Open Forum: November 24,2012 at Catallaxy Files

Open Forum: November 24,2012

983 comments

Written by Sinclair Davidson

November 24th, 2012 at 12:01 am

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983 Responses to 'Open Forum: November 24,2012'

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90 miles an hour girl is the speed …

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 12:02 am
Well, I’m standing next to a mountain…

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 12:03 am
Will the ALP preference the DLP ahead of the Greens next election?

If they offer to do this in exchange for the LNP preferencing the ALP ahead of the Greens, should the LNP accept the deal?

Some useful analysis here.

2dogs

24 Nov 12 at 12:08 am
Fourth!

nic

24 Nov 12 at 12:09 am
Rabz, are you also going to pick up the pieces and make an island? Great solo in that song, absolutely ground breaking.

tbh

24 Nov 12 at 12:11 am
Remeber this case? Here’s the outcome:

A TEENAGER suing an elite private school because she failed to gain entry to her preferred university course has lost her bid for compensation.

Rose Ashton-Weir took Geelong Grammar to VCAT claiming the school had set back her progress and stymied her wish to study law at the University of Sydney.

But a judgment handed down this week found this could not be substantiated and the claim was dismissed.
…
But the judgment by VCAT deputy president Ian Lulham said Ms Ashton-Weir had failed to see that attending class, having access to school tutoring facilities and additional input from a teacher were all forms of academic support.

“Support does not mean that the school does the work for the student,” he said.

Staff from Geelong Grammar gave evidence that Ms Ashton-Weir was disorganised and needed to be reminded to attend classes on time with the relevant books.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 12:15 am
Can’t help feeling that the Thursday Fred has been shortchanged…

Cold-Hands

24 Nov 12 at 12:19 am
A TEENAGER suing an elite private school because she failed to gain entry to her preferred university course has lost her bid for compensation.

Oh, noes!!!!

roxon – bring the fascist bullshit, you fat ugly cow!

This is an outrageous outrage, I tells ya!

It raises the question – what role did tonee yabbott
play in this heinous decision???

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 12:20 am
A teacher would be sacked in a state school for arguing that the student had some resposibility for their own learning.

The principal would performance manage you out as an underachiever.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 12:20 am
Listening to Jimmy now Rabz. It was groundbreaking I guess, but technically not superior to a modern journeyman. But it is nice.

I am thinking Teenage Wasteland by The Who. Describes the Government.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 12:21 am
From today’s Oz:

JOHN Howard laid it on the line for stringent gun laws 16 years ago, and he sounds prepared to do it all over again if anybody tries to water down those laws today.

History will judge him to be our 4th worst Prime Minister. A fascist nanny statist twerp.

Infidel Tiger

24 Nov 12 at 12:22 am
Johnnie got your gun?

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 12:23 am
Having no less than six great daily papers in a market of eight million people like London’s means the best writers can be paid properly to turn out the world’s best journalism and writing instead of the second-rate rubbish our little market has to accept.
On the strength of this column from today’s paper, I’ve just spent $12 on a trial three-month sub to The Times so I can quote to you zinging paragraphs like these from behind the paywall:

After Jack Kerouac hammered out On the Road on a single 120ft roll of paper at 100 words a minute in under two weeks on his Underwood portable, Truman Capote sneered: “That’s not writing, it’s typing.”

Writers tend to fetishise their tools, as if the older the technology, the more honest the prose: Cormac McCarthy with his Olivetti Lettera 32; Beryl Bainbridge and her 1980s Amstrad; Ernest Hemingway and his Royal Quiet DeLuxe. (“There is nothing to writing: All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed,” growled Hemingway, just in case anyone though “DeLuxe” meant “easy”.)

The point of the crackling 1000-word Ben Macintyre column being:

The arrival of computerised dictation technologies will lead to a hybrid of speaking and writing that may actually improve our understanding of words by returning closer to the Platonic ideal of communication: if the writers of the future must think and speak before they write, then they may become more articulate, and therefore better writers. If the form of the written word is dictated by the spoken word, we may begin to think harder before we open our mouths.

Please pardon my indulgence if you’re not interested.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 12:24 am
I’m so glad that the poor aggrieved Geelong Grammar student was not humoured unnecessarily by the court. She should take it as a life lesson and move on.

tbh

24 Nov 12 at 12:26 am
So what exactly does he mean by ‘the Platonic ideal of communication’? – given that Herr Plato was not very fond of writing.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 12:27 am
Must you pour forth every inane thought that pops into your tiny skull, Scrappy? This is not Twitter you know.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 12:29 am
If she were an international student at a university she’d get a remark!

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 12:29 am
that’s a very cool thought, Tom.

And the implications are that in the future my kids will regard me as a grunting neanderthal that uses a word editor and they won’t want to talk to me.

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 12:30 am
Those laws need to be watered down, because they did nothing save punish thousands of law-abiding shooters for the actions of two madmen.

One of Howard’s few unarguable mistakes. I’m all for restriction of ownership of self-loading longarms (e.g. taking an extra safety course, stringent security requirements), but the changes to the pistol laws were a total waste of time. If I want to shoot target with an ex-military .455 Webley or .45 Colt automatic, there should be no reason why I cannot do so, provided I can keep the guns under proper levels of lock and key and demonstrate safe use to a qualified instructor.

Speaking as a shooter myself, I am all in favour of shooters having to e.g. take their target arms to the range a certain # of times a year – after all, last I looked, private pilots are obliged to take a flight every now and then to ensure their hand is “kept in” – but there should be few restrictions on what sorts of firearms a sane, law-abiding citizen can actually own.

perturbed

24 Nov 12 at 12:33 am
Thanks Tom, great stuff!

Poor Old Rafe

24 Nov 12 at 12:37 am
It was groundbreaking I guess, but technically not superior to a modern journeyman. But it is nice.

We’ll still be listening to Hendrix recordings in the 24th century, Jannie. His will be in the Vienna World Music Hall of Fame (wash your mouth out!) alongside names like Mozart and Ludwig van (wash you mouth out again!).

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 12:42 am
I am actually using dictation to type this. You need to speak very carefully but I have managed to type this without any parents.

Bugger, substitute ‘errors’ for ‘parents’

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 12:44 am
Those laws need to be watered down, because they did nothing save punish thousands of law-abiding shooters for the actions of two madmen.

He should have encouraged law abiding people to take out concealed carry permits if he wanted to prevent massacres.

Howard is big government fascist whose only redeeming feature was he liked balancing the budget.

Infidel tiger

24 Nov 12 at 12:52 am
This goil I know…

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 12:54 am
Hello Siri can you tell everyone I have tandems

Hello Siri can you tell everyone I hate handguns

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 12:57 am
if the writers of the future must think and speak before they write, then they may become more articulate, and therefore better writers. If the form of the written word is dictated by the spoken word, we may begin to think harder before we open our mouths.

I am not so sanguine- instead I think this technology will lead to more disorganised prose, akin to stream of consciousness, meanderings that will profit from heavy pruning. The very best writers may be disciplined enough to benefit from speech-to-text but most of the twitter generation will need to have personal editors to weed the scattered pearls from the dross.

Cold-Hands

24 Nov 12 at 1:00 am
Hello Siri, let everyone know I like long guns

Siri I am busy playing with a new toy

En Francais s’il vous plaît. My Creole evening.

No more name creole hey. My crayon is red. Sleeper anglais

I think it will be a while before the written word is purely dictated

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 1:01 am
glean the scattered pearls

Cold-Hands

24 Nov 12 at 1:06 am
You’re right, CH. Literacy standards have already collapsed. I’ve already seen them in journalism school using comical spastic phonetics to patch over their ignorance. I asked a lecturer one day: “Why are they sending us illiterate kids (from secondary school)?” He replied: “Has it ever occurred to you that their English teachers are illiterate?” The leftist march through the institutions accelerates: requiring literacy standards – or standards in mathematics and science – is discriminatory and lacks “fairness”. That’s how we got “global warming”: post-modern facts are relative; it’s now OK to barrack for your favourite narrative. FMD.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 1:15 am
Rabz, great choice with the Massive Attack track. Tracey Thorne is fantastic. I’m a big fan of those guys.

tbh

24 Nov 12 at 1:36 am
I sniff spin – fresh from the workshop…

First Shorten, now Kelty – that word:

FORMER ACTU secretary Bill Kelty has criticised as “inappropriate” the use of a secret Australian Workers Union fund in the 1990s …

No, Bill.

Nice try, though, bozo.

It wasn’t “inappropriate.”

It was a crime.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 1:38 am
“technically not superior to a modern journeyman”

You left out the part where you explain that a modern journeyman would not exist but for Jimi.

It’s spelt Jimi, by the way. And the line is “stand up next to a mountain.”

Voted one of the top ten songs to fuck to, BTW.

The solo isn’t groundbreaking but the use of wah was. The great thing is this is Hendrix taking the riff from the equally great “Catfish Blues” and taking it somewhere new.

That’s the difference between Jimi and a modern journeyman. One is an innovator and the other is a hack with no creative ability doing covers.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 1:58 am
Fleeced, when you next pop by, could you give us an opinion of what you think is going on at the Oz? They have not only prevented the Google headline search from liberating the text content from behind the paywall, as has been the standard until now, but today (Saturday – the first day I’ve seen it) clicking on the content search result triggers an “Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage” error. Not News-wide; just the Oz.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 2:17 am
Hay Abu, I note my respect. Jimmy broke some of the ground in a fertile field. My son is technically better, but he stands on the shoulders of giants etc.

The kids who cover Jimmy these days do it out of love for music, respect comes later. Doing covers is honourable work. It makes it possible for starving artists to seek truth and hope they will not be forgotten when they die.

But Abu do not doubt my love for Hendrix, ref his cover of BD’s All along the watchtower.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 2:23 am
BTW.

