t come and kick me though

JC

24 Jul 10 at 2:11 am
oh oh. I’d really hate to be a demolitionist in Nov.

How’s the stimulus working out fellas. Not too good?

http://www.taintedalpha.com/2010/07/23/ecri-weekly-leading-index-down-10-5/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ecri-weekly-leading-index-down-10-5

JC

24 Jul 10 at 2:19 am
In fact… dare I say… I’m actually thinking of voting Greens in the senate.

What! What! I received abuse from you, Ev630, and Infidel Tiger for suggesting the very same! I give up with you libertarians.

As strange as it seems the Aus public does appear ready to throw out this incredibly dangerous and stupid government. We are probably stuck with them for another term, the only chance we have of restraining their madness is if they don’t get power in both houses.

Stuff the polls, I think the coalition is now in with a real chance because the reaction to Gillard’s folly is very similiar to what happened to Rudd with the ETS.

John H.

24 Jul 10 at 2:52 am
Whoops,

the Aus public does NOT appear ready …

John H.

24 Jul 10 at 2:53 am
John

True , you did receive some heat. But hey…I thought about it and that’s what I’m thinkin.

It’s the best way to teach the Australian public a good freaking lesson.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 2:55 am
JC

While it would generate schadenfreude to see our dimwitted idiot friends reap the whirlwind of Greens control in the senate – an object lesson in their own fucked up stupidity – the harm to the country would make you complicit and a traitor to reason and common sense.

Don’t do it. The frisson of having John say, “you were right – they are incompetent, harmful cunts and I screwed up” would not leave a pleasant taste when sampled in the economic ruins of a once respected country.

Hope this helps.

Ev630

24 Jul 10 at 3:04 am
Ev630

Your paranoia only has validity if the Greens have sufficient power to dictate policy. They won’t have that, the best they can hope for is to block a few things make changes at the margins. So no need for Xanax, the coalition will be in power in 3 years time and I seriously doubt that that we will be in rack and ruin by then.

PS: I’m way too old to be scared by the “it’ll be the ruin of us” argument. Maybe you’re young, but with age I came to realise that scaremongers are people who think if the world doesn’t do their bidding then the world is doomed. They are nearly always wrong.

John H.

24 Jul 10 at 3:13 am
Ev;

I totally agree. But in my mind I would dearly love to see this lesson on the Australian public been given good and freaking hard. It will teach them a lesson for a generation.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 3:21 am
…and I seriously doubt that that we will be in rack and ruin by then.

Don’t bet on it John. The world isn’t a nice place at the moment economically speaking. We’ve had Europe basically role over. We still haven’t had the US state and local governments throw in the towel and then there’s the biggest one of the lot. The debt hippo of them all. When the Japanese shoe drops don’t be caught out in the open. When that 230% dent to GDP shoe drops it will be like 100 Negaski’s all in one go.

It will be fun to watch Swandive tell us his great grandson will be balancing the budget in 2077.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 3:29 am
Fair is fair. This lying, dishonest douche should go to jail along with his board cronies for the same time as Bernie Madoff.

Michael Dell of Dell Computer.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/07/23/a-bad-way-to-run-a-railroad-dell-pays-big-to-settle-fraud-charges/

JC

24 Jul 10 at 4:07 am
John, I’m not so young as my incredibly witty and agile response may imply.

Ev630

24 Jul 10 at 5:27 am
Here’s a thought: what would happen if the Greens, holding a substantial balance of power, decided to block supply unless Labor introduced at least a temporary carbon tax?

Would the Coalition side with Labor?

Can I email this idea to Bob Brown?

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 7:16 am
Gawd. If you want proof that the public doesn’t always think deeply about politics, SMH says nearly 70% think Rudd should get foreign affairs if Labor wins.

This is clearly just a sympathy vote without thought about how a preening Rudd did not exactly set the world on fire, to put it mildly.

Also, especially in Asia, where matters of “face” are psychologically important, I would have thought that leaders there would think it very odd that Rudd should show up after an embarrassing demotion and carry on as if nothing has happened. “Ah, so your party removed you as PM, finding you incompetent, but still they think you are good enough to come talk to us. I see.”

I thought Sheridan was mad to suggest Rudd should have Foreign Affairs immediately. Sad to say, public sense of a fair go means they agree with him, no matter the consequences.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 7:30 am
Yesterday, CL ran with the Brietbart defence that he posted an edited tape of a Sherrod tape not to show that she was racist (although, clearly, without context, that is the impression it was intended to give), but he really did it to show that her NAACP audience approved her (apparent) racism.

I called bullshit on this, noting that the audience did not show any big reaction at all, and (I would add today) the small amount of laughter that does occur at one point does not show approval of racism at all.

An article in Slate makes this point in detail:

http://www.slate.com/id/2261552/

People who are interested should view the tape itself from the 16.30 min point for a few minutes and decide if Breitbart is right.

I see the list of right wing identities who have called on Breitbart to apologise to Sherrod, or apologised themselves, includes: Jonah Goldberg at National Review, The Weekly Standard, Bill O’Reilly (although it’s a mealy mouthed one), Ed Morrisey at Hot Air, David Frum, Ron Radosh at Pajamas Media, etc.

Even Ann Coulter, while not calling for an apology, calls Sherrod’s speech “a commendable speech about racial reconciliation” and does not take the opportunity to side with Breitbart that its the audience that is racist.

So there you go. Even Coulter disagrees with CL, who calls Sherrod a “racist goon”.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 8:48 am
JC, socialism just doesn’t disappear…. once stupid policies are in place, they linger. The best you can hope for is a government that doesn’t introduce new shit.

If the Greens get the balance, and we get lots of new crap policy as a result, will the Libs reverse all their damage? The answer is no.

You say you don’t want libs to win by 3 or 4 seats… but this isn’t a problem. A bigger problem is if they win the lower house but the greens have EXCLUSIVE balance of power in the senate… thanks to warped thinking like yours, this is a distinct possibility.

Fleeced

24 Jul 10 at 8:51 am
What! What! I received abuse from you, Ev630, and Infidel Tiger for suggesting the very same!

The children were right to laugh at you, John. And JC deserves an uppercut for even considering the Greens.

Fleeced

24 Jul 10 at 8:54 am
One more point on the Breitbart matter. The LA Times has a column that says:

“Indeed, anyone who has watched television in recent days has seen an unrepentant Breitbart insisting he did nothing wrong. His previous encounters with controversy reveal a similar pattern — make no concessions, savage critics, change the subject and keep attacking.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-onthemedia-20100724,0,42690.column

As I said yesterday, this describes CL’s debating tactics to a “tee”. No wonder he cannot help but defend Breitbart to the death.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 8:57 am
I’d say Britebart is more like Shiney.

.

24 Jul 10 at 9:53 am
Steve, racist Sherrod openly admtited to discriminating against a white man with the funds she was charged with distributing. She then morphed her disgusting admission into a lame narrative of personal conversion.

Now let’s imagine a Tea Party rally speaker telling his audience that he was disinclined to give money to a lazy black when he was in charge of government money.

Sherrod’s latest view is that Obama isn’t really as culturally black as she is.

Steve – whose debating tactics include mocking the disabled – earlier this week argued that lying was acceptable (that it “doesn’t matter”) when left-wing figures (in this case, Julia Gillard) do it.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 10:33 am
More rave reviews for Julia Rudd’s hilarious climate “policy”:

Simon Benson:

Julia Gillard’s spectacularly ridiculous response to climate change would have appalled the pre-revolutionary ancient Greeks. As it should horrify intelligent people of today…

It is an admission of two things; either Gillard does not believe in climate change – and if so, she should admit it; or that Labor has become so gutless, that it is too afraid to make policy. It has forgotten how to govern.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 10:35 am
William A. Jacobson on the Sherrod racism affair: Still Waiting For Apologies.

Now that the left-wing blogosphere and Democratic media operatives Media Matters and Think Progress have found the Religion of Context when it comes to Shirley Sherrod …

…how about finally apologizing for the months long smear in 2009 that Census worker Bill Sparkman was killed by anti-government, Tea Party-affiliated, right-wing talk show inspired extremists. Think Progress, which is leading the charge on Sherrod, linked the Sparkman killing to Michele Bachmann’s concerns that the Census was too intrusive, and numerous left-wing bloggers did the same.

There never was a shred of evidence to support the allegations, and it turned out that Sparkman committed suicide.

And while we’re at it, how about some apologies for all the false allegations by Frank Rich, Paul Krugman, Charles Blow and numerous left-wing bloggers claiming that health care protesters were violent, and falsely linking the Tea Parties to the Amy Bishop shooting, the IRS Plane Crasher, the Fort Hood attack, and the Pentagon shooter.

And while we’re at it, all the left-wing bloggers who called health care protesters thugs and a mob and astroturf and terrorists and Birthers and harassers and manufactured and frightening and vicious and “Karl Rove’s wet dream.”

And while we’re at it, the Democratic Party and left-wing bloggers who have seized on a strategy of painting all political opponents as crazy.

And while we’re at it, how about Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer apologizing for calling health care protesters “un-American”; and Harry Reid for comparing opposition to Obamacare to opposition to ending slavery; and Sheldon Whitehouse for invoking Kristallnacht and comparing health care opponents to white supremacists; and Alan Grayson and his groupies for saying Republicans wanted patients to die; and the Southern Poverty Law Center for serving as a tool of the Democratic Party by branding legitimate political opposition as racist.

And while we’re at it, how about all those who have elevated the use of the race card to the central tool in the Democratic Party arsenal, thereby tearing at the fabric of this country.

And while we’re at it, the Democratic base which thinks it’s a riot to make fun of Trig Palin.

There are so many apologies needed. Shirley Sherrod is the least of them.

Now watch as the aforementioned cowards do not apologise.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 10:44 am
Fleeced>

I’m sorry, it was late at night and I wasn’t thinking straight.

Of course I couldn’t vote for the Greens. I’d rather lose both my arms than vote like that.

However, having said that this country deserves it if they allow those zombies to get the balance of power.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 10:47 am
Sounds like Jacobson nails it. The scrotal inflation dudes/Abbie Hoffman wannabes are painting others as terrorists/crazies?

The weird thing it all to me is that Clinton was perhaps the best executive the Americans had back to Eisenhower.

.

24 Jul 10 at 10:51 am
Steve’s obsessing over CL this morning. How unique.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 10:59 am
Seem’s like I’ve taken Homer’s journalism course.

.

24 Jul 10 at 11:01 am
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/no-minister-90-of-web-snoop-document-censored-to-stop–premature-unnecessary-debate-20100722-10mxo.html

tal

24 Jul 10 at 11:16 am
Jeez, tai, that’s awful. “Premature and unnecessary debate” is a terrible thing. But I guess it will be leaked.

ken n

24 Jul 10 at 11:30 am
Now that the left-wing blogosphere and Democratic media operatives Media Matters and Think Progress have found the Religion of Context when it comes to Shirley Sherrod …

I like that, the “Religion of Context”; is there another religion with so many backsliders?

dover_beach

24 Jul 10 at 11:40 am
Race loony Shirley Sherrod’s latest blow against the white man: Breitbart wants return to “the time of slavery.”

I guess she was taken out of context.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 11:50 am
Greg Sheridan has written an excellent column on the flatlining of warmenism throughout the world and the grotesque misuse of the Treasury under Labor Party spokesman, Ken Henry.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 11:53 am
Great Gillard has her own cash for clunkers scheme.

Does she realise how much CO2 is released to make a fucking car?

Or is she trying to stimulate GDP when employment growth is already very strong above long term trend, month on month?

Either she’s an economic incompetent or gormless climate crusader or both.

I won’t be preferencing the ALP now, because of this and the filter/censorship “to stop unecessary debate”.

Let’s gang press Hawke into service.

.

24 Jul 10 at 12:01 pm
Yes JC, no offence, but you are pretty much the most erratic commenter in the Australian blogosphere, and that’s without drugs I assume. If you were a spy given a dose of sodium thiopental, the results would not doubt be astounding.

CL evidently thinks that the answer to all political criticism that the Right perceives as unfair is to post material that is fraudulent in intent, causes someone to lose a job, then lie about why it was posted, what it shows, and not apologise for anything.

It’s a race to the bottom, with CL cheering it on.

Pathetic.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 12:04 pm
She thinks Breitbart is racist, Breitbart thinks she is racist. That she should be upset with a guy who posted fraudulently about her, and then won’t apologise; gee I wonder why she is upset.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 12:07 pm
Tim Winton thinks we need to be educated on our backward views on sharks.

This is weird. Great Whites are protected. By popular demand.

Everyone knows the ocean is not our domain and there are sensible ways to avoid attack.

Good luck if you rtun into these fuckers though:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_whitetip_shark

This ship also was sunk in an sea with a broad cross section and concentration of sharks that are dangerous:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Do%C3%B1a_Paz

“#

She thinks Breitbart is racist, Breitbart thinks she is racist.”

Thyey’re both blowhards actually.

.

24 Jul 10 at 12:12 pm
“…the most erratic commenter in the Australian blogosphere, and that’s without drugs I assume.”

That’s quite an indictment coming from someone who last year predicted the Australian people would blame Nick Minchin for summer.

Race loony Sherrod openly admitted to discriminating against a white man with the funds she was charged with distributing. She then morphed her disgusting admission into a lame narrative of personal conversion. Whoopi Goldberg ran this defence for Mel Gibson: sure, what he said about ‘niggers’ was awful but we have to look at the whole ‘context.’

Let’s imagine a Tea Party rally speaker telling his audience that he was disinclined to give money to a lazy black when he was in charge of government money.

Dave Price nails it:

Contrary to lefty spin, this context adds little and excuses less; no one ever thought she just got up there to talk about how she doesn’t like white people, so that it turns out to be part of a triumphant story of realizing class warfare is more important than racism (hooray!) isn’t a big surprise. Sherrod admits to racial discrimination in the course of her work . . . This is perfectly emblematic of the double standard Breitbart’s video was intended to demonstrate. If this was a white Republican man who admitted to having discriminated against blacks no one would be reconsidering anything, except whether to also file criminal charges.

Sherrod’s latest view is that Obama isn’t really as culturally black as she is. She also says Breitbart wants a return to slavery.

Just to repeat: Steve – whose debating tactics include mocking the disabled – earlier this week argued that lying was acceptable (that it “doesn’t matter”) when left-wing figures (in this case, Julia Gillard) do it.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 12:13 pm
Democrat Party warmenists surrender:

Obama’s climate change plans run out of puff.

Cap ‘n trade boned, the Sex Poodle in hiding, the ETS dumped, Rudd axed, Gillard now what she and her colleagues once called a ‘denialist.’

It’s all over.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 12:19 pm
“The award-winning author says he has had to let go of his “old, primitive phobia” about sharks.

“In 1991 I swam with a whale shark for the first time and that was a pretty mind-blowing experience. We’re talking about a 10-metre animal; it seemed as big as a submarine,” he says.

“I’ve swam with black tips and white tips, a very twitchy reef shark. I’ve swam with leopard sharks and bronze whalers, which keeps you alert. I’ve swam with grey nurse sharks.

“We have this monolithic idea of one shark, and it’s a savage thing that wants our flesh – and that’s just a lie. There are 400 or so species of shark and they’re all very different.”

No Tigers, Bulls, Great Hammerheads, Great Whites, Oceanic Whitetips, Makos…clearly there is not just one type of cute and cuddly shark.

.

24 Jul 10 at 12:22 pm
I don’t know the details of this cash for clunkers scheme yet, but I do know that our business is about to purchase 2 new cars. Wouldn’t we be mad not to purchase 2 $500 bombs and take them with us to the dealership thus saving $3000???

This will end well.

Infidel Tiger

24 Jul 10 at 12:38 pm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/07/23/2962161.htm

Right.

How many blacks, Asians and Catholics etc are likely to be in line for the throne?

.

24 Jul 10 at 12:42 pm
200 000 new cars will save 2.6 million tonnes of CO2?

I want to see the sums including the net result including production.

.

24 Jul 10 at 12:44 pm
It’s all over.
.
Unless it happens.

Adrien

24 Jul 10 at 12:59 pm
“Just an aside, but why have the Liberals never used this case-closed graphic themselves?”

Good question.

Because their campaign staffers are idiots?

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:00 pm
This is without doubt the most incompetent Liberal campaign in history. I can’t believe how many opportunities for attack they are missing.

If Labor could manage the economy as well as they manage a campaign I wouldn’t worry so much.

Infidel Tiger

24 Jul 10 at 1:04 pm
CL: I will repeat this again, for the record, even though the points have been made before -

a. references to Monckton’s eyes were dropped when I heard they were from disease;
b. no one even knows whether Monckton takes offences at cracks about his eyes; not all people with a disability take offence at occasional potshots about it (Adam Hill comes to mind.)
c. In any event I now offer an unconditional apology to Monckton and any of his acolytes reading this for any offence I may have caused by referring to his eyes.

d. I said, if last summer was a repeat of the previous (with the Victorian bushfires, eg) people would react against Minchin’s climate change skepticism. There is nothing to retract from that; last summer was not hot, so no skepticism backlash happened. (Yet even without that, a majority want government action. Funny that.)

So tell me, CL, are you going to repeat endless lies about me and these points?

Your debating tactic is to lie, repeat lies, misrepresent, ignore corrections, and misrepresent again.

Even allowing for a forum in which people sometimes deliberately “rev up”an opponent via exaggeration, your tactics are not excusable.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 1:18 pm
Oh, and “doesn’t matter” was referring to the political consequences or Gillard’s responses to Kerry O’Brien, which you and others here wanted to call “lies”. I never agreed there were lies in any event.

So don’t feel free to continue misrepresenting that either.

steve from brisbane

24 Jul 10 at 1:21 pm
According to AC Nielsen’s latest poll the ALP will win 97 seats.

Adrien

24 Jul 10 at 1:24 pm
Oh jeez , steve’s back on about about monckton’s eyes.

I’m far from erratic steve, you goose.

Jc..

24 Jul 10 at 1:25 pm
And Tony Abbott appears to be trying to beat the ALP at their own game, coming up with big spending programs on the run. This isn’t good considering his theme music is the belt-tightening tango.

Adrien

24 Jul 10 at 1:26 pm
Abridged Steve: ‘My lies and slanders and stupidities are OK. Doesn’t matter.’

“…not all people with a disability take offence at occasional potshots about it.”

That’s the spirit, Steve, you intellectually retarded pillock.

Odd that you found such mirth in Lord Monckton’s eyeball deformity while protesting so militantly and humourlessly about Julia Gillard’s horrific diction. I also seem to recall you objecting to Al Gore’s fatness.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:34 pm
Meant: I also seem to recall you objecting to REFERENCES TO Al Gore’s fatness.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:36 pm
I am truly stunned at how woeful Abbott is; and how he could possibly deteriorate with every passing day. Gawd, I hope he loses his seat. Get the bimbo out of parliament, for the love of god.

Peter Patton

24 Jul 10 at 1:36 pm
Liberal campaigns always have to be significantly better than Labor ones because they have to contend with an in-built PR gerrymander. The Kochie/O’Brien/Jones/ABC/celebrity luvvie brigade – plus the union movement’s electioneering monies and propaganda ops – will always ensure the ALP gets roughly the equivalent, in dollar-value PR, to their entire campaign budget, gratis.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:37 pm
If Paul Kelly is to be believed, the reason Julia Rudd went with such an hilariously dishonest, cowardly and dumb climate “policy” is that she’s spooked by Abbott just as her predecessor was.

Abbott is a curious personage, then, in political terms. He has won every issue on the agenda and changed the country’s direction more than either Rudd or Gillard but – to use Paul Keating’s contemptuous phrase – he doesn’t excel at “shopping malls and tripping over camera cables.”

There’s also the zombie HopeyChange/Obama-like gender factor. It seems likely that the nation’s Shazzas (Peter included) are going to vote for the Girl because it entertains them more at this point in the nation’s Idol narrative.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:46 pm
Just as the US will never have to elect a token black guy again, in 3 years (or less) we’ll never have to worry about electing an incompetent and disastrous woman again. Let’s get this shit over, sit back and watch the calamities unfold.

Infidel Tiger

24 Jul 10 at 1:52 pm
Yep.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 1:59 pm
I am truly stunned at how woeful Abbott is; and how he could possibly deteriorate with every passing day. Gawd, I hope he loses his seat. Get the bimbo out of parliament, for the love of god.

It’s not Abbott so much, though I concede is not a good “shopping mall” pollie, but rather the strategists in the coalition are idiots.

This constant harping about fixing the problems left by this the current bunch of drunken yobs running the show is almost a moot point. We expect, demand, that any incoming government fix up past stuff ups, but we also expect much more than that. The coalition is too reactive in its campaign and lacks a positive focus. For example, won’t bring back Workchoices but will fiddle with the regulations. What does that mean? It means they aren’t sure what they are going to do or if they are sure they aren’t going to tell us. Another: there is now a real concern about infrastructure issues but the coalition is not making headway with this while Labor has made it clear they do intend to address this issue.

The coalition has lost the plot, they have forgotten that as a potential government they have to present a positive and uplifting narrative for Australians to embrace. Personally I don’t go in for that vision stuff but for electioneering purposes it seems to be very important.

John H.

24 Jul 10 at 2:12 pm
On Workchoices, Abbott will have to do what Howard did with the GST. That is accept the clear message from only the last election, and declare – sincerely – it will not be part of the Coalition’s agenda. Then when they next go to the polls, they can campaign on IR liberalization.

Peter Patton

24 Jul 10 at 2:15 pm
Oh dear. Bird blames his manifest intellectual inadequacies on Fractional Reserve and Big Jew:

“FFS
Mafia has one ‘f’”

By: Genghis Sun on July 23, 2010
at 4:09 am

Reply

“I would suggest that these goons woud get away with spelling anything anyway they want.”

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/pz-myersthe-undeserved-arrogance-of-the-young-universe-creationist-mainstreamers-the-bangers/#comment-31744

BirdLab

24 Jul 10 at 2:29 pm
Larvatus Prodeo now share a server with Catallaxy Files. Will this cause spontaneous combustion?

Jacques Chester

24 Jul 10 at 3:30 pm
Larvatus Prodeo now share a server with Catallaxy Files. Will this cause spontaneous combustion?

Ha, it is like matter and anti-matter going head to head.

John H.

24 Jul 10 at 3:43 pm
LP and the Cat aren’t opposites.

More like the Finns and the Taiwanese. One side has no idea what the other is actually talking about.

.

24 Jul 10 at 3:57 pm
The Kochie/O’Brien/Jones/ABC/celebrity luvvie brigade – plus the union movement’s electioneering monies and propaganda ops – will always ensure the ALP gets roughly the equivalent, in dollar-value PR, to their entire campaign budget, gratis.

Oh yes of course and naturally that’s where everyone in the country get their news and views from.

she’s spooked by Abbott just as her predecessor was.

Yeah seriously spooked. Look at the triumpahlism of LPA supporters on this thread.

Adrien

24 Jul 10 at 4:09 pm
hahahahaha;

Whatever you do don’t light a match there, Jacques.

In event you could have a few atoms that make up testosterone transfer from this side of the server to theirs, which could help the fellas there man-up a little without being so frightened all the time about everything.

Robert Merkal wants to start a chant now that he wants people to use.

“Carbon price now!!!”

It’s really catchy, hey.

I went shopping today and I just couldn’t get it out of my head…

“Carbon price now”, I kept humming to myself while I was watching the better half do the food shopping. I had everyone at the market chanting it with strangers coming up to me saying what a wonderful chant it was…

“Carbon price Now!!!” Fuck yea.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 4:48 pm
I think the chant isn’t original as I’m sure Frank Costanza used to scream something like that on Seinfeld.

Oh that’s right Frank Costanza would holler “tranquility now!!!!”.

It’s about the same thing.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 4:51 pm
Tour de Lard contuniues from a stained couch somewhere in Suburbia:

“Graeme, I can’t tell you how wonderful it is day after day to taste the delicious sensations of heavy exertion. Yesterday was a long return ride, by a slightly different route, back to Castagneto. Surprisingly, I felt stronger and stronger, after a weak start, and the final long climb before the last little descent to the coast was very easy.

“I’ve read how riders in the Tour de France and other stage races can get stronger as the days go on, but I never really believed it. Now, I’ve experienced the same thing. Just when I thought another 160km ride would be tortuous, it turned into a piece of cake. Just a woman and a machine and the road. How elemental, don’t you think?

“The bicycle is surely by far the most efficient means of locomotion ever invented, with a near-perfect relationship between effort in and energy out. This must contribute to its near mystical hold on aficionados, for there is no alienation between human bring and machine. We are in total harmony, the pedals an extension of legs, the handlebars an integral part of arms. By the end of yesterday the endorphins were playing ping-pong in my cortex. I was floating on air.

“I am still buzzed, but it might be also from the copious amount of red wine drunk last night too!”

BirdLab

24 Jul 10 at 5:05 pm
“I am still buzzed, but it might be also from the copious amount of red wine drunk last night too!”

Bird, I suggest you re-read that line several times. You are being had.

Michael Fisk

24 Jul 10 at 5:11 pm
Yea lab.

The tour de lard increasingly sounds like it’s being held on a food stained couch somewhere in Sydney while he’s watching the tour De France.

Watch and learn. When the Tour De franc is uphill the Tour De Lard is uphill. The Tour De France is downhill so is the tour de lard. The Flast? So is the lard tour.

There’s correlation of 1.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:11 pm
oops… The Flats?…

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:11 pm
Fisk;

It’s all that olive oil Birdie’s trnanie is putting through her/his cropped hair.

It makes him feel very fit watching the Tour of SBS, as olive oil has strengthening qualities.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:13 pm
The wonder of it is that he can do it while simultaneously pissed and engorged.

And nice observation Joe. I think you’ve hit it on the head.

BirdLab

24 Jul 10 at 5:15 pm
hahahahahahahhahaha

We are in total harmony, the pedals an extension of legs, the handlebars an integral part of arms. By the end of yesterday the endorphins were playing ping-pong in my cortex. I was floating on air.

I am still buzzed, but it might be also from the copious amount of red wine drunk last night too!

No Phil, you’re floating on a filthy couch with broken springs in a drunken stupor while watching the Tour De France that’s making you feel like you’re floating on air. In reality the opposite is happening because your weight has destroyed the springs.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:17 pm
Maybe he’s on crack. Or perhaps it’s the hormone injections.

BirdLab

24 Jul 10 at 5:24 pm
I’m the LDP candidate for Bennelong. Photo of relaxed campaigning here:-

http://blog.libertarian.org.au/2010/07/24/out-campaigning-in-bennelong/

TerjeP

24 Jul 10 at 5:31 pm
JC

It was “Serenity Now!”

Peter Patton

24 Jul 10 at 5:41 pm
Only 5 months to Festivus!

BirdLab

24 Jul 10 at 5:43 pm
“Yeah seriously spooked. Look at the triumpahlism of LPA supporters on this thread.”

A strange non sequitur.

Critcism of Abbott the campaigner = Gillard not spooked by Abbott.

?

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 5:47 pm
CARBON PRICE, FUCK YEAH!
Coming again, to save the mother fucking day yeah,
CARBON PRICE, FUCK YEAH!
Freedom is the only way yeah,
Terrorist your game is through cause now you have to answer too,
CARBON PRICE, FUCK YEAH!
So lick my butt, and suck on my balls,
CARBON PRICE, FUCK YEAH!
What you going to do when we come for you now,

Peter Patton

24 Jul 10 at 5:48 pm
Yea that’s right “serenity now” becomes ‘carbon price now”.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:49 pm
Terje;

Which way are you directing preferences?

By the way, if maxine wins because you’ve lifted 57 votes off the lib, I’ll never ever forgive you. You know that, right?

——–

Pattan

Settle down with that sort of talk.

JC

24 Jul 10 at 5:51 pm
Paul Ryan slams business-as-usual GOP dinosaurs for not getting backing his Roadmap for America’s Future.

I’ve said it before: the Tea Party is getting old. If the Republicans think they’re going to coast back into dominance by proxy, they might be in for a shock.

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 7:30 pm
For not ~~getting~~ backing…

C.L.

24 Jul 10 at 7:31 pm
Can you imagine for a minute what life will become for the 150 annointed members of Julia’s Climate Citizens Assembly ?

The immediate cyncics’ reaction is that the 150 will be lead around the paddock by the designated scientists.

That is probably the least of their worries.

The 150 – especially those undecided or sceptical – will find their every waking moment haunted by activists demanding their vote goes one way and one way only. Their mailboxes will be stuffed with propaganda from alternative energy developers.

Their friends will be harrassing them about having the fate of the nation in their hands.

Other than a handful of possible idealogues – this will be the biggest cross any honest assembly-person juror could bring upon themselves.

Another example of the sheer incoherence of Julia’s latest thought bubble ( not all her own work obviously ).

Myrddin Seren

25 Jul 10 at 12:41 am
I see that Peggy Noonan, the well known left wing harridan in the WSJ, says of the Sherrod speech:

“This September, when school begins, we should make the speech required viewing in the nation’s high schools. It packs quite a lesson within quite a story.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467304575383731552735178.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_opinion

Ann Coulter (on Hannity) said “It was a lovely speech.”

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/07/21/ann-coulter-to-sean-hannity-breitbart-was-set-up/

Catholic blogger The Anchoress:

“This woman needs to write a book. … her personal story is gripping, poignant and wholesome”

http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/theanchoress/2010/07/21/sherrod-should-write-a-book/

CL: a Catholic, tin-eared, Breitbart-lite: “She then morphed her disgusting admission into a lame narrative of personal conversion.”

steve from brisbane

25 Jul 10 at 4:11 pm
Here’s an interesting article for the Largest-Open-Air-Concentration-Camp crowd.

When was the last time the United Nations Security Council met to condemn an Arab government for its mistreatment of Palestinians?

How come groups and individuals on university campuses in the US and Canada that call themselves “pro-Palestinian” remain silent when Jordan revokes the citizenship of thousands of Palestinians?