I explained to my wife what was going on with the AWU slush fund. She thinks I am making it up because I am extremist.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 2:29 am
Actually I convinced her I was not making all this stuff up, and she thinks its outrageous and somebody should do something about it.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 2:32 am
Hendrix was great but playing live he was a pile of shit. That was largely owing to the untranslatable nature of his wahed and fuzzed and distorted sound from studio to stage. But it was also a function of his boring solo fetish – which even he came to loathe. He became like a comedian in the sense that crowds grew impatient with Jimi the experimentalist and trail-blazer and just wanted him to be Jimi Hendrix. At some of his last concerts he was actually booed in between chanted demands for Purple Haze and Hey Joe. He had turned himself into a performing clown and it came back to bite him on the bum.

One interesting thing about this mostly negro master is that he isn’t really hailed by America’s blacks. Not as he is by whites. Most of his crowds were white. Possibly, this says something about the sad rapping/dumbing down of ‘African-American’ culture over the past 40 years. I have no doubt there are many fine black musicians around but hardly any are household names. Where there was once Duke Ellington, Satchmo, Chuck Berry, Dizzy Gillespie – etc etc etc – there’s now 50 Cent and Snoop Dog. I doubt if either of them could play the mouth organ.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 2:51 am
Yeah, Howard and guns, hey.

The other day with Hawke and Ray Martin, he cited the gun ‘buy-back’ – one of the stupidest and most chillingly totalitarian slogans ever; as if this private property had somehow belonged to the government beforehand – as one of his top three signature achievements.

The result is that law-abiding citizens are now treated like psychopaths and criminals – while psychopaths and criminals are as free as they ever were to shoot people.

He ought to be ashamed of himself.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 2:59 am
A combination of drugs, post-CBS strat intonation issues, the late sixties overlong solo fetish, and his use of the whammy bar, CL. But you can find plenty of terrific live material. Stellar versions of Little Wing and Voodoo Chile on the Hendrix in the West album, and Band of Gypsies features some of the greatest music of that era.

And you’re right, he became tired and pissed off, hence the Isle of Wight fiasco. But at the end of the day he changed music with his incredible inventiveness, including his superlative use of R&B phrasing, a la Pops Staples, while singing. Few have mastered that ability. Robert Cray and maybe John Mayer, who is a total JH clone, for good or bad.

The best analysis of his ultimate disillusionment is in Charles Shaar Murray’s very readable book, “Crosstown Traffic”.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 3:01 am
On top of everything else, Hendrix had perfect pitch. He was a nothing short of a prodigy. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard somebody say (no offence, Jannie) that they, or some bloke they know who plays at the pub, is ‘technically better.’

Yeah.

Right.

My favourite is Watchtower and I love the fact that he used a cigarette lighter for the groovy slide progession before the wah riff. He just preferred the sound of it. I rate that riff as perfection. Castles Made of Sand is another favourite – odd, sweet, with lovely mystical riffage. For a stereo with grunt, nothing beats Voodoo Chile followed by House Burning Down.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 3:12 am
Jannie, I doubt your son is technically better. Anyone who knows enough about guitar knows that Hendrix stands in a pantheon of greats who might be emulated but never bested.

He’s up there with Wes, Django, BB, Christian and many others. Each of them is or was technically better than the others in their signature style, but none of them would care to contrast. Music isn’t sports and, as we gigging musicians say, “if you enter a Battle of the Bands competition, you’ve already lost.”

I’m glad your son loves music. I hope he gets what it’s about and has the humility to admit he’ll probably never be better than Hendrix or the other great innovators.

This reminds me of my favorite joke.

A guy is walking along and sees a crowd in the street. They are looking up at a jumper on a ledge. The guy calls out, “Hey man, don’t jump, life’s not that bad.”

The guy on the ledge says, “You don’t understand, I’m trying to make it as a jazz musician and no one will hire me.”

The guy in the street says, “Come on, man. Don’t give up. Do you think Bird gave up in the years when he was struggling to make his nut? No way, man. Bird never ever gave up.”

The guy on the ledge says, “Who’s bird?”

the guy on the street calls back, “Jump, motherfucker!”

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 3:13 am
Ahahahahahaha.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 3:20 am
Hey CL, have you heard “Belly Button Window”? No one who wrote that could support Emily’s List.

By the way, Jannie, Joe Satriani is “technically” better than Hendrix. After all, he frets with his pinkie and places his thumb on the back of the guitar neck rather than hooking it over to fret barre chords.

But his music is clinical and boring. And not one in 500,000 people could name one of his instrumentals…

So much for technical accomplishment.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 3:23 am
Emily’s List hates Jimi, no doubt.

Well. I’m up here in this womb
I’m looking all around
Well, I’m looking out my belly button window
And I see a whole lot of frowns
And I’m wondering if they don’t want me around

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 3:35 am
Great song.

Here’s a faithful and respectful version of one of his tunes. If your son can do this, Jannie, he has excellent taste and is on the right track. He’s not better than his betters, but he’s doing well.

http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=%2F&gl=GB#/watch?feature=related&v=qKpLtHw7IKQ

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 3:50 am
performance manage you out as an underachiever

Scapula, its a wonderful thought, but first hell will freeze over.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 4:04 am
Abu, CL, hearing Watchtower (studio) is entering the promised land. Voodoo Child gets close depending on how big and good the system you’re using to listen to it is. In the past 20 years, I’ve come to love Up From The Skies – Hendrix jazz and whismsy and humour. The other thing that’s forgotten or unknown is that his live stacks weren’t just systems – they were WALLS of sound. The slightest sideways/angular movement by Hendrix would start deafening squealing feedback. Much of his live work/experimentation was about seeing if he could control the sound. Mimics like Stevie Ray Vaughan were just that – Hendrix groupies. They were dazzled and could never take their homage in an original direction. H had also used so much acid by the time of his death I’m guessing his mind was “unshuttable” and permanently in a very weird dimension.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 4:07 am
Yeah, Howard and guns….he cited the gun ‘buy-back’…as one of his top three signature achievements.

Reminds me of Menzies citing his massive expansion of funding of Australian universities as one of his top three achievements whilst in office. Needless to say, the upgraded tertiary sector promptly turned into a rich state-funded, ultra-fertile leftist breeding ground that churns out leftwing cultural warriors and taxeaters, many of whom would throw the children of Menzies up against the wall if they had half a chance.

Oh come on

24 Nov 12 at 4:12 am
I rate all of that stuff equally. For a guitarist, some of the Gypsies stuff is as good as it gets, I.e., Power To Love. Check out Machine Gun for an awesome experience on a great sound system.

But the stuff that floats my boat are his R&B ballads: Castles Made of Sand, Little Wing, Bold as Love, Wind Cries Mary, Angel, etc.

His stuff he did at the BBC live to tape is stellar, IMO.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 4:16 am
Abu and CL I must dip me lid to you on your posts about J Hendrix, (Airborne?). I dont mean to suggest my son is technically special, but note that technical proficiency at the guitar is something more common these days than circa 1971. Its one of the few skills they teach well these days.

But musically I always preferred Cohen, Dylan, Reed and Springsteen (counting Americans anyway).

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 4:26 am
I’ve never felt the same about Springsteen ever since I saw an ABC puff piece on Wayne Swan featuring him in a clearly seldom-worn black Springsteen t-shirt (he’d probably bought it brand spanking off e-Bay a few days earlier), wielding his guitar and crapping on about his commitment to Social Justice and how he sees this manifested through Springsteen’s music. It was one of the phoniest displays I’ve ever seen.

Oh come on

24 Nov 12 at 4:38 am
Cohen as a lyricist was mercurial. Some of his lyrics are nothing short of beautiful; others adolescently cringe-worthy. And, for the most part, he’s one hell of a downer.

Oh come on

24 Nov 12 at 4:41 am
Abu, I just looked at the Axis track list and realised I hadn’t mentioned one of my early loves, One Rainy Wish. Wow. Six-eight — no-one was doing 6-8. It’s just a pretty song, but it’s full of time-surfing and experimental shit that no-one had even tried. Fuck me. I’m going to listen to it again.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 4:42 am
PS. the Canucks won’t be too pleased about you calling Cohen a Yank.

Fun fact: Suzanne from the song is now a crazy trolley pushing bag lady in LA.

Oh come on

24 Nov 12 at 4:44 am
Oh Come on, Swan makes me puke. Springsteen had his time, he was once a working man yearning for freedom, now he is a phoney. But I loved him when we were young. There you have it.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 4:45 am
Cohen was an adolescent once, and grew and grew and grew. He grew so big he became an American, he might even be an Australian now.

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 4:52 am
Oh Yeah, I am going to the Perth ATA launch, Jo Nova and David Evans are there. Tomorrow night at 7pm. Anbody else from perth going?

Jannie

24 Nov 12 at 5:10 am
Thanks to whoever it was here that coined the name Goose Springstein for Swannie. Lennon is rumoured to have said that Elvis died when he went into the army. Bruce Springstein back in the days of The Wild, The Innocent and The East St Shuffle may have had a certain backstreets semi-ethnic flavoured charm, but the stridency of The Boss and the move to the big end of town’s mass market venues destroys that ambience.

Blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 6:55 am
Fleeced, when you next pop by, could you give us an opinion of what you think is going on at the Oz? They have not only prevented the Google headline search from liberating the text content from behind the paywall, as has been the standard until now, but today (Saturday – the first day I’ve seen it) clicking on the content search result triggers an “Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage” error. Not News-wide; just the Oz.

I can’t seem to replicate this result, Tom – seems to work normally for me. Sounds like it was just a bug rather than change in policy… If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say the programmers rushed through a change on a Friday arvo, so they could get started on drinks.

Fleeced

24 Nov 12 at 7:18 am
Tom. Agree with Fleeced – still able to Google Oz Headlines and read articles.

Mike of Marion

24 Nov 12 at 8:06 am
I wonder what leather face Cassidy and Jon Faine will do if Gillard is questioned by police?

I wonder how they will respond when their abject bias is so publicly out?

As guide the ABC should sack both for a lack of new nouse, curiosity, journalism or whatever you what to call it.

John Comnenus

24 Nov 12 at 8:19 am
Looks like Gillard’s dam wall is starting to crack under the strain of holding back all her lies. Hopefully when it bursts it will be spectacular.