The plight of Palestinians living in Arab countries in general, and Lebanon in particular, is one that is often ignored by the mainstream media in West.

How come they turn a blind eye to the fact that Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and many more Arab countries continue to impose severe travel restrictions on Palestinians?

And where do these groups and individuals stand regarding the current debate in Lebanon about whether to grant Palestinians long-denied basic rights, including employment, social security and medical care?

Or have they not heard about this debate at all? Probably not, since the case has failed to draw the attention of most Middle East correspondents and commentators.

A news story on the Palestinians that does not include an anti-Israel angle rarely makes it to the front pages of Western newspapers.

http://www.hudson-ny.org/1422/palestinians-in-arab-world

Michael Fisk

25 Jul 10 at 4:38 pm
“CL: a Catholic,”

What have you got against Micks?

.

25 Jul 10 at 4:41 pm
Fill’s latest fantasy: swimming in the Pacific

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/they-must-have-got-their-own-maffia-fractional-reserve-and-the-two-hidden-hands-behind-excess-market-consolidation/#comment-31757

In that vein, I think the single most elemental experience I’ve had – apart from being born and suckled – was swimming in the Pacific Ocean during a super-cell thunder storm when the sky was a heaving swirling violet and indigo fury, the rain a-pelting, the sea an eerie olive-green, hail the size of olives skimming over its surface and jagged vertical lightning slicing the air.

What a blast that was. We didn’t plan to do this. But a friend and I got caught on a isolated beach at least an hour’s walk from shelter one mid afternoon in high summer when this super-cell storm appeared seemingly out of nowhere. We had no choice really but to just surrender to it and in fact had the time of our lives tossed like leaves in the colour and sound filled maelstrom.

jtfsoon

25 Jul 10 at 9:43 pm
More food porn from Fat Fill

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/they-must-have-got-their-own-maffia-fractional-reserve-and-the-two-hidden-hands-behind-excess-market-consolidation/#comment-31757

Last night after our day’s ride we had a special weekend treat. We were driven by bus to a restaurant on Mount Amiata, a former volcano that dominates southern Tuscany. One can see it from Pienza and many other points, almost always shrouded in clouds at the summit, 6,100 feet above sea level.

The dinner was yet another gastronomic feast, buckwheat pasta with cabbage, potatoes and taleggio cheese (major players that entwined and seduced each other), pork and beef ragu, and fresh asparagus, broccoli and baby leeks.

jtfsoon

25 Jul 10 at 9:44 pm
That pasta dish is Lombard, not Tuscan.

“swimming in the Pacific Ocean during a super-cell thunder storm when the sky was a heaving swirling violet and indigo fury, the rain a-pelting, the sea an eerie olive-green, hail the size of olives skimming over its surface and jagged vertical lightning slicing the air.”

Ah yes, a veritable kalamata death machine.

.

25 Jul 10 at 10:05 pm
“Since when do we go to Princeton or Harvard, specifically for economics? A wrong and dumb cultural shift in implicit assumptions like this can be just devastating. I was really quite shocked when I started realising that Catallaxians and Humphreys were letting people like Mankiw do their thinking for them, and for tribal reasons positioning themselves just to his right.

He’s a compiler of textbooks for children and thats fucking it. Thats all he’s good for. He may have a handle on quant. research but the dummy cannot match it with the reasoning to understand the results.”

Graeme – he made money from textbooks because he has cred. If you had to sell textbooks you’d be in the poorhouse.

.

25 Jul 10 at 10:13 pm
Jase

It’s meats, meats and more meats. You gotta love gals and trannies that are meat eaters. And Phil seems to be a real carnivore.

JC

25 Jul 10 at 10:23 pm
Phil had a group tour pic taken that s/he sent to birdie.

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/obese.jpg

JC

25 Jul 10 at 10:28 pm
I quite liked this (somewhat mystifying) bit from Bird, exercise scientist:

“I would argue that alchohol would help the high aerobic athlete. But only if he was on some sort of Daddy Warbucks The Third sort of gig. Where he didn’t like girls or guys. Bust just liked aerobic exercise, and the exact right amount of distilled corn, grapes and wheat.”

Is there a field in which Mr Bird cannot enlighten the world?

steve from brisbane

25 Jul 10 at 10:32 pm
No Steve. Birdie is the Einstienistic autodidact of our time. A veritable superhero of knowledge. A Cray computer in fact.

There isn’t a thing he doesn’t now or understand at the level of professor in nay topic.

He conducts brain surgery is his spare time and installs artificial stents on Sunday evenings at the local hospital. In fact Birdie invented the stent.

JC

25 Jul 10 at 10:39 pm
Hey Jason. How could you miss this.

Fatty Phil on the Tour De lard says:

I’m not generally a “group” person. But the scenery, the roads, the bicycle culture of Italy that means drivers respect riders, the food, the wine, everything on this tour has been perfect.

Yea right. Phil’s a group person alright. She lights up the room (and blogs) wherever she goes.

99.999999% of people that come in contact with him/her want to choke herhim in the first minute.

JC

25 Jul 10 at 10:44 pm
I see that Peggy Noonan, the well known left wing harridan in the WSJ…

Moving past Gillard admirer Steve’s view that left-wing women are scolding, vicious hags and shrews (DEF), the faux-clever set-up doesn’t work. Sorry. Noonan has been ridiculed for two years for being a Beltway cocktail circuit luvvie who has provided RINO apologias to the left whenever the heat has been on. She thought talk of Obama being a leftist clown was silly 18 months ago. Good call. Not.

Steve’s Coulter a href=”http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/07/21/ann-coulter-to-sean-hannity-breitbart-was-set-up/”>link is to a piece wherein the blonde bombshell alleges Breitbart is the victim of a left-wing set-up conspiracy.

“This woman needs to write a book… her personal story is gripping, poignant and wholesome…”

Steve’s ellipses are always to be treated as suspicious given his record of dishonesty.

This woman needs to write a book. Politics aside, (and Sherrod may have had a little time to reconsider her absorption of the NAACP’s message that tea parties = racists) her personal story is gripping, poignant and wholesome – a staggering snapshot of where America was 50 years ago, and how far the nation has come, despite the political opportunism and flame-fanning of the worst elements of our society.”

So the NAACP and Sherrod were indeed race-baiting.

That she has an interesting life story and fascinating views of America 50 years ago may or may not be true. What is true is that admitted to being a racist 23 years ago. She has subsequently doubled down on the apartheid rhetoric – claiming Obama isn’t as holistically black as she is and that Andrew Breitbart wants to reimpose slavery.

I am glad that protestant evangelical happy-clapper Steve now embraces The Anchoress, however. She’s one of the most persistent mockers of “global warming,” which she regards as a politically driven hoax.

C.L.

25 Jul 10 at 10:54 pm
Why hasn’t he been snapped by the Australian Institute of Sports? His strict “no sex this year, but as much Jim Beam and Coke as you can handle” regime would be a revelation to the athletes.

steve from brisbane

25 Jul 10 at 10:59 pm
Obama disciple – Atlantic Monthly intellect, Andrew “Milky Loads” Sullivan – returns to the Trig Palin conspiracy:

While it is certain that her tale is not credible, it is not just the wild ride aspect of the story that raises eyebrows; this has to be taken in the context of all the other things that don’t add up about her story. The lack of a pregnant physique, and then the impossibly-morphing body shapes. The fact that no one knew. The timing of the announcement. The odd story of the too-early amniocentesis. The disappearance of Bristol, her pregnant appearance and substantiated claims that she was pregnant in 2007. The lack of any documentation whatsoever of the birth. The changing details…

C.L.

25 Jul 10 at 11:00 pm
You forgot to mention The Anchoress said Sherrod is owed an apology. (I forgot to list her before amongst the right wing identities doing so.)

steve from brisbane

25 Jul 10 at 11:04 pm
Newspoll: Labor has lost its alleged 10 point lead, Gillard’s approval also down.

… in the latest Newspoll survey, taken exclusively for The Australian last weekend, Labor’s two-party preferred lead has shrunk to 52 to 48 per cent.

Labor’s two-party preferred vote is now back to where it was when Mr Rudd was prime minister on the weekend before he was toppled in favour of Ms Gillard.

It stands to reason, if this poll is accurate, that Gillard must stand aside for Wayne Swan.

C.L.

25 Jul 10 at 11:06 pm
You forgot to mention The Anchoress said Sherrod is owed an apology.

Didn’t forget anything, Steve. You “forgot” to include her entire quote – which makes clear that Sherrod is totally down with the NAACAP’s racism and race-baiting.

You criticise Andrew Breitbart for leaving something out and then you do exactly the same thing, you clown.

C.L.

25 Jul 10 at 11:10 pm
The ten richest US presidents.

Number 1: George Washington.
Number 2: Earning $2.5 million a year in 1910 (FM!), Herbert Hoover.

C.L.

25 Jul 10 at 11:37 pm
“You criticise Andrew Breitbart for leaving something out and then you do exactly the same thing, you clown.”

Yeah, like my edit led to a woman being unjustly sacked. Whether or not the Anchoress suspects that Sherrod unjustly thinks Tea Partiers are racist does not detract from the point that she quickly called for an apology to her, and finds her speech to be praiseworthy, as indeed does Ann Coulter. (Coulter of course makes an excuse for Breitbart that he was “framed”, and doesn’t call on him to apologise.)

I’m criticising your spiteful characterisation of the woman and her speech, the refusal to countenance that an apology is owed to her by Brietbart, and your defence of his lies.

steve from brisbane

25 Jul 10 at 11:55 pm
Whether or not the Anchoress suspects that Sherrod unjustly thinks Tea Partiers are racist does not detract from the point that she quickly called for an apology to her…

Let me simplify this mendaciously convoluted pap. The Anchoress pointed out that Sherrod adheres to the NAACP’s racism and race-baiting. Amongst the apology advocates she references is Jonah Goldberg who has now called for Sherrod to apologise to Andrew Breitbart for her slavery comment.

A few conservatives – including cocktail circuit conservative Peggy Noonan – feel poor Shirl was hard done by. Many others – including Glenn Reynolds and Ann Althouse – do not.

That you’ve had to martial a Coulter conspiracy theory is almost as sad as your quote-doctoring.

Sherrod admitted to being a racist – before babbling on with Marxist boilerplate about how it was the non-racial reality of poverty that made her see the light; to finally see that she’d ought to help out a whitey farmer (with state monies), after all!

It was pathetic.

Her subsequent remarks about Obama’s blackness and slavery reinforce the suspicion that she is, indeed, a race-obsessed hack.

The contrived moral posturing about Breitbart is nothing more than push-back from a shellshocked left. He has been destroying them over ACORN, JournoList and the fake charges of – you guessed it – RACISM!! that developed out of that black lawmakers’ walk to the Capitol during the health “reform” debate. His offer of $10,000 to anyone who can prove any one the black pols was called a “nigger” still stands but has so far not been claimed (despite the presence of hundreds of cameras).

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 12:19 am
I don’t want to buy into this argument.

However from I what read somewhere Breitbart was supposedly responding to the edited clip sent out by the NAACP of those woman making those comments of the white farmer and ending there.

That is all he saw.

later the next day after Brietbart went with the piece, the NAACP made the full video available of the woman s story.

If Breibart had seen the entire clip my guess is that he wouldn’t have gone with it.

My question. How is this altogether different to the NAACP referring to Tea Party supporters as racist.

Why is this worse than that disgusting creature Harry Reid referring to those opposing Obamacare as racist and the Botox Queen Nancy Pelosi pretty much saying the same thing a few times.

How is this worse than Nancy Pelosi refusing to sell or rent (doing some real estate deal) with a person back in San Francisco because they were Republican?
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 12:40 am
I want to rephrase this….

My question:

My question. How is this worse than the NAACP referring to Tea Party supporters as racists.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 12:41 am
Steve:

Those questions are for you to answer, as I haven’t seen you ever raise these issues feigned outrage before.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 12:43 am
New York Times lefty Frank Rich compared opposition to ObamaCare to Kristallnacht.

(Note that Rich also claims that Tea Party “goons” hurled “venomous slurs at congressmen like the civil rights hero John Lewis and the openly gay Barney Frank” during their walk to the Capitol. Breitbart’s offer of $10,000 to anyone who proves this remains unclaimed).

Needless to say, the liberal commentariat hasn’t demanded – with its customary OUTRAGEOUS OUTRAGE – that Rich apologise or be fired.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 12:54 am
Not only did Julia lose the debate last night but one of her doofus staffers accidentally sent out a post-debate spin strategy email. It includes the suggestion that party spinners insist that Gillard won because she wants to “take the country forward.”

LOL. ‘Let’s move Forward from the disasters I presided over with Kevin’!

And the boss was kept in the loop:

“Senior figures on the distribution list include NSW Right power broker Mark Arbib…”

Presumably, Bill Ludwig gets his updates in person.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 1:01 am
Michael Kroger applies the blowtorch to unreconstructed left-wing mediocrity, Julia Gillard: “…a total phony and a policy fraud.”

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 1:09 am
What we could be seeing in 2030. Airbus concept plane. the skin could be transparent so you can see out of the plane unimpeded.

Engines/ No risk of failure.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news-gallery/34390/airbus-concept-plane-flight-future/2#image

JC

26 Jul 10 at 3:11 am
JC: Breitbart could continue making his points of unfair claims of racism with some vague sense of moral authority if he admitted that his actions in running the video was, at best, journalistically shoddy, (I personally think it was much worse than that) and led to the unfair dismissal of Sherrod, for which he apologises. This is what many of those calling for an apology have done.

As I said earlier, to just push on as if this was just fair tit for tat is to want a race to the bottom.

In fact, Breitbart’s reaction has shown him to be a liar, and his acolytes support him. That the tape shows the meeting supporting Sherrod’s past racism (which in any event, was of the mildest kind, given that she made amends for it and the man she helped only has praise for her now) is a crock.

CL should be called BL (Breitbart Lite) from now on, but he probably thinks that aligning himself with a lying race baiter is funny.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 7:40 am
Steve
You must be thrilled. Bird has written a comment aimed at you

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/they-must-have-got-their-own-maffia-fractional-reserve-and-the-two-hidden-hands-behind-excess-market-consolidation/#comment-31768

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 8:00 am
this sounds like a completely stupid idea for a sci fi novel. how on earth could it win a libertarian award? how do you end up with schooling costing 50% of future income?

http://www.overcomingbias.com/2010/07/unincorporated-war.html

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 8:10 am
LOL. What an honour.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 8:37 am
JC, I just re-read your post. I sort of missed the first point:

“Breitbart was supposedly responding to the edited clip sent out by the NAACP”

I believe Breitbart has not revealed his source, but if it was a “sting” by someone in NAACP, I’m sure we would have heard by now. As I noted before, Coulter and others are running the line that B isn’t really the one at fault, it’s the person who who gave him the edited video. That conveniently overlooks the fact that several right wing types (including Beck, of all people) suspected straight away after seeing the edited version that their was a con going on. Didn’t matter to B, though.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 8:52 am
As for Phil in Italy: I am hoping she is soon so inspired by her new found alcohol and olive fuelled cycling proficiency that she decides to take a cross-Asia route to meet up with Graeme in Thailand before he goes home. She could only make it if she remains celibate though, according to Graeme. Maybe that won’t be a stretch.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 9:03 am
Re the debate: it was a draw as far as I could tell, but jeez hasn’t Laurie Oakes got the daggers out for Gillard? He seemed positively affronted when the “worm” audience said at the end that Gillard was the winner.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 9:18 am
I’m with Laurie. I found the PM’s Rosa Klebb performance quite nauseating.

Peter Patton

26 Jul 10 at 9:56 am
Dear god:

“I think the single most elemental experience I’ve had – apart from being born and suckled – was swimming in the Pacific Ocean during a super-cell thunder storm when the sky was a heaving swirling violet and indigo fury, the rain a-pelting, the sea an eerie olive-green, hail the size of olives skimming over its surface and jagged vertical lightning slicing the air.

“What a blast that was. We didn’t plan to do this. But a friend and I got caught on a isolated beach at least an hour’s walk from shelter one mid afternoon in high summer when this super-cell storm appeared seemingly out of nowhere. We had no choice really but to just surrender to it and in fact had the time of our lives tossed like leaves in the colour and sound filled maelstrom.”

It reminds me of the time I went bushwalking to the moon.

BirdLab

26 Jul 10 at 9:59 am
Yes, Birdlab, I like the recurring theme of olives in her life. I’m thinking the opening of 2001, except with the monolith being an 11 foot high kalamata.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:07 am
To quote Mr Bird

You are a moron in all things Steve. There is no subject that you are not an idiot about. And reading comprehension is one of the many cognitive skills which you lack.

Obviously the point is that this is not a practical consideration. You are not going to get people only interested in distance work and a bit of the sauce and nothing else. Clearly no-one could sustain such a lifestyle.

You are an idiot Steve. You are a moron. And note that you can never best me in an actual argument without this sort of misrepresentation.

Is that all its come to with you low-wattage types? Your argument is that I know a lot of stuff? A secondary argument made by simply making shit up about what I said? Of course I know a lot about this sort of thing. I was a swimmer and a swimming coach. My own coach for the most part and national age group champion 4 times swimming only in the summer.

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 10:08 am
Jason, I hope you’re not quoting with approval of the opening paragraph! I get enough of that from CL & JC.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:11 am
steve
I notice you have an interest in physics. Are you familiar with Mr Bird’s significant work in this area?

For example:

Does the photon move in waves? Or a straight line? Is it a wave or a particle? “A wave is not what something is. A wave is what something does.” (Gaede). No pressure. The people who think light is a particle cannot tell us if the particles fly straight or in waves. Nor can they tell us WHY protons would fly in a wave-like trajectory, if they ever did. Fans of Michael Jackson? Couldn’t get enough of the Lambada or Dirty Dancing? Photons who just dig watching the swimming, and particularly like the butterfly stroke?

But if you are a bigshot stolen money Professor, and you and your crowd bitch about it enough and cry and cite your credentials and published papers, sooner or later someone is going to come up with some bad theology like the “dualistic nature of light” or the idea that a photon is a “wavicle”. All bullshit of course. But thats how this socialist science gig works.

There is no such thing as a photon. Nor would there be any reason for a photon to be created eh-nihilo, and immediately beat it (jus beat it) at the speed of light. The whole idea is silly. And yet for gravity to work under particle physics, we find that the particles that would have to drive push-gravity, would have to hot-foot-it at least 20 bllion times as fast as light again. No alleged photon ever had a reason to do a runner at the speed of light. And yet particle physics implies that gravity-producing particles would have to travel in all directions 20 billion times faster than light, bare minimum.

Gaeda therefore wins in this part of his model. He’s so far ahead, it turns out, that he basically wins by default. You see there is no other explanation in town. There is no particle alone. And every proton and electron in the known universe must be connected to every other. Some directly, all indirectly. Otherwise it simply could not be the case that gravity could propagate that fast. Thats really the end of the matter.

So what is causing such speed of light? Gaede gets us to imagine a clothesline. You have two ropes that make one rope since they are wound around eachother orthogonally. Gaede says something about Grandma’s test. You have a tight rope like this with pegs at either end of the clothes-line. If the rope is wound tight and orthogonally when you tap the pegs to rotate them at one end, the pegs at the other end respond SO FAST.

It is THAT which is the source of all this incredible haste. Not a whole lot of photons, newly-created, making like they want to be anywhere but where they were born. It is this part of the Gaede theory that is simply unassailable. And its a good thing too. Because it gives us a non-voodoo explanation of gravity and mass.

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 10:14 am
Steve – until you’ve been called a moron by Bird you’re nobody.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Jul 10 at 10:15 am
I know, Jason. It is amusing, but I don’t have enough time in the day to read his physics explanations, or the alien stuff either.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:18 am
I only saw the first 1/2 hour of the ‘debate’ so my view is limited. But from what I saw Gillard clearly came out on top. I was astounded when the Herald-Sun announced Abbott the winner. On what basis?
.
Their ‘analysis’ starts with repeating the front page (secondary) story line that Abbott won. There was no stumbling by either side we’re told, but hang on. Abbott promises to reduce immigration to 170 000 even tho’ it’s already below that level. Gillard steps right in and wipes him. That’s not stumbling that’s falling on your face. He had three things: Immigration, Kevin Rudd’s booting and reducing spending.
.
On the first he seems to be unaware of what the actual immigration rate is, altho’ he did score on the E Timor thing. On the second: no-one cares. And on the third he promises to reduce spending whilst pledging to institute expensive parental leave schemes and Green Corp type solutions to the climate change issue which only months before he supposedly maintained wasn’t an issue!
.
I have a feeling The Hun would’ve declared Abbott the winner if he’d done nothing but break wind loudly.
.
The debate was nothing of the kind. It was simply a press conference crossed with a dual campaign speech. But Gillard’s performance was demonstrabvly superior. She knew what she was going to say and didn’t need to read it off the teleprompter. Abbott looked like was reading and for the first time too. She adjusted her rhetoric to her opposition’s comments. Abbott seemed to not hear what she said.
.
Abbott had trouble looking into the camera. Okay this is just a PR thing. But he wasn’t making eye contact. Moreover when Gillard lists her achievements Abbott does not rebutt them point by point but proceeds to (obviously) read his schpiel which says she’s done nothing and can’t say she has. Well okay Tony but what about the things she’s just catalogued?
.
His ‘programe is riddled with inconsistency and irrelevence. 1. No-one cares that Kevie got the boot. Look at the polls. Everyone approved that the little gleet got shoved. 2. Gillard has appropriated concerns about immigration and you won’t regain control of the issue by promising to reduce the migrant numbers to levels higher than they actually are. 3. How can you promise to reduce spending whilst at the same time guarantee an expensive new parental paid leave scheme funded by new taxation?
.
The whole thing looked quite rehearsed but he didn’t play very well. She did. He lost. And what fascinates me is how the Herald-Sun can just spout bald faced bullshit and gloss over the incompetance of the Opposition Leader’s position.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 10:21 am
Steve – aka Dr Ellipsis (caught out doctoring a quote last night): Sherrod admitted to using race to determine whether she would apportion state monies to a whitey farmer. She then morphed her tale into Marxist crapola about how she saw the light because white folks are poor too. Subsequently, she launched a bizarre apartheid-like rant against Obama (she said he wasn’t holistically black) and accused her critic of wanting to bring back slavery. Jonah Goldberg has called for St Shirl to withdraw this latter charge and apologise.

Breitbart was right that the modern NAACP is racist, he was right about ACORN, he was right about the alleged (but entirely invented) claims of race abuse directed at black congressmen during the healthcare debate and he was right about the JournList fraud.

Steve, on the other hand, is a person who mocks disabilities, fantasises about his enemies being caught in adultery (and metaphorically stoned by the community) and regards left-wing women as scolding, vicious hags and shrews.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 10:27 am
Yay! Another person here notices Abbott’s eye problems.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:29 am
I’m leaving the topic alone now, BL. Only so much time in the day.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:32 am
Left-wing Nutroots Nation Conference (addressed by Obama and Pelosi via video) gives standing ovation to communist 9/11 truther Van Jones.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 10:35 am
Correction: according to Steve’s source, Ann Coulter, Andrew Breitbart is offering $100,000 (not 10,000) to anyone with video or audio evidence that civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis was called the N-word even once – let alone the 15 times claimed.

Obama’s Poll Numbers Down, Imaginary Racism Up.

With hundreds of news cameras, cell phone cameras and camcorders capturing every nook and cranny of the Capitol Hill protest — and news media hungry for an ugly, racist act — it defies possibility that someone called Lewis the N-word once, much less 15 times, without one single camera capturing the incident. And yet, to this day the reward remains unclaimed.

Democrats did their best to provoke an ugly confrontation by marching a (shockingly undiverse) group of black Democrats right through the middle of the anti-ObamaCare protest. But they didn’t get one, so the media just lied and asserted Lewis was called the N-word. (If they wanted to hear the N-word so badly, they should have sent the congressional delegation to a Jay-Z concert.)

Indeed, news anchor after news anchor has indignantly claimed to have footage of the incident, teasing viewers by saying, “We’ll get that right up” or claiming personally to have seen the video -– and then you watch the whole program without ever seeing footage of anyone calling Lewis the N-word.

Dateline: April 18, 2010, CNN’s Don Lemon: “We have the tape here at CNN. I saw it on CNN’s ‘State of the Union.’” And yet, Lemon never got around to showing viewers that tape. IF YOU HAVE THE TAPE, DON, CLAIM YOUR $100,00 REWARD!

So the $100,000 remains unclaimed.

The networks, the Democrat Party and the congressional black caucus owe Breitbart and the Tea Party participants a full apology.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 10:46 am
CL sez:

“New York Times lefty Frank Rich compared opposition to ObamaCare to Kristallnacht”

Can you link to where he said that, or are you lying again?

Don’t bother responding – everyone knows you are lying.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 10:56 am
A question for Phil:

Phil

If you’ve been travelling all over Europe, why is it that your avatar has remained the same?

Every time I comment from a different machine, I get a different avatar.

Yet you leave Australia and cycle from one spot to another and your avatar never changes.

Interesting.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 10:59 am
He/she’s obviously been lugging her iPad around on his/her bike tour Tillers. Another advertisment for Apple

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 11:03 am
Obama never said we were just air-raiding villages and killing civilians.

- Phillman – in between iPhone meetings and conferences.

The link is in my post, you lying galoot.

“How curious that a mob fond of likening President Obama to Hitler knows so little about history that it doesn’t recognize its own small-scale mimicry of Kristallnacht.”

- Frank Rich

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:03 am
Tillers, doesn’t the avatar remain the same if the information- name and email address remain the same?

JC

26 Jul 10 at 11:07 am
Tillers, CL’s link didn’t work, but here it is:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/opinion/28rich.html

But I don’t think you owe him an apology, because he has lied and exaggerated before.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 11:12 am
Thanks for the crucial avatar evidence, Tillman. Your reportage on how Phil isn’t really in Italy and Mars doesn’t really have highways is nothing short of iconoclastic.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:12 am
Thanks, Steve.

I notice you haven’t apologised for your quote-doctoring last night.

But that’s hardly surprising given your track record.

As you said last week about lying for a left-wing cause: “Doesn’t matter.”

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:14 am
As Fisk said, you really have to pity someone who believes in the swill being written by Phil

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 11:16 am
I think you guys have it all wrong. Phil’s in Italy alright. S/he’s even sending out pics.

http://movnat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/fat_woman_on_bike-2.jpg

JC

26 Jul 10 at 11:21 am
“because he has lied and exaggerated before”

LOL you’re telling me.

Given this clown’s track record, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume he is lying until solid evidence to the contrary is found.

CL is an inveterate liar, and I certainly would never apologise to him for calling him a liar.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:25 am
You have to marvel at the way he trained for daily uphill 160km bike rides by taking spinning lessons.

BirdLab

26 Jul 10 at 11:25 am
JC

That doesn’t look anything like Phil.

Here’s her photo:

http://bit.ly/8zN0ix

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:26 am
didn’t rebecca docherty (humphreys’ replacement in rudd’s seat) describe herself as ‘not photogenic’? i think she’s being too modest

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/election/high-heels-a-short-skirt-and-ambition-to-beat-dumped-kevin-rudd-meet-rebecca-docherty/story-fn5zm695-1225896754751

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 11:26 am
“doesn’t the avatar remain the same if the information- name and email address remain the same?”

Who’s side are you on, JC?

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:27 am
“Spinning” does have a cycling meaning, Birdlab.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 11:37 am
Phillman, the truly amusing thing about you is that you’re virtually indistinguishable from Phil. You;re both far-left nutballs, both Obama zombies, both warmenist fruitcakes, you both dislike the Jews, you were both banned from Catallaxy, you both hate Catholicism and rave on about popes, and you both spend what seems to be hundreds of hours at Bird’s blog. Even your defence on being demolished is the same. NO, YOU’RE LYING.

Don’t worry, K-Mart Philomena – I don’t expect you to apologise for your Frank Rich lie either.

We all know you can’t help yourself.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:42 am
Ok CL you win.

(Where “win” means “fit more lies into one sentence than anyone would have thought linguistically possible”.)

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:50 am
My favourite bit from CL’s hysterical lying rant:

“both warmenist fruitcakes”

I can’t recall ever having said anything about AGW on this site (or elsewhere for that matter).

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:51 am
Some journalists are fed up with Rudd Lite, according to this report – which takes a swipe in passing at both sides but singles out the Gillard camp.

Labor spin machine goes into overdrive.

THE Labor Party’s attempts to control the campaign for the August 21 election are reaching new levels of Kevin Rudd-style control-freakery.

Party operatives telephoned journalists this morning to advise them on what questions they should ask Tony Abbott.

At the same time as Julia Gillard is being criticised for constantly refusing to address questions at her press conferences, her Labor machine now appears to want to want to write Mr Abbott’s.

This morning several journalists preparing to cover Mr Abbott’s campaigning activities in Brisbane found themselves being called by Labor media advisers.

Typically, the conversation began with the claim that a particular issue, be it paid parental leave or the cost of living, was “really heating up” in Canberra.

“If you guys could forensically examine Abbott on this you might take this somewhere”, a Labor staffer told The Australian before starting to give example of the tough questions that might be thrust in the Opposition Leader’s face…

Last week, on the Gillard campaign bus, questions seemed to be far from the minds of Labor operatives and, particularly, from Ms Gillard herself.

Time and again the Prime Minister refused to address questions, instead adopting the stock tactic of using any question about anything to resort to her own rote line about “moving forward” or to attack the Coalition…

Both sides seem more interested in spin or tricky tactics to shape the daily media message.

Perhaps this is why last night’s leadership debate rose to no great heights, with the two people who want to lead a nation lacking the courage to lead a serious policy debate and instead spinning their wheels in the muck of carefully crafted, focus-group tested platitudes.

For the record, it is unlikely that Labor’s proposed questions will get much of a run in the press conference Mr Abbott will hold later today.

The crude Labor tactic was the topic of laughter and ridicule as news spread of this morning’s telephone calls.