John Comnenus

24 Nov 12 at 8:24 am
Yay!

So much for the Arab Spring. Another totalitarian theocracy is born as Morsi (beloved of Obama) takes absolute power.

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 8:26 am
It wasn’t “inappropriate.”

It was a crime.

Calling Sue Butler, we need some elasticity in the word “inappropriate” if you please.

Tintarella di Luna

24 Nov 12 at 8:29 am
It’s one man, one vote, one time.

blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 8:30 am
The solo isn’t groundbreaking but the use of wah was.

Indeed. Just ask Johnny Stash.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 8:30 am
I didn’t realize before that loving Hendrix was a sign of right wing extremism. What an odd blog….

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 8:33 am
Cohen …….. for the most part, he’s one hell of a downer.

Music to slash your wrist by…

Anne

24 Nov 12 at 8:39 am
Calling Sue Butler…

Perhaps another of those irregular verbs.

lotocoti

24 Nov 12 at 8:44 am
Cohen is a brilliant, if dirty old man. So many of his songs reveal his fetishes. His lyrics are brilliant, and his music ranges from the very simple to the complex. He is a genius.

John Comnenus

24 Nov 12 at 8:44 am
I’m with you, Anne. Hide the razor blades when he’s on.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 8:48 am
Tom, it might be you are using Internet Explorer. Try another browser.
Chrome is probably fastest on Windows, but I am in uncomfortable with what Google gleans about individual users these days ( I have switched to DuckDuckGo as my search engine) so maybe Firefox. On a Mac, Safari is clean.

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 8:50 am
There are various sorts of blogs. Tim Blair’s old one was the best. It allowed instantly readable comments, but tedious and vacuous troll types were, after being given a chance to show if they were capable of joining a conversation in a reasonable fashion, given the flick via Andrea Harris’s administrative boot or spear.
Instant comments require some oversighting to guard against legally dangerous statements, but this remains the most satisfactory and guarantees many return looks each day. The thing that can spoil this model is the open borders policy, which allows any idiot to clog up a thread. Unfortunately, there’s too much of this at Catallaxy, an otherwise exemplary blog.
Then there’s the “big business model” or pre-mediated one that Bolt and Blair now find themselves entangled in. This can result in delays of up to a day in comments being published, with 12 hours being common. Blair has to work as an editor as well, so can’t be full-time on the blog. Bolt has been shackled by the PC carry-on and this is to the detriment of News Ltd ultimately. Now there’s little if any commenting on the weekend.
The saving grace of the blogs of Bolt, Ackerman and Devine is that they are always worth reading for their own sake, and the comments are not essential. Bolt keeps up a fast pace of new material early in the day and often returns later with updates or new material, often into the evening hours. Then he does a radio program on 2GB with Steve Price for an hour as well, which is good too.
Blair remains unique in his ability to spot and skewer the ridiculous in all things, political or social. The Telegraph no doubt gets good value from him in all his roles, but sometimes I think they could give him a bit more scope on the blog side, which does suffer from slow mediation and at time rather long gaps between items.
The on the left side of the spectrum we have the delightful types who will not even publish a contrary view even if well put. I see no reason to even read their stuff any more, just as there’s nothing useful added to the conversation here by those who repeatedly gush leftists memes of pretty much the same level of idiotic sloganism as those we get from the ABC, like Israel Bad, Palestinians Good.

blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 8:51 am
The Guardian is utterly astonished by Morsi’s assumption of absolute power and his creation of a totalitarian theocracy.

Richard Fernandez puts it beautifully:

The words of the Guardian can be translated as ‘we on the Left thought the Muslim Brotherhood were Democrats. How foolish of the Egyptians to believe it.’

Initial treports (very fragmentary, very early) seem to indicate that Muslim Brotherhood religious secret police are already killing the poor fools who believed the western left.

Wonder if the Preshizzle (Paco™) will go ahead with giving Morsi’s brand new totalitarian state that $4 Bn?

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 8:57 am
Thanks for explaining what a closed mind sounds like, blogstrop. Smiley 4 you.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:00 am
I think Shorten meant to say the slush fund was inappropriately exposed.

Splatacrobat

24 Nov 12 at 9:04 am
Associated press comments on Morsi’s brand new powers:

All laws and decisions by the president are final, cannot be appealed, overturned or halted by the courts or other bodies …

The president can take any steps or measures necessary to prevent threats to “the revolution, the life of the nation or national unity and security” or to the functioning of state institutions …

A new judiciary body of “protection of the revolution” is created to reopen investigations, prosecutions and trials of former regime officials, including ousted President Hosni Mubarak, for the killing of protesters during last year’s uprising.

The left must be so proud of the outcome they helped foment!

Now, in about a minute and a half from now, the various leftards here and elsewhere are going to start claiming that Morsi’s new dictatorship is a ‘right wing construct’ and that they had nothing to do with it.

Hammer this lie from day one. They own this.

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:05 am
Also like Fernandez on the sheer blithering incompetence of Preshizzle (Paco™) Hussein Obungler and his fountainhead of morons:

But with a breathtaking dishonesty each disaster has been represented as progress towards democratic peace; tokens of intelligent diplomacy when they were the very opposite: a terrible march to catastrophe orchestrated by a dishonest and ultimately incompetent administration.

Wretchard has a nice way with words.
So what next for Egypt? Bloody theocratic islamist opporession is a given (God help the Copts): civil war, starvation, collapse and famine, or that old left-wing favourite, a mix of all of them?

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:10 am
I think Shorten meant to say the slush fund was inappropriately exposed.

But I think lotocoti’s

Perhaps another of those irregular verbs.

perhapsing might work too vis a vis as in “to appropriate as in this

Tintarella di Luna

24 Nov 12 at 9:28 am
if they were capable of joining a conversation in a reasonable fashion

That if was exceptionally rare.
From memory, Bryla was the only one of our progressive friends who regularly managed to slip through with the humans and not end up on the tip of Andrea’s assegai.

lotocoti

24 Nov 12 at 9:42 am
So what next for Egypt?

In a just world, the US would stop all military aid immediately.

jupes

24 Nov 12 at 9:58 am
Wow – good to see some Hendrix fans here, intersting observations.

And yes Abu – CBS fucking the design of the Stratocaster and compromising it’s physical and aesthetic integrity was a criminal abomination.

I absolutely love Strats – I’ve got a cherry red ’96 American Standard, crafted to pretty much orginal specs and it’s the bees knees, especially running through my Princeton Chorus.

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 10:03 am
I can’t seem to replicate this result, Tom – seems to work normally for me.

Thanks, Fleeced. It’s only in Internet Explorer. I can open pages normally in Firefox. The fact that you and Mike don’t have the problem suggests it may have something to do with my current IP address outside Australia. It is still there; when I cut and paste an Oz headline into Google in IE, then click on it, I get the error. Is it a cache problem? Should I clear them? I just don’t understand the tech intricacies of this stuff.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 10:10 am
The Oz’s obsession with screaming EXCLUSIVE on every front page story has them leading today with an EXCLUSIVE on… the budget figures since 2009. Wowee, never saw those before!

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 10:18 am
Tim Blair’s old one was the best. It allowed instantly readable comments, but tedious and vacuous troll types were, after being given a chance to show if they were capable of joining a conversation in a reasonable fashion, given the flick via Andrea Harris’s administrative boot or spear.

I didn’t like Harris’ moderating style at all.
She got lots of fulsome and lavish praise in the comments section of endless, loud admiration of her stern and ruthless control, but she was capricious, too trigger-happy, and and sometimes banned the wrong people. Her treatment of Jules Crittenden was particularly disgraceful.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 10:25 am
Right-wing Sydney Morning Herald says she’s been caught lying on Slushgate and that the… Knives are out for Gillard.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 10:28 am
dd, I am interested in your opinion on this. You have a US connection and was a big supporter of the Tea Party.

It is hard to deny the conclusion that the Tea Party cost the Republicans badly in the Senate, and they probably were a large part of the huge demographic change in the Presidential vote too.

Now that there is a fight going on in the party between the Tea Partiers (who maintain the problem was that Romney was too moderate and not Right enough) and the old school Republicans (who say that the Rush Limbaugh wing of the party ensures it will have no future.)

Where do you stand in this divide?

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 10:46 am
I have been meaning to comment here for some time that Planet America is quite a good show, I think.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 10:49 am
I didn’t realize before that loving Hendrix was a sign of right wing extremism.

What is the correlation between gullibility, delusion, low intelligence. lack of creativity, tone deafness and leftwing extremism? We should suggest a study of our dumbest troll to a team of research psychiatrists. Our very own Frank Burns.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 11:06 am
CL, while it is delicious that Hartcher is finally recognising the quandary that the Red Dalek is in, his analysis is as superficial as ever. Windsor and Oakeshott have consistently ignored the wishes of their electorates since they opted to join the Gillard/Green regime, so despite the public pressure, are unlikely to jump ship, no matter how egregious the provocation. However, the confluence of the NSW ICAC findings and the AWU-WRA scandal will only confirm in the minds of the voters that Labor is synonymous with corruption.

Cold-Hands

24 Nov 12 at 11:19 am
Stevieliar QC. Is your wife out stealing bread this morning? Doesn’t look like raining so probably better off theiving tomorrow.

tiny dancer

24 Nov 12 at 11:35 am
Where do you stand in this divide?

Here’s how I see it.

The GOP establishment is in dire need of overhaul and the Tea Party looked until recently like the solution.

The Tea Party’s platform is essentially low-debt, no bailouts, low spending, less government and more freedom. While they’ve been a net benefit to the GOP, you’re right that in some cases they have cost them seats. Unfortunately they have on several occasions nominated extreme social conservatives who use their nomination not to push Tea party style policies but to push the same old bog standard social conservative stuff.

So this has allowed the Tea Party to be mischaracterised as a social conservative movement, which it isn’t. Or it least, it wasn’t originally. So here’s the million dollar question. Is the Tea Party being hijacked by the usual suspects, or are they just really crap at choosing candidates? I don’t know. If the latter, they’ll get better as time goes on. If the former, then they’re screwed.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 11:39 am
If the latter, they’ll get better as time goes on.