Looks like last night’s debate failure has caused something of a panic in Labor ranks.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:53 am
Look, this is all very childish, but I entitle this one:
“Phil finds love in Italy”:

http://homepage.mac.com/daustins/.public/FatWomanLyingOnMan.gi

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 11:56 am
Ok CL you win.

I know, Phil.

Thanks.

I note agin that you won’t apologise for your Frank Rich lie. Entirely expected.

Now, can we have another vitally important report on how Phil isn’t really cycling around Mars? Because if you weren’t calling bullshit and presenting forensic evidence (like the Gravatar gotcha), people could easily find themselves being duped.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
woops. Try again:

http://homepage.mac.com/daustins/.public/FatWomanLyingOnMan.gif

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 11:58 am
CL

I had always assumed you were a staffer for some LNP backbencher, but given we are in full campaign mode and you still post dozens of comments here every day, your talents are obviously not required for electoral purposes.

So do you actually have a job?

Must be a pretty cushy one, and lacking in responsibility, for you to be able to spend so many hours of every single day at the Cat.

Even Bird doesn’t post as much as you do, and even he takes a few hours off every day to stock shelves.

Are you on some sort of disability pension?

What’s going on here?

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 11:59 am
LOL CL is calling me “Phil”!!!

Such cutting humour. What a devastating wit you are, my dishonest, underemployed friend.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 12:02 pm
Rrrroooooowwwwwww!

Now Till is actually pretending to be a catty female like Phil.

Just to repeat: the two of you are indistinguishable. You’re both far-left nutballs, both Obama zombies, both warmenist fruitcakes, you both dislike the Jews, you were both banned from Catallaxy, you both hate Catholicism and rave on about popes, you both use multiple monikers, and you both spend what seems to be hundreds of hours at Bird’s blog.

Till = Phil.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 12:14 pm
Tweet of the Day:

“Spoke to 30 Chinese professors today, from Sichuan, each one seemed terrified by the housing bubble in China.”

http://twitter.com/tylercowen/status/19285072003

Tyler Cowen
Professor of Economics, George Mason University, blogger at http://www.marginalrevolution.com.

Capitalist Piggy

26 Jul 10 at 12:16 pm
Please stop, CL. I can’t take it any more.

Comparing me to Phil is so spot on, such a precise and devastating attack, that I just can’t bear it.

Please stop. It hurts too much to be the target of your brutal and incisive (yet underemployed) wit.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 12:27 pm
Look, Tillman, we all want to thank you for revealing the truth about Phil’s cycling trip in the Martian alps. The Gravatar evidence was the clincher. Thanks, bro. How you manage to spend hundreds of hours at Bird’s blog pursuing this important story while also being an iPhone-touting executive at those Centrelink meetings and conferences you spoke about last week is a cause for wonder.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 12:30 pm
Not surprising both the Oz and CL have selective memories.

They both forget conveniently how the previous government did exactly that in previous campaigns which OZ journalists used.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

26 Jul 10 at 12:33 pm
Shorter Homer:

Blame everything on Howard

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 12:35 pm
Somebody make CL stop!! He’s torturing me with his rapier-like wit. I can’t keep up.

The “iPhone-touting” line is such a devastating and precise attack.

I must now commit seppuku.

Tillman

26 Jul 10 at 12:36 pm
Shorter Statman I like being a hypocrite

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

26 Jul 10 at 12:37 pm
Perhaps this is why last night’s leadership debate rose to no great heights, with the two people who want to lead a nation lacking the courage to lead a serious policy debate and instead spinning their wheels in the muck of carefully crafted, focus-group tested platitudes.
.
That is rich. Rich! I tells ya, coming from News Fucking Very Bloody Limited the world main exporter of Stupid!
.
Listen Rupe old bean here’s the news: One of the main reasons for the technocratic oversight of political discourse by evil marketing pricks is YOUR NEWSPAPERS. Hello! Let’s take this:

This morning several journalists preparing to cover Mr Abbott’s campaigning activities in Brisbane found themselves being called by Labor media advisers.

And the ALP Caucus Bots gave them their line. Duh!
.
What it doesn’t mention is that this happens all the time. It’s called Standard Practice. Just because the ALP decided to bombard journos with stuff to screw Abbott with doesn’t mean the LPA won’t do the same. Of course the PR nerds on the political scene get the phones hot Monday morning after the debate. If the LPA haven’t all it means is that Abbott’s got a pack of dickheads working for him.
.
I understand that News Ltd is in a media war with the networks for political influence. So I realize they must spruik Abbott. But this sort of stuff has gone on too far and too long. Raise the standards Rupe. And sack the hacks. Start with Philip Adams.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 12:39 pm
Jason, was the Masterchef final a satisfactory result?

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 12:48 pm
yeah steve, adam was one of the better chefs

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 12:53 pm
I’m looking forward to Junior Masterchef. There’s nowt more fun than kiddies, knives and fire.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 12:56 pm
Getting back to serious stuff, the LibDem half of the UK government has told the banks to keep making risky loans to earn management bonuses. Isn’t that what is supposed to have got us into the mess in the first place?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/7909709/Banks-told-lend-more-or-lose-bonuses.html

ken n

26 Jul 10 at 1:00 pm
I’m assuming Adam Liaw made the Daily Telegraph front page and ahead of the debate coverage. Well now the race is on. Who will get to eat his food on camera first: Gillard or Abbott.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 1:03 pm
jason:

I fully support Humphreys replacement. She appears an excellent replacement and far, far too modest.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 1:26 pm
Australian JournoList!

Peter Hartcher caught out repackaging ALP talking points.

In other campaign news, Gillard bungles new medical ‘policy’ and Wayne Swan says that Tony Abbott is right about the government running up $100 million a day in debt.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 1:30 pm
Lol

Peter Harthcer caught repackaging ALP propaganda?

If you pay peanuts you invariably end up with a bunch of Fairfax monkeys.

UnFairfax is running out of money to be paying good journalists well, so they may be simply resorting to hiring glorified proof-readers.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 1:35 pm
Isn’t this Peter Hartcher’s second plagiarism/cut n’ paste offence this year? The pinstriped plonker should be fired.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 1:35 pm
It’s not exactly plagiarism, though infidel. Pete’s more or less just a proof-reader as Unfairfax as they’re running out of money to be hiring quality journalists like News Corp.

Look at the stock price for Unfairfax. It’s a slow moving trainwreck for obvious reasons.

I would almost take a bet that their most profitable operation outside of the AFR these days is their web-dating site.

Take a look

http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=FXJ.AX+Interactive#chart2:symbol=fxj.ax;range=my;indicator=volume;charttype=line;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined

JC

26 Jul 10 at 1:46 pm
Anyone seen Stedman on the campaign trail?

Is Labor going to work in a policy statement on blue rinse subsidies or something?

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 1:49 pm
CL is obviously feeling pumped today because of a Newspoll result. But SMH reports Eden-Monaro looks an easy Labor win, so he shouldn’t get his hopes up high yet:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/alp-well-ahead-in-bellwether-electorate-poll-shows-20100725-10qrj.html

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 1:50 pm
I’ve seen stedders one time getting into a comm. car with the boss.

He seemed to be frowning which may have meant he was ticked off for not getting make-up and hair combo right that morning.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 1:52 pm
Steve;

You goota be careful what comes through Fairfax publications.

A poll conducted for the Herald’s sister publication, the Canberra Times, finds that if an election were held today, the Labor incumbent, Mike Kelly, would win in a canter over the Liberal candidate, David Gazard, by 61 per cent to 39 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.

61 39 TPP doesn’t pass the smell test.

And this is bullshit.

Labor is trusted as the better manager on health, education, industrial relations and the environment while the Coalition leads in Eden-Monaro on the economy and asylum seekers.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
Not “pumped” at all, Steve. I’ve always maintained that Labor will win – based on the weight of historical precedent.

What’s hilarious, though, is watching a 52-48 game unfold considering Rudd was axed when the margin went down to – you guessed it – 52-48.

As I’ve said, logic dictates that Gillard step down for DC.

Abbott’s effect on Labor’s psychology reminds me of Bill Waterhouse goading Felipe Ysmael to (foolishly) back General Command in the 1967 Melbourne Cup. “It really wrecked his thinking,” Big Bill recalled.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 2:00 pm
That poll on Eden-Monaro is about as accurate as a scud missile.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 2:01 pm
With those Newspoll results, Labor probably should worry that high expectations of a coalition win may cause a protest vote upset. Yet how do they pull off the trick of credibly pretending that Abbott looks a good campaign performer compared to Gillard?

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 2:02 pm
As I’ve said, logic dictates that Gillard step down for DC.

Imagine.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:05 pm
I’m thinking that debate last night is a bit of a problem for Gillrudd.

Journalists, with the exception of proof readers like Peter Hartcher are beginning to question her a little more as we’re finding out.

It’s not like the honeymoon is over kind of moment. It seems to me to be more of wanting to beat her up because she’s so full of shit.

The emergency hospital funding is a case in point.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:08 pm
great observation by Kirchner

http://www.institutional-economics.com/index.php/section/the_perfect_job_for_kevin_rudd/

It keeps him out of the country, it costs us next to nothing, he speaks perfectly impenetrable international bureaucratese and based on experience at Copenhagen he will put the cause of an international agreement on climate change back years if not decades. What’s not to like about Kevin Rudd as UN adviser on climate change?

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 2:09 pm
lol…

Stephen is great. He’s learning to be as cynical as the CAT.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Rudd and Gore should be given more and more responsibilities in the warmenist cause. I’m all in favour of it.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
It’s a troika, CL.

You’d want those two meatheads up there. But lets not forget the Indian Sex guru and soft porn author, the finagling Dr. Pach.

Imagine the three of them at NYC’s Scores one night. It’s down the street from the UN offices anyways.

They could decamp the entire UN climate change office and run it from Scores.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:14 pm
If we can get the sex crazed poodle to keep his pants on

tal

26 Jul 10 at 2:15 pm
Hot Dang! Here’s a redhead who gets my vote:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/mad-mens-curvy-star-christina-hendricks-hailed-as-a-role-model-for-girls/story-e6frg6so-1225896943697

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 2:15 pm
What’s hilarious, though, is watching a 52-48 game unfold considering Rudd was axed when the margin went down to – you guessed it – 52-48.
.
What’s really hilarious is when people pick a fact, pretend another one does not exist and repeat it every five minutes like an ill-bred parrot.
.
Then expect us all to swallow it.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 2:16 pm
Did anyone keep a Fair Go and Fair Dinkum tally for last’s night’s debate? I stopped counting at 7 Fair Dinkums and 12 Fair Gos.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 2:17 pm
JC – I reckon if Sophie Marceau moved to Australia, became a Marxist-Leninist and promised to wear a bikini every day if we made her the Fearless Leader of the Proletariat you’d be all for the Revolution.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 2:18 pm
In a word, yes, Adrien.

In fact she wouldn’t have to even move here as I’d join any freaking revolution Sophie started up.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:20 pm
That would definitely be a problem, Tal.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 2:21 pm
It is a fact, Adrien. Rudd’s fatal poll was 52-48. Today’s Newspoll is 52-48.

So tell me: why isn’t Gillard making way for Wayne?

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 2:28 pm
“What’s really hilarious is when people pick a fact, pretend another one does not exist and repeat it every five minutes like an ill-bred parrot.”

What does this gobbledegooks mean? Are you saying that every 5 mimnutes CL is repeating a fact that does not exist?

I think the 52/48 number is significant as it is the same as the the end result in the SA election where the ALP received the lower 2PP and still won.

It is also significant because opinion polls always overstate the Labor vote.

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 2:38 pm
Rudd’s 52-48 result was recorded four days before the brutal end of his term.

I’m just trying to work out why Gillard’s 52-48 result isn’t also being denounced by Rudd’s critics as a disaster.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 2:46 pm
So tell me: why isn’t Gillard making way for Wayne?
.
Because of the leader approval poll which is not the two-party preferred poll that you keep citing. The way the machine men interpreted the poll data when Kevvie was king was that the people wanted the ALP but did not want Kevvie. So they knifed him. Since then the polls have put oily smiles on their ptherwise inscrutable faces.
.
Are you saying that every 5 mimnutes CL is repeating a fact that does not exist?
.
No. I’m saying that CL ignores the pertinent fact to distort the truth.
.
It is also significant because opinion polls always overstate the Labor vote.
.
Yeah? Is there some verification of this or is it just your gut feeling? 52-48 tends to be a fairly standard figure when it’s as good as it can get. Given Rudd’s schemozzle it’s astounding that that’s what the polls say. And if it stays the same the ALP will be returned. It’s not insurmountable distance.
.
Thing is I would not be enthusiastic about Abbott. He’s right to lambast the government for its credit card spree but given what he’s offering I don’t think he’s going to cancel it.
.
Just remember all the fun the LPA will have throwing all the luvvies to the dole que sometime in the future and smile.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 2:51 pm
In fact she wouldn’t have to even move here as I’d join any freaking revolution Sophie started up.

.
Ha

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 2:54 pm
Breaking: yet another new “forecast” re budget surplus/election spending at the ABC’s campaign blog:

Ken Henry’s boys in Treasury have just found another $400 million.

http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 2:56 pm
Yea, there was a problem the spread sheet. Treasury is using an old excel program, whgich has a chink in it that puts $200 million on the debit side after you click sum total.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 3:01 pm
No. I’m saying that CL ignores the pertinent fact to distort the truth.
What fact is he ignoring? Because I’m not getting your point at all.

daddy dave

26 Jul 10 at 3:01 pm
Rudd’s last poll was 52-48 for Labor. Same as it is today. The irony of this has already been noted by Peter Brent:

But 52 percent after preferences was also …

… Kevin Rudd’s final published poll number – the Newspoll the weekend before his party cut him down. And across all polls, the Coalition’s primary support is, if anything, a little higher under Gillard than it was under Rudd.

So why isn’t DC being given a run?

“Rudd’s schemozzle…”

Adrien, you called for Rudd to be re-elected. Now you’re saying he and his government were (are) a schemozzle.

Crazy, I know, but it’s almost as though The Truth for you is whatever the ALP headquarters says it is.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 3:04 pm
I thought Henry might have found the spare 400 mill under the couch cushions, JC.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 3:07 pm
$400milion stored in a wombat burrow.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 3:17 pm
I heard they found the extra $400m in an esky, and nobody claimed it… sweet!

Fleeced

26 Jul 10 at 3:22 pm
Graeme. Please wake up. This isn’t funny anymore.

Another lovely day travelling through the Tuscan mountains. Today was one of the longest rides out from our new base and back again a total, 180kms, it took us only 5 hours though as it was mostly down hill. The heat though was incredible!

Our hosts had organized a five course breakfast of olive bread, olives marinated in wine, olives stuffed with olives, a quail shot under an olive tree stuffed with olive, and olive tarts topped with meringue.

After loading up with a morning eye opener at the local deli and winery, we oiled or bikes – our host suggests that olive oil is the secret of italian cycling.

This was one of the most picaresque days. Our hosts had orangized a thousand Gregorian Monks to line the course chanting, which assisted some of the weaker members of the group keep up as they literally could not bare the mournful tones of the chanting Gregorians.

For lunch we stopped at Pizza Hut for all you can eat. Who would have thought they had Pizza hut here! Some of our group from the American mid west ate their first meal since we arrived, although one poor boy has still not eaten as he only eats at Domino’s!

After my 15th slice I was beginning to feel full. Its amazing how much you can eat when you are riding so far each day. i topped it off with some olive ice cream, and got back on the bike. The poor lad who only eats at Domino’s is too weak to ride back even though it is mostly downhill, so I doubled him on my handlebars.

Michael Fisk

26 Jul 10 at 3:36 pm
Shouldn’t I just take as a good sign of Labor economic management? ( )

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 3:36 pm
What fact is he ignoring?

Kevin Rudd’s approval rating. He keeps citing the two-party preferred figure which said the ALP led the LPA 52-48 and still does as evidence that Gillard’s leadership hasn’t changed matters.

But Rudd’s personal approval rating dived in 2010. Gillard’s rose. Since Rudd got the boot the two-party preferred figure remains more or less the same, with some oscillation. This suggests that the ALP were right to change leader.

But if you igniore it it simply suggests that LPA have failed to make up any ground. CL thinks this means victory for something for some reason.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 3:55 pm
Graeme. Please wake up. This isn’t funny anymore.
So what happened to the real “Phil”? She’s gone and replaced by an impostor I guess?

daddy dave

26 Jul 10 at 3:55 pm
Come on Adrien, haven’t you ever heard of ‘shy Tory syndrome.’ The polls just about always overstate the the ALP vote because of daid syndrome and because they give preferences to the ALP that often flow back to the Coalition in a real close vote.

In any case national polls of 52/48 are within a margin that means with good marginal seat results the minority party can win the elction, as Labor has just done in SA. And didn’t JWH do the same in 1998 and Hawke in 1990?

The national polls are really a strange case of psychological warfare. What really did for Kev was that he was poison in at least 20 marginals.

The question is whether the current PM is doing any better with the voters in the marginals.

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 3:58 pm
Adrien, elections are not won on job approval numbers or preferred Prime Minister. They’re won and lost on 2 party preferred vote. So all the other polls in the world are froth and bubble. 2PP is where the meat is.
And on 2PP,
1) Rudd wasn’t doing that badly
2) Labor has gained nothing by deposing him.
This is (I think) what CL is driving at, and he’s right.

daddy dave

26 Jul 10 at 3:58 pm
Adrien, you called for Rudd to be re-elected. Now you’re saying he and his government were (are) a schemozzle.

yes because I didn’t want the schemozzle to be followed by another schemozzle. Abbott is the Schemozzle King.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 3:59 pm
Today was one of the longest rides out from our new base and back again a total, 180kms, it took us only 5 hours though as it was mostly down hill. The heat though was incredible!

hhahahahhahaha missed that. so they were traveling at an average of 36 kph, down a 180 down-slope. Some mountain.

Fisk,

What’s the average speed for the Tour de France?

Wikianswers

35 to 40 k

They just had the tour of italy and averaged over 40k over 3000k

So the Tour de Lard pacing at the same speed as the Tour de France.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:00 pm
I think that’s the impostor though.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:01 pm
Fisk
that’s a pisstake of Phil, not the ‘real’ Phil and Graeme knows it’s a pisstake

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 4:01 pm
Adrien is starting to panic.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 4:04 pm
Jason

We can’t be certain that it is the Phil impostor.It may be, but we don’t know for certain.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:04 pm
I slightly disagree with the 52/48 prognosis.

It could also be looked at another way.

Drudd was in a free fall. At the rate The Little Turd was going the ALP’s you only had to count the ALP vote in the inner city areas as they weren’t going to get votes elsewhere. They were finished.

We could speculate that Gillrudd may have stopped the free fall.

I’m pissed he’s was knocked off, as it could be ended up being a lib landslide by the time he called the election.

Homer and Wodge could have been the leader and deputy leader of the libs and still would have won.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:10 pm
Adrien is starting to panic.

True. There’s this beautiful girl I’m crazy about and I’m beginning to think I’ll never see her again.

Adrien

26 Jul 10 at 4:16 pm
There’s this beautiful girl I’m crazy about and I’m beginning to think I’ll never see her again.

Don’t worry, Julia is still odds on to win and even if she doesn’t you can be assured she’s not going anywhere.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 4:23 pm
Oh Lord. They’re running out of Peters to pay all the Pauls. No wonder Ken Henry has helpfully ‘found’ $400 million by going through every car ashtray in the Treasury building.

Solar plan raided to pay for guzzlers.

AUSTRALIA’S renewable energy industry was reeling yesterday after discovering a $520million budget cut to low-emissions technology in the fine print of Julia Gillard’s ‘‘cash-for-clunkers’’ announcement.

Ms Gillard said that owners of pre-1995 vehicles will be able to claim $2000 from January 1 next year to upgrade to cleaner cars.

She estimated that handouts would benefit 200,000 of the 2million owners of pre-1995 cars in Australia at a cost of $394million over four years.

But the move will be financed by cutting into existing carbon reduction programs, including $200million from the flagship solar power incentives and $150million off the renewable energy scheme that provides rebates to householders for solar hot water and heat pump systems.

Yet another Gillard con.

WTR.*

(Worse than Rudd).

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 4:24 pm
Oh Lord. They’re running out of Peters to pay all the Pauls

Frankly I don’t see it that way. They’re lifting the mullah from one subsidy whore and giving it to another.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:32 pm
Another highly balanced panel on tonight’s Q&A.

Fat Tony Jones: Labor.
Penny Wong: Labor.
Graham Richardson: Labor.
Christine Milne: Labor (Green Party faction).
Malcolm Turnbull: Labor (Point Piper faction).

Versus:

Tom Switzer: editor, The Spectator.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 4:32 pm
Oh goody… Christine Milne’s on….the intellectual fort of the senate.

Watch Christine go on about how we’re all so stupid for letting these wonderful technologies escape our shores… stolen by these crafty foreigners taking advantage of stupid Australians.

If only we kept these technologies here we could create millions of jobs retooling for a wonderful carbon free future and balancing our way of life to compete with Malawi.

Of course Christine is suggesting everyone else do it though. She’s too busy in the senate figuring all these things out for us.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:39 pm
Hey, Philomena’s olive obsession continues, with a bit of Graeme flirting thrown in:

“Graeme, I think I’m going to plant a couple of olives trees when I get back home, either in my garden or somewhere nearby. They really are a fabulous tree, sitting lightly on the earth with such grace and gravity. They would bring the classical world into my neck of the woods back in the Antipodes and remind me of my trip to Tuscany, I think.

Aldous Huxley was so enamoured of the olive tree he said that if he could paint (he was legally blind from a young age) and had the time, he would devote himself for several years painting nothing but olive trees. He contrasted them more favourably to the vast deciduous European trees such as the elm, which he considered “blowsily female”!

By contrast, Pablo Neruda, who I think enjoyed women more freely and had vast sensual appetites, (much like you Mr Bird) compared olives to women’s nipples.”

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 4:45 pm
Did she just call Birdy an obese glutton?

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 4:48 pm
Maybe it means he’s hung like an olive? [Sorry!!]

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 4:51 pm
By contrast, Pablo Neruda, who I think enjoyed women more freely and had vast sensual appetites, (much like you Mr Bird) compared olives to women’s nipples.”

They’d be coat hangers, not nipples.

I think this is the impostor again.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 4:56 pm
The literary references seem correct, though. Mind you, anyone with Google can come up with this stuff now.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 5:01 pm
The gravatar’s the same.

BirdLab

26 Jul 10 at 5:10 pm
Krugman has been getting tips from Treasury on providing supporting evidence. Apparently you can say anything you want and then put up a graph or chart that doesn’t support the claim.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/24/keynes-in-asia/

pedro

26 Jul 10 at 5:11 pm
Oh Jaysus, check this guy out. How the fuck could anyone endorse him?

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/how-did-david-barker-become-a-liberal-candidate-20100726-10rqy.html?rand=1280123597118

BirdLab

26 Jul 10 at 5:12 pm
He sure is healthy looking.

pedro

26 Jul 10 at 5:20 pm
Is this a bubble?

Vikram Baidyanath prefers to travel more than 4,000 miles to London to get suits from his favorite brand, Ermenegildo Zegna, than to drive half an hour to New Delhi’s luxury mall.

“The feel-good factor and the whole experience of shopping abroad is better,” said Baidyanath, 32, who also buys Burberry shirts and Gucci or Prada shoes on trips to London. The chief executive of traditional medicine and health-product maker Baidyanath Group said he’s attracted to the ambience, wider selections and lower prices to be found overseas.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-20/new-delhi-misses-luxury-boom-as-millionaires-go-to-london-for-gucci-zegna.html

I personally think it’s real and long lasting.

At this rate there won’t be enough luxury stocks around for everyone else. Lol

JC

26 Jul 10 at 5:22 pm
Sigh
I know the ALP candidate for Chiefley in the story from years back.

Ed Husic is as Muslim as I am Buddhist or Chris Hitchens is Jewish.

He’s of Bosnian Muslim background i.e. his parents are Muslim, and when I knew him (from when I was active in the ALP more than 10 years ago) all I knew about him was he was from Balkans, I didn’t even realise he was a practicising Muslim because … he isn’t!

So even aside from the dubiousness and scaremongering of Barker’s reasoning, he’s intentionally misrepresented Ed.

Aside from that Ed Husic is a decent guy. If I were still living in Chifley (where my parents reside) I’d vote ALP to vote for him (just as if I were living in Wentworth I’d vote Liberal for Turnbull).

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 5:23 pm
Didn’t the story say that Barker is from the religious right? You have to laugh when one stupid god-pesterer worries about the evil designs of some other deity-nut. What part of “he doesn’t exist” don’t those pricks understand?

pedro

26 Jul 10 at 5:28 pm
“In 2004, the party chose another conservative Christian, the Hillsong Church member Louise Markus, as their candidate in the western Sydney seat of Greenway to go up against Husic.”

Jeez, it’s a cancer.

pedro

26 Jul 10 at 5:33 pm
Insiders carried the story.

The scoop is that the libs have a really hard time finding candidates for safe labor seats, so they don’t do much research on them.

It seems the strategy is act and then ask questions later.

It really shouldn’t shock though because if I recall correctly Rudd expelled several people from the party at the last election.

In any event the Greens proudly nominated Happy Hamilton at the Stonnington special election and as far as I’m concerned Mr. Universe here and Happy Hamilton are equally unattractive candidates.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 5:52 pm
Good grief: Philomena is reading olive poetry to Graeme now, and nipples, breasts and grapes get a mention this time.

Graeme responds with a long, dull explanation of the seasons in Chang Mai, which Phil finds “absolutely fascinating”, and for no apparent reason asks what Graeme knows about the town of Fang.

You know where to find it.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 6:08 pm
I’m guessing Phil’s going to ride from Italy to where Birdie’s holed up in Thailand soon I guess.

And I’m sure we’ll be hearing about all the olive trees and meats, meats and more meats, as s/he cycles over the Himalayas and shit like that.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:13 pm
don’t forget the cheeses JC
you wouldn’t want to be Fill’s proctologist

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 6:15 pm
hahahahhaha….. that’s right…. Meats, meats and more meats… and delicious cheeses stuffed with olives of all varieties. In addition to the olive and chocolate souffle.

Bird’s buying this swill.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:20 pm
Anyone know what the hell Bird is doing in Thailand.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:21 pm
on holiday with his inlaws from the sound of it

have some pity for the poor bastards whose family he married into

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 6:24 pm
Oh jeez. Those poor people. Those poor defenseless people.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:26 pm
It’s a pity Graeme’s married, otherwise I could see movie material in this: “Sleepless in Fang”. “Fang for the Memories.”

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 6:28 pm
In addition to Bird doing a reality version of the crying game imagine Bird and phil being “married”. Although I understand that same sex marriage still isn’t allowed.

You’d have to wonder which one would end up with a dagger firmly implanted in his chest in the morning.

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:31 pm
Or more to the point given that Thailand is the sex change capital of the world, ‘Thanks for the mammaries’

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 6:33 pm
Maybe a clandestine meeting at the Bridge on the River Kwai, but with Phil exploding at the climax.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 6:35 pm
hahahahahahaha Is Thailand really the sex change capital?

JC

26 Jul 10 at 6:47 pm
I’m watching the most bizarre interview I think I might have ever witnessed involving Kezza and Tony. He spent what seemed like an eternity repeating a Labor talking point re immigration. Kezza is utterly shameless.

dover_beach

26 Jul 10 at 8:01 pm
Newspoll: women returning to Coalition.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 8:32 pm
Newspoll: women returning to Coalition.

Steve from Brisbane holds firm.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 8:46 pm
Surely Fake Phil – Fake Avian twitter?

Peter Patton

26 Jul 10 at 8:47 pm
That should be “=”

Peter Patton

26 Jul 10 at 8:47 pm
in answer to jc’s question

http://www.phuket-plasticsurgery.com/lovelyladies.html

jtfsoon

26 Jul 10 at 8:49 pm
CL, why is it that when I make a comment about some Abbott stuff up or image issue, I’m a “Labor hack”; but when you spend all day pointing out Labor problems, deriding Gillard, or some better polling news for the Coalition, you’re (apparently) meant to just be some objective observer.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 8:51 pm
The difference, Steve, is that I have never pretended to be anything other than an LNP voter and supporter. I am partisan. You, however, pretend to be a non-partisan critic of the political scene – which, clearly (as we all know), you’re not.

The irony is that despite my partisanship I criticise the Coalition and its leadership more often and more strongly than you do the Labor Party and I always have.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 8:58 pm
“The irony is that despite my partisanship I criticise the Coalition and its leadership more often and more strongly than you do the Labor Party and I always have.”

LOL. What a joke.

You just can’t handle the idea of even an occasional swinging voter who won’t always vote Coalition if it seems to him that they don’t deserve election at the moment.

Put Turnbull back in as leader, and you (almost certainly) would have better economic leadership, environmental policy, immigration policy, etc. The party would deserve my vote. It doesn’t at the moment. (Still not sure I can vote for Labor either, though.)

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 9:10 pm
Steve’s vote is determined on who will legislate a carbon tax/ETS and remove the GST from plastic bed sheets.

Infidel Tiger

26 Jul 10 at 9:23 pm
No, not a joke, Steve. I’ve been either running my own blog or commenting on blogs for several years and in that time have been extremely critical of Coalition politicians and decisions – up to and including Tony Abbott in this very campaign.

You, on the other hand, never criticise the Labor Party in any ongoing or meaningful way. You simply don’t believe in anything other than loyalty to the party. Your talkback hack act – wherein you phone in to pretend to be a Christian conservative who reluctantly withdraws support from the Coalition because you don’t like Tony Abbott (but you do like Mr 14 percent Malcolm Turnbull – because he was no danger of winning) – was ably spotted by Infidel Tiger here recently.

You’re a Labor hack, Steve.

Just admit it.

Stop the act.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 9:27 pm
Ateve:

Yea? And how about a Turnbull that didn’t support the ETS?