A bold claim. There’s no guarantee they will improve, dd. The far more likely scenario is that they will fail to compromise their principles and end up on the scrapheap of history, like so many other such movements.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 11:43 am
A bold claim.

It wasn’t a claim.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 11:54 am
To use a word I have been repeating a lot lately, dd, isn’t the problem that Tea Party economics lacks nuance (it sets a universal solution in respect of lowering taxes, for example, as being Always a Good Thing, regardless of other circumstances) and such lack of nuance attracts people with a lack of nuance in social issues such as abortion, homosexuality, gun control, and even science (climate change is absolutely a crock to be ignored) etc.

As such, I can’t see how the connection is ever going to be broken, and I agree with m0nty – the movement will peter out.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 11:58 am
I wonder what leather face Cassidy and Jon Faine will do if Gillard is questioned by police?
I wonder how they will respond when their abject bias is so publicly out?
As guide the ABC should sack both for a lack of new nouse, curiosity, journalism or whatever you what to call it.

If When Gillard goes on this I can’t wait to see the looks on the faces of the Insiders crew.

nic

24 Nov 12 at 12:00 pm
The Hendrix comments were a great read. Hendrix influenced generations of good guitarists and, for that reason alone, is important. For example, Brian May was a devotee who played hammer on way before EVH made it popular. In Hendrix’s further defence, being left handed and only having the technology available at that time surely should be factors to consider versus say a Satriani or a Vai and the technology they have available today to help them.

nic

24 Nov 12 at 12:04 pm
it sets a universal solution in respect of lowering taxes, for example, as being Always a Good Thing, regardless of other circumstances

Let me state the obvious.
From an individual’s point of view – from any individuals point of view – lowering taxes is a Good Thing for that individual.

There may be undesirable consequences in society ability to pay its bills, which is why the tax rate is not zero, but lower taxes are undeniably beneficial for your paycheck, no matter how much you earn.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 12:05 pm
From an individual’s point of view – from any individuals point of view – lowering taxes is a Good Thing for that individual.

Well yeah, but people here have been the ones saying that people shouldn’t vote just on what’s good for them. (See slurs about “gimme” voters having won the election for Obama.)

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 12:15 pm
Music to slash your wrist by…

That would be Bread, in my impression as just about every song was about miserable loss.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 12:17 pm
From an individual’s point of view – from any individuals point of view – lowering taxes is a Good Thing for that individual.

Taxes can also be raised to where they are sub-optimal for society. This is the point where one group is simply attempting to extort more money from another group to get disproportionate levels of spending on their personal priorities.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 12:18 pm
Mk50, yep. Been watching the whole Egyptian thing, and it looks like we have another Saddam growing into the role.
Unfortunately, the whole situation won’t settle down until the Gaza strip is depopulated, reoccupied and the border with Egypt sealed.
Egypt has done nothing to stop the rocket manufacture and so are complicit.

Winston Smith

24 Nov 12 at 12:18 pm
Gab, you’ve obviously never listened to Toni Childs. She’s to music what “Thelma and Louise” were to movies.

Winston Smith

24 Nov 12 at 12:22 pm
Her music just doesn’t have the mournfulness about it to the extent of Bread, Winston, imho. eg i’ve got to go now. She’s okay in small doses though.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 12:25 pm
It is hard to deny the conclusion that the Tea Party cost the Republicans badly in the Senate, and they probably were a large part of the huge demographic change in the Presidential vote too.

Wrong, that is really easy to deny. In fact it’s completely wrong. Romney didn’t win because he didn’t engage suburban republican voters. Yep, primarily middle class white people living families who go to church, have a college education and maybe small businesses. They simply didn’t vote when they usually could be expected to.

Why this is the case is probably going to be argued for a long time, but I think Romney being exceptionally rich, Mormon, from Massachusetts with a history of flip flopping on key issues suggesting he doesn’t really hold strong values, just did not engage middle America on the right side of the fence.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 12:25 pm
John Mc just might be on to something here.

dover_beach

24 Nov 12 at 12:31 pm
JohnMc: of course, that is possible too.

I haven’t noticed a lot of argument around for a return to 90% tax for millionaires in the States, though. Even from Krugman.

The Obama proposed tax increase on the rich was modest. It would not on its own do much budget wise; but on equity principles, it is a good thing if society feels fair rates of tax are being paid by those who can afford it with no harm to the economy.

I have been meaning to make an observation too – conservatives often like to criticise advocates who use relative measures for poverty. (You know, how people say that to be poor these days only means that you can’t afford a 60 cm TV.)

But when it comes to defending current tax paid by the rich in the US, it’s always a matter of pointing to the relative part of the total tax take that they pay. “Look – the top 5% pay X% of the total tax take already. It would be unfair to make them pay any more.”

This comparison ignores the fact that the rich are not hurting – not one teeny, tiny little bit – by the tax they are paying or a further modest increase in what they may pay.

And in case JC turns up saying that the US tax system is already very progressive – so what? If circumstances indicate, it becoming a bit more progressive is no disaster.

That said, I can see the benefit of broadening tax base as well, via GST for example, even though it can be argued it hurts the poor disproportionately.

So I am not being dogmatic in any direction. What I am criticising is politicians (or economists) who become too dogmatic in one direction. That is where the Republicans are now.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 12:34 pm
SfB, surprisingly I think you’re partially right. I am suspicious the no increases to taxes on the rich was received badly. However, the no increases in taxes approach is the right path for the GOP. American politicians across the board have failed to control spending, which anyone in the world would have to agree is one of their key functions. Under Obama, they’re not even been putting forward budgets!!! That is failing the basic principles of democracy. The US federal government is borrowing 40c out of every dollar they spend, and two-thirds of that is to meet prior promises passed in legislation. The government needs to take responsibility and get control, we know the Democrats can’t do this, so the GOP needs to get their act together and step up for the sake of the future of the USA.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 12:44 pm
Why this is the case is probably going to be argued for a long time, but I think Romney being exceptionally rich, Mormon, from Massachusetts with a history of flip flopping on key issues suggesting he doesn’t really hold strong values, just did not engage middle America on the right side of the fence.

Romney lost Ohio due to white men who didn’t lose their jobs voting for the man who saved them.

Romney lost Florida due to Hispanics who have relatives who want to become citizens – both in the US and abroad – voting for the man more likely not to throw them out of the country.

Romney lost the Senate due to non-evangelicals voting for the man who has enough control over his party not to allow extremist organisers to select extremist candidates into close seats.

Until the GOP addresses those three issues, it is kidding itself if it thinks it has dealt with the meaning on the loss.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 12:45 pm
SfB, you’re sounding like a Labor Party issuing “look at me” policies and hoping that somehow you’ll be redeemed before the axe falls. You’ve got a lot of ground to make up, so run for your life! (not a death threat)

blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 12:45 pm
Wrong, that is really easy to deny. In fact it’s completely wrong. Romney didn’t win because he didn’t engage suburban republican voters.

No, it’s even simpler than that.

Obama won because a psephologically disproportionate number of black and brown people voted for him on strictly racial lines.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 12:47 pm
Brown in MA wasn’t an ‘extremist’ and he lost.

dover_beach

24 Nov 12 at 12:49 pm
Romney lost because 7 million primarily white middle class voters which normal projections would suggest are going to be there, didn’t bother turning up. Where were they?

This is primarily referring to the popular vote, not so much the electoral college. These voters maybe wouldn’t have got Romney over the line in the electoral college, but they were the key to him getting there.

They don’t explain Florida I agree. And the promise of the Dream Act is certainly something that the GOP needs to deal with.

But they absolutely may have explained Ohio and the Senate. Why didn’t they come out?

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 12:53 pm
Australia’s worst ever Treasurer, Wayne Swan, shoots himself (and Gillard) in the foot – saying she was close friends with “crooks.”

Oopsa-daisy.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 12:53 pm
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney has been accused of trying to do the job of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child abuse, as he seeks access to court material.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 12:54 pm
I have a sociopathic lack of empathy for Cardinal Pell.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 12:58 pm
The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney has been accused of trying to do the job of the Victorian parliamentary inquiry into child abuse, as he seeks access to court material.

LOL.

Monty forgot to mention that this hilarious charge was made by “lawyers.” Pell’s lawyers say he is entitled to know the dates and details about an accusation that he was present during the revelation of a Christian Brother’s crime when he says he was actually overseas at the time. Why would they be afraid of providing those details I wonder.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 1:00 pm
Obama won because a psephologically disproportionate number of black and brown people voted for him on strictly racial lines

I agree to some level. The African Americans (12%) are always going to vote Democrat, and if a black guy is running the show, those who vote will vote for him. The realistic target for the GOP in the black community is probably one-third. In a tight race, the most the GOP could probably aim for is around 20%. The GOP should concentrate on just targeting the one third.

Hispanics are not at all the same demographic as the African-Americans. They don’t want the same things. They are also more diverse. They have a higher percentage who do actually believe in traditional American values like personal responsibility and reward for hard work. The GOP needs to get its act together to connect with these people. The GOP can get a majority of Hispanics.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 1:01 pm
I have a sociopathic lack of empathy for Cardinal Pell.

Of course you do. He’s a man and you’re a beta.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 1:02 pm
They have a higher percentage who do actually believe in traditional American values like personal responsibility and reward for hard work. The GOP needs to get its act together to connect with these people. The GOP can get a majority of Hispanics.

This is nonsense, though it’s become boilerplate analysis lately. Hispanics want welfare and lots of it. Whether or not they support gay ‘marriage’ and Christianity is neither here nor there. The Democrats will always win the welfare auction.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 1:05 pm
Romney lost because 7 million primarily white middle class voters which normal projections would suggest are going to be there, didn’t bother turning up. Where were they?

Romney was characterised as a tax-dodging plutocrat who gave people cancer and exported American jobs to China. He never countered those accusations, choosing to take the high road.

Sure he released his tax returns but he believed they would speak for themselves. Well, they didn’t, they needed him to speak for them. They needed him to stand up and actually say “I donated one third of my income to charity.”

Seizing on Akin and Mourdock’s comments, the Dems portrayed the GOP as an extremist party who were going to ban birth control and force rape victims to bear their attacker’s child.

Romney never campaigned hard against Obamacare, even though it was the central policy issue of the campaign. After all, he was going to repeal it, right? He also stayed away, largely, from Benghazi, Fast and Furious, Solyndra and other scandals.

Hurricane Sandy pretty much drowned out Romney’s campaign in the final week, and the little political mileage he could have gotten (namely, turning it into a Katrina) he decided not to do. Also Chris Christie, a high profile governor, effectively endorsed Obama and provided him photo ops in the wake of Sandy.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 1:06 pm
Morsi, Israel and America’s new and more useful Pharoah:

Behind the scenes, however, Morsi has received high marks by his Israeli counterparts with Israeli President Shimon Peres calling the Egyptian president a “nice surprise” at the height of the talks on Tuesday.

When National Security Council adviser Ben Rhodes was asked on Wednesday if Morsi was a better negotiator with the Israelis than former President Hosni Mubarak, Rhodes didn’t want to compare but did say that the status quo seemed to be intact.

And American expression of concern means they support Morsi:

As the protests gathered pace, international criticism of the decree began to mount. The US state department called for calm and expressed concern.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:06 pm
Knives are out for Gillard

KRuddy’s ghost writer has another go.

H B Bear

24 Nov 12 at 1:09 pm
Plus, Romney’s GOTV sucked and the unions spent 100 million on get out the vote; that’s not something that polls can pick up, and it’s not something we fully grasped until both sides showed their cards on election day. Joe Bloggs can’t tell the pollster “I’d rather stay home on election day but some dude is going to ring me up and talk me into voting.”

dd

24 Nov 12 at 1:10 pm
CL, Put some good Latino candidates up for the GOP and see what happens. Hasn’t really happened yet.

And as a first step, get some GOP candidates who have worked with the Latinos, done business in South America and speak Spanish.

Finally, put up an immigration policy that allows Latinos to access the GOP version of the American Dream, but allows them to keep the negative aspects of South America out.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 1:11 pm
Monty forgot to mention that this hilarious charge was made by “lawyers.” Pell’s lawyers say he is entitled to know the dates and details about an accusation that he was present during the revelation of a Christian Brother’s crime when he says he was actually overseas at the time. Why would they be afraid of providing those details I wonder.

He can testify to the dates of when he was overseas without knowing the dates of when he was accused of being present at a meeting. Whether he knows in advance or not exactly when he is accused of attending a meeting won’t change when he was actually overseas will it?

Chris

24 Nov 12 at 1:11 pm
Great analysis, dd.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 1:13 pm
CL quotation:

Monty forgot to mention that this hilarious charge was made by “lawyers.” Pell’s lawyers say he is entitled to know the dates and details about an accusation that he was present during the revelation of a Christian Brother’s crime when he says he was actually overseas at the time. Why would they be afraid of providing those details I wonder.

But in the piece quoted by Monty we read this from the judge:

But in the Victorian County Court late yesterday, Judge Roy Punshon said he “had a sense of anxiety or discomfort about a request for material” in a sensitive matter.

He acknowledged that some of the information seemed “highly relevant” to the application but said there was a need to protect the privacy of Victim 2.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
dd, I also think the failure of Romney camp managing their operatives and stuffing up their IT systems on voting day contributed to the result, when the Obama camp nailed these factors (as they did previously).

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
Behind the scenes, however, Morsi has received high marks by his Israeli counterparts with Israeli President Shimon Peres calling the Egyptian president a “nice surprise” at the height of the talks on Tuesday.

Correction: Shimon Peres is the President of Israel. He is not Morsi’s counterpart because in Israel a President is a symbolic role (as opposed to a PM, which is an executive position. But this is Netanyahu, not Peres). He is not supposed to stick his nose into politics any more than the GG of Australia should. Both are mostly symbolic roles, and are meant to be impartial politically – i.e., keep their opinions to themselves.

Peres, however, who has never won an election in Israel (though he did get the top job as PM, however never by winning an elections) was by an large a failure in politics before he became President of Israel. In any case, his opinions – who, quite frankly, he should keep to himself anyway – are not representative of Israelis.

Lefties, however, like to quote this loser because he is also a Leftie, ignoring both his perfect record of failure to win a single election (though he tried many times), or the fact that now, his role is mostly symbolic rather than representative.

roger

24 Nov 12 at 1:19 pm
Morsi is Israel’s new best friend according to the Jewish Chronicle:

Israeli officials say that the behaviour of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is “perhaps the biggest achievement for Israel in the entire operation” as the Muslim Brotherhood leader emerged as the mediator between Israel and Hamas.

Following the Israeli strikes on Gaza, Egypt recalled its ambassador to Israel and Mr Morsi repeatedly condemned “Israeli aggression”. This was a limited diplomatic measure, however, and Mr Morsi has expended time, effort and political credibility in trying to bring about a ceasefire. President Shimon Peres expressed Israel’s satisfaction at the role played by Mr Morsi when he said this week: “I didn’t expect that he would truly try to limit the tension, it is a surprise.”

While the Egyptian president did not speak directly to his Israeli counterpart, his frequent phone conversations this week with US President Barack Obama were part of the indirect dialogue between him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In response to calls by his own supporters in Egypt to do more for Hamas, Mr Morsi sent Prime Minister Hisham Kandil on a visit to Gaza on Sunday, during which Israel temporarily halted air-strikes. Mr Kandil refused to allow Hamas to resupply its forces with arms.

Perhaps the most surprising comment came this week from Aatef Salem, Egypt’s ambassador to Israel, who gave a conciliatory interview to the daily Al-Watan. He said: “The elites in Egypt and the Egyptian public believe that Israel wants to warmonger against Egypt. These thoughts have no basis in reality. The peace with Egypt is one of Israel’s foundations of national security and they won’t give it up.”

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:20 pm
Haaretz on Egypt and Turkey as Israel’s best friends:

But no matter how successful Egypt’s mediation efforts are, one can’t help but focus on the metamorphosis of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. At times it’s hard to believe that this is the same senior Muslim Brotherhood leader who was described during the Egyptian presidential election campaign as the man who “would liberate Gaza and turn Jerusalem into the capital of the united Arab nations.”

And yet this same Morsi, who for years saw Israel as a hostile entity and had difficulty even saying the word “Israel,” let this country’s name escape his lips a few days ago, during a joint press conference with the Turkish prime minister, another great friend of Israel. While it isn’t clear whether Morsi referred to the contacts between “the Palestinian side and the Israeli side” by accident or on purpose, in these crazy days it’s no small thing.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:26 pm
Even the Australian newspaper noticed Morsi’s right wing shift towards being Israel’s best friend:

THE Gaza ceasefire deal marks a startling trajectory for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi: an Islamist leader who refuses to talk to Israelis or even say the country’s name mediated for it and finally turned himself into the Jewish state’s de facto protector.

The accord, reached yesterday, inserts Egypt to an unprecedented degree into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, establishing it as the arbiter ensuring that militant rocket fire into Israel stops and that Israel allows the opening of the long-blockaded Gaza Strip and stops attacks against Hamas.

Mr Morsi emerged as a major regional player, winning the trust of the US and Israel, which once worried over the Islamist’s rise.

.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:28 pm
When Gillard goes, no doubt kicking and screaming like a pig, she can only blame her own party and like minded luvvies.

Tiny Dancer

24 Nov 12 at 1:36 pm
What the hell is happening in the UK?

A couple had their three foster children taken away by a council on the grounds that their membership of the UK Independence Party meant that they supported “racist” policies.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9700001/Foster-parents-stigmatised-and-slandered-for-being-members-of-Ukip.html

Viva

24 Nov 12 at 1:37 pm
Even the Australian newspaper noticed Morsi’s right wing shift towards being Israel’s best friend:

I have checked and it seems to be an article from The Huffington Post. Couldn’t find it on The Australian. Care to explain?

roger

24 Nov 12 at 1:37 pm
Its from AP and it was published in the Australian and the Huffington Post basically does little of its own journalism.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:40 pm
This is the precise byline of the Australian article:

AP November 23, 2012 12:00AM

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:41 pm
The title is:

Islamist Mohammed Morsi emerges as Israel’s protector

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 1:43 pm
“He never countered those accusations”

Because, apart from the cancer one, he couldn’t – they were accurate descriptions.

“Sure he released his tax returns”

He only released two returns, and later a letter from an accountant.

“They needed him to stand up and actually say “I donated one third of my income to charity.””

He averages 13.5%, which is very impressive (twice Obama’s rate), but hardly a third. Since he’s supposed to tithe 10% as part of his religious duties, that means his willing contributions to actual charities was 3.5%.

“Seizing on Akin and Mourdock’s comments, the Dems portrayed the GOP as an extremist party who were going to ban birth control and force rape victims to bear their attacker’s child.”

It was easy to do that, because that’s the GOP platform.

“Romney never campaigned hard against Obamacare, even though it was the central policy issue of the campaign.”

I don’t know how much harder he could have gone, considering it was a Republican idea that he pushed through as state governor.

“He also stayed away, largely, from Benghazi, Fast and Furious, Solyndra and other scandals.”

Because as far as scandals go, those were hardly worth complaining about. The political damage from being seen as needlessly negative likely outweighed the benefit from exposing government mistakes.

“Hurricane Sandy pretty much drowned out Romney’s campaign in the final week”

It did, but the polls that turned out to be 100% correct on election day didn’t show much of a bounce for Obama because of Sandy, so I expect the storm was a positive for Obama but not a big one.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 1:44 pm
That’s terrible Viva.

I notice the Council was unapologetic.