JC

26 Jul 10 at 9:29 pm
From the nation that deplores Australian ‘racism’ and blackballs John Howard for his cultural backwardness:

200 ‘witches’ killed in India each year – report.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 9:34 pm
JC: if he went for a carbon tax instead of an ETS, I would be even happier. I don’t see its worth discussing the hypothetical of him supporting nothing.

CL: “You, on the other hand, never criticise the Labor Party in any ongoing or meaningful way.”

Meaning: unless you criticise them as much as I do, you can’t be telling the truth about how you see politics at the moment.

Get over yourself, CL. Who made you (and your fellow acolytes) the judge of political honesty in others?

Just as with your sleazy call of Gibson’s girlfriend as “effectively a prostitute”, when you wouldn’t know the first thing about their relationship, you leap to judgement of people sincerity without knowledge or justification. In fact in my case it’s worse than that, as you used to at least sometimes read my blog and know I was very unhappy for Rudd to have won the last election. I don’t think I have said anything positive about him, ever.

A month or two ago, Gerard Henderson said on Insiders (to paraphrase) that the Rudd government hadn’t been a disastrous one; it had its significant problems but it was not a disaster. I pretty much take the same line, yet because I don’t care to join in your over the top (and partisan) attacks on the government (it kills workers, it drowns boat people, or whatever) I’m deemed to be a liar about personal conviction.

As I said, get over yourself.

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 10:13 pm
The Oz says: “…giving Labor an election-winning lead based on second preference flows at the 2007 election of 52 to 48 per cent.”

But what if the prefernces flow differently?

TA gave a great performance tonight on the 7.30 Report, and last night did well in the Debate. I think we are going to see the Coalition come hoe strongly. The trend is set. Gillard has a male problem. She turns men off much more than Abbott turns off women. Men (and sensible women) see her as under-qualified TOKEN BOGAN WITH A SLOGAN.

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 10:20 pm
My wife has dubbed the ALP Bogan’s Heroes. She reckons that when asked about anything that has occurred in Government since 2007 Julia is Sgt “I know nussing” Schultz.

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 10:25 pm
RL: Your wife is as hilarious as you are interesting.

FDB

26 Jul 10 at 10:30 pm
On that happy note – it’s past my bed-time.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Jul 10 at 10:32 pm
I found it amusing, FDB, certainly the latter gag.

dover_beach

26 Jul 10 at 10:40 pm
FDB

My wife is extremely funny. So thanks for the compliment

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 10:47 pm
Steve, you’re famous for a few things – rational analysis of politics not being amongst them: these include pretending to be a Christian conservative frustrated with Tony Abbott; making fun of the disabled; fantasising about Tony Abbott being caught in adultery; spending a fortnight posting about Tony Abbott’s Speedos; claiming your former hero, Kevin Rudd, was going to monster an opponent who spent too much time on his bicycle (oops); predicting a double dissoution election that Kevin would easily win (oops); saying Australians were on the verge of blaming Nick Minchin for summer; hypocritically giving Julia Gillard a pass for shelving the ETS; and, most recently, insisting that it “doesn’t matter” when left-wing politicians lie (if it works).

Now please, stop the act.

You’re a Labor Party hack.

Just admit it.

C.L.

26 Jul 10 at 11:04 pm
I do find it interesting that the media seems to want to focus on TA having a ‘woman problem” whilst not admitting that the corollary of that is that JG has a man problem.

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 11:04 pm
I haven’t seen any activity from Labor in Wentworth. The only posters I’ve seen are Malclom’s. In fact I don’t even now who the ALP candidate is.

This is significant, because it shows that Labor is saving effort and funds to defend its own marginals rather than trying to win seats from the Coalition (not that the ALP could win in Wentworth anyway, unless the AEC gerrymanders it some more by adding labor voting areas that have nothing in common with Wentworth’s core constituency whilst leaving out Liberal voting areas that do).

Rococo Liberal

26 Jul 10 at 11:23 pm
Graeme Bird earlier this evening:

“I ought to say that I am back in Sydney today. But am a generally paranoid person, so sort to fudge my movements somewhat.”

As does Philomena…

steve from brisbane

26 Jul 10 at 11:41 pm
A political leader with a gender problem:

Now Julia hits man trouble.

TONY Abbott’s problem with women is well known. But as the campaign enters its second week – and the nation grapples with gender muscling its way into an election for the first time – it’s becoming clear that Julia Gillard may have an equally big problem with men.

The article notes “partner” Stedman’s absence from the campaign trail.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 1:03 am
“I do find it interesting that the media seems to want to focus on TA having a ‘woman problem” whilst not admitting that the corollary of that is that JG has a man problem.”

It is BS anyway. Oakes and Mc Cabe agreed that it was a crock. Women were nicer to both. Men judged then forgave.

The two ALP mouthpieces Ch 7 and Ch 10 probably dsagreed.

FFS don’t take anything “Kochie” says seriously…

.

27 Jul 10 at 7:43 am
I haven’t noticed because I rarely watch television but Bolt speculates that Gillard is stressed out.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 10:10 am
Gee, CL, that is an awful picture; may be a trick of the lighting and the lack of any foundation.

dover_beach

27 Jul 10 at 10:15 am
Maybe it’s true…

Gillard company tax gaffe.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 10:16 am
I wonder if all this speculation viz Julia Gillard’s gender and associated issues is gonna backfire on you guys. Hint: just because women put up with us doesn’t mean they actually approve.

Adrien

27 Jul 10 at 10:17 am
I’ll see you a Gillard and raise you an Abbott:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/firstblog/2010/07/26/campaign-for-your-soul-day-10-only-15000-years-to-go/

BirdLab

27 Jul 10 at 10:18 am
Bolt speculates that Gillard is stressed out.
I’m not surprised. The campaign will take more of a toll on her than Abbott and this will be to Abbott’s advantage. Two reasons.
1. Abbott is in better physical shape. Stamina and physical health are under-rated assets for political campaigns.
2. Abbott has also had eight months to settle into the job of leader and prepare himself for the possibility of an election campaign, while she’s had a mere four weeks.

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 10:19 am
I didn’t know anyone was ‘speculating’ about Julia’s gender, Adrien. Is there something we should know?

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 10:21 am
I think being a naive communist is excusable. This isn’t

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/radical-roots-seep-through-at-the-heart-of-greens-20100726-10sj0.html

Mark Aarons fell out with Rhiannon in the 1970s when, he claims, she refused to condemn the invasion of Czechoslovakia or the shooting of workers by the Polish communist dictatorship. He writes: “I could not conceive of someone of my age and experience supporting Moscow’s policies.”

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 11:18 am
Hmm. Fake Philomena is getting harder to tell from real Philomena. Not as funny as first fake P, but a worthy enough effort.

steve from brisbane

27 Jul 10 at 11:50 am
Then there was fruitloop Shirley Sherrod, naming her daughter Russia in the 1960s. Which would have been a bit like naming a child ‘Fatherland’ in the 1930s.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 11:50 am
brilliant, just brilliant piece of mimickry, steve, whoever did it.

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 11:56 am
Wikileaks has posted a stack of confidential documents about the Afghan war, that will certainly result in the death of many US informants in Afghanistan.
I wonder if this bothers wikileaks editor-in-chief, Julian Assange.
Are such people considered to be necessary sacrifices in the campaign against American power?

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
Assange should be in Gitmo.

Infidel Tiger

27 Jul 10 at 12:06 pm
Assange has said that “you can’t publish a paper on physics without the full experimental data and results; that should be the standard in journalism

He would be better off promoting the same level of disclosure from those involved in climate science, rather than assisting our enemies abroad.

dover_beach

27 Jul 10 at 12:18 pm
Sorry, forgot the above link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

dover_beach

27 Jul 10 at 12:19 pm
I didn’t know anyone was ‘speculating’ about Julia’s gender, Adrien.
.
I can see where this is going.
.
Is there something we should know?
.
You’ll find the ‘facts’ soon enough. I don’t have to tell you them for the same reason Nick Corey didn’t have to tell the citizens any ‘facts’ about his opponent in the upcoming election for High Sheriff of Pottsville.

Adrien

27 Jul 10 at 12:45 pm
I am a spaceship.

BirdLab

27 Jul 10 at 1:42 pm
Must be a cold day in hell. A positive story on hunting in The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/restaurants-and-bars/men-who-kill-20100726-10sd8.html

Infidel Tiger

27 Jul 10 at 1:45 pm
LOL: Harry Reid’s son, Rory – now a candidate for office – distancing himself from his surname.

Looks like he’ll just have to rely on ‘Rory’ and the family’s famous good looks.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 1:47 pm
? Birdlab.

steve from brisbane

27 Jul 10 at 1:47 pm
World’s cushiest job? US President.

http://exurbanleague.com/Home/tabid/40/EntryId/486/Obamas-take-4-vacations-in-1-month.aspx

Infidel Tiger

27 Jul 10 at 1:50 pm
Uh-oh: Gillard in major trouble.

Stimulus grants favoured ALP seats, according to a damning audit report.

JULIA Gillard will be confronted by damaging allegations of pork-barrelling following a damning audit report.

The report reveals a key element of the federal government’s stimulus package was skewed in favour of Labor electorates.

The Australian National Audit Office found the government failed to follow its own guidelines for assessing grants when dishing out $550 million from the government’s Regional and Local Community Infrastructure Program.

The report also revealed that the government failed to publish clear criteria about how the projects would be assessed.

C.L.

27 Jul 10 at 1:54 pm
Oh no. Bird has deleted the second Fake Phil comment. Spoilsport.

I wonder if Phil is on her way back now. Perhaps crossing the ocean in a Giant Olive.

steve from brisbane

27 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
I wonder about it too, Steve.

BirdLab

27 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
Must be a cold day in hell. A positive story on hunting in The Age:

Don’t blame because I didn’t do it and wouldn’t have any desire.

Years ago we were at a dinner and this French dude was asked how his African safari went. People seemed pretty interested until they realized the safari he went on was a lion and Hippo hunt. I can see how you’d hunt a lion but a hippo isn’t that much of a hunt.

You could cut the atmosphere with a craving knife.

The dude couldn’t give a shit though , which i thought was pretty amusing.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
I see Graeme is trying to bring ether back into physics.

Next – Bird revives phlogiston theory

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 1:59 pm
Graeme,

Thanks for deleting the first one I made some appalling typos that I would rather forget!

Another fantastic day on the bike! I awoke early to the bustling sounds of the monthly market being set up. It seems that the locals from all the surrounding villages come here once every month to trade their wares. As you can imagine it was excited to see what they had.

We had a long day’s cycling ahead of us so I was glad they started early. After my morning bath (alas not as long as I would have liked!), I nipped out to get amongst the stalls. It was incredible a cornucopia of local produce and traditional pottery.

Tables literally groaning with olives, beans and traditional breads, sadly we are too early for the harvest season or I imagine the tables would be laden with grapes as well.

I savoured the most delicious ribollita for breakfast, an elderly lady had it sitting in front of here at her stall, spoon in it ready to eat when I picked it up and tasted it she exclaimed “Che è mio Ribollita. Americana ladra”, which I believe means “take it please its free” but I pointed out I was Australian and offered her a Euro for it. The generosity of the locals is astounding. Ribollita is a dish that is made by reheating the night before’s left overs. It is simple rustic but deliciously aromatic and the kind of hearty start you need before a long ride. As you could imagine I could not resist the olives, and bought a kilo of them in a painted blue ceramic bowl to take along with me for treats. Two delightful pottery pitchers of wine were also bought, and filled with chianti and an anti-pasto plate.

The ride was a little late to begin, I was not the only one who needed to be rounded up from the market place, but eventually we began! It was a strenuous ride today, but I am feeling stronger, fitter and faster with every rotation. Smarter too, more intuitive, I am becoming in tune with the natural cadences where in lies my strength. Cycling feels like such a feminine activity. The bike is dominated by curves, wheels and gears working together in harmony. Women are in their essence cyclical and this seems too natural. Not harsh and jarring in the way of running, pounding the road, or thrashing and struggling in the way of swimming. Even the handle bars evoke the curved and sensuous shape of the horns of the indigenous goats here.

We rode up through the heights of the Monti della Laga, the region is sparsely inhabited with few remote villages. In places you can see down to the Adriatic. The landscape has a timeless essence and as you look out you feel that you could almost see a Venetian galley rich with the spices of the east heading home. After 2 hours of hard cycling it was time to prepare for lunch. Lunch was a picnic, but not any picnic we had a bit further to climb! Our hosts had bought us some climbing gear so after we rode to the highest point by road we dismounted and climbed to the heights of Monte Gorzano. It was a hard climb with two pitchers of wine, olives and an anti-pasto plate, but I did some step classes before I left so completed it quite easily.
To eat a feast of food soaked in olive oil at the top of a mountain on a glorious summer’s day is like nothing I have ever experienced. In the northern sides of the mountain in shady corners snowdrifts still clung on. Elsewhere mountain flowers bloomed Genzianelle, Anemoni di montagna, blues and whites. I picked them and wove them into a floral wreath to wear. This may not be the highest mountains but they could be the most pristinely beautiful.
Strangely the way back down was harder than the way up! Or maybe it was the wine! One of the Americans (the boy who only eats at Dominos) slipped on some rocks and broke their ankle, so I carried them over my shoulders back to the road. Poor lad had never been carried by a woman before but he has lost an enormous amount of weight during the trip. I surprised myself with my strength. Lucky I was doing squats and shoulder presses as part of my routine before I left. The ride back was interesting it appears that not all of the group can handle their drink and I think the high altitude may not have helped, but with the sag wagon’s help we all got home safely two hours later. 160kms feels like a walk to the corner shop these days.
Hope you are enjoying your return to Australia Graeme!

Philomena

27 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Don’t worry about BirdLab Steve,he’ll be a writing desk next week

tal

27 Jul 10 at 2:41 pm
I can see how you’d hunt a lion but a hippo isn’t that much of a hunt.
Hippos are dangerous animals. They kill a lot of Africans. You don’t want to meet a hippo in the wild without a gun.

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 2:53 pm
A writing desk or a bus. You know, whatever.

BirdLab

27 Jul 10 at 3:18 pm
Graeme Bird, Communist:

“We are seeing a non-productive rich, locking in its advantages against competition, as never before. But worse still we have seen flagrant theft and bribery, with no longer any attempt to hide it from Paulson on. And this really odd sense of entitlement.

“Hence it looks like these rich slobs are spoiling for a fight. Which they wouldn’t be doing if they didn’t think they could win even as a minority. For these reasons violence seems inevitable, and the breakup of the US is foreordained.”

BirdLab

27 Jul 10 at 5:23 pm
Chrissie’s at it again
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2964631.htm

tal

27 Jul 10 at 6:01 pm
Christine Milne is talking about food security, Tal? LOL.

I could well imagine she feels food insecure every minute of the day.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:24 pm
Food security is the biggest non-issue ever.

Australian greatness was founded on a bunch of foreigners imposing themselves as world class farmers.

I wonder if the Eora had their own FIRB, and if they approved of the Merino plan?

.

27 Jul 10 at 6:26 pm
Birdlab, I found the structure of that post particularly, um, postmodern? It starts with:

“Angelo seems to be saying what I’ve been trying to say.”

Bird “doesn’t want to misrepresent him”, so uses his own words (as Birdlab partially extracted above). Then ends with this:

“Now Angelo doesn’t say much if any of this exactly. He might not be saying it even a little bit. Probably he would disagree with everything I’m saying here. So everyone ought to read what he says. Not what I’m saying.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a blogger before who ends a post with “please ignore what I’ve just written.”

steve from brisbane

27 Jul 10 at 6:28 pm
Oh dear

Are Fill and Birdy heading towards a break-up?

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/they-must-have-got-their-own-maffia-fractional-reserve-and-the-two-hidden-hands-behind-excess-market-consolidation/#comment-31822

Well if you’re going to persist in calling female politicians with whom you disagree, bitches, whores, sluts who need to be spanked, I’m out of here for good

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 6:34 pm
let’s see if Birdy has been pussy-whipped. If he backs down on this, he’s lost his balls.

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 6:37 pm
Dot:

My feeling is that since some of the poorer countries started to improve their lot, food consumption has been increasing and price increases in certain crops is simply signaling demand. That’s all.

I’m betting that farmers are going to do well over the next decade or so.

I recall reading an interesting piece by in Barrons in the late 80′s. They were interviewing a fund manager and China was just appearing on the horizon.

The manager recounted how he read that the Chinese premier at the time wanted to introduce one egg per day in every person’s diet.

The dude figured it would mean most of the world’s egg production.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:37 pm
Well if you’re going to persist in calling female politicians with whom you disagree, bitches, whores, sluts who need to be spanked, I’m out of here for good

Bird’s going to back down to his trannie like he’s always done.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:39 pm
But wait Phil! What happened to the American who only eats at Domino’s? Did he live to see the end?

Peter Patton

27 Jul 10 at 6:40 pm
yep. I really guessed before I peered over there. Birdie backed down. No surprise there. He apologized.

I’d have to say that’s a record as that’s the first apology the fat beta(ized) oaf has ever made.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:41 pm
“I’d have to say that’s a record as that’s the first apology the fat beta(ized) oaf has ever made.”

Not quite, but close.

FDB

27 Jul 10 at 6:44 pm
yea I think they stuck the American on a plane back to the mid-west so he wouldn’t starve.

It was was flight of mercy. No doubt he also took back some olives to compliment the Domino’s topping.

He took back meat, meats and more meats, lots of cheese and buckets of olives.

Jeezus , I really can’t understand how Birdie can fall for this shit. But then again he falls for every conspiracy theory on the web.

He’s so gullible.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:45 pm
Have you seen him make another apology, FDB?

JC

27 Jul 10 at 6:46 pm
A grudging one was eventually wrung out of him on my behalf by Helen and Jason for his threat to rape my mother.

Foul language I can handle foine – hyperbolic insults aimed at me personally even – but that was a little much.

FDB

27 Jul 10 at 6:49 pm
OH yea that’s right. That was horrendous. It was only grudging. In fact I wouldn’t even call it an apology at all

JC

27 Jul 10 at 7:10 pm
It’s your turn to cop it FDB. Think yourself lucky you’re in exalted company now.

hahahahhaha Phil says

FDB is the lamest, misogynist and among the most abusive – wannabe adult – male I’ve ever encountered on de blogs. Ignore whatever he said. I’d wager it is a lie.

In fact this is the only time I’ve ever and will ever defend FDB. FDB is the least abusive dude to ever post comments here.

He’s actually a nice guy if only he was able to rid himself of this leftwhinging sickness he carries.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 7:15 pm
No, that’s why I still haven’t interacted with him since.

I’m not a very judgemental guy, nor much of a grudge holder, but some things are deal-breakers.

FDB

27 Jul 10 at 7:15 pm
Fair enough, FDB.

You’re not missing much by not interacting with him. In any event it always ends badly with Bird.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 7:19 pm
Ha! I like it…

Phil gets pissy about Bird’s misogyny to public figures, but of course she’s give him a pass on anything said to me about my own mother.

Stay classy, Jinmaro.

FDB

27 Jul 10 at 7:19 pm
You need to understand that with Phil it all depends on when he’s had his hormone replacement shots. S/he goes from really catty to downright nasty.

S/he really does have a lot of class. A real class act.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 7:21 pm
FDB and JC agreeing with each other with glee. Phil, the great unifying force.

Adrien

27 Jul 10 at 7:43 pm
Bird will never do anything to scare away his reader.

If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that Ron Pauline Hanson was doing his best to get banned from Bird’s place, but it seems there’s nothing Bird won’t forgive.

Tillman

27 Jul 10 at 7:45 pm
Just went to Bird’s.

Someone posted a comment under Ron’s name that has been replaced with:

NO TALK LIKE THAT RON. SHE’S A CIVILIAN.

LOL. I don’t know what Ron said, but it must have been pretty offensive.

Tillman

27 Jul 10 at 7:47 pm
By the way.
What’s the big secret about Gillard’s boyfriend? It’s like everyone in politics and the press knows something but they’re not telling the public.
Is this a Will & Grace type arrangement?
No judgement here, just asking.

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 7:57 pm
The classy thing to do would to be ignore it like in the good old days of Kennedy.

.

27 Jul 10 at 8:05 pm
didn’t Fill/Jinmaro say that dover beach would sell his own mother or something like that? double standards here methinks

jtfsoon

27 Jul 10 at 8:07 pm
Why do you say it’s a big secret, dad?

Everyone knows who stedders is by now.

Jc..

27 Jul 10 at 8:07 pm
Either Kev or Albanese I’m assuming is feeding Oakes this gossip:

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/gillard_accused_and_betrayed/

Young Kev must’ve been one hell of a house cleaner because Laurie is very loyal to him.

Infidel Tiger

27 Jul 10 at 8:16 pm
Why isn’t he going on the campaign trail at all? Is it because they’re unmarried? It’s like he’s a huge liability for her, but I don’t understand why.

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 8:18 pm
I think I’m jet lagged.

Yep that bus home to Marrickville after work will do it to you every time.

Peter Patton

27 Jul 10 at 8:19 pm
Please don;t remind me that there is a Marrickville.

Adrien

27 Jul 10 at 8:24 pm
Infidel:

I reckon it’s not kev, as the relationship with Jabba is too obvious.

It would have to be someone that wants to make it appear its Kev.

Or to be really conspiratorial.. it could be Kev with that obvious cloak of denial around him that the leak is too obvious it’s him.

JC

27 Jul 10 at 8:24 pm
Guys – Tim’s got a job. He can’t just go on campaign. Anyway, whats he going say/do?

Sinclair Davidson

27 Jul 10 at 8:30 pm
Marrickville has apparently become a major Italian cycling tourist hot spot.

Peter Patton

27 Jul 10 at 8:31 pm
Yes, I saw that report by Oakes. He is all over Gillard at the moment doing the Lord’s work.

dover_beach

27 Jul 10 at 8:35 pm
Guys – Tim’s got a job. He can’t just go on campaign. Anyway, whats he going say/do?

Nothing, I guess. If he hates the spotlight I don’t blame him.

daddy dave

27 Jul 10 at 8:39 pm
And I doubt he’d be a plus.

Peter Patton

27 Jul 10 at 8:40 pm
French movie pays portrays Reagan as a hero, believe it or not

http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/farewell_a_vaguely_accurate_portrayal_of_the_cold_war/

Farewell, an engrossing French spy movie in which Ronald Reagan is one of the heroes, is perhaps the finest film of this year. Veteran character actor Fred Ward (astronaut Gus Grissom in The Right Stuff) plays Reagan in a supporting role, while Willem Dafoe (the Green Goblin in the first Spider-Man film) portrays his CIA director William Casey.

Farewell makes the audacious claim that our Cold War victory was substantially hastened by a lone KGB colonel codenamed “Farewell.” In 1981, Vladimir Vetrov, a fed-up Russian engineer, began copying KGB technology documents and delivering them to the French equivalent of the FBI. Socialist François Mitterrand, who had been elected president that year with the help of the Moscow-controlled French Communist Party, demonstrated his anti-Communist bona fides by personally passing along the “Farewell Dossier” to Reagan on July 19, 1981.

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 10:24 am
The Bosnian Bird

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/835482-man-hit-by-six-meteorites-is-being-targeted-by-aliens

adivoje Lajic first came to international attention in 2008, shortly after the fifth meteorite had crashed into the roof of his house in the northern village of Gornji Lajici.

And now, within the past month, another rock has hit the roof of his house, in defiance of all the odds – making it six strikes since the plague of meteorites began in 2007.

Experts at Belgrade University have confirmed that all the falling rocks he has handed over were meteorites. They are now trying to work out what exactly it is about his house that particularly attracts them. The strikes always happen when it is raining heavily, he says, never when there are clear skies.

Lajic has his own explanation, of course. After the fifth rock struck his house, he said: ‘I am obviously being targeted by extraterrestrials. I don’t know what I have done to annoy them but there is no other explanation that makes sense. The chance of being hit by a meteorite is so small that getting hit six times has to be deliberate.’

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 10:27 am
Ahmadinejad Vs Paul the Octopus
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/7912418/Mahmoud-Ahmadinejad-attacks-Octopus-Paul.html

tal

28 Jul 10 at 10:37 am
Bird threatened to rape your mother FDB? The guy’s pure class.

In any case it now appears he’s scanning sites for advice on breastfeeding:

“Here is truther-girl showing how this works.”

Truthergirls:

http://thetruthergirls.com/

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 10:37 am
Man I knew that Imadinnerjacket was a prick but going after Paul the Octopus is just too much.

I hope PETA gets involved.

Tillman

28 Jul 10 at 10:48 am
The Scots vs the Romans. Sounds like a fun movie

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/centurion-20100728-10uxc.html

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 10:50 am
He is pure evil Tillman

tal

28 Jul 10 at 10:50 am
Art worth $200mill bought at garage sale for $45:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/ansel-adams-negatives-bought-at-garage-sale-worth-200m/story-e6frg8n6-1225897897303

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 11:00 am
Have you ever seen a full-size Adams original IT? Absolutely brilliant.

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 11:02 am
Not to my knowledge. I always feel a little sorry for the person who sells these things not knowing their value.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 11:05 am
Yeah. You’d think the buyer could afford to be a bit generous.

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 11:08 am
I agree, Tiger. I think the decent thing is to share half or a substantial portion with the hapless seller.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 11:20 am
This government is going full-on Latho crazy. Today we have Julia Gillard blaming the Liberals for a series of Cabinet leaks (?) and now Wayne “DC” Swan posits a conspiracy theory about the rejuvenated ad campaign against Labor’s mining tax.

“I think it’s fair to say that this advertising campaign has the Liberal Party’s fingerprints all over it,” Mr Swan said.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 12:43 pm
Perhaps private polling is telling them something they don’t like to read.

It’s just a hunch here but I really think this election is a lot closer than conventional wisdom.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 12:49 pm
Company tax cut to 28.5%:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-trumps-pm-with-285pc-company-tax/story-fn59niix-1225897928309

Excellent start. Now overhaul income tax please. And for God’s sake force the states to scrap payroll tax.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 12:53 pm
Coalition are into $3.55 at Centrebet. They were $4.10 last week.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 12:55 pm
I was complaining about their company tax policy just yesterday.

Are you reading Mr Abbott?

Good stuff.

Now do what IT says

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 12:57 pm
IT you forget the levy imposed for parental leave

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

28 Jul 10 at 12:57 pm
Barney Frank is a cheap drama queen.

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank caused a scene when he demanded a $1 senior discount on his ferry fare to Fire Island’s popular gay haunt, The Pines, last Friday. Frank was turned down by ticket clerks at the dock in Sayville because he didn’t have the required Suffolk County Senior Citizens ID. A witness reports, “Frank made such a drama over the senior rate that I contemplated offering him the dollar to cool down the situation.” Frank made news last year when he was spotted looking uncomfortable around a bevy of topless, well-built men at the Pines Annual Ascension Beach Party. Frank’s spokesperson confirmed to Page Six that his partner, James Ready, asked the ticket office for a regular ticket for himself and a senior ticket for Frank, “but was turned down because Frank didn’t have a resident ID.”

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sorry_barney_no_discount_BSco6dW9b1VTgrL7GcCFrN#ixzz0uwTSOBjp

JC

28 Jul 10 at 12:59 pm
It’s a start, Homer. Far from perfect, but at least it’s happening.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 1:00 pm
Homer Go away.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:01 pm
gimme a break.
He hikes the tax for a policy and then cuts it back to where it is.

in net terms companies wil pay more under Libs.

meanwhile the market believes there is little chance of a rate rise next week

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

28 Jul 10 at 1:03 pm
Homer:

Not all firms would be paying for Abbott’s rolled gold child minding service.

As perverse as it is though he has a point. I don’t agree with government funded programs, however if you absoltuely must have them wouldn’t it be equitable that people are funded to an approximation of their salary.

We shouldn’t be under any misapprehension about what this policy is trying to do. Abbott is trying to raise IQ. He isn’t saying so , but that what he’s doing.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:10 pm
Abbott is trying to raise IQ. He isn’t saying so , but that what he’s doing.

Yes that’s true. It’s a ‘less Homers’ policy

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 1:13 pm
The coalition’s kiddie cash plan is the one piece of welfare I might be able to take advantage of. It’s causing me quite the inner turmoil.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 1:15 pm
hahahahahahahaha

Homer’s obviously pissed he’s not included.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:20 pm
Can someone tell me why that WikiLeaks dude isn’t in jail? Look, I’m not fan of Obama but more power to him if he goes after the leakers and this WikiLeaks creep. The administration has ben pretty strong in its condemnation. I just hope they start arresting the guilty parties in the Pentagon, CIA – wherever the trail leads.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 1:23 pm
they can’t catch him

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 1:25 pm
CL

What’s the wikileaks guy done that is breaking the law? He’s been handed over electronic docs.

The fuckers that deserve jail time if they’re caught are the people doing the leaking from the government offices.

As far as I’m concerned he’s done nothing wrong really.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:26 pm
“The coalition’s kiddie cash plan is the one piece of welfare I might be able to take advantage of. It’s causing me quite the inner turmoil.”

Well send me a share if you get some. I’ve been snipped out of that bracket!

pedro

28 Jul 10 at 1:26 pm
Well send me a share if you get some. I’ve been snipped out of that bracket!

Yikes. Pedro man-up and get yourself un-nipped as no self respecting male ought to be doing what the female should.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:28 pm
Joe!!!!!

tal

28 Jul 10 at 1:35 pm
yea, I know Tal. Sorry Pedro.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:38 pm
Oh jeezus. Look what Bolt has dragged out of the bottom draw.

A video of Gillers in a short black leather mini dancing on stage with Greer and Joan Kirner looking really hot playing a guitar. mid way through Lurch is doing his asylum dance routine taking his shirt off (the bald galoot)

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

Kirner of course looks really hot of course

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:44 pm
Better link.