A spokesman for Rotherham metropolitan borough council said last night: “After a group of sibling children were placed with agency foster carers, issues were raised regarding the long-term suitability of the carers for these particular children.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 1:47 pm
(Morsi)…finally turned himself into the Jewish state’s de facto protector.

lol

Israel doesn’t need a ‘protector’. They have been doing a very good job of that themselves for the last 64 years.

jupes

24 Nov 12 at 2:00 pm
‘Protector’ is of course too strong, but neverthless to have the Islamic Brotherhood supporting Israel’s position against Hamas and being the guarantor of peace on its Western flank is the current reality.

Morsi’s reward is the green light from America to turn himself into a new Pharoah with all the riches that Mubarak once accrued from that role.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 2:04 pm
The GOP platform wants to ban contraceptives?

dover_beach

24 Nov 12 at 2:09 pm
This is nonsense, though it’s become boilerplate analysis lately. Hispanics want welfare and lots of it.

CL, let’s follow your logic if that is true. Given the demographic changes in the US, how does the party justify not changing to meet those demands, if it doesn’t want to disappear? The way you’d have it, the Republican Party would be reduced to a rump in the long term. Either the right changes, or it becomes irrelevant.

It’s a rather fatalistic view you have, electorally.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 2:11 pm
m0nty, it matches what CL wants for the Catholic Church.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 2:14 pm
He averages 13.5%, which is very impressive (twice Obama’s rate), but hardly a third. Since he’s supposed to tithe 10% as part of his religious duties, that means his willing contributions to actual charities was 3.5%

LOL. “No, no he “only” donates 3,5%”. My God, the spin is dizzying.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 2:14 pm
The GOP platform wants to ban contraceptives?

Well, a large number of its followers think young women are sluts for wanting it covered in health insurance. Viagra, on the other, is essential for a large number of older white men, and therefore nearly got a mention in the Republican platform.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 2:19 pm
CL, let’s follow your logic if that is true. Given the demographic changes in the US, how does the party justify not changing to meet those demands, if it doesn’t want to disappear?

If that’s the case then so be it. If the citizenry just want to vote them selves an easy life on the public purse and run the country down until it collapses and there’s enough of them to keep a majority and no constitutional protections to stop it, that’s how it has to be. Greece deserves to be where it is and the people deserve to live like shit. America is just an idea. Corrupt the idea and accept the consequences.

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 2:21 pm
““No, no he “only” donates 3,5%”.”

dd brought up the “one third” furphy. I was correcting him, not dissing Romney.

“My God, the spin is dizzying.”

Learning facts makes you dizzy? No wonder you struggle on this forum.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 2:27 pm
No, Jarrah your words are quite clear as is your meaning. It’s there for all to see. He donated 13.5% which you turned into some biazzaro logic of really he only donated 3.5% becuase the other 10% was just religion.

I’d better not say anything further lest you again go running to Sinclair with threats of law suits.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 2:34 pm
The idea that the GOP must elect a congress full of reps called Chavez in order to be elected again is hilarious. White people are the very large majority of voters. You’d be better advised to tailor policies to ween deadbeat white Democrats off the dole than delude yourself into thinking a welfare hoover like the Latino demographic will ever consistently vote for you.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 2:36 pm
Well, a large number of its followers think young women are sluts for wanting it covered in health insurance.

No, they believed that one woman was a slut for going on national television to claim that she did so much rooting that she couldn’t afford 10 bucks a week in contaceptives, week in week out.

There’s no evidence to suggest Fluke resonated – indeed, her public appearances became debacles in parking lots where she addressed 3 stray dogs and 5 homeless men.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 2:40 pm
Pardon the self-promotion, but I have just penned and published a piece at Quadrant Online on Jon Faine’s two-day monstering of anyone who questions his beloved PM.

http://www.quadrant.org.au/blogs/qed/2012/11/their-abc

areff

24 Nov 12 at 2:46 pm
“I notice the Council was unapologetic.”

I see in that that article those three little children, one a baby, were of ethnic origin from an abusive home.
They were just getting attached to their foster parents when taken away because the parents belong to some obscure political party. They had fostered kids for seven years happily and successfully up till then.

Hope that doesn’t start to happen in Australia under the Labor Party. Hideous.

candy

24 Nov 12 at 2:49 pm
I have just penned and published a piece at Quadrant Online on Jon Faine’s two-day monstering

love this bit:

There are some who argue that the ABC has outlived its usefulness as “a market-failure broadcaster” and should be sold off holus bolus, the inmates cut loose to find employment where they can. Count this writer among those who think that would be going too far. Its bush broadcasting, while not without fault, does a serve a market increasingly subjected to the anodine and syndicated ear wax peddled by commercial operators. In the bush, if only for emergency alerts and the latest market prices of turnips and fat lambs, ABC Radio remains something of value.

val majkus

24 Nov 12 at 2:53 pm
They were just getting attached to their foster parents

Starting to call them Mum and Dad. Really a terrible story.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 2:54 pm
some obscure political party

Not in the UK it isn’t Candy. It’s considered the only real conservative party in the land.

Viva

24 Nov 12 at 2:58 pm
Being sold as ‘progress’:

A 16-YEAR-OLD girl is thought to have become the first person to speak from the House of Commons despatch box while wearing a hijab, The Times newspaper reports.

Sumaiya Karim was speaking as the youth parliament held its annual session in the lower house’s chamber, according to the report on Saturday.

Teen makes Hijab history in UK parliament.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 2:59 pm
“No, Jarrah your words are quite clear as is your meaning.”

Yes, they are. Apparently you still haven’t worked it out.

“He donated 13.5% which you turned into some biazzaro logic of really he only donated 3.5% becuase the other 10% was just religion.”

I never said ‘only’. I pointed out that his willing contributions to charity were, in fact, 3.5% on average. This is quite nice of him, but it’s not “a third”. Again, I’m just correcting dd, not dissing Romney. That you have to twist my clear words and plain meaning says quite a bit about how such facts discomfort you.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 3:00 pm
Faine was excellent.

The reality is that the scandal mongers are like dogs trying to sniff out a truffle but finding none.

Naturally they’re going to look stupid.

There is as yet no real scandal as there is no alleged wrongdoing.

Its a Foxified Seinfeld or Clayton’s scandal.

Faine asked was there any evidence that the POA was not witnessed by Gillard beside that of a self-confessed fraudster and bagman and Smith had no answer.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 3:01 pm
The idea that the GOP must elect a congress full of reps called Chavez in order to be elected again is hilarious. White people are the very large majority of voters. You’d be better advised to tailor policies to ween deadbeat white Democrats off the dole than delude yourself into thinking a welfare hoover like the Latino demographic will ever consistently vote for you.

Very large is an overstatement. The white vote has declined an average of three points in each presidential election since 1992, to be nearing 60% now. Within a decade or so, it will be less than 50%. At some point the Republicans will have to address this.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 3:02 pm
…a self-confessed fraudster and bagman…

…who was Gillard’s very good friend, for whom she did dodgy legal work that got her sacked from Slater & Gordon.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 3:03 pm
I dunno about ABC rural. Most of the time it is just reboadcasts of the metro programs. How do you know the 15 minutes of rural news at 6:15 am and the hokey add ons of local content to the national news every now and again could not be done by the private sector which currently does not provide this service as it is already provided by their ABC?

The “local” rural news is also done at a region level. There are only three clearly separate reports at 6:15 in Qld for instance (although on the website these still look like six), and even then content is frequently shared.

And the country hour at lunchtime is a state level program with a lot of shared national content

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 3:05 pm
Since 1992 huh?

What happened between 2000 and 2008?

Did Latinos mistake George Bush for the Cisco Kid or something?

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 3:06 pm
The thing that can spoil this model is the open borders policy, which allows any idiot to clog up a thread.

I think people have to be given a bit of time to get used to the culture of the Cat. There are actually some fairly dominant forms of etiquette that exist here (don’t laugh, read on).

Firstly, timidity and wetness is not appreciated no matter what your perspective – you are expected to state and defend your position, showing some intelligence. Once you are established and known here, people get where you are coming from and let you rip away as you wish within the fray.

Secondly, creative invective is appreciated and thus tacitly encouraged, especially if witty and if it is used in the exposition of ideas or demolition of arguments and their carriers. However, more careful contributors like Daddy Dave and Dover Beach, never do this, certainly not to the level of personal abuse (you can be like them too; abuse is not mandatory). The Cat seems to be largely self-controlling – people will say if others are becoming on the edge of illegal, seedily salacious, boringly wrong and obtuse or just plain boring. Seriously stupid trolls are very, very, very boring: their main sin, married to their stupidity.

Thirdly, the gentlemen here rarely throw abuse at commenting ladies although wymin can get trounced if objectionable, and everyone cares for the welfare of the sick and injured when it is real. Ladies, imh experience are given much leeway to be off-track as we are few in number and I guess appreciated for our very presence and charms. The girls’ brains, housekeeping skills, wit, wisdom and feistiness make gender an interesting feature of the Cat. Very wet ladies are only admired if they can be envisioned looking good in dampened t-shirts or jelly-wrestling, where JC is the connoisseur who will run a book on it.

Fourthly, the posts are not for clogging or hogging (although after 12 midnight Blogstrop I think myself they are more available for individual battles and/or shared appreciations). Open Thread is good for anything at any time, especially Friday nite late, but as this is a politics/economics blog keeping vaguely to tune can be helpful.

Fifthly, this is a community. Many people here have established relationships and have fought and agreed or disagreed over a long period of time; others less so. Stick around and try to work out the way things have shuffled down between particular people. Etiquette is knowing when to butt out as well as in.

Sixthly, Gab is the Cat Internet Queen. She is very quick on the draw. SfB is the pet troll along with a few others. Sinc can take trolls on a one-way trip to the vet anytime. Some think he should do this more often but in the light of the ‘etiquette’ that applies here it seems to me to be fair to give people a run to establish their position (and personna, don’t forget the personna), to get known, and to rectify any oar that they might have put wrong at first before they are declared troll absoluta.