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/shes_dancing_harder_now/

JC

28 Jul 10 at 1:45 pm
while we’re on the subject of politicians dancing. who can forget Boris Yeltsin?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-lal2MUKw

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 1:48 pm
Porr old Boris, he was good for a laugh

tal

28 Jul 10 at 1:52 pm
I had to JC, we could get pregnant just thinking about it and I sure didn’t want another baby at my age. If my wife had had her druthers I’d probably have a 1 year old now.

pedro

28 Jul 10 at 1:56 pm
What has been seen cannot be unseen.

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 1:56 pm
That WikiLeaks dude looks familiar.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 2:00 pm
I feel violated by that vid. Gillers looks fine. It’s not her. But you have Kirner on a guitar, Greer dancing around in a short red skirt when middle age hasn’t been kind to her and that dreadful meathead- the bald galoot taking his shirt off and doing the asylum dance routine.

What a truly shocking vid. Conroy ought to impound it or whatever he does with offensive stuff.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:01 pm
The Age is all over Abbott’s announcement of a reduction in company tax:

http://www.theage.com.au/

It must be there somewhere.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 2:04 pm
I’ve been watching Fairfax/ABC headlines and slants over the past 48 hours with some interest. Their spinning is shameless. For example, revelations that 1) Gillard lied in the debate and was actually opposed to pension increases for awful old people; and 2) that the ALP is in total internal warfare and disarray become…

Fired up Gillard defends Cabinet questions.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 2:08 pm
I must day that Gillard looks pretty damn good in the Women’s weekly spread.

Stedders was in there too.

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/pm-poses-for-glam-magazine-spread-20100728-10urp.html?autostart=1

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:08 pm
Hey, Sinclair has added a Bird to the main page.

Is Bird on Twitter?

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Yea Cl, they’re spinning faster than spinner you use to hook tuna.

The upside is that the paper is still loosing readership and will have to close down soon seeing Fairfax’s dating site won’t make enough money to plug the losses elsewhere.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:12 pm
oops

they’re spinning faster than a spinner you use to hook tuna.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:13 pm
JC, the red-skirted sheila in that Bolt clip is Jennie George, not the Germ.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 2:17 pm
Oh really. It looked like ‘Germ”. I’ve never seen Jen before.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:19 pm
What’s the wikileaks guy done that is breaking the law? He’s been handed over electronic docs.

Depends on if he willfully endangered Australian troops or not.
If he made military secrets available to a single member of the Taliban, then that would have been a serious crime. But making it available to every member of the Taliban, apparently, is okay.

daddy dave

28 Jul 10 at 2:24 pm
Dad:

I really think that this is a difficult one. I can see your point however I also think freedom of the press is also pretty important too and the minute we allow governments to discriminate we know we’re heading for some awful trouble.

I’m not necessarily saying what he’s done is a good thing, however governments ought to be a little more careful how they handle confidential material and who does the handling.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:29 pm
I thought Jen looked pretty hot. For Jen. Who was the third one dressed in black?

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 2:32 pm
Barry Cassidy on the leak:

Then again, not to many things are ever certain in politics. One prediction, however, must go close. There will be a by-election in the seat of Griffith before Christmas.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/28/2966627.htm?site=thedrum

I still say its Oakes who should feel tawdry being the mouthpiece for a sleazy Rudd for years.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 2:46 pm
Steve shoots messenger.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 2:50 pm
Yea Steve…

It’s professionally wrong of Jabba to be doing his job and publish a story with public interest.

You labor hack.

——-

Hey steve. It never should have come to this, right?

Al Gore interviewed by Portland detectives

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/99280639.html

Damn journalists doing their job.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:51 pm
I haven’t seen Gillard’s performance today yet; getting her a bit fired up might not hurt, though.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 2:53 pm
Steve shoots messenger.

Selectively so, though, Infidel.

It’s just not a story when the labor PM and ETS hopeful is picked up on being a shameful partisan hack with taxpayer money.

Move along now, says Steve, there’s no story there.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 2:53 pm
We know from Latham that Rudd has had Oakes in his pocket for years. Bolt and others here are saying Oakes is having a “ripper” campaign. Yeah, cos he gets emails from Rudd (or a Rudd pal who Rudd would have the ability to call off) and reads them on air. He should feel so proud.

We don’t know whether the exact slant on G’s words in the leak are accurate or a fair summary of her position; and secondly a politician later taking credit for some policy they initially questioned or opposed is a small, common, political “sin,” if you ask me.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 3:05 pm
I can see your point however I also think freedom of the press is also pretty important too and the minute we allow governments to discriminate we know we’re heading for some awful trouble.

IMO, military secrets are out of bounds for the press.

daddy dave

28 Jul 10 at 3:09 pm
The oil spill disaster that never was:

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=11254252

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 3:10 pm
So a journalist pursuing stories that happen to be embarrassing for Labor is a thing “tawdry” – to be deplored and condemned.

Steve’s Labor hack status is now beyond dispute.

And almost beyond parody.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 3:16 pm
CL, I could never stand Kevin Rudd. That he is (in all likelihood – as I said, even if he didn’t leak, I expect he could call it off) playing out a dummy spit against his own party is reason to dislike him more. That Oakes is helping such a deadbeat is nothing he should feel proud of.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 3:23 pm
Lamest spin of the day: from good old Mumble.

On the day we learned that Gillard lied to the Australian people in the debate (apparently because she has a beef with parents and oldies), Mumble hails Julia’s concocted victim outrage and laughable excuse that she was just being careful with the nation’s treasury.

Julia Gillard becomes prime minister.

Labor lies are Good Lies.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 3:24 pm
If Malcolm Turnbull provided info to Lozza about Tone, how would you fell steve? Tumescent is my guess.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 3:25 pm
Depends on what the leak was about, IT. This Oakes biz is clearly just spoiler stuff with no real relevance to future policy, or, in my opinion, character.

The anti Labor hackery (which CL freely admits to) is what makes you get excited about anything that you think will harm Gillard, no matter what its real merits.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 3:32 pm
If the truth keeps people from office, I’m all for it.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 3:34 pm
The Scots vs the Romans. Sounds like a fun movie
.
Interesting. The Roman side is ‘well-resarched’, I guess to mean reasonably accurate and the Picts are, well, bullshit. I don’t think the Pict soldier-women looked like Baltic Supermodels in a Duran Duran video somehow.
.
But cool idea!
.
They did settle in the lowlands, the Romans. But it was a kind of armed fort in the Wild West kinda deal. Just much colder. Days when the Scots were the Indians.

Adrien

28 Jul 10 at 3:36 pm
And for God’s sake force the states to scrap payroll tax.
.
It would be impressive if, in the case of continued ALP giovernance in Canberra, the inevitable dominance of State governments by the LPA would result in those states deploying the austerity measures they argue for in Canberra.
.
And removing it themselves. I think the States get about a quarter of their dosh from this tax so it’ll be pretty austere. And impressive.
.
It won’t happen, but if it does, but it won’t. But if it does, but it won’t.

Adrien

28 Jul 10 at 3:39 pm
So according to Steve a prime minister caught lying in a national debate (claiming she championed something she actually opposed) Doesn’t Matter. A prime minister revealed to be hostile to pensioners because they don’t support Labor Doesn’t Matter.

And Steve, notwithstanding your obvious admiration for lying, I didn’t ‘freely admit’ to “anti Labor hackery.” I said I am – and have long been – a partisan supporter of the Coalition. Even so, I always criticise its principals when their principles go awry, according to my views and standards.

You, on the other hand, are a Labor hack who denies it and you rarely (more or less, never) criticise your beloved ALP.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 3:41 pm
And Steve, can we have those links to “many” Catallaxy posters saying Stedman is gay?

Or will you humbly admit that you were fibbing again?

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 3:44 pm
Blah blah blah from CL.

As far as I can see, this what Gillard said in the debate?:

”We did a major increase in the pension, to help older Australians particularly, with the pressures that are on them,” she said.

This becomes in CL’s fetid mind “lying”.

My instincts were right this morning: you’re not to be taken seriously; you’re not worth addressing comments to.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 4:22 pm
You don’t think it’s dishonest, Steve, to tell the Australian people that she did something marvellous and progressive for seniors when in fact she opposed the initiative in question, telling Cabinet that “old people never vote for us”?

More of your Doesn’t Matter mypoia.

Gillard’s remark was a lot like James Baker’s famous sentiment: “Fuck the Jews, they don’t vote for us anyway.”

And I acknowledge your cloaked admission (cloaked in aggression) that you were fibbing when you said “many” Catallaxians had accused Steddie of being gay. You just made that up.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 4:39 pm
Steve

In case you haven’t worked it out, CL suffers from what seems to be a form of masochistic paraphilia.

His aim is not to inform or enlighten – it’s merely to bring upon himself the hatred and contempt of others.

To this end, he uses his fairly keen writing skills to twist and distort in the most annoying manner possible, in the hope of producing a reaction.

So CL sees nothing wrong in telling the most shameful lies, and then twisting the words of others in an effort to get a reaction.

He is well aware of how dishonest and annoying he is.

Tillman

28 Jul 10 at 4:46 pm
Is that a vuvuzela I can still hear?

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 4:46 pm
The buzzing sound was before your post, Tillman. It’ll probably resume in a minute.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 4:52 pm
Hey, looks like Graeme has discovered the most important thing ever, about something, and he’s gone to ground. Or somewhere.

I think he’s been re-watching X files again.

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/#comments

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 5:04 pm
amazing
Graeme is claiming that the famous Eddington observation was a waste of money and not evidence for relativity

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 5:24 pm
He’s using a lot of capitals in that thread. Jason, do have any idea what he is talking about in the comment I linked to?

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 5:28 pm
My bet is that Graeme now thinks he’s an oil engineer Steve.

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 5:33 pm
Yes. It seems to be some vast conspiracy that he’s been let in on (via Youtube) but can’t share with us yet.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 5:34 pm
Steve with sunstroke says:

That Oakes is helping such a deadbeat is nothing he should feel proud of.

Steve, you really are an imbecile. Just a complete and total imbecile.

Do you think Jabba is doing it to just help his buddy? Has the thought occurred to you that perhaps Jabba is doing it to help himself to good stories.

You really have no idea how markets and the process of human interaction works, do you?

Even if it is Rudd peddling the stuff to Jabba they are BOTH getting something out of it, you nimrod.

You really are a numbskull. These are some of the best stories to come out in a while and Jabba has the mother load. Fucking scribes would be jumping over each other to be getting these scoops.

In fact I would dare say that Rudd’s phone is running read hot by senior journos pleading with him to to leak shit to them 24/7. If I was a journo that’s what I would be doing right now. In fact I would camp outside his house hoping to score a bone.

Here’s my prediction on the next load of insider scoop. I’m taking a bet that Swandive gets thrown in the sewer with a leak that he was actually trying to get the car financing to his Queensland buddies directly interfering with the process and that he lied about it.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 5:36 pm
Maybe Therese is Deep Throat? She sure as shit wouldn’t be impressed having Kev moping around the house all day.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 5:44 pm
Oh gawd, Therese deep throating Kevin? There goes my dinner.

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 5:48 pm
I seem to recall that Bird was claiming that the Gulf oil spill was a black flag operation at some stage Steve.

I don’t recall anything about a volcano, but I see a bunch of nuts are claiming that it wasn’t an oil spill, but a volcanic eruption:

http://redeemedhippiesplace.wordpress.com/2010/06/19/proof-of-volcano-in-gulf-oil-spill/

BirdLab

28 Jul 10 at 5:51 pm
My guess is that Deep Throat’s next victim is SwanDive.

I were Dive (thanks to god I’m not) I’d be placing a plastic sheet on the bed by now.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 5:55 pm
Wow, I didn’t know until my kid told me. Chief Justice John Roberts is in Oz giving speeches. Would like to have heard him.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 5:59 pm
Oh. Graeme is a little upset with Glenn Stevens. It’s pretty gross even by Birdian standards.

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 6:08 pm
Tillman, you’re the one who was banned from Catallaxy for being a hateful, dishonest lowlife. Please stop commenting as if you have any authority in the gang. Only yesterday, we were all making fun of you for your disturbing mental breakdown on the JournoList thread. That you mock Bird and Phil is stupendously ironic.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 6:18 pm
Steve, can we have those links to “many” Catallaxians accusing Stedman of being homosexual?

Yes or no?

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 6:19 pm
Jon Stewart: ‘Andrew Breitbart may be the most honest person in this entire story’:

http://dailycaller.com/2010/07/27/jon-stewart-andrew-breitbart-may-be-the-most-honest-person-in-this-entire-story/

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 6:24 pm
Steve:

Are you saying stedders is gay now? Frankly I don’t believe that (not that it matters) and please stop spreading those sorts of assertions around. Do that stuff on your blog fella.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 6:24 pm
Tillman, you’re the one who was banned from Catallaxy for being a hateful, dishonest lowlife
.
Don’t be silly CL we’d all be banned if that was true.

Adrien

28 Jul 10 at 6:30 pm
Very droll, JC.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 6:36 pm
And Currency Lad, first you accuse Steve and Tilman of grave crimes and now you’re sexually harassing Steve. Stop it.

Adrien

28 Jul 10 at 6:36 pm
Excellent new ad from the RNC:

Hillary Clinton Was Right.

Revives Hillary’s “it’s 3.00 am” pitch.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 7:26 pm
David Cameron proving to be the imbecile we all expected him to be.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 7:41 pm
Tories have never been big lovers of the Hebrews.

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 7:46 pm
So we need Turkey’s help now in making it clear to Iran just how serious we are about engaging fully with the international community.

The Pop Psychology Era for diplomacy. Next we’ll be rating the self-esteem of nations.

Adrien

28 Jul 10 at 8:11 pm
those Mises quotes up the top are great

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 8:24 pm
For those who complained about O’Brien’s interview with Abbott (surprisingly soft, I thought), you should have nothing to complain about his interview with Swan tonight. He can stick it to both sides when he’s in the mood.

steve from brisbane

28 Jul 10 at 8:25 pm
those Mises quotes up the top are great

Agreed. If Sinc can add a horoscope page we’ll be sorted for all our needs.

Infidel Tiger

28 Jul 10 at 8:29 pm
Not just Mises. I’ve added some Mencken, Mill and Smith quotes. Right now mostly Mises through.

Sinclair Davidson

28 Jul 10 at 8:49 pm
What about a daily Page 3 gal?

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 8:50 pm
Comin’ up.

http://gunsmokemafia.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/sun00021.jpg

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 8:54 pm
CL!! We regularly post up fashions and frocks.

Sinclair Davidson

28 Jul 10 at 8:55 pm
I’m pretty surprised like everyone else. where the hell is the oil in the gulf. The skimming boats have basically stopped working and the oil below the surface is fast disappearing.

Another panic perhaps.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 9:05 pm
Man’s penis finally freed.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/808171-mans-penis-freed-from-metal-pipe-with-industrial-grinder

JC

28 Jul 10 at 9:07 pm
Ouch!

But p.s. WTF?

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 9:10 pm
Nevertheless, I couldn’t hold back a chortle:

The penis was left bruised and swollen, but otherwise unharmed by its traumatic day.

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 9:12 pm
The man, thought to be aged around 40, did not explain to hospital staff how exactly the pipe got stuck around his penis, after he presented himself at the hospital’s Accident & Emergency department on Tuesday morning.

He’ll probably tell them he fell over and his penis accidentally ended up in the pipe.

As Frank Costanza famously said: “Million to one shot, Doc. Million to one.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tujqM2u-BVo

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 9:14 pm
“Serenity Now!!”

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 9:15 pm
Morgan Freeman on race: fantastic.

http://viralfootage.com/?p=7999

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 9:32 pm
The new Pussy Galore or Rosa Klebb?

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/836378-beauty-held-over-smuggling-us-weapon-parts-to-russia

Peter Patton

28 Jul 10 at 9:42 pm
Can someone tell me(without sounding like Sir Les Patterson) why you would stick your bits in a pipe?

tal

28 Jul 10 at 10:04 pm
Well, when a man really loves a pipe a lot then he …

Sinclair Davidson

28 Jul 10 at 10:09 pm
Steve, can we have those links to “many” Catallaxians accusing Stedman of being homosexual?

CL, don’t you owe us some links to all the journalists who were arguing for a Himmler style purge of Foxnews?

And since you mention it, you also still haven’t explained why the US Marine Corps is using Cindy Sheehan tactics and prosecuting exactly ONE Marine for a war crime he didn’t commit.

You also haven’t apologised for falsely accusing US federal judges of running “show trials”.

Get cracking on that, sunshine, and then after you’re done I’m sure Steve will give you a comprehensive report on the gay Stedman controversy.

Tillman

28 Jul 10 at 10:30 pm
Oh well done Sinc

tal

28 Jul 10 at 10:36 pm
Tiger

Did you watch that Stewart clip? Pretty spot on.

Tillman

28 Jul 10 at 10:39 pm
don’t you owe us some links to all the journalists who were arguing for a Himmler style purge of Foxnews?

Tillman, don’t you owe us some links about articles on corner.nationalreview.com that discuss how to use Obama’s race against him? I’ve looked and looked, but I just can’t find them.
Please help.

daddy dave

28 Jul 10 at 10:44 pm
Liberal journalists suggest government shut down Fox News.

The very existence of Fox News, meanwhile, sends Journolisters into paroxysms of rage. When Howell Raines charged that the network had a conservative bias, the members of Journolist discussed whether the federal government should shut the channel down.

“I am genuinely scared” of Fox, wrote Guardian columnist Daniel Davies, because it “shows you that a genuinely shameless and unethical media organisation *cannot* be controlled by any form of peer pressure or self-regulation, and nor can it be successfully cold-shouldered or ostracised. In order to have even a semblance of control, you need a tough legal framework.” Davies, a Brit, frequently argued the United States needed stricter libel laws.

“I agree,” said Michael Scherer of Time Magazine. Roger “Ailes understands that his job is to build a tribal identity, not a news organization. You can’t hurt Fox by saying it gets it wrong, if Ailes just uses the criticism to deepen the tribal identity.”

Jonathan Zasloff, a law professor at UCLA, suggested that the federal government simply yank Fox off the air. “I hate to open this can of worms,” he wrote, “but is there any reason why the FCC couldn’t simply pull their broadcasting permit once it expires?”

Of the eight Marines charged over Haditha, six defendants have had their cases dropped absolutely, one has been found not guilty and the trial date of the other (Frank D. Wuterich) has been postponed (although the unpremeditated murder charges have now been dropped). NONE (zero) have been “prosecuted” – as you lied (following, as you were, your dogeared Code Pink script).

And yes, Pardongate crook and terrorist liberator Eric “Nation of Cowards” Holder was planning a show trial in New York for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah (both of whom, he said, would never be released anyway, regardless of the verdict). Fortunately, it seems he has now called this off and now concedes that Bush was right.

Now Phillman. In this thread – which I encourage all interested parties to read (and which caused such mirth – albeit disturbed mirth – to all of us yesterday) – you summarised the JournoList scandal thus:

“bullshit… murders … explosives in the WTC… crap… fucking bullshit… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… Dick Cheney… garbage… crap… 9/11… bullshit… shit… drivel… dopey shit… Nazi…”

But what I wanted to know is this: can we have some evidence to back up the conspiracy theory you posited there about The Corner? Namely, that its sneaky editorial goal is: “instead of figuring out ways of hurting opponents with the racist smear they figured out ways to make Obama’s race an issue.”

Links and evidence please, there’s a good fellow.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 10:50 pm
Liberal journalists suggest government shut down Fox News.

The very existence of Fox News, meanwhile, sends Journolisters into paroxysms of rage. When Howell Raines charged that the network had a conservative bias, the members of Journolist discussed whether the federal government should shut the channel down.

“I am genuinely scared” of Fox, wrote Guardian columnist Daniel Davies, because it “shows you that a genuinely shameless and unethical media organisation *cannot* be controlled by any form of peer pressure or self-regulation, and nor can it be successfully cold-shouldered or ostracised. In order to have even a semblance of control, you need a tough legal framework.” Davies, a Brit, frequently argued the United States needed stricter libel laws.

“I agree,” said Michael Scherer of Time Magazine. Roger “Ailes understands that his job is to build a tribal identity, not a news organization. You can’t hurt Fox by saying it gets it wrong, if Ailes just uses the criticism to deepen the tribal identity.”

Jonathan Zasloff, a law professor at UCLA, suggested that the federal government simply yank Fox off the air. “I hate to open this can of worms,” he wrote, “but is there any reason why the FCC couldn’t simply pull their broadcasting permit once it expires?”

Of the eight Marines charged over Haditha, six defendants have had their cases dropped absolutely, one has been found not guilty and the trial date of the other (Frank D. Wuterich) has been postponed (although the unpremeditated murder charges have now been dropped). NONE (zero) have been “prosecuted” – as you lied (following, as you were, your dogeared Code Pink script).

And yes, Pardongate crook and terrorist liberator Eric “Nation of Cowards” Holder was planning a show trial in New York for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Abu Zubaydah (both of whom, he said, would never be released anyway, regardless of the verdict). Fortunately, it seems he has now called this off and now concedes that Bush was right.

Now Phillman. In this thread – which I encourage all interested parties to read (and which caused such mirth – albeit disturbed mirth – to all of us yesterday) – you summarised the JournoList scandal thus:

“bullshit… murders … explosives in the WTC… crap… fucking bullshit… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… Dick Cheney… garbage… crap… 9/11… bullshit… shit… drivel… dopey shit… Nazi…”

But what I wanted to know is this: can we have some evidence to back up the conspiracy theory you posited there about The Corner? Namely, that its sneaky editorial goal is: “instead of figuring out ways of hurting opponents with the racist smear they figured out ways to make Obama’s race an issue.”

Links and evidence please, there’s a good fellow.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 10:51 pm
Moving Forward!

On the day Wayne Swan claimed the new round of anti-MRRT ads was driven by a Liberal Party conspiracy…

Unions launch ads against WorkChoices.

The first ads were shown on Channel Ten during Sunday’s night’s Masterchef final, with a hard-hitting 30 second spot costing an estimated $45,000.

Newly elected president of the ACTU, Ged Kearney, says a significant amount of money is being spent.

“I’m not going to reveal exactly how much money, that is a matter for our executive to know, but it is significant resources,” she said.

Unusually, the ABC nails the agenda with this raher melancholy fact: “With only 20 per cent of Australians belonging to a union, they need the Labor party to win.”

A significant proportion of that pathetic membership would be Coalition voters. They have, effectively, been robbed by union bosses on behalf of the Labor Party.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 11:06 pm
Honest question:

“I am genuinely scared” of Fox, wrote Guardian columnist Daniel Davies,

Why are leftwhingers always saying they’re scared? What’s all this fear about.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 11:10 pm
So we have Homer who thinks that the Gestapo is like Roy Morgan and we have these guys who think Fox is like the Gestapo

jtfsoon

28 Jul 10 at 11:12 pm
So Fox is just like Roy Morgan. What are they so afraid of?

Michael Fisk

28 Jul 10 at 11:15 pm
Far dinkum… i haven’t watched Foxnews for ages… i would say it’s years, other than when I’m channel surfing, as I tend to watch Bloomberg.

I must admit though that I do watch Fox Business news as they have real hotties doing the announcing and interviewing…. a deliberate ploy on the part of News corp and the dreaded Murdoch when they first started the channel.

It seems to me that the reason Fox’s ratings are so bloated is that you have right and lefties also watching it. Every single leftwhinger the whines about Fox seems to be an avid Foxnews watcher.

Meanwhile News Corp is making $400 million a quarter from the channel that was seeded by Murdoch with $10 million and I’d dare say 40% of the ratings comes from lefties getting angrier and more and more “scared”.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 11:21 pm
That’s right Fisk. lol

there’s an equation in there somewhere

homer… gestapo = roy morganreich

Journolist Fox = gestapo.

Fox is Roy Morgan.

JC

28 Jul 10 at 11:29 pm
Note well that Davies thinks the following is a bad thing in the United States of America. I’ve kept, but struck out, the subjective leftist adjectives:

“… a ~~genuinely shameless and unethical~~ media organisation *cannot* be controlled by any form of peer pressure or self-regulation, and nor can it be successfully cold-shouldered or ostracised.”

In other words, in the US a media organisation cannot be muzzled or forced to relent. This he deplores.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 11:33 pm
yea .. Davis is a fine one to talk coming from the guardian and all. Do these idiots have any self awareness?

JC

28 Jul 10 at 11:37 pm
Remember Operation Clark County – when the Guardian encouraged its readers to write to the voters of the aforesaid Ohio electorate to persuade them not to vote for Bushitler? No fewer than 14,000 of them did so.

The ultimate results of course were not in the tea-leaves but in the voting records on November 2, 2004. Al Gore won Clark County in 2000 by 324 votes; Ralph Nader garnered 1,347 votes. In 2004, Bush won the county by 1,620 votes. Of the 15 Ohio counties Gore won, Clark was the only one Kerry lost.

The letters sent to Guardian readers from County Clarksters residents – published under the heading “Dear Limey Assholes” – will live long in the history of golden political comedy.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 11:46 pm
My personal favourite in “Dear Limey Assholes”:

Have you not noticed that Americans don’t give two shits what Europeans think of us? Each email someone gets from some arrogant Brit telling us why to NOT vote for George Bush is going to backfire, you stupid, yellow-toothed pansies … I don’t give a rat’s ass if our election is going to have an effect on your worthless little life. I really don’t. If you want to have a meaningful election in your crappy little island full of shitty food and yellow teeth, then maybe you should try not to sell your sovereignty out to Brussels and Berlin, dipshit. Oh, yeah – and brush your goddamned teeth, you filthy animals.

C.L.

28 Jul 10 at 11:51 pm
“Dear Limey Assholes”

Epic LOL.

.

28 Jul 10 at 11:51 pm
Fisk was right. Britain needed more punishment under Brown to change the culture of that pathetic country. As predicted, Cameron is an idiot.

In Speech to Turkey, PM David Cameron Goes Full Idiot.

Worth reading.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 12:33 am
Maggie must be shaking her head unable to believe what’s happened.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 12:44 am
The trouble with these turds is that they seem unable to understand that this sort of shot leads to even worse outcomes as it’s not offering the other side any real chance to self-examine.

You don’t have to berate them, however there is a point in time when you do stand your ground. Obama does that shit too.

He really is an idiot.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 12:48 am
Cameron is an utter disgrace. So far, he has denounced Israel, cuddled up to Turkey; ok, the usual run-of-the-mill “hard-nosed” “realist” Foreign Office crap (in fact, he’s not a realist at all, just a coward). Nothing out of the ordinary there. But check out what his government has had to say about the genocidal Muslim Brotherhood-led regime in Sudan. It’s jaw-dropping:

Britain wants to trade more with Sudan, a vast African country whose president is wanted for genocide and war crimes, Britain’s new minister for Africa said on Monday.

On his first official visit to Sudan, Henry Bellingham said Britain’s new government sought to encourage companies to invest more in Sudan, particularly in its oil and services sectors.

“We will be candid friends of the government,” Bellingham told reporters after meeting Sudanese government officials.

http://hurryupharry.org/2010/07/26/candid_friends/

Yes, you’d want to be pretty f****** “candid” about calling President Umar Al-Bashir a “friend”, wouldn’t you?

Cameron’s stole the election – the Left as you might recall won a clear majority of votes and seats – and has been a catastrophe for Britain. Gordon Brown should still be PM.

Michael Fisk

29 Jul 10 at 1:17 am
Sorry, “Cameron stole the election”

Michael Fisk

29 Jul 10 at 1:19 am
Hayek on British values:

“independence and self-reliance,individual initiative and local responsibility, the successful reliance on voluntary activity, non-interference with one’s neighbour and tolerance of the different and queer, respect for custom and tradition, and a healthy suspicion of power and authority.”

Hayek on Conservatism:

“That the advances of the past should be threatened by the traditionalist forces of the Right is a
phenomenon of all ages…”

Taylor

29 Jul 10 at 1:42 am
Taylor, you’ve cut short the second quote and not explained its context. The quote ends thus:

“That the advances of the past should be threatened by the traditionalist forces of the Right is a phenomenon of all ages which need not alarm us.”

The passage is actually about socialist statism constituting not progressivism but a reactionary ideology akin to German national socialism. Hayek laments that this centrally planned worldview has begun to dominate the philosophy and praxis of the Labour Party. He says the existence of two parties of reaction – Labour and Conservatives – would be a disaster: “there would indeed be no hope left.”

Looks like he was right.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 2:45 am
If you include the Greens as just another faction of the ALP the part about reactionary and fascist ideology like falls into place really well.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 2:52 am
CL

I completely agree with you, with the possible exception of your last sentence.

Your summary is of of course an accurate account of Hayek’s argument at the end of Chapter 13 of TRS. How one might apply that analysis today is an interesting question, however.

I cut the quote short because my point was simply to emphasise that Hayek was a liberal, not a conservative. I think he would have been encouraged by the liberal trend in the current British government (I leave aside the question of recent dubious foreign policy statements raised by yourself and Michael).

I’m not sure, however, whether you are referring to the UK or Australia in your last sentence. If you are referring to Australia, I agree. This is an extension of Hayek’s analysis however: Hayek thought that appeasement of monopolists would lead to central planning, and then, by processes he relates in Chapter 10 of TRS, naturally to atavistic nationalism.

In Australia the path to reaction seems much more direct.

Taylor

29 Jul 10 at 8:38 am
Statman,

you claimed to have read the Wages of Destruction yet you continually miss Tooze’s admiration of the Gestapo of tapping the National mood never mind having no clue about what Gellately has said the main job of the Gestapo was up to 1936 in his various books.

you should have paid more attention to john Faulkner in class

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 8:49 am
“Tooze’s admiration of the Gestapo”

WTF?

.

29 Jul 10 at 9:04 am
this is pretty serious stuff.

Homer is now slandering a serious academic by projecting his own love for the Fuhrer into his writings

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 9:07 am
In Australia the path to reaction seems much more direct.

What is “the path to reaction”? There probably isn’t a more self-assured figure in modern politics then a liberal who thinks they know the straightest path to the land of Cockaigne.

I might also say, Hayek went to extraordinary lengths to distinguish his ‘liberalism’ from a caricature of conservatism that was historically prevalent in the immediate post-WW2 era. I can understand his rationale for doing this but it was largely ineffective; the people he sought to placate by such means nevertheless rightly understood him to be a conservative in the English tradition.

dover_beach

29 Jul 10 at 9:12 am
As I said Statman you should have paid more attention to john Faulkner in class.
He is taught you not to lie you naught fellow.

A paper in the St Louis Fed says inflation may not be a monetary phenomenon but then David Altig at the Atlanta Fed says hey not so fast it is merely different from the mantra regularly spouted out in Chicago

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 9:16 am
Good points, Taylor. That quote is very interesting – especially at the moment.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 9:21 am
Not only can they not stop the boats.

Swan: We can’t stop the leaks.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 9:24 am
Homer has his uses. I found the following interesting essays on the socialism in national socialism:

I am the People

http://www.signandsight.com/features/23.html

YES, THE NAZIS WERE SOCIALISTS ARGUES A GERMAN HISTORIAN

http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/12052.html

dover_beach

29 Jul 10 at 9:31 am
wikileaks according to the New York Times.

Some people may die, but apart from that, no big deal.

The documents do reveal some specific information about United States and NATO tactics, techniques, procedures and equipment that is sensitive, and will cause much consternation within the military. It may even result in some people dying. Thus the White House is right to voice its displeasure with WikiLeaks.
Yet most of the major revelations that have been trumpeted by WikiLeaks’s founder, Julian Assange, are not revelations at all — they are merely additional examples of what we already knew.

“some people dying.”
Oh well, never mind! Everyone should have access to all information, and is some people die, that’s a small price to pay.

Assange is an Australian, by the way.

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 9:59 am
Tillman, don’t you owe us some links about articles on corner.nationalreview.com that discuss how to use Obama’s race against him? I’ve looked and looked, but I just can’t find them.

DD, I don’t actually think NR is involved in a racist conspiracy.

But I also don’t think “journolist” was a conspiracy, either.

My rhetorical and admittedly hyperbolic point about Nat Review is that there is nothing unusual or extraordinary about a bunch of like minded commentators getting together and discussing issues of common concern, as they did with “journolist” and as commentators of all stripes do all the time.

A couple of the journolist posters said some really stupid, irresponsible shit – just like John Derbyshire regularly says things that reflect attitudes that are, by any reasonable definition, racist. But I don’t think everyone at NR shares Derbyshire’s views.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 10:13 am
Wikileaks default stance is to reveal informant identities of Afghans who give information to the US, even if it means their death and the death of their family at the hands of the Taliban.

Mr Assange told The Times that many Afghan informants, including those whose details were potentially disclosed, were “telling soldiers false stories … creating victims themselves”. When asked if that justified releasing their identities, the former computer hacker replied: “It doesn’t mean it’s OK for their identities not to be revealed.”

Information should be free! If some fruit-seller in Kabul earns a few extra bucks passing information to the US, then TELL THE WORLD!
Surely he has nothing to hide. I mean, it’s just the Taliban, right?

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 10:16 am
Tillman,
You have a point. National Review is indeed an example of like-minded commentators discussing issues and arriving at common points of view.
It seems that Journolist was more than that. It was a behind-the-scenes attempt to control the media coverage of the election by burying stories and slandering strong conservative voices. Since they worked in unison and in secret, it was by definition a “conspiracy.”
That’s different from whether the conspiracy was successful. As you say, word about Ayers did get out despite their efforts. But the fact that they wanted to stop things like this getting out is the critical thing, not whether they succeeded. (they succeeded partly but not completely on the Ayers issue btw).

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 10:20 am
tal – Can someone tell me(without sounding like Sir Les Patterson) why you would stick your bits in a pipe?

All I can say is that doggrell viz snakes and snail and puppy dog’s tails didn’t go far enough. There’s a very funny book waiting to be written cataloging the exploits of men and their misadventures with inanimate objects.

Adrien

29 Jul 10 at 10:27 am
Better buy your switchblades and knuckle dusters now before the election. And try and set aside some capital to make a killing the inevitable black market.

Adrien

29 Jul 10 at 10:32 am
It may even result in some people dying. Yet…

The New York Times loves the troops!

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 10:37 am
Jesus, what a way to live.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/the-bean-counters-20100728-10w2h.html

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 10:40 am
But I don’t think everyone at NR shares Derbyshire’s views.

No. Indeed, Derbyshire laments that he is an outsider in conservative circles on the issue of race.

You could break wind in a mainstream-conservative gathering and be forgiven, Elizabeth the First style, but if you were to try to get a conversation about race going, the well-known kitchen-light-switch-and-roaches metaphor would kick in, and your invitations to such gatherings would fall off dramatically thereafter.

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 10:41 am
yeah the Derb is a bit of an old Tory bigot but he’s still a far more interesting writer than the predictable neocons on NRO

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 10:45 am
DD

The NYT piece you cite was an op-ed. It’s not the view of the paper.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 10:49 am
The New York Times loves the troops!

More typical dishonesty.

The piece CL refers to as troop-hating was written by Andrew Exum, who served multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan as a US Army Ranger.

You lying chickenhawk turd.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 10:52 am
My rhetorical and admittedly hyperbolic point about Nat Review….

So you admit you were lying when you said The Corner’s sneaky editorial goal is: “instead of figuring out ways of hurting opponents with the racist smear they figured out ways to make Obama’s race an issue.”

Thanks.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 10:55 am
“YOU SILLY SILLY SILLY CUNT. ITS A BIG FUCKING PROBLEM WHEN SCIENCE WORKERS ARE IN REBELLION FROM THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD. WHEN THEY ACTIVELY HATE LOGIC, REASON, EVIDENCE, AND DON’T KNOW WHAT A REAL PREDICTION IS. YOU SHOULD FEEL THE OUTRAGE AS WELL.

“JUST LIKE TODAY WITH THE BANKERS. WHERE BANKING AND WEALTH CREATION ARE ESTRANGED AND IN FACT, IN OPPOSITION. THIS IS JUST TERRIBLE. THIS UBIQUITOUS STUPIDITY IN ALL THE HIGH PLACES.”

Bird’s just gonna freak when quantum computing gets going:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-11/scientists-test-first-universal-programmable-quantum-computer

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 10:56 am
Lab

did you read Bird’s pornographic imaginings about our central bankers? gross stuff, even for his standards

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 10:59 am
Althought the troop-loving New York Times has played down the importance of people dying, FOX News (which JournoListers wanted to see shut down) reports:

Hundreds of Afghan lives have been put at risk by the leaking of 90,000 intelligence documents to WikiLeaks because the files identify informants working with NATO forces.

In just two hours of searching the WikiLeaks archive, The Times of London found the names of dozens of Afghans credited with providing detailed intelligence to U.S. forces. Their villages are given for identification and also, in many cases, their fathers’ names.

U.S. officers recorded detailed logs of the information fed to them by named local informants, particularly tribal elders.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 10:59 am
I just alerted Graeme to a pro-carbon tax posting on Marginal Revolution. I am a bad, bad person

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 11:00 am
Jason

What is a ‘neocon?’ You seem to throw the word around without actually explaining that it is really meaningless.

Rococo Liberal

29 Jul 10 at 11:03 am
Yes, I saw that Jason. I think the visit to Thailand must have had a deleterious impact.

BTW, can anyone tell me what ‘homocide’ is?

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 11:05 am
Does Bird always use imagery that sounds like it’s been lifted from extreme homosexual porn?

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 11:20 am
Yes.

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 11:24 am
Doesn’t he worry about his kids reading it at some stage of their life, and having to re-evaluate their father considerably? Or does everyone in his house already talk like that?

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 11:29 am
Are you worried your kids may read your Abbott fantasy, steve?

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 11:41 am
Watching Predators tonight.
Only misgiving I have is why the heck the directors cast Adrian Brody (whose last role was that of an emaciated pianist) as some sort of black ops commando. Ridiculous.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 11:42 am
Brody’s nose is of Gillardian proportions, as I recall.

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 11:54 am
Althought the troop-loving New York Times has played down the importance of people dying

Total lie. There’s any number of pieces in the Times bucketing wikileaks and Assange, including the Exum op-ed DD linked to.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
NYT on Wikileaks:

WikiLeaks’ critics range from the military, which says it jeopardizes operations, to some open government advocates who say the organization is endangering the privacy rights of others in favor of self promotion.

Steven Aftergood, head of the project on government secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, in his blog posting on June 28 accused WikiLeaks of “information vandalism” with no regard for privacy or social usefulness. “WikiLeaks must be counted among the enemies of open society because it does not respect the rule of law nor does it honor the rights of individuals,” he wrote.

And from Exum’s op-ed that DD partially (and misleadingly) quoted:

If his desire is to promote peace, Mr. Assange and his brand of activism are not as helpful as he imagines. By muddying the waters between journalism and activism, and by throwing his organization into the debate on Afghanistan with little apparent regard for the hard moral choices and dearth of good policy options facing decision-makers, he is being as reckless and destructive as the contemptible soldier or soldiers who leaked the documents in the first place.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 12:01 pm
I for one think Assange is a creepy, dishonest, hack. I’d love to see him get a good 20-30 years in prison.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 12:02 pm
It’s a shame. Wikileaks has done good work in the past. anyone who pisses off Conroy deserves a pat on the back. But this is just irresponsible.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 12:11 pm
What about his ear lobes?

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 12:14 pm
Bugger. Red Bull air race axed worlwide:

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/red-bull-air-race-axed-after-safety-concerns-20100729-10wu8.html

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 12:19 pm
Yeah I thought Wikileaks was absolutely genius when it came out.

I thought it was just going to be a depository for documents, with no commentary.

But they totally lost me when Assange started editorialising and pontificating with the “Collateral Murder” video.

That came out just after I finished reading The Good Soldiers by David Frankel, who was embedded with the 2-16 Rangers, the ground troops doing the fighting that was captured in “Collateral Murder”.

There was no murder and no war crime in that video, and if you watch it you can see the pilots scrupulously adhering to the rules of engagement.

Some dumbfuck journo goes into the middle of a full on firefight, stands around with a bunch of fuckwit Sadrists with AKs, peers around a corner at US infantry, raises a long metal tube to his face and aims it at the direction of US troops, then gets blatted by an Apache. What a surprise. Not.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 12:20 pm
Brilliant book, by the way, even if Finkel is from the pro-molestation Washington Post.

http://www.amazon.com/Good-Soldiers-David-Finkel/dp/0374165734

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 12:22 pm
Tillman, you sound very reasonable today. Should I distrust the characterization of you often repeated here by CL?

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 12:30 pm
Judicial/political soap opera in Malaysia:

“In a sensational twist in the sodomy trial of the Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, a prosecutor has been dropped after being accused of having an affair with the star witness.”

http://www.smh.com.au/world/anwars-sodomy-trial-hit-by-affair-20100728-10w2g.html

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 12:32 pm
Nah Steve. CL’s pretty reliable. I’m just pretending to be reasonable.

Deep down I’m really a Nazi-lovin’, Pope-hatin’, baby-killin’ pro-molestation ALP hack.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 12:32 pm
Hypocricy, thy name is wikileaks.
Wikileaks has been deliberatly constructed to protect the anonymity of information providers.

“Our whole system is designed such that we don’t have to keep that secret.”

But, shouldn’t information be free and open? Why should the cover of Afghan villagers who inform for the US be blown, but not the public servant who blew their cover?

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 12:37 pm
Ah Tillman, I thought so. Just like he understands I’m a Labor party operative who blogged and voted for John Howard at the last election.

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 12:42 pm
Melbourne to expand. A timely and excellent idea, but the communist cock-gobblers at The Age hate it:

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/green-land-cut-back-as-melbourne-grows-much-bigger-20100729-10wvi.html

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 12:49 pm
For the life of me I can’t see why all rural land shouldn’t be dual zoned residential. It’s further proof that the kleptocrats running things actually want higher housing prices and couldn’t give a fig about housing affordability.

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 12:52 pm
Exum on the WikiLeaks scandal:

ANYONE who has spent the past two days reading through the 92,000 military field reports and other documents made public by the whistle-blower site WikiLeaks may be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss is about.

According to the Times of London, many Afghan informants have been identified already from the material. Exum doesn’t appear too concerned. Or perhaps he belted out a column without really examining the documents. Good enough for the NYT.

And from Exum’s op-ed that DD partially (and misleadingly) quoted:

If his desire is to promote peace, Mr. Assange and his brand of activism are not as helpful as he imagines. By muddying the waters between journalism and activism, and by throwing his organization into the debate on Afghanistan with little apparent regard for the hard moral choices and dearth of good policy options facing decision-makers, he is being as reckless and destructive as the contemptible soldier or soldiers who leaked the documents in the first place.

Tillman has misleadingly quoted Exum. The preceding paragraph is important because it brings to mind someone else who likes to smear US troops as “prosecuted” war criminals:

But WikiLeaks itself is another matter. Mr. Assange says he is a journalist, but he is not. He is an activist, and to what end it is not clear. This week — as when he released a video in April showing American helicopter gunships killing Iraqi civilians in 2007 — he has been throwing around the term “war crimes,” but offers no context for the events he is judging. It seems that the death of any civilian in war, an unavoidable occurrence, is a “crime.”

I’m still waiting for Tillman to acknowledge he was wrong about the eight Marines charged over Haditha. Six defendants have had their cases dropped absolutely, one has been found not guilty and the trial date of the other (Frank D. Wuterich) has been postponed (although the unpremeditated murder charges have now been dropped). Contrary to Tillman’s claim, NONE (zero) have been “prosecuted”.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 1:09 pm
Tillman, I selectively quoted from the article, but not misleadingly. Yes, the article is critical of Assange, and you were upset that I didn’t point that out or quote the criticism. But so they should; I wasn’t interested in that. I was interested in the off-handed way that Exum mentioned possible casualties.

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 1:16 pm
Steve, the old ‘I voted for a Liberal once’ routine was pioneered by Homer. Please give your fellow Labor hack due bibliographical acknowledgement. I don’t want to add plagiarism to your charge sheet for the week. You’re already in the cooler over your false claim that “many” Catallaxians had accused Stedman of being a homosexual.

Behave.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 1:16 pm
I have actualy voted more times for the Liberal party than the ALP.

funny how a coalition hack can call other people hacks

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 1:21 pm
See, Steve?

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 1:38 pm
And how many times did you vote for Madam Skanke Ho, Homer?

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 1:44 pm
“For the life of me I can’t see why all rural land shouldn’t be dual zoned residential. It’s further proof that the kleptocrats running things actually want higher housing prices and couldn’t give a fig about housing affordability.”

Well it sure fucks your rate bill if you are a farmer. But the real reason is the whole underpinning of town planning, which is that a snotty planning grad working with the cardigan set has the best idea of how to organise the joint.

pedro

29 Jul 10 at 1:44 pm
Did you vote for Barton, Homer?

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 1:48 pm
Handily, Homer’s Liberal activism pre-dated the advent of the internet. He asks us to take the claim on faith.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 1:51 pm
“Tony Abbott has promised to spend $179 million to tackle organised gangs and knife crime if the Coalition is elected to government…

Although law and order is a state issue, shadow attorney-general George Brandis said more could be done nationally to stop organised crime.

“Increasingly people see crime as a national problem,” he said.”

Uhuh.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/07/29/2967608.htm

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 2:05 pm
If you want to tackle knife crime, give law-abiding citizens guns.

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 2:12 pm
The Chickenhawk Lad is really struggling to come up with a point.

Exum says – quite correctly – that Assange was totally irresponsible in leaking what he leaked and that his (Assenge’s) comparisons to the Pentagon Papers are completely overblown.

Here, the NY Times (and the London Times) are in stark contrast to the typically hysterical Guardian, which is painting Assange as a latter day Daniel Ellsberg.

Both Timeses have discussed the wikileaks material, and the NYT has been very restrained in the conclusions it has drawn. The NYT has also been much more selective than Wikileaks in what it has published, and has been actively cooperating with the US military to ensure it does not disclose sensitive material (such as names of informants).

Exum, having served several tours of duty with Army special forces in Afghanistan, does not require any instruction from the Chickenhawk Lad on the consequences of Assange’s irresponsible acts.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 2:15 pm
actually CL’s memory has gone again.
I have constantly said I have voted Liberal at a state level unlike other wood-ducks here.

I wil be voting liberal in the election after this at a federal level again.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 2:15 pm
I was interested in the off-handed way that Exum mentioned possible casualties.

DD

You misrepresented Exum and now you are misrepresenting what you yourself said.

You said that Exum’s point was in essence as follows:

Oh well, never mind! Everyone should have access to all information, and is some people die, that’s a small price to pay.

Where does Exum say everyone should have access to all information?

On the contrary, he says Assange is “contemptible” for publishing this stuff!

You have deliberately twisted Exum’s words. You make it sound like he approves of Assange when the 180 degree opposite is the truth.

Are you deliberately dishonest, or just too lazy to have read what Exum wrote, or are you just not very bright?

Or a mix of all three?

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 2:20 pm
I wil be voting liberal in the election after this at a federal level again.

is that because Madam Skanke Ho will be standing in Eastwood?

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 2:20 pm
“I am very shocked at this decision. Having lived in London for many years and then moving to a smaller city in the UK to escape the rat race of big city life (high cost of renting, no chance of buying a house, poor public transport) I have decided to move to Tasmania for a better quality of life anyway. This decision by Parliament has proved that I am making the right decision and might have to move sooner. I didn’t emigrate from the other side of the world to live somewhere just as bad.
mark N | Melbourne – July 29, 2010, 12:58PM ”

Does anyone else think this is hypocritical nonsense?

.

29 Jul 10 at 2:20 pm
It’s further proof that we should ban immigration from the UK. They are a terrible people with the strangest of sexual predilections. Very unclean too.

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 2:26 pm
A good Slate piece on Assange

http://www.slate.com/id/2262066/

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 2:34 pm
.You have deliberately twisted Exum’s words. You make it sound like he approves of Assange when the 180 degree opposite is the truth.
He made it sound like casualties weren’t a big deal. I was mocking him for it. It wasn’t my intention to imply that he was supporting Assange, however there seems to be an implication in the article that if the data were more significant, it would be more justifiable. Perhaps I’m completely misreading the Op-Ed but, for example, he contrasts with the Pentagon Papers which he approvingly describes as “significant”.

But anyway, what the hell do you care? Why do you spend so much of your time and energy defending the NYT here?

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 2:35 pm
And Fred Kaplan nails Assange as a creepy, irresponsible, self-promoting blowhard:

http://www.slate.com/id/2261780/

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 2:36 pm
I wil be voting liberal in the election after this…

Ah yes, another old Homer standard: he’ll be voting Liberal the election after this.

Observe the reality in 2013.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 2:36 pm
Why do you spend so much of your time and energy defending the NYT here?

Because I think the NYT is a very good paper. It’s far from perfect, and makes plenty of mistakes, but I think it also takes journalism seriously and responsibly.

Tell me which Australian or English newspaper has a dedicated “corrections” section published every single day.

It’s also the prime target for people whingeing about the “lamestream” media.

Anyway, I am not defending the Times here – I’m defending Exum, who you slandered.

You said Exum’s position was:

Everyone should have access to all information, and is some people die, that’s a small price to pay.

That’s Assange’s position – Exum says Assange is “contemptible”. Perhaps you got confused or tired after reading one or two lines and missed that part, or maybe you are just dishonest.

You explicitly associated Exum’s position with Assange’s position, which is totally unfair.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 2:42 pm
Exum wrote an ill-considered piece of poorly researched crap in which he wonders aloud “what the fuss is all about.” Sure, some people might die, he concedes, and “yet”…

The London Times and Fox, however, have now revealed that Allied human intelligence assets have been exposed and thus endangered.

It follows, of course, that Marine-slandering loony, Tillman – a self-confessed liar vis-a-vis The Corner – has bungled this little exercise in NYT apologia in the same way he lied about the NYT covering the John Edwards and Bill Ayers stories.

The thing to remember about the NYT and leaks is that they repeatedly published them when they thought it would impact deleteriously on Bushitler. The risk to lives? They couldn’t care less.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 2:45 pm
Statman is that the Skanke Ho that has FIVE definitions in 2004 not the ONE you said?

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 2:45 pm
Skanke Ho doesn’t have 5 definitions and never did, you idiot.

If your beloved urban dictionary is so accurate what happened to all those definitions?

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 2:48 pm
Odd: Gillard warns leakers: I’ll sack you.

So the leaker is a present member of Cabinet?

And would stabbing a prime minister in the back constitute an infringement against Cabinet solidarity?

What a weird ‘government’ this is.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 2:57 pm
oh genius,

did you find anyone saying that was wrong when I announced it at the time?

no

you can always look at the site when Latham made his comment.

oh you didn’t know that definition constantly change on Urban dictionary.

wow who would have ever thunked it.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 3:02 pm
oh you didn’t know that definition constantly change on Urban dictionary.

This is getting beyond parody here.

So at some stage the cool kidz decided to stop referring to Taiwanese dictators’ mistresses as ‘skanke ho’? What are they called now by generation Y?

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 3:06 pm
Look Homer I’m not that cruel.

Just concede you’re wrong and I’ll drop the skanke ho question.

But if you persist in this absurd confabulation you’ll remain a laughing stock the rest of your life.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 3:08 pm
Exum wrote an ill-considered piece of poorly researched crap in which he wonders aloud “what the fuss is all about.” Sure, some people might die, he concedes, and “yet”…

LOL I’d love to see a chickenhawk such as yourself say something like that to Exum’s face.

Exum’s a man who has risked his life for his country in Afghanistan while you, CL, are just another anonymous cowardly troll.

The greatest risk you face, CL, is Gran getting grumpy because you guzzled all of the Ribena.

You are simply unfit to reflect on the character of someone like Exum.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 3:15 pm
The thing to remember about the NYT and leaks is that they repeatedly published them when they thought it would impact deleteriously on Bushitler.

Go tell Judith Miller, you silly chickenhawk troll.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 3:21 pm
“[The NYT] also takes journalism seriously and responsibly.”

HAHAHAHAHA! Riiiight.

Bear in mind that this judgement comes from the mind of Tillman, the man who responded to the JournoList scandal thus:

“bullshit… murders … explosives in the WTC… crap… fucking bullshit… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… leftist/Nazi… Dick Cheney… garbage… crap… 9/11… bullshit… shit… drivel… dopey shit… Nazi…”

A good example of the NYT’s ‘serious’ and ‘responsible’ ‘journalism’ was its attempt to derail a presidential election by falsely accusing John McCain of adultery at the outset of the 2008 campaign.

Exum’s words are very apt for wackos of the Tillman/Assange variety:

…he has been throwing around the term “war crimes,” but offers no context for the events he is judging.

Remember, Tillman falsely claimed that the Haditha Eight were all “prosecuted” war criminals.

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 3:24 pm
Tillman falsely claimed that the Haditha Eight were all “prosecuted” war criminals.

Nope, never happened. Total fabrication.

*yawn*

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 3:31 pm
Statman,
Have you stopped taking your pills.Yesterday you couldn’t even read a sentence.

Attempt to read this VERY VERY slowly.

Urban dictionary is constantly updated just like wikipedia.

I stated way back in 2004 it had 5 or 6 definitions of the phrase.
I knew that after reading in Crikey that the site had the Definition I knew.
It not only had that it had others too.

When I said that anybody could have lloked it up and shown I was wrong. NO_ONE ever did.

You claimed Latham knew the rap definition but the only ‘evidence’ you could come up with was the insanely stupid dinner party anecdote.

It is very easy to check it out now what the site had back when Latham said it.

most people know how.

Facts 1 Statman 0

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 3:36 pm
In a very handy heads-up to enemies of the United States in 2006 – designed to embarrass Bushitler – the New York Times also published leaked details of the Bush Administration’s secret SWIFT program – designed to track the dealings, activities and movements of al Qaeda terrorists.

Remember: they love the troops!

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 3:41 pm
Doesn’t Gillard have to give the leaker 3 written warnings?

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 3:43 pm
Hey CL

Even better example – tricky Dick Nixon went all the way to the US Supreme Court to stop the Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

Nixon lost.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 3:56 pm
Homer, are you sure Latham looked up the Urban Dictionary before every speech? Evidence?

ken n

29 Jul 10 at 4:04 pm
Homer,

There never has been any definition of ‘skanky ho’ other than the one that is now widely known. So stop wanking on about it.

Rococo Liberal

29 Jul 10 at 4:08 pm
Let me spell this out VERY VERY SLOWLY for you Homer.

‘Ho’ is short form of ‘whore’. There is really no other conceivable different meaning for ‘skanky ho’ other than some variation on this theme.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:13 pm
The idiot can’t help himself, RL. He’s been in denial for years. In fact you could get a jackhammer to his granite skull and still wouldn’t be able to hammer it out of the loon.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:15 pm
‘Ho’ is short form of ‘whore’. There is really no other conceivable different meaning for ‘skanky ho’ other than some variation on this theme.

Santa Claus begs to differ.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 4:16 pm
Even better example – tricky Dick Nixon went all the way to the US Supreme Court to stop the Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

Even better example of what, you goof ball?

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 4:16 pm
Santa only comes once a year, Tillers.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:17 pm
That’s right, homer went to the Urban dictionary looked under Santa and found Ho.

So what Homer really means is that latham was referring to that woman as Santa and Skanke Ho really meant Santa , ho, ho, ho.

Homer should be sent to Afghanistan with a one way freaking ticket and his citizenship revoked.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:21 pm
For the love of God change the subject

tal

29 Jul 10 at 4:23 pm
No.

I want to see a quote of Tooze’s “admiration” of Roy Morganreich’s Gestapo.

.

29 Jul 10 at 4:26 pm
it’s always fun toying with homer to see what more idiotic comment he can come up with.

His latest assertion that the alternative defn of skanke ho as a Taiwanese dictator’s mistress isn’t on urban dictionary anymore because times have changed really takes the cake.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:30 pm
So, Mark Latham thought Janet Albrechtsen was dating a Taiwanes….WTF?

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 4:32 pm
Apparently there was a stage in the early 90s when all the youth of Harlem and Baltimore were discussing the intricacies of marital arrangements among northeast Asian politicians.

‘Yo Leroy! Did you read about that Madam Skanke Ho and what she said about US exports?’

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:32 pm
Homer’s all read up Dot. According to Homer Tooze loved the Gestapo. Loved and admired them like he’d love a red headed step child.

Of course Tooze’s book Homer read was in the parallel universe where Tooze is spelt backwards ….. Exoot, which is Eastwoodian means “I am a complete moron”.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:34 pm
Homer would make Comical Ali blush. Shameless.

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 4:35 pm
Oh, NOW I understand what the Jerry Springer and Rikki Lake shows were going on about!

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 4:35 pm
I’ll need to rewatch my Season 1 DVD of The Wire to look out for any references to ‘skanke ho’ and Taiwanese politics.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:35 pm
For tal:

“The original “Material Girl”, pop superstar and entrepreneur Madonna will be launching a new clothing line called Material Girl for Macy’s Junior Department on August 3rd, 2010.”

Cos you can never be too young to get into a conical bra?

If you have a look at the preview at the Macy’s site, the look is every bit as bad as you may expect:

http://www.macys.com/campaign/social?campaign_id=154&channel_id=1&cm_mmc=VanityUrl-_-Materialgirl-_-n-_-n

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 4:37 pm
Yea lol.. That’s right, Jase. Whenever you see a bunch of Harlem fellas standing around a street corner in say Law and Order, they’re discussing Asian exports and what Madam Skanke said about US trade restrictions in terms cheap Asian imports. Teenager dudes in particular.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:38 pm
pleased to know Statman is so stupid he doesn’t even understand how urban dictionary works.

He is so stupid he has to resort to stupid anecdotes at drug induced dinner parties for his ‘evidence’.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 4:39 pm
Thanks Steve. I missed that. A day isn’t a day unless I visit the Macy’s website. Like you I’m not a complete human being if I don;t do that.

What interesting topics you find, steve.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:40 pm
…he has to resort to stupid anecdotes at drug induced dinner parties for his ‘evidence’.

Of course, Homer. one of the definitions of the term Skanke ho started in Sydney’s eastern burbs.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:42 pm
Homer would make Comical Ali blush. Shameless.

Comical hasn’t a thing on our version.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:43 pm
No Stupid. Statman said EVERYBODY knew the rap definition because some twit made a joke about it.
Statman said Latham denying he knew what the term meant as well as the tow staffers saying the same thing meant nothing.
Which of course it is in catallaxy land

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

29 Jul 10 at 4:44 pm
1991 – Boyz n the Hood

Doughboy: Ho’s gotta eat too.
Shalika: Who you callin’ a ho’, I ain’t no ho’.
Doughboy: Oops, I’m sorry, bitch.

Stupid bitch didn’t realise he was calling her a Taiwanese Warlord’s mistress.

Infidel Tiger

29 Jul 10 at 4:45 pm
Homer was your definition of Skanky Ho on page 21 of the Urban Dictionary?

Rococo Liberal

29 Jul 10 at 4:47 pm
No Stupid. Statman said EVERYBODY knew the rap definition because some twit made a joke about it.
Statman said Latham denying he knew what the term meant as well as the tow staffers saying the same thing meant nothing.
Which of course it is in catallaxy land

I’d place this is the most incoherent category. But that’s just my opinion.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 4:50 pm
Hey HO-mer

when rappers sing about ‘pimpin’ the ho’ are they talking about selling the Chinese takeaway?

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 4:50 pm
Homer

Let’s asssume you are correct and that “Skan Kee Ho” was well known in NSW ALP Right circles as an Asian warlord’s concubine.

So then how does it make sense for Latham to say Janet Albrechtsen was an Asian warlord’s concubine?

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 4:51 pm
Even better example of what, you goof ball?