I am not a big blog haunter. I was threatened with extinction the very first time I ever went on Legal Eagle’s Blog. I determined never ever to go back there; perhaps they’re thrilled, who knows? In contrast, I have never been banned here, although I know I can annoy hell out of some people for being a ditzy burlesque dancer (I have some great new moves after last night’s party) and zoo keeper of note. But tucked somewhere in my head is quite a good brain which enjoys coming here. So I just thought I’d say the above, fyi newbies. If inclined, others could say much more.

ps. I sometimes do go on a bit long. Anyone here could tell you that.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

24 Nov 12 at 3:07 pm
If I remember Catholic doctrine correctly, the scapula gets you into Heaven on a free pass if the wearer dies on a Saturday.

It is Saturday and Sinc should send Scapula on his way to the afterlife without delay.

areff

24 Nov 12 at 3:09 pm
Faine was excellent.

and your opinion has support:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjyOBc50cig&feature=youtu.be

oh wait …

val majkus

24 Nov 12 at 3:11 pm
Gab 12:15am

attending class, having access to school tutoring facilities and additional input from a teacher were all forms of academic support.

“Support does not mean that the school does the work for the student,” he said.

This gem of information should be spruiked around universities, too.

Questions from some students are amazing. “I can’t attend all the classes, are they compulsory?”

Answers better: “No, attendance is not compulsory. However, the rate of failure is much higher in students who don’t attend classes.”

There’s been a crack down at my institution and now students must pass all items of assessment including the final exam, to get a passing grade.

Students have discovered that there has been a crack down on integrity, ie, cases of plagiarism and other activities which breach academic integrity.

I suspect there are too many students who get high grades and shouldn’t and when their grade reflects their academic skill they make huge waves. Too manu students are leaving with qualifications which they shouldn’t have been awarded but there’s been no way to check their work (eg. internet assignment writing which means someone with awful English who shows no knowledge in class has wonderful assignments then fails the final exam miserably). Now students must pass the final exam as well as their assessment items to receive a passing grade.

kae

24 Nov 12 at 3:11 pm
This is quite nice of him, but it’s not “a third”.

The Romney’s 2011 tax return shows they made $13.7 million and donated $4 million. You’re right, it’s not 33.333%, it’s 29.197% of their income for the year.

Math is so hard, Jarrah, I can understand why you struggle.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 3:14 pm
Pardon the self-promotion, but I have just penned and published a piece at Quadrant Online on Jon Faine’s two-day monstering of anyone who questions his beloved PM.

I note, Roger, that you failed to address Faine’s point, which is that amongst all these “questions Gillard must answer”, none of them lead to any allegations of actual wrongdoing that would stand up in a court of law.

It’s a massive fishing expedition, a media super trawler that has so far brought up nothing substantial against Gillard. Plenty to incriminate the self-confessed fraudster Blewitt, of course, but he’s managed to con the cops into granting him immunity. What for, I don’t know. It’s like granting Al Capone immunity to try to nail his accountant.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 3:19 pm
The point is that nothing will be found as there’s nothing to find.

But the remarkable benefit of this fact is that it can go on forever.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 3:21 pm
“The Romney’s 2011 tax return”

Exactly. In the year before he ran for president, he upped the amount he gave to charity. In that particular year, it was almost a third. But, like I said and you’re apparently can’t understand, his average is a bit over 13%.

“~~Math~~ English is so hard, Jarrah”

I’m trying to be sympathetic, but you will have to use your brain instead of your ovaries.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 3:25 pm
Since 1992 huh?

What happened between 2000 and 2008?

Did Latinos mistake George Bush for the Cisco Kid or something?

Dubbya was rather liberal on immigration.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 3:27 pm
And if you want to get even more persnickety, which you are to a fault, the Romneys’ net worth is estimated to be $250 million, and so $4 million is just 1.6% of that. This game could be played all day.

I’m trying to be sympathetic

No, you’re lying. Your first response to me was disproportionate in abuse to what I actually wrote,but then that’s no less than what I’ve seen you often do.

but you will have to use your brain instead of your ovaries.

I always do use my brain.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 3:34 pm
Shut up fat boy. You have no business getting these discussions about the Tea Party as you only read stuff about them from far left wing sites.

DD

The tea party will survive and prosper for the simple reason that it has a strong argument about debt , deficits and taxes. By rights it ought to be the young voting for it as Nial Ferguson suggests as they are that will be paying off the debt for present day consumption. They will get better at selecting quality candidates.

They also act in making sure the GOP keeps on the straight and narrow.

Good speed to them.

JC

24 Nov 12 at 3:35 pm
Craig Ferguson has a better grasp of what the young want.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 3:38 pm
I absolutely love Strats – I’ve got a cherry red ’96 American Standard, crafted to pretty much orginal specs and it’s the bees knees, especially running through my Princeton Chorus.

Nice. I have a surf green super reliced CS strat. A 57. Sounds great through my tweed deluxe.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 3:38 pm
So Romney doesn’t willing give the 10 out of 13.5%?

dover_beach

24 Nov 12 at 3:38 pm
I recently saw a documentary named ‘Restrepo’ and I recommend it to everyone.

It was a cameraman embedded with some US troops in A-stan for an extended period. Very interesting.

My main takeaway was it was what a documentary should be. He didn’t seem to inject his opinions about the war at any point. He just filmed and let the guys do the talking. And his editing seemed more than fair.

After watching it I have no idea what the film makers opinion of the war is. Bravo sir.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 3:38 pm
Larry Hagman died.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/tv-radio/dallas-star-larry-hagman-dead-at-81/story-e6frf9ho-1226523325875

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 3:39 pm
“Your first response to me was disproportionate in abuse to what I actually wrote”

Seriously. This is your defence?

Let’s review – I made a factual comment to help dd understand where he was going wrong. No comment had been directed at you.

You proceeded to claim I made a statement that I did not, and that stating facts was ‘spin’, which was ‘dizzying’. Commiserating with you about your weakness was not nice of me, but hardly disproportionate.

“I always do use my brain.”

That’s my assumption about everyone, including all women. I don’t assume most use their ovaries when they make decisions – that would be insulting and bigoted.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 3:46 pm
“So Romney doesn’t willing give the 10 out of 13.5%?”

It’s compulsory for membership of that group. Like taxes.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 3:48 pm
nilk,

Thanks very much for your links last night to the Credo and Foo Fighters. The Credo is excellent and I have e-mailed it to neighbours who I’m sure will also enjoy it. Foo Fighters – I’d never watched or listened to them before but since watching the video this morning our youngest daughter has loaned me two of their CDs ‘There’s Nothing Left to Lose’ (1999) and ‘Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace’ (2007), as well as Foreigner’s ‘Platimum Collection’ CD. So, I’ve been enjoying listening to them this afternoon.

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 3:50 pm
but you will have to use your brain instead of your ovaries.

I don’t assume most use their ovaries when they make decisions – that would be insulting and bigoted.

LOL.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 3:50 pm
“LOL.”

Yes, indeed. You apparently don’t know what ‘assume’ means either. It’s something that can be overturned by evidence to the contrary. Your comments suggested that your brain wasn’t being employed. Luckily you had told us all what most women use when they don’t engage their brain, so I applied your own logic to you.

Didn’t feel good, did it? Maybe you should think about that next time you want to baselessly impugn most of womankind.

Jarrah

24 Nov 12 at 3:55 pm
Thanks Lizzie for that exposition, although it gives me no particular comfort. According to the movie, “Coco” Chanel started out as a burlesque singer/dancer, gaining that nic from a well-known song in the clubs back then.

blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 4:15 pm
This is what I wrote:

The emotional appeal to wealth distribution is a nurturing and caring psychological clarion call that some women will respond to without a rational thought to the consequences. Most women vote with their ovaries/hearts not their brains.

1. “Vote like your lady parts depend on it” and they did.

2. “President Obama’s campaign is out with an eyebrow-raising new ad targeting young voters in which Lena Dunham, the creator of the HBO hit series ‘Girls,’ compares her first voting experience to losing her virginity.

‘Your first time shouldn’t be with just anybody,’ Dunham, 26, says in the ad. ‘You want to do it with a great guy.’

Dunham goes on to explain that ‘your first time’ should be with ‘someone who really cares about and understands women; A guy who cares whether you get health insurance and specifically whether you get birth control.’”

3. “But pollsters said the newly identified electoral bloc of unmarried women voted for Obama for bringing the country through the recession – with the Democrats’ support for healthcare, equal pay, and Planned Parenthood came a close second.”…”Unmarried women had an additional incentive this year, when Republicans seemed to be adopting extreme and retrograde positions on equal pay, birth control and abortion – which the Democrats quickly jumped on and labelled a “war on women”.”

Your comments suggested that your brain wasn’t being employed

Didn’t feel good, did it?

Don’t flatter yourself into thinking you know how I feel about your comments. Generalization is one thing, personal attacks is your thing.

Maybe you should think about that next time you want to baselessly impugn most of womankind.

Aww, diddums, did I offend you? It wasn’t baseless, it was an opinion formed from such facts as listed above. Please make sure to let me know when you will sue me.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 4:17 pm
Mr Justice m0nty: I come from the old-fashioned school of journalism so, while you may insist there is nothing that “could stand up in court”, I’m happy to leave that to police and prosecutors. As a newsman, a more pressing question hangs on the PM’s character. She may well have been bent back in the day, but her current dissembling — including calling media proprietors to have reporters sacked and their careers scuttled — says she is definitely bent now.

She’s the PM, and she is a vicious, conniving manipulator who will ruin people’s lives to save her own skin. That’s a good enough reason for me. Let the courts sort the rest out later.

I won’t respond to you again. Talking to the dog is more satisfying.

areff

24 Nov 12 at 4:18 pm
“So Romney doesn’t willing give the 10 out of 13.5%?”

It’s compulsory for membership of that group. Like taxes.

I was going to call bullshit on that Jarrah, so I looked it up and you are right if you regard entering the temple or receiving financial assistance, which I must admit is a stronger requirement than I expected.

Is Paying Tithing Necessary to Be a Mormon?

Only a person’s local ecclesiastical leader knows whether he or she pays tithing, and those who choose not to pay tithing may continue attending the LDS church.

However, paying a full tithe is a requirement for entering the temple or receiving financial assistance from the LDS church. Prior to baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a person must understand and be willing to obey the law of tithing.