Even better example of an overreaching, ambitious, powerhungry executive trying to stop the free press from doing its constitutionally protected work.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 4:52 pm
Madge is sort of going after the wrong demographic really. Would any self-respecting 18-24 year old even know who the old hag is?

This quote from South Park seems apposite given the current discussion:

“Madonna is an old anorexic whore who wore out her welcome years ago, and that now she suddenly speaks with a British accent and she thinks she can play guitar and she should go fuck herself.”

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 4:57 pm
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/07/ross-douthats-case-against-capandtrade/comments/page/2/#comments

“That’s a strong argument, but the case for a carbon tax remains threefold”

There is no case for a carbon tax. Not unless you’ve suddenly found out that LOWER CO2 levels will mean MORE agricultural growth and therefore LESS starvation. In defiance of all scientific evidence which conclusively demonstrates the opposite.

Since when has it been okay to tax a “positive externality”?
Get a grip and try at least to be more careful with your wording. I just got a message on my blog saying…..

“The free market economists at Marginal Revolution have come out for a carbon tax. Isn’t it time to revise your opinion?”

….. Naturally this has put me in a very nasty mood. Because it is bad enough when these leftists start selling us out. When its out side of the street it reminds you of why treason always used to lead to harsher penalties, by and large, then any other crime.

Posted by: Graeme Bird at Jul 29, 2010 2:29:06 AM

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 5:01 pm
Well Jason, according to Bird, he actually is “an economics sophisticate. Probably in the top five in this country. Probably in the top two.”

BirdLab

29 Jul 10 at 5:05 pm
That respond from Bird is the height of restraint compared to the Glenn Stevens scenario he painted yesterday.

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 5:06 pm
Madonna!? Now, SHE’S a skanky ho!

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 5:07 pm
That response …

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 5:07 pm
steve
he nows how to tone it down at least initially when he’s at a new blog site

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 5:08 pm
Oh good. Tyler Cowen is about to meet Birdie. This is gunna be hugely interesting, as I can imagine generally polite Americans taking warmly to the feathered oaf.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 5:08 pm
OIC, sorry, he saves the gay porn scenarios for his own blog.

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 5:10 pm
That’s Assange’s position – Exum says Assange is “contemptible”. Perhaps you got confused or tired after reading one or two lines and missed that part, or maybe you are just dishonest.
Didn’t pay attention to the whole article, to be honest. I was so struck by that passage that I lost interest in whatever point he was trying to get to further down the page. I saw his bizarre discounting of possible loss of life, and that’s what I quoted and reacted to.

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 5:10 pm
Oh My God

Bird talking to Filomena about us
http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/#comment-31938

I think a lot of these guys were actually hot for you at one stage. Particularly Adrien.

jtfsoon

29 Jul 10 at 5:14 pm
I saw his bizarre discounting of possible loss of life

I think he could have worded what he said a bit better, but I don’t think he was discounting the significance of loss of life.

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 5:18 pm
Wow. Sure, they deserved money, and it was appalling that it happened at all, but still this seems extraordinarily generous, doesn’t it?:

“THE family of an Aboriginal elder who died of heat stroke in the back of a prison transfer van have been awarded a $3 million ex-gratia compensation.

The ex-gratia payment comes on top of the $200,000 interim payment they received.”

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/ward-family-gets-32m-payment-for-prison-van-death/story-e6frfku0-1225898585179#ixzz0v3S8ZnrL

steve from brisbane

29 Jul 10 at 5:38 pm
An appropriate punitive damages award would have been $50 million.

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 5:41 pm
If your remember, Bird lasted 2 seconds at econlib.

“I think a lot of these guys were actually hot for you at one stage. Particularly Adrien.”
Oh barf

pedro

29 Jul 10 at 5:57 pm
Wow. Sure, they deserved money, and it was appalling that it happened at all, but still this seems extraordinarily generous, doesn’t it?:

For something like that the payout should be big. How big? I don’t know. How long is a piece of string?

daddy dave

29 Jul 10 at 6:00 pm
Even Time Magazine seems to be suggesting the Gulf oil spill was over hyped crap.

…………..Yes, we’ve heard horror stories about oiled dolphins — but, so far, wildlife response teams have collected only three visibly oiled carcasses of any mammals. Yes, the spill prompted harsh restrictions on fishing and shrimping, but so far, the region’s fish and shrimp have tested clean, and the restrictions are gradually being lifted.”

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2007202,00.html#ixzz0v3bxyeXD

JC

29 Jul 10 at 6:17 pm
I have an acquaintence whose been participating in the Australian Shareholders Association (she’s living on dividends). She’s pretty pissed off that they support the ALP’s Keynsian spree especially the miner’s tax! I was surprised myself.
.
Also she’s quite enthusiastic about Stephen Mayne.

Adrien

29 Jul 10 at 6:38 pm
John Della Bosca and his rough-as missus are finally putting in some real public service.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/john-della-bosca-to-bow-out-of-politics/story-e6frgczx-1225898566123

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/belinda-neal-rules-out-standing-as-independent-in-nsw-seat-of-robertson/story-fn59niix-1225898359966

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 7:07 pm
You simply cannot make this stuff up!

Jesus as a commie. But if I could have TALKED to him? He would have come around.

Guess where? Yep, got it in one.

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/20/they-must-have-got-their-own-maffia-fractional-reserve-and-the-two-hidden-hands-behind-excess-market-consolidation/#comments

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 7:17 pm
Homer

Is it true that when Iron Mark referred to the “conga line of suckholes”, he was actually misquoted and meant Maurice Sukhools, the Belgian Minister of the Interior during WW!?

Also, is it true that when he said Howard had his “tongue up Bush’s clacker”, he was referring to Bush’s vintage Oldsmobile Claquer that he inherited from Grampa Prescott?

Tillman

29 Jul 10 at 7:29 pm
Very good questions, Tillers.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 7:33 pm
I’ve never been to Taiwan, but I always had the impression it was a very modern and democratic nation; not the sort to have “warlords.”

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 7:35 pm
LOL

http://catallaxyfiles.com/2010/07/21/debt-matters/#comment-75695

Homer’s list of insane BS never fails to entertain.

.

29 Jul 10 at 8:04 pm
Della’s going to work for a NGO campaigning for a Disability Insurance Scheme. I don’t know how effective he will be but the cause is a good one. Words cannot adequately convey just how farked disability services are in this country.

su

29 Jul 10 at 8:21 pm
Ace:

“Here Steve McGranahan who calls himself the World’s Strongest Redneck shows how he trims his hedges using his lawnmower on a stick. Probably not recommended for those with weak arms or a need for all 10 fingers.”

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/304070.php

C.L.

29 Jul 10 at 8:49 pm
Hi Mark

Sorry its taken so long to get back it’s been a hell of a week. I’ve taken time out to post this comment. I’ll be back tomorrow to answer any reply. Sorry for the length. I hope my attempt at italics worked out. Apologies in advance for any grammatical errors there is bound to be a few.

Your reliance on the output gap argument suggests economies never have output gaps.
Gibberish. I used the output gap argument to point out that it was also a neoclassical argument, which by your reasoning, is “assumption laden crap”.
Of course economies have output gaps. External shocks can generate them. The issue is if they resolve themselves or if such fluctuations have a net cost. Our flexible labour market saw that the adjustment was quick and less painful. More restrictive hiring laws and minimum wages would have seen firms shed, not hoard labour and we would have now a persistent output gap ala hysteresis”.

Output gaps can are not only exogenous but can also be endogenous in an economy reliant on credit and debt to finance growth. Just to be clear we do not live in a barter economy as you seem to propose. Before you crap on about it is exogenous because of central bank action I will remind you the credit cycle of booms and busts pre-dates central banks.
As for the labour market. The observed fall in full-time employment while part-time employment rose followed the same pattern it has since at least 1978 (the period for which we have detailed monthly employment numbers). In other words labour hoarding and the cutting back of hours is nothing new. We have one of the highest minimum wage regimes in the world yet the unemployment rate has fallen to 5.1%.

The vulgar Keynesianism of sfdc and Homer assumes the output gap is always below potential output, and never above. It is about the most difficult to estimate save for NAIRU, so dictating policy off it will barely ever work. They’d also assume that there could never be an output shock past potential output.

Who said the economy can never run above potential? No one as far as I know. I have engaged in a number of discussions with you in the past regarding the terms of trade boom we experienced in the run-up to the GFC. So your assertion that I am of the opinion that we can never have a positive output gap is really quite pointless. My comments that easy RBA policy and Howard government tax cuts helped fuel inflationary pressure during this period was poo-pooed by both you and JC.

Why should we forgo the benefits of rule based policy over taking a punt on discretionary macro policy? Paticuluarly when Ramey, Romer and Mankiw all put forward evidence or considered opinions that stimulus has less of an effect than tax cuts – and considering we had a surplus before the stimulus.
Tax cuts in response to falling demand would be stimulatory fiscal policy. The problem with tax cuts in response to a severe recession is they are likely to be less effective than direct government spending during a financial crisis such as the US has experienced. They also suffer the drawback of being difficult to unwind, and so weigh on the budget balance in the long term. This is fine if you want to cut spending when the economy recovers but what spending? I have asked this question before but the only answer I got was from the toy soldiers who seem to want everything cut but military spending.

It’s also amazing that you criticise the partial equilibrium analysis of markets whilst putting forward no alternative, for being “assumption laden crap” and simplistic (to which they are not on detail), and at the same time spruiking a bastardised version of a dumbed down version of Keynes with little concern about real world issues such as the practicality of implementation, real world multipliers, bifurcation of parameters and the results of modern macroeconomic dynamics with expectations which hold that stimulus doesn’t do much except for raise prices.

Putting forward no alternative to neoclassical economics? You don’t read do you? Allowing an economy with high debt levels to self correct can impose huge costs in terms of output, unemployment and bankruptcy. In the real world government stimulus facilitates the flow of money through an economy where uncertainty has rendered private sector financial flows impotent. In short firms won’t invest if they see demand falling. This is borne out by past recessions where business investment peaks have followed consumption peaks. Try using real world data in your analysis rather than wishful thinking.

The only theoretical use of this is to inflate the economy if there is an output gap, if it won’t clear, if there is a liquidity trap, and if it will work.

No kidding, if there is no output gap there is no point in inflating the economy. In fact I would go further and say there is no point inflating the economy unless there is a severe output gap accompanied by the threat of financial crisis. I have said this numerous times before.
Having said that, there is little doubt that the stimulus here and elsewhere has facilitated business activity. The only point of discussion in my opinion is whether such stimulation was necessary. National accounts numbers both here and in the US have shown it works. A pull back of discretionary spending has been shown to weigh on growth and the the budget balance in both Hungary and Ireland, two countries who implemented “austerity packages over the past couple of years. The global economy remains vulnerable to future shocks however and past fiscal irresponsibility in the US and Europe means public sector finance in many countries is now part of the problem.

There is nowhere that all three of these conditions exist without microeconomic problems. Evidence from the US is that it didn’t work anyway. Barro essentially says the multipler is essentially zero.

Barro’s analysis of WWII activity to argue against the existence of a multiplier was bizarre to say the least, the less said about that argument the better.

You are way out of your depth. No supply or demand curve “relies” on homogenous preferences. This is just bullshit. Are you saying this because you can’t remember, you are self taught or because this is what you were actually taught – despite it being complete and utter crap?

That is truly hilarious, neoclassical economics is built on assuming consumers are homogeneous.

Buy a fucking textbook on labour economics and flick to the labour supply chapter. Read it. Read over the bit that shows that the aggregated labour supply is made up from varying individual work/leisure preferences. Take notes. FFS. What you are saying is basically bullshit.

This response that I find rather strange coming from someone who seems to be a big fan of neoclassical economics. It appears you don’t have much of a grasp of a theory you are obviously so fond of. Mainstream labour market theory is predicated on aggregating all consumers into a single representative agent. Are you trying to tell me the field has moved beyond Lucas? If you have a citation where they have managed to construct a new consumer demand curve for each individual income distribution I would be happy to read it.

As far as I have seen labour market theory is filled with holes as it does not account for differences in consumer preference or income distribution effects. Just to make it simple for you, the world is not filled with clones who all behave the same way. By way of example it is fairly likely that the labour supply curve for low income workers may well be close to vertical or even slightly backward sloping in that falling wages may force some to increase their supply of labour. Labour supply is not simply a trade-off between work and leisure as standard theory postulates but a trade-off between being able to pay the bills and not being able to pay the bills. Hence the concept of the working poor who have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet. Lucas’ theory that all unemployment is voluntary is without basis in the real world no matter what his disciples may believe.

You’re also arguing that you can’t use supply and demand to analyse labour – and conclude that marginal workers will be adversely affected by minimum wage laws because they’re different to other workers – which is precisely what the makeup of supply demand recognises – which you think it doesn’t.

No, supply and demand of commodities is a poor descriptor of the labour market. Once again it is by no means clear that cutting the minimum wage will decrease the supply of labour as is the case put forward by standard supply and demand analysis. Minimum wages affect the distribution of income, and changes in the distribution of income will change the demand for commodities and hence the demand for labour. Firms hire employees for much the same reason that they invest in fixed capital.

Previously you were telling us how great Keynes was, riffing on his theory of financial markets whilst you had quietly re-written his analysing of the demand for capital and the supply of money and credit – altering the elasticity of the money supply curve from infinite to zero as to justify your idea that there “is no crowding out.

Once again your confusion reigns as to the concept of crowding out. What I have said is in no way contradictory to Keynes or reality to anyone who has even a passing familiarity with the investment demand or the demand for loanable funds. If the demand for credit is low then there can be no crowding out of investment funds. In fact promoting economic activity is likely to have a positive effect on private sector demand for capital it is not that difficult to grasp surely.

I’ll be very nice sfdc: you don’t know what the fuck what you’re talking about, pal.

Your last comment is a prime example why mainstream economics continues to stagnate. Hanging onto outdated notions that the modern economy is self correcting at little or no cost and that the labour market can be analysed using primitive first year micro. Thank god that erroneous view is slowly changing.

sdfc

29 Jul 10 at 10:49 pm
Shit that is long.

sdfc

29 Jul 10 at 10:50 pm
Fuck, yeah.

Peter Patton

29 Jul 10 at 10:51 pm
My comments that easy RBA policy and Howard government tax cuts helped fuel inflationary pressure during this period was poo-pooed by both you and JC.

Yea. please present the evidence exactly what said.

Look SDFC, anyone who says that labor markets don’t respond to market signals or have different characteristics to markets in general cannot be take seriously and i can’t be bothered reading that long swill.

You don’t understand economics.

JC

29 Jul 10 at 10:57 pm
“That is truly hilarious, neoclassical economics is built on assuming consumers are homogeneous.”

No this is absolute bullshit.

You don’t understand any of this. Your reliance on Keynes where you proceeded to unwittingly rewrite the chapter on the demand for capital and money supply was truly hilarious and sad.

Piss off and get an education. I’m not interested. All of your rejoinder you have posted today was just full of shit.

.

29 Jul 10 at 11:25 pm
“By way of example it is fairly likely that the labour supply curve for low income workers may well be close to vertical or even slightly backward sloping in that falling wages may force some to increase their supply of labour. Labour supply is not simply a trade-off between work and leisure as standard theory postulates but a trade-off between being able to pay the bills and not being able to pay the bills. Hence the concept of the working poor who have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet. Lucas’ theory that all unemployment is voluntary is without basis in the real world no matter what his disciples may believe. ”

This is inconsistent nonsense.

1. A backwards bending supply curve infers a very strong substitution effect for leisure over work at a high wage rate.

2. “Labour supply is not a work-leisure trade off”

3. “but a trade-off between being able to pay the bills and not being able to pay the bills.”

4. Which would infer a very elastic supply of labour.

5. You’ve inferred the working poor have an irrational and inconsistent reason to be voluntarily unemployed (which you think is silly) but is possible considering you think minimum wages are so high (see 1.) they don’t cause unemployment – to which if they had a backward bending supply of labour they wouldn’t have financial problems but you think they do.

.

29 Jul 10 at 11:54 pm
A backwards bending supply curve infers a very strong substitution effect for leisure over work at a high wage rate.

Good point. He’s talking rat f..king nonsense.

From now on we ask SDFC to construct a chart for his arguments .

JC

29 Jul 10 at 11:59 pm
Obama bravely opens himself to rigorous press scrutiny.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 12:24 am
and names his daughters as special advisers.

the President also praised his daughters Malia, 12, and Sasha, 9, saying they were “full of ideas, and opinions and observations – it’s just a great age”

further saying both should sail through the senate confirmation hearings and provide sorely needed adult supervision to the White House.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 12:29 am
Shikha Dalmia: The Death Of The Global Warming Movement.

It’s all over.

Bonus: Dalmia ridicules Krugman.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 1:18 am
…and names his daughters as special advisers.

Sasha is a safer pair of hands than Biden, let’s be honest.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 1:19 am
Stunt babies galore: Gillard watches parents and children in their native habitat.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 1:23 am
“Lucas’ theory that all unemployment is voluntary is without basis in the real world no matter what his disciples may believe.”

On the other hand you contend that ever increasing discretionary fiscal policy and minimum wages can send us into some kind of orbit of economic bliss.

Completely barking mad.

.

30 Jul 10 at 7:27 am
Paul Howes reckons the stimulus saved 260 000 jobs.

Rudd only ever claimed 120 000; there was a rise in almost 200 000 hidden unemployed and the labour market flexibility accounted for much of the jobs saved if you measure it against hours worked (about half of jobs that were kept but thought would go).

.

30 Jul 10 at 7:30 am
What a surprise:

Expert predicts broadband cost blowout.

“I would say for any project this size, [a cost blowout of] 50 per cent to 100 per cent would not be unrealistic,” Mr McKenzie said.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 9:43 am
hang on how did the rollout go in Tasmania.

Oh that’s right no blow out at all

yeah global warming is dead just when further evidence was released showing it exists.
more evidence that Reifler is correct

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 9:56 am
Ha ha ha ha. Phil has sort of been outed as ‘Jinmaro’ from LP.

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/#comment-31959

A quick scan reveals that even they appear to think he’s a dickhead.

Thanks Dot.

BirdLab

30 Jul 10 at 9:57 am
Lab
do we know for certain whether Jimaro is a man or a woman?

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 10:04 am
We know that Jinmaro is a union activist. Male nurse?

http://larvatusprodeo.ozblogistan.com.au/2007/10/23/victims-of-their-own-success/#comment-73373

Jinmaro says:
October 23, 2007 at 6:53 pm

WTF? Must be me, but this post makes absolutely no sense.

It must be a joke, Adrian. It makes NO sense.

Well done, Bernice, I envy you and if I could be in Melb I’d be there too. Being around, or part of, industrial actions taken by nurses, or other groups of predominantly women workers is one of the best, exhilarating (if historically rare) experiences it is possible to have, I reckon.

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 10:08 am
The gobal warming movement is dead, Homer.

I’m not sure what new “evidence” you’re talking about but nobody really cares about it anyway.

If you did some reading on public infrastrcture projects, you’d know that rollouts in funny little places like Tasmania (1200 houses in New Town, South Hobart and Devonport) are no indicator of a project being delivered to an entire continent.

Especially by the worst government in Australian history.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 10:10 am
the climate report old son.
you know we are in the hottest decade when it should be cooling.

rollouts in outlying places with small population are mote likely to produce cost blow-outs.They didn’t.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 10:12 am
homer
when are you going to apologise for making up fairy tales about skankee ho?

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 10:16 am
when are you going to apologise for not even being able to read properly or do basic research?

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 10:17 am
FDB told us, I merely passed on information.

.

30 Jul 10 at 10:19 am
It gets weirder. Jinmaro has also been posing as ‘Birdie’
http://larvatusprodeo.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/the-backdownside-of-celebrity/

#
Birdie permalink

Darlene, I know and understand what you are saying. But it is anti-feminist, pre-feminist even, but then that is a familar type too. Many women, of all ages, are untouched by feminism.

I would recommend (being utterly sincere here) you read Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex. All will be explained about what troubles you about women on women denigration and abuse. But the overall context and very profound explanation is feminist, not just generalised anti-women gossip.
#
Birdie permalink

Anna Winter, honestly I’ll pay you a $100 if you can ever say anything substantial, about anything, other than cryptic, mean nothing one-liners!
#
kimberella permalink

That’s nice, Birdie aka jinmaro – it’s pretty obvious who you are from your habit of trying to get into arguments with the same people (ie Liam, Anna, FDB). I’d advise people not to get sidetracked into “who’s feminister” arguments and stick to the topic, please.

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 10:23 am
Where did FDB mention it, Dot?

———————————–

Who produced the “climate report”, Homer? Was Dr Patch involved? The Sex Poodle? The hockey stick fraudsters? Kevin??

US is not going with crap ‘n trade. The Chinese and the Indians couldn’t care less.

The global warming cult is dead.

1200 houses in a geographically small area is not an “outlying” area vis-a-vis the Australian continent, Homer. Of course these buffoons will blow out the project nation-wide. Julia couldn’t manage to build tuckshops on budget.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 10:25 am
Could Bird be Phil? Do we find ourselves in a ‘United States of Tara’ situation?

BirdLab

30 Jul 10 at 10:29 am
TIME magazine: Rush Limbaugh was right, calamitousness of Gulf oil spill exaggerated.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 10:55 am
And speaking of odd:

http://atlasobscura.com/place/the-clinic

BirdLab

30 Jul 10 at 10:56 am
It’s par for the course at Clark Quay BirdLab

tal

30 Jul 10 at 10:59 am
I’ve been to The Clinic. It’s not quite as weird as you think. It’s not as stupid as all the faux Irish and British bars that sprung up in Australia.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 11:10 am
Maybe “Phil” is the mummified body in the basement of his transexual twin brother that Graeme killed in a “gay panic” scenario when he was a teenager.

Would anyone be truly surprised if I am correct?

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 11:25 am
This is briliant. Iowahawk has found a novel way to get that foul turd Julia Assange some unwanted trouble from unreasonable types:

http://twitter.com/iowahawkblog

Read the JulianAssangeHatesIslam tweets.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 11:26 am
typical climate warming denialist doesn’t even know of the recently released /climate Report.

no putting cable in an outlying areas of Tasmania is more likely to go over budget than in the more populated suburbs of the major cities

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 11:32 am
His Wiki bio:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_Assange

Weird dude.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 11:33 am
Hobaart is not an outlying area of Tasmania, Homer.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 11:34 am
Meant Hobart, not HobAART.

Must have been channelling Foster Brooks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYusPRre07k

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 11:35 am
it was rolled out in Midway Point, Scottsdale and Smithton .

Only Midway Point is close to Hobart, it is a bit of a drive.

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 11:42 am
You really are a contrary turd Homer. Why would the initial layout be done in a geographically isolated area most likely to suffer cost blowouts? As if the government would risk another royal f*** up.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 11:47 am
There are cattle properties bigger than the area we’re talking about, Homer.

Of no predictive use for the entire continent – especially for a government that blew out the building of tuckshops.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 11:49 am
Homer

Do you mean this warming report?

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2010/07/27/the-australian-temperature-record-the-big-picture/#more-22631

boy on a bike

30 Jul 10 at 11:54 am
Nothing is remote in Tassie, but that said, Smithton is about as remote as towns gets in Tasmania, stuck way up the north west. That is to say its about a 400kms and 5+ hours drive from Hobart.

Steve Edney

30 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
think IT think, hang on a minute don’t you wil get a headache

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
typical climate warming denialist doesn’t even know of the recently released /climate Report.

Can we have a link to this latest of climate reports? For once in your life, Homer, provide a link; it’s not that difficult.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 11:57 am
Homer

If the NBN is so marvelous, why is Conroy going to force everyone to sign up?

“Labor will compel customers to connect to upgraded broadband services unless they specifically request otherwise.

Confirming an increase in the coverage of its national broadband network, Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy said he would support a rollout where people were automatically connected to the network unless they chose to opt out of it.

This would boost take-up rates.”

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/labor-to-force-people-to-connect-to-broadband-20100730-10yi4.html?autostart=1

boy on a bike

30 Jul 10 at 11:59 am
find it yourself you lazy bludger. It has been in the news all week

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 11:59 am
I’ll tell you why: it’s shit. If you want to debunk it, come up with some evidence or get called a liar.

.

30 Jul 10 at 12:18 pm
It’s pretty ironic but homer started to peddle agw right at the peak last. From that point on it been diwnhill

Jc..

30 Jul 10 at 12:19 pm
Diwnhill Joe?

tal

30 Jul 10 at 12:26 pm
find it yourself you lazy bludger. It has been in the news all week

I’m a lazy bludger when you don’t have the courtesy to link to a report you’ve raised yourself?

It might have helped if you simply said that you’re referring to the State of the Climate report released by the NOAA, but of course, you probably didn’t know that.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 12:26 pm
Dot

You’d better hope you’re right, “there is no lying on that blog”!

Peter Patton

30 Jul 10 at 12:30 pm
BOB,
given that copper wires are going guess why?

Snoopy you are always talking about this subject. I would have thought you would be up to date on this. but of course this is catallaxy!

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 1:07 pm
So. Why are they forcing people and giving them no other option when simply abandoning the copper or selling it to a reseller would be cheaper?

.

30 Jul 10 at 1:09 pm
the copperwire is useless both for internet and phones and what reseller are you contemplating?
do you think before you write?

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 1:23 pm
Homer’s never heard of scheme he liked better than the NBN. It involves digging great big holes, destroying existing infrastructure and replacing it with something that will be obsolete before they even flick the switch. If only that old crank Keynes were alive to witness this majestical scam.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 1:32 pm
Snoopy you are always talking about this subject. I would have thought you would be up to date on this. but of course this is catallaxy!

Climate reports are a dime a dozen, Homer, which suggests that, in future, you refer to them specifically. That report is also the last gasp. We’re heading into a strong La Nina so expect key indicators to remain flat or fall over the next year or two. The ‘hottest year’ rhetoric is also an indicator of their desperate position. Also, have a look at the key indicators over the last decade for land and sea surface, marine air temp., and ocean heat content, they are more or less flat. Snow cover has been more extensive in the last decade than in 1980s.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 1:38 pm
the copperwire is useless both for internet and phones and what reseller are you contemplating?

Yep, copper hasn’t worked for the last century or more; it’s been ‘useless’.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 1:40 pm
The conventional wisdom (attributed here by Rog to de Gaulle earlier this year) is that it’s better to have a trouble-maker inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.

Someone seems to have got this aphorism back to front:

Gillard: Kevin Rudd still in Labor tent.

Inside the tent pissing in.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 1:42 pm
Rudd is unmanly like a snake, says Iron Mark

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/rudd-is-unmanly-like-a-snake-latham-20100729-10y6l.html?autostart=1

God, Homer must be so conflicted.

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 1:44 pm
Latho called Rudd a snake, which is a Zulu term for “great warrior’s foot masseuse”.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 1:55 pm
Deepak Chopra gets his arse handed to him:

http://www.transterrestrial.com/?p=28484

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 2:00 pm
A real Iron Man. 13 beers in 13 Miles:

http://exercisingwhileintoxicated.wordpress.com/

stolen from: http://ace.mu.nu/

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 2:04 pm
Phil could have done it in less time while eating olives.

Steve Edney

30 Jul 10 at 2:09 pm
copper wires is unless if it is replaced by fiber optics as it will be.
duh

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Fake Fill returns with another ripper yarn. Tillers, if this is your handiwork you have talent!

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/#comment-31962

Graeme,

I’ve been so busy and jet lagged since I arrived home that I haven’t had time to tell you of the final day of my trip. It was a day where we revelled in the glorious sadness of departing from our mountain base and cycling back to our final destination. We awoke early to a feast of Tuscan toast rubbed with garlic and drizzled with copious olive oil. They call it Fettuna, and it is delightfully simple and delicious. On top was scrambled eggs, Tuscan style with parmesan, onion and garlic basil and parsley. Unlike the traditional anglo-saxon scrambled eggs with is thick and heavy with butter and dairy, the basil and olives made the dish buoyant and almost fruity. Since it was the last day I had two servings, and indulged in some wine as did many in our group.
We had a hard days cycling ahead, the trip back to the airport in Pisa is 500kms but we have become stronger every day, and from our mountain base this was mostly down hill. The stronger members of our group (Who would have thought some spin classes and 6 days on a bike could have transformed me so!), were each assigned to assist one of the weaker members. I took on the poor emaciated boy who only eats at Dominos and has broken his ankle. He had been quite a strong rider before he left, but was struggling on only one good leg and no food. He didn’t know it but I had been putting olive oil into his drink bottle and I suspect that this sustained him over his last day
The day began well we descended somewhat before crossing the Apennines. This was the hardest part, and on several hill sections I had to give the poor boy a push to maintain speed. It was an incredible journey, and was sad to have to race through the terrain at such a speed! The hill sides were dotted with Olive trees and goats. It was glorious and the thin mountain air felt ever fresher.
However it was not a day without sadness. I have said that the olive tree sits lightly on the ground, and as we found out sometimes too lightly. In a high mountain pass in central Italy there was a tree with a poor boys name on it for indeed the Moirae did come. Sliding down the hillside an olive tree had become unsettled and its path out of this world intersected with that of the poor boy I was helping he was jettisoned out over the cliff and we watched as he raced down to eternity never to eat Dominos again.
I was reminded of Shakespeare in Henry VI.
What fates impose, that men must needs abide; it boots not to resist both wind and tide.
We stopped briefly to mourn his passing, pleased that he had spent the last glorious days with us in the mountains but we had a plane to catch. Our hosts assured us they would get someone to send his body home.
The time we had lost mourning was quickly made up as he was unfortunately the slowest amongst our number. The tour became a race with the semi-professionals forming a peloton onto which us amateurs soon gravitated. I had not done much road racing before but I surprised myself and others with my strength. As we approached the airport and our inevitable departure I broke away from the group streaking ahead much to the chagrin of the semi-professional riders!
It was a 10 hour ride, and we were tired and we arrived in plenty of time to pack our gear and get on the plane. There’s not much more to say really except that the food on the plane was as terrible as one would expect, and after that ride I slept for almost the entire flight!

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Homer:

Do you agree with Latham?

JC

30 Jul 10 at 2:11 pm
Great story.

So the kid died hey? Fitting end I say.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 2:16 pm
Jason

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to see if jimbaloo or whatever name Fat phil used at LP was still posting comments while he was supposed to be away on the olive, cheese and meats holiday.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 2:17 pm
Not me, Jase. I don’t think I’d have been able to resist putting a few overt references to transsexualism.

Tillman

30 Jul 10 at 2:33 pm
I found a pic of Phil getting ready to set off the last day of cycling. Must have been a long night.

http://www.dailyhaha.com/_pics/drunk_bike_fall.jpg

Tillman

30 Jul 10 at 2:35 pm
Hey, I see I was mentioned in dispatches by Bird & Phil for making the comment that $3,200,000 compensation to the aboriginal family seemed a lot. She assumed I was one of you regular Catallaxy meanies. Ha.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 2:35 pm
Do we find ourselves in a ‘United States of Tara’ situation?
.
Yes, we’ll always be hungry again.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 2:36 pm
JC
I think Jin Baboon or whatever his/her/its name is now banned from LP.

Hey FDB can you tell us more about Jinmaroo?

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 2:36 pm
The good thing is that the kid got wiped out over the cliff.

I never liked that kid.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 2:37 pm
Phil’s REAL holiday.

http://twistedhumor.info/images/dont-drink-even-though-you-dont-need-a-drive-licence-for-broomstick-tags-accident-tree-witch.jpg

Peter Patton

30 Jul 10 at 2:38 pm
PP – Yeah I’ll pay that one.

I actually think that Phil/Jinmaro etc may actually be under severe emotional duress, so I don’t hack into her.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 2:41 pm
“copper wires is unless if it is replaced by fiber optics as it will be.
duh”

You dissembling old urchin. They ARE NOT ripping out the copper.

.

30 Jul 10 at 2:42 pm
I actually think that Phil/Jinmaro etc may actually be under severe emotional duress,

why do you say that Adrien?

As far as I’m concerned I only give as good as I get. The nasty old fatso has been calling us all racists, misogynists, pro-genocide and worse, all freely of course as Bird gives her carte blanche. I’ve refrained from attacking her many times only to be slandered on the other fatso’s side so I’m going Old Testament on his/her arse.

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 2:47 pm
Good news for y’all what hates the ALP and’s concerned about the fact that Gen Y, um, votes n’ shit. Apparently Gillard tanked on Hamish and Andy. She was a humorless PR bot that could only say: “We’re fair dinkum about moving forward” whenever it was time for the punchline. Even in the ad breaks:

Hamish: Prime minister would you care for a cup of coffee?

Gillard: Hamish I’m telling you straight up and fair dinkum that we’ll all be moving moving forward to Starbucks together.

On the other hand Obama was on some show I’ve never heard of and was good apparently…

This is what democracy has come to. We need to go back in time and kill John Logie Baird. He didn’t mean it. Afterwards he knew it was evil but by then it was too late. Get my time machine.

Sorry John laddie, ye’ve gawt tae go.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 2:48 pm
no Mark they are replacing them.

copperwires will no longer be used.
so for example those people in Tassie will not have phones that operate if they do not have fibre optics.

good to see your much vaunted research skills are working as usual

Butterfield, Bloomfeld % Bishop

30 Jul 10 at 2:49 pm
why do you say that Adrien?
.
I had a stoush with her under yet another name at skepticlawyer’s and she rattled off this list of things that’d been done to her. I suspect they’re true.

And yes she’s got it coming.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 2:50 pm
Adrien

This is Obama on The View. Look at with the caption “Opening Soon” underneath it.

http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/07/29/1225898/410950-barack-obama-the-view.jpg

Peter Patton

30 Jul 10 at 2:52 pm
What an unmanly way to sit.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 2:53 pm
What an unmanly way to sit.

Have you read The Bonfire of the Vanities?

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 2:55 pm
#

What an unmanly way to sit.

Not to mention bloody painful.

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 2:55 pm
Obama is probably the least butch of all in that photo.

Peter Patton

30 Jul 10 at 2:55 pm
What’s wrong with the way he’s sitting? Ummm Don’t get it.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:00 pm
What’s wrong with the way he’s sitting?

Nothing. These guys are just a pack of macho shitheads who have no idea how a gentlemen is supposed to arracnge himslelf in the company of ladies.

He supposed to do so, y’know, faggy.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 3:04 pm
dude
a man can cross his legs but with the leg parallel to the floor,.

that yoga like contortion looks like a ball-crusher

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 3:09 pm
“The Bonfire of the Vanities?”

Gold. Nuff said.

.

30 Jul 10 at 3:10 pm
It’d probably be OK with just one testicle… maybe he really hangs to the left.

Fleeced

30 Jul 10 at 3:12 pm
Bloody hell, the media plays its role in media self-perpetuating faux crisis again:

“Julia Gillard has again fluffed her lines as a major press conference on the national broadband network was hijacked by the Labor leaks scandal and ongoing speculation about Kevin Rudd.

The Prime Minister said the nation would vote on the “22nd of August”, instead of August 21, and referred to Mr Rudd’s electorate as being “Griffiths”, rather than Griffith, as she fended off repeated questions focusing on Labor’s infighting.

It is the latest in a series of stumbles …”

Ooooh yes, big stumbles. Maybe if she wasn’t asked the same question 200 times a day, she could remember if Griffith has an “s” or not.

http://catallaxyfiles.com/2010/07/24/open-forum-july-24-2010/#comment-80077

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:13 pm
I think he’s very gangly … long legged, so that’s the best he can do.

The blond on the left is a Republican. Enough said.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:14 pm
sorry, link was to The Age:

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/stumbling-gillard-spooked-by-spectre-of-rudd-20100730-10z1c.html

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:14 pm
Steve:

Correct. No one gives a shit if she made a date error or that she added “s” to the little turd’s electorate.

But so freaking what? Is that a big enough story to post here, you bore?

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:16 pm
careful with that blood pressure, steve …

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 3:17 pm
Oh no wonder, you’re reading The Age which makes you immediately think it’s a big story.

You realize this site most probably has a bigger readership than the Age, right?

The Cat also has better stories.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:18 pm
“What would JC think” is not a thought process I go through before I comment on here.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:20 pm
When is Obama doing Sesame Street, that’s what I want to know.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 3:24 pm
It would be hard to believe JC doesn’t suffer from spiking blood pressure; I know that.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:26 pm
Mrs Stephen Smith be advised:

Kernot plans political comeback.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 3:27 pm
He is scared of Oscar the Grouch CL

tal

30 Jul 10 at 3:27 pm
Oh I don’t know steve, as I don’t think you have it in you. You could perhaps think a little more. You could perhaps do a thought experiment by asking yourself… What would JC and other guys like me to say. What would they find interesting and thought provoking .. even funny.

Ask yourself that before you post a comment.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:28 pm
Actually steve if there one heart pressure complaint I do have is that it’s sometimes to low. Really. Cardio wise I’m a truly perfect specimen of humanity.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:30 pm
Yeah, I suppose I should stick to “sitting positions to avoid hurting your testicles” comments.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:31 pm
That would certainly be a start, Steve. It would certainly be better than the boring swill you post when you’re not obsessing over CL.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 3:32 pm
(No offence to Jason. I find I only have that problem if I wear boxers.)

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:33 pm
Yeah, I suppose I should stick to “sitting positions to avoid hurting your testicles” comments.

Well, you’ve spent a bit of your time this week talking about Bird and Phil, is there a difference?

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 3:34 pm
Steve, yes they’re trivialities that scarcely merit being mentioned in dispatches. But that’s the way politics rolls when you’re on a streak as disastrous as Gillard’s and Labor’s – everything is magnified. Sometimes too these little slips speak of a certain psychology of panic. John Kerin got into an exaggerated mess of trouble because he forgot what G.O.S. stoof for at a press conference. Now unlike his journalistic critics (and dumbo Paul Keating), Kerin was actually a trained economist but he was just having a bad day and he wasn’t used to the kind of spotlight a Treasurer received (having previously served in somewhat less prominent portfolios). Was it stupid that he was criticised for forgetting gross operating surplus? Probably. Was there something in the suggestion that his nervousness bespoke a government floundering anxiously? Also: probably.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 3:36 pm
CL, forgetting that Griffith doesn’t have an “s”: that is spectacularly trivial.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:39 pm
Now see, JC: CL thought it worthy enough to post a response. Give him a tongue lashing for encouraging me, won’t you?

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:40 pm
Christ I’ll be glad when this election is over

tal

30 Jul 10 at 3:42 pm
Chris Uhlmann uses the Women’s Weekly shoot as a metaphor for Labor as a trashy painted lady…

Labor policy make-up melting in political spotlight.

There is something disturbing about the cover of the Women’s Weekly, adorned by a beaming Prime Minister.

It’s beautiful, glossy, near perfect. It’s also utterly contrived.

It’s disturbing because the makeover is a metaphor for the Labor campaign.

The assassination of Kevin Rudd was an extreme makeover and the “Moving Forward” slogan is designed, in part, to divert attention from Labor’s livid scars.

The mining tax was recast and briefly the policy scars seemed adequately covered by clever politics. But it didn’t take long for them to reappear.

The border protection makeover didn’t survive a day because the Timor solution is a paragraph deep.

And no-one but the cheap make-up artist who applied the citizens’ assembly policy lipstick believes it’s a credible solution to a serious problem.

Strategists should really worry when their ideas, and their slogans, immediately become a punch line.

Ouch.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 3:43 pm
I agree with you steve. When I saw the headline for that article I thought Julin Ruddlard had committed a serious blue, like saying pies are better without sauce.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 3:47 pm
CL, have you noticed that Andrew Bolt is the only journalist/commentator in the land who thinks AGW is not a serious issue? Even Uhlmann, who has sounded a tad skeptical in the past, seems to have joined the dark side.

Yet it’s a movement that’s over, according to you.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:48 pm
Do you really believe AGW is a serious issue? Whe was the last time you heard it mentioned in a normal converstion, not amongst political junkies? It’s dead. Wrapped in plastic.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 3:51 pm
Crikey. Ruddles taken to hospital for gall bladder removal:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/kevin-rudd-in-hospital-20100730-10zbr.html

All those hacks saying he had a lot of gall were right.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 3:54 pm
Gall bladder removal is usually associated with excess cholesterol. Msybe he was right to obsess over salad sandwiches

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 3:55 pm
IT: everyone wants certainty re investment for future power. No one is giving it to them – including the Liberals, ‘cos no one knows how their pot of money to reduce CO2 is going to be distributed.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 3:56 pm
AGW is as serious an issue as is the idea of Australia becoming a republic.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 3:58 pm
Too much dining with Laurie Oaks?

Steve Edney

30 Jul 10 at 3:58 pm
Wonder if there’ll be another leak while he’s in hospital… that would be amusing.

Fleeced

30 Jul 10 at 3:58 pm
It’s true that the market likes certainty, Steve – but a tax doesn’t give it to them. It’s also somewhat circular to argue that the government should implement a new tax because of uncertainty surrounding the possibility of said tax.

Fleeced

30 Jul 10 at 4:01 pm
It’s official. Dick Cheney has no pulse:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/07/21/heart-device-keeps-dick-cheney-alive-but-takes-away-his-pulse/

BirdLab

30 Jul 10 at 4:01 pm
My mother had that operation. It’s horrible.

It’s also associated with constant dehydration.

The little turd obviously wasn’t drinking enough water. That puts him out of action for about a week and a bit, so Jabba is going to be very quiet possibly for the rest of the election.

Damn, I was hoping he’d slam SwanDive.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:03 pm
HAHAHAHA! Cheney the living dead really is teh evil.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 4:07 pm
Fleeced:

I’m thinking that Rudd has to leak while he’s in hospital so as to appear it’s not him.

———

I feel sorry for the nursing staff in case they do something he doesn’t like.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:08 pm
If Laurie Oakes starts leaking, don those floaties!

Peter Patton

30 Jul 10 at 4:08 pm
…one step closer to fullfilling his true destiny.

Braaaiiins!!!

BirdLab

30 Jul 10 at 4:09 pm
This female science writer from America certainly breaks the Bernie Hobbs mold for the career:

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/07/30/2969006.htm?site=sydney

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 4:09 pm
Bad news for Julia as it will dominate the news and revivify whatever sympathy there is for the Ruddler in Queensland.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 4:09 pm
People like Steve from B created the mentality of uncertainty regarding investment in future power via AGW and then they promote modes of energy they prefer in order to re-create a mentality of certainty viz. future energy production. Quite ingenious.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 4:14 pm
I’l bet Oakes has already been fully briefed on what to say and when. His “leaks” are predicated on when Labor announces certain policies and what Kevlia Gilludd says and does.

Rudd will be performing some stunning ventroliqist work.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 4:16 pm
This female science writer from America certainly breaks the Bernie Hobbs mold for the career

On this we can agree.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 4:17 pm
Strange: a mono-testicular Mark Latham mocks the manliness of Kevin Rudd and also says – prior to Kevin’s admission to hospital for gall bladder surgery – that he’s gutless.

Lord knows in what symbolically felicitous way the Gillard ear lobe meme wil end.

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 4:19 pm
Oakes as a ventriloquist’s doll? Rudd must have a mighty knee.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 4:19 pm
The latest poll from the ABC has the two parties neck and neck. This isn’t good for the ALP as the libs seem to be getting momentum now.

A few of us worked out though that the betting markets are perhaps right about an ALP victory.

Libs require 17 seats to win.

Libs get 3 in WA That’s 14

1 in SA 13

1 in Tas 12

1 in Vic 11

4 in NSW 7

3 in Qu 4

Lab still wins by 4 seats.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:21 pm
Dover, aren’t you forgetting just how strong Kevin is?

http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2009/02/02/va1237352885221/Kevin-Rudd-6467304.jpg

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 4:23 pm
a man can cross his legs but with the leg parallel to the floor,.
.
It’s Bonfire of the Vanities a’right. Legs akimbo. When I first moved to Cairo I got into a couple fights with the rednecks ’cause I crossed my legs like a pouf.

Still do. I won.

Adrien

30 Jul 10 at 4:24 pm
What was Tony Abbott’s boxing record? I bet the bastard was fond of the rope-a-dope.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 4:24 pm
That photo still cracks me up, so manly

tal

30 Jul 10 at 4:28 pm
Don’t worry, Rudd will be dead in a week. The below study touches on an idea I like to play with: that understanding health requires we move beyond molecules.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10775086

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 4:30 pm
Hey Adrien…

I was sorta in that movie. They were filming Bonfires in my street at night.. I think it was the scene when he took the dog for a walk in the rain because they had the sprinklers going. Anyways I was in a cab on the other side of the road to where they were filming on my way home from work one night.. after drinks.

So I told the cabbie to honk his horn and keep honking repeatedly so I’d know it was me at that very point in the movie.

I never saw it, so I’m wondering if “I’m” in it. (Sort of).

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:31 pm
CL, thank God Rudd’s hand are well calloused from years of manual labour or they would have been torn to sheds.

Yes, Tal, and the expression of the fellow beside Rudd is priceless.

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 4:33 pm
You love that pic, CL. You’re always talking it out at the first opportunity. It’s a good one.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:33 pm
oops…. taking….

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:34 pm
Don’t worry, Rudd will be dead in a week.

You say that as if you’ve been given the contract. Or is a J. Patel doing the surgery?

dover_beach

30 Jul 10 at 4:34 pm
Dr Death a patient at Bundaberg Hospital. That would be great.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 4:41 pm
That hellhole called Gaza is described by Egyptian journalist as prosperous.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/138860

With Hamas telling tales of deprivation and suffering in Gaza, Egyptian journalist Ashraf Abu al-Houl has added his report to others who were surprised to discover a “prosperous” Gaza in which prices are low and luxury businesses are booming. Al-Houl’s story of his trip to Gaza and his realization that “in actual terms, Gaza is not under siege” was written up in the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram and translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“A sense of absolute prosperity prevails, as manifested by the grand resorts along and near Gaza’s coast. Further, the site of the merchandise and luxuries filling the Gaza shops amazed me,” he reported.

It’s hell on earth.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 4:49 pm
While the idea that Rudd is having his gall bladder taken out is ironic – it is still painful. If he can have keyhole surgery he should up and about pretty quick.

Sinclair Davidson

30 Jul 10 at 4:52 pm
If you have ever wondered about how stupid modern education has become, consider this opening line from Bad Science, a book I am currently covering in my blog.

“Let me tell you about how bad things have become. Children are routinely being taught – by their teachers, in thousands of British state schools – that if they wiggle their heads up and down it will increase blood flow to the frontal lobes …. ”

Two questions: what idiot came up with this idea, and, why aren’t teachers up in arms about this nonsense?

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 4:57 pm
There are now 2 Fill imitators writing poetry

http://graemebird.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/overlords-or-morons/#comment-31969

jtfsoon

30 Jul 10 at 4:57 pm
hahahahahha So birdie no longer really knows which is his real trannie. That’s so funny.

They all sound the same too.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 5:07 pm
Good one dude. That tell’s them.

President Obama calls African-Americans a ‘mongrel people’

NEW YORK — President Obama waded into the national race debate in an unlikely setting and with an unusual choice of words: telling daytime talk show hosts that African-Americans are “sort of a mongrel people.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/111611-obama-calls-african-americans-a-mongrel-people-

JC

30 Jul 10 at 5:16 pm
They’ve been experimenting overseas with gall bladder removal via the mouth or vagina:

http://catallaxyfiles.com/2010/07/24/open-forum-july-24-2010/#comment-80179

A joke which writes itself about Rudd will be left unsaid.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 5:19 pm
Bugger..I keep stuffing up links today:

http://www.physorg.com/news101741923.html

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 5:20 pm
Are you having the vaginal removal if you ever get it, steve?

JC

30 Jul 10 at 5:38 pm
Imagine doing the seating chart at the ALP campaign launch! If successful, your next job will be the middle east.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 6:07 pm
Just thinking of the campaign launch, it’s hard not to laugh… Is Rudd going to have prominent seating as a former PM? Is he going to be sitting between Hawke and Keating? (Diplomacy is his strength, isn’t it?)

Fleeced

30 Jul 10 at 6:10 pm
Bolt enjoys the Labor show:

“I tell you, this is more fun than a circus.”

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 6:14 pm
Fleeced:

I would expect Rudd to attend. Labor dudes has a tone of class, as we all know.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 6:15 pm
President Obama calls African-Americans a ‘mongrel people’

“Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.”

- Democrat icon, Robert Byrd, 1944

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 6:17 pm
Oosp have a ton of class..

This labor campaign is turning into a farce. It’s basically the Julia and the Little Turd show.

JC

30 Jul 10 at 6:24 pm
Surgeons have successfuly removed a rusty dagger from Rudd’s back.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 6:44 pm
Hi Mark
To my comment
“That is truly hilarious, neoclassical economics is built on assuming consumers are homogeneous.”
You replied
No this is absolute bullshit.
A reference demonstrating that mainstream economics treats low income workers differently from higher income workers and takes into account changes in expenditure in response to changes in income distribution would be a better way of arguing your point.
You don’t understand any of this. Your reliance on Keynes where you proceeded to unwittingly rewrite the chapter on the demand for capital and money supply was truly hilarious and sad.
No it doesn’t. The demand for capital is reliant on expected returns. That is at the heart of Keynes analysis of the market for capital. In short if you don’t expect to make a return because of a deficiency in demand or you won’t invest.
1. A backwards bending supply curve infers a very strong substitution effect for leisure over work at a high wage rate.
Low income earners are generally more concerned with paying the bills. Leisure is of little use if you are on the bones of your arse.
“Labour supply is not a work-leisure trade off”
“but a trade-off between being able to pay the bills and not being able to pay the bills.”
Which would infer a very elastic supply of labour.
You’ve inferred the working poor have an irrational and inconsistent reason to be voluntarily unemployed (which you think is silly) but is possible considering you think minimum wages are so high (see 1) they don’t cause unemployment – to which if they had a backward bending supply of labour they wouldn’t have financial problems but you think they do.

Where have I said I think the working poor have an irrational reason to be voluntarily unemployed? The point is that at very low incomes wage earners may be forced to increase their supply of labour. eg Get a second or third job. Do you really think low income earners don’t havfe financial problems?

“Lucas’ theory that all unemployment is voluntary is without basis in the real world no matter what his disciples may believe.”

On the other hand you contend that ever increasing discretionary fiscal policy and minimum wages can send us into some kind of orbit of economic bliss.
Completely barking mad

No, what I have said is that fiscal policy can support demand when monetary policy becomes ineffective due to a collapse in banking sector money creation. As for minimum wages, Lucas has suggested all unemployment is voluntary has he not? You obviously believe race to the bottom economics will deliver us a general equilibrium utopia.

JC

It’s nice to see you now support my contention that cutting taxes during a terms of trade boom was inflationary. It’s also nice to see you acknowledge RBA policy was the major driver behind our earlier inflation problem. You have previously suggested our inflation problem was a phantom. Or was that just a stick to beat the ALP with?

sdfc

30 Jul 10 at 6:53 pm
I had to laugh at this comment at Larvatus Prodeo regarding Kernot:

I don’t think Kernot’s candidacy will have any effect. I used to be a big admirer of hers, but now I find her – and I’d like to use words that don’t have a misogynist gender bias – but the best I can come up with is carping which probably does have a gender bias, for which I apologise.

Fme… is that how dudes talk these days?

Fleeced

30 Jul 10 at 7:02 pm
It really is surreal what we’re witnessing. Every Labor leader hates another’s guts. Rudd vs Gillard, Latham vs Rudd, Hawke vs Keating, Crean vs Rudd…

It’s like WWE SmackDown. I have this vision of Gillard giving one of those wrestling orations at the party launch about how she overcame the Griffith Giant’s cheap shot in the previous week’s Smash Up – only to be interrupted by Kevin sneaking up behind her and bouncing her off the ropes and polishing her off with a chair shot. Then Hawke and Latham go tag team against Rudd – beating him to a pulp with a series of mule kicks and corner backflips. Keating, meanwhile, lines up Hawke behind his back before poleaxing him and applying a stink face.

The crowd go wild.

A mysterious figure then appears at the entrance to the arena, bathed in only the faintest of light – helmeted head bowed down dramatically. Is it… could it be… Gladiator Gough?! He takes the microphone: “Men and women of Australia – I will have my vengeance!”

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 7:03 pm
Bad Science and health reporting. It’s a friggin disaster.

http://healthycuriousity.blogspot.com/2010/07/bad-science-by-ben-goldacre.html#more

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 7:04 pm
Is Kim Beazley liked by Labor hacks? He’s the only one I like, although I wouldn’t want to share a tank or buffet with him.

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 7:07 pm
Classic C.L! Vince McMahon is Bill Ludwig!

Infidel Tiger

30 Jul 10 at 7:09 pm
John I think you should stop reading that book it’s making you angry

tal

30 Jul 10 at 7:27 pm
Tal,

Contrary to popular opinion, anger is good, it can even boost the immune response, though not if you are chronically angry.

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 7:35 pm
I agree John ,also I’m glad I don’t have kids at school shaking their heads

tal

30 Jul 10 at 7:38 pm
Tal,

Just today I asked a Aussie teacher about “Brain Gym”. Apparently this is being introduced into some Australian schools. Doh!.

Nodding was the idea, not shaking their heads. I wish more people were shaking their heads when being taught something about health and nutrition!

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 7:40 pm
Are teachers skeptical about the whole thing?

tal

30 Jul 10 at 7:45 pm
Are teachers skeptical about the whole thing?

Apparently not that cynical. Teachers are advised to use these programs through the education department. The problem appears much more acute in England than Aus, for some reason the alternative gurus have obtained a large following in Britain and the USA. Aussies are generally more cynical of grandiose claims.

The big tragedy is that Goldacre has written a text that involves teaching us how to think about this biomedical stuff, what should be happening is that education should be teaching us how to deal with scientific information. Yet as Goldacre and Sir Robert Winston have noted, in some circles it is apparently more important to know Hamlet than know science. Hamlet is dead, science is ongoing. Make up your own mind.

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 7:53 pm
Good book innit John?

FDB

30 Jul 10 at 7:59 pm
FDB,

Having read too many texts on nutrition and thereby learning to just read the peer reviewed literature, I think this is an extremely valuable text. Sadly the people who most need to read this text are amongst the least likely to read this text. If someone is a regular reader of health related matters, they will benefit greatly from this text.

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 8:02 pm
Re those yucky gall bladder removal techniques mentioned by Steve, didn’t the ancient Egyptians do brain surgery through the nose? Nothing new under the sun etc.

John, have you ever encountered any emergencies of the penis-in-the-pipe variety discussed above?

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 9:33 pm
John, have you ever encountered any emergencies of the penis-in-the-pipe variety discussed above?

Hey CL,

No, but an old friend of mine who was an emergency ward nurse loved to recount the story of how there was this homosexual waiting in the emergency department and demanding treatment. She replied, “Hey! There are people here who don’t have self inflicted injuries. If you want to stuff vacuum cleaner attachments up your bum you can wait.” Close to that. Apparently such events are not that uncommon.

Re ancient brain surgery: Trepanning. Very strange.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trepanning

John H.

30 Jul 10 at 9:37 pm
Mark Bahnisch talks about how having his gall bladder out knocked him about for a couple of weeks:

http://larvatusprodeo.ozblogistan.com.au/2010/07/30/on-kevin-rudd-and-gallbladder-operations/

I suppose this solves the “will Kevin or won’t Kevin campaign for Julia” conundrum.

steve from brisbane

30 Jul 10 at 9:53 pm
Ay caramba. Brain surgery in Neolithic times! And check out that medieval sketch. As if that bloke survived. I read a very interesting history of surgery a few years ago. Fascinating subject. Pioneer surgeons were real sickos – body snatching and butchering their way to knowledge. (Leonardo da Vinci too was especially ravenous for dead bodies – he wanted to perfect his painting and sculpture; he may have been one of the world’s most knowledgeable anatomists). It’s a well-known fact that barbers of the Olden Days would perform minor surgery in the back alleys of towns – along with giving you a trim. Hence the twirling, (once bloody) barber’s poll that survives to this day. Historically, one of the reasons surgeons in Britain proudly called themselves “Mr” was to differentiate themselves from members of the old Great Company of Barbers and Surgeons. Pretty grubby old history is the history of surgery!

C.L.

30 Jul 10 at 9:58 pm
I for one will say a prayer for Kevin

tal

30 Jul 10 at 10:17 pm
Steve – Mark had complications. An uncomplicated keyhole should see Rudd up and about in (approx) a week. Pretty good compared to the bad old days.

Sinclair Davidson

30 Jul 10 at 10:59 pm
See the bombers fly up.

Sinclair Davidson

30 Jul 10 at 11:04 pm
A week ago the liberals were $4 @ centrebet, tonight they’re $3.

Sinclair Davidson

30 Jul 10 at 11:07 pm
Hmmm… Abbott would win in a landslide:

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/abbott-seizes-the-lead-20100730-10zsa.html?autostart=1

I’m not sure, but I like it.

Infidel Tiger

31 Jul 10 at 12:42 am
It’s going to get progressively worse for Gillers, Tiger.

Watch the leaks.

She’s lost all momentum. However we still have to respect the betting markets.

JC

31 Jul 10 at 12:50 am
….A week ago the liberals were $4 @ centrebet, tonight they’re $3.”

and now they’re at 2.85 lib 1.40 lab.

JC

31 Jul 10 at 12:53 am
Firming from $4.20/$4.10 to $3 in 2 days in a betting market that’s been open for over 2 years is massive. That takes considerable coin. It’s on baby. It’s on like Donkey Kong.

Infidel Tiger

31 Jul 10 at 12:58 am
Watch the stuff the comes out soon. The leaker hasn’t even started on SwanDive either and hasn’t finished with Gillers either.

It’s going to get really ugly.

The NSW technique of switching leaders just before an election may not be a good move. If you’re going down then so be it.

JC

31 Jul 10 at 1:04 am
oops Better said this way.

The NSW technique of switching leaders may not be a good move just before an election.

JC

31 Jul 10 at 1:05 am
Check The Australian JC. More damaging leaks tonight. Labor are brown bread.

Infidel Tiger

31 Jul 10 at 1:08 am
Fuck me…

This is truly shocking. No wonder she’s been sounding panicked during the week. She knew this was coming.

JULIA Gillard has been accused of “scandalous” disregard for national security amid revelations she sent a former bodyguard to attend highly sensitive security meetings on her behalf.

The revelations are the latest in a string of damaging leaks to hit the Prime Minister and come as senior Labor ministers concede that animosity between her and Kevin Rudd is “killing” its election campaign and that it is not being managed as it should.

A poll last night showed the Coalition would win power if an election were held today. A Nielsen poll in the Fairfax press showed support for Labor had plummeted, with the Coalition leading Labor on a two-party-preferred basis by 52 to 48 per cent.

She sent a body guard on her behalf? Are these fuckers insane.

There goes our top most security clearance for receiving intel from the US agencies. They won’t say anything as they’ll just stop sending it.

They should be lucky to have 20% of the vote now that she’s involved.

There’s more too. This is just the start. There will be even more on the day of the election if my hunch is right.

JC

31 Jul 10 at 1:12 am
Holy Dooley!

C.L.

31 Jul 10 at 1:18 am
@JC

WHAT!? She fuckin’ did what? OMG Just put a bullet in these people. Please. Get them the fuck away from power NOW. Can any of the beta males around here (yes we know you are lurking and reading this – if you had any balls you would justify your behaviour at once) and at LP who still support this PATHETIC government please just shoot themselves in the head?

Michael Fisk

31 Jul 10 at 1:26 am

Catallaxy Files

Open Forum July 24, 2010

835 Responses to 'Open Forum July 24, 2010'

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