So I guess it comes down to how important a morman thinks entering the temple is. If you just want to go to church, you don’t have to pay tithe.

entropy

24 Nov 12 at 4:18 pm
CL wrote:

No, they believed that one woman was a slut for going on national television to claim that she did so much rooting that she couldn’t afford 10 bucks a week in contaceptives, week in week out.

You’ve been told by me, and probably others, scores of times: she said nothing about her own life at all. But you live in a fantasy world that’s hard for facts to break into.

There’s no evidence to suggest Fluke resonated

Well, except for the following:

Just 44 per cent of female voters supported Mitt Romney, while 55 per cent voted to re-elect Barack Obama – and with women making up 53 per cent of the electorate, those numbers were enough to play a significant role in keeping the GOP out of the White House.

Amongst single women, it was 67/31.

And that’s from the Daily Mail, your political journal of choice.

steve from brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 4:28 pm
Jarrah, I suspect you have to have ovaries to even begin to understand what it feels like to think with them.

Men get a bit masculinely glandular in their general thoughts and approach too. You are free to speak about that.

Gab is hardly ‘impugning’ most of womankind. That is a bit harsh. There is a side of women that thinks ‘softly’, and can be easily led towards the Obama model of welfare etc. We all know about it, and feel it. It makes us good wives and mothers. We also have a skeptical ability to resist this siren call. Two sides to us, both OK.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

24 Nov 12 at 4:31 pm
Jarrah, I suspect you have to have ovaries to even begin to understand what it feels like to think with them

Sometimes I suspect Jarrah has ovaries!

John Mc

24 Nov 12 at 4:34 pm
Kae,
My daughter has just finished her nursing degree at Enid Blyton AKA Edith Cowan.

She says they have some sort of plagiarism software that checks assignments and provides a colour code according to a plagiarism index. They can be failed on this index.

Woolfe

24 Nov 12 at 4:39 pm
DaveF, I’ve got Restrepo amongst my doco collection, so I really should watch it. You might want to check out Armadillo, if you can. In that one, the maker follows a group of Danish lads when they are sent to FOB Armadillo.

It’s excellent viewing. I’d like a follow-up to see how they are faring now.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 4:41 pm
@Kae and Gab, regarding the idea that study is not a requirement for students to pass, and being gobsmacked when they don’t pass.

I learned the other day that it is now (practically) forbidden to tell children in childcare that they are being naughty. Positive re-inforcement and redirection are the way, no more sitting in the corner for time-out.

Rather than telling X he or she has been misbehaving, now you must sit them with you and suggest that they should reconsider their behaviour.

I shiite you not.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 4:45 pm
Oh, and re the Foo Fighters. I’d not really paid any attention to them until I saw the clip for Learn To Fly.

That made me sit up and look twice, and start checking out their stuff.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 4:47 pm
Dubbya was rather liberal on immigration.

Yes and he expressed understanding of why illegal immigration occurs and how parents wanted the best for their children. And promised to make the INS process better too.

It’s a good example of how if the Republican party stops scaring off Latino and women voters with some of their more extreme policies (or in some cases just extreme candidates) then they will vote for the Republican party (most likely on economic grounds).

Chris

24 Nov 12 at 4:54 pm
DaveF, I’ve got Restrepo amongst my doco collection, so I really should watch it.

Oh yes.

I’ll check out Armadillo for sure. Our troops were in Helmand province for a while. Ta for the tip.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 5:00 pm
Re the Foo Fighters: When you also take into account his groundbreaking work with Nirvana, Dave Grohl is one of the most influential musicians of the modern era.

Huckleberry Chunkwot

24 Nov 12 at 5:07 pm
Mr Justice m0nty: I come from the old-fashioned school of journalism so, while you may insist there is nothing that “could stand up in court”, I’m happy to leave that to police and prosecutors. As a newsman, a more pressing question hangs on the PM’s character. She may well have been bent back in the day, but her current dissembling — including calling media proprietors to have reporters sacked and their careers scuttled — says she is definitely bent now.

That is completely ridiculous, Roger. The Prime Minister is not “bent”. Are you alleging that she has been taking money from crooks since she was elected PM? How big is the conspiracy theory you are constructing here? Your derangement syndrome is as bad as anyone here, evidently.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 5:12 pm
Clearly the lying slapper knew about the rort at the AWU. Set it up, conveyancing, mortgage insurance. And probably benefited from it. Only those who refuse to see cant see it. And they are dishonest

Tiny Dancer

24 Nov 12 at 5:21 pm
The Prime Minister is not “bent”.

How about crooked, borderline corrupt, a shonk, a carpetbagger, dishonest, a tart with a love of other peoples money. You decide.

Carpe Jugulum

24 Nov 12 at 5:21 pm
Dubbya was rather liberal on immigration.

Hahaha!

Dubya joins Reagan and Lincoln et al as Republicans lefties love and admire once they are long gone from office.

Although admittedly Carter and Clinton are looking pretty damn good compared to the current guy.

Infidel Tiger

24 Nov 12 at 5:24 pm
I like scrag, myself, Carpe. It’s not very moderate, but it is nicely descriptive.

nilk

24 Nov 12 at 5:26 pm
FFS m0nty, we are splitting hairs about the definition of being bent. Is that really what it has come down to?
Using sophistry to sweep under the carpet serious character flaws in our highest elected official should surely indicate to even the most partisan shills that her time has come.
She has shown that her word can’t be taken seriously, that alone is enough reason for her to go.
The stuff that sends her to jail will come later.

Huckleberry Chunkwot

24 Nov 12 at 5:26 pm
FFS m0nty, we are splitting hairs about the definition of being bent. Is that really what it has come down to?

“Bent” is a word that carries connotations of ongoing criminal activity, Huck. If Roger was politically relevant as a publisher – which he is not at all, as Quadrant has no credibility whatsoever – he’d be getting a call from the PM’s office asking him to retract that actionable statement.

m0nty

24 Nov 12 at 5:31 pm
There be no more requests for retractions, no more demands for sackings of journalists nor will the slapper sue anyone for defamation. Though it would be the best party in town. Ever.

Tiny Dancer

24 Nov 12 at 5:35 pm
Quadrant has no credibility whatsoever

As someone who has only a distant memory of writing about a single specialisation (information technology), Monty is an authority on both journalism and politics. He now publishes Australian Rules football statistics.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 5:43 pm
Mr Justice m0nty: I come from the old-fashioned school of journalism so, while you may insist there is nothing that “could stand up in court”, I’m happy to leave that to police and prosecutors. As a newsman, a more pressing question hangs on the PM’s character. She may well have been bent back in the day, but her current dissembling — including calling media proprietors to have reporters sacked and their careers scuttled — says she is definitely bent now.

She’s the PM, and she is a vicious, conniving manipulator who will ruin people’s lives to save her own skin. That’s a good enough reason for me. Let the courts sort the rest out later.

I won’t respond to you again. Talking to the dog is more satisfying.

Lol… He’s a renaissance man. An Instituionalist who also happens to devour Krispy Kremes by the carton.

JC

24 Nov 12 at 5:44 pm
m0nty, to my mind bent means willing to bend the rules for personal (or in this instance, political as well) gain.
Gillard has shown scant regard for playing by the rules in her personal (married men), professional (dodgy, most probably criminal actions as a solicitor) and political (there will be no carbon tax etc) life.
As the yanks are wont to say, she is batting 0 for 3.
At the end of the day m0nty, it is time to face facts, she is unfit for office.

Huckleberry Chunkwot

24 Nov 12 at 5:48 pm
The old right could preach about playing by the rules, but the feral right – no.

Scapula

24 Nov 12 at 5:53 pm
Ponting should be dropped.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 5:56 pm
Interestingly enough, the troll content of todays O.F. is nearly 40%.
FYI.

Winston Smith

24 Nov 12 at 6:03 pm
Rather than telling X he or she has been misbehaving, now you must sit them with you and suggest that they should reconsider their behaviour.

Very Nurse Ratched.

How to take away a child’s autonomy, I think. The naughty corner is a fine place for personal reflection on the ways of the world without a heavy lecture about things. They then make the choice of when to rejoin civilised company. Usually in about two minutes for the under 10′s, but longer for da Hairy Ape.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

24 Nov 12 at 6:06 pm
Ponting should be dropped.

No, Ponting should drop himself.

jumpnmcar

24 Nov 12 at 6:08 pm
The old right could preach about playing by the rules, but the feral right – no.

Scapula
24 Nov 12 at 5:53 pm

Fuck me scrappy, you should join numbers on the other thread. What is it with the mental age of leftists? Takes one to know one, FFS, grow up tool.

Huckleberry Chunkwot

24 Nov 12 at 6:10 pm
The GOP platform wants to ban contraceptives?

That’s the impression you would have gotten during the campaign.

He averages 13.5%, which is very impressive (twice Obama’s rate), but hardly a third.

Jarrah, that’s in addition to his tax. note here:

In 2011, the Romneys donated about 29% of their income to charity

on the GOP being demonized as wanting to take away birth control etc, you said,

It was easy to do that, because that’s the GOP platform.

It’s not their platform, but yeah it was a trap of their own making.

I don’t know how much harder he could have gone, considering it was a Republican idea that he pushed through as state governor.

Well yes, that was a liability for him. It was hard for him to campaign convincingly on the biggest issue of the day.

dd

24 Nov 12 at 6:10 pm
The Prime Minister is not “bent”.

Well, not any more, some might say.

Additionally, and more worrying, is the fact that she has lied about the nature of her past involvement. The cover up is always worse.

Put the same past and the same activities on Tony Abbott and see how Prime Ministerial it would sound and see what a field day the press would have with it. Thankfully, Mr. Abbott is a man of good character and habits, worthy of The Lodge.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

24 Nov 12 at 6:13 pm
WS

Interestingly enough, the troll content of todays O.F. is nearly 40%.

And giving trolls oxygen would be % 40 too.
I therefore look forward to reading only %20 of the Cat.

jumpnmcar

24 Nov 12 at 6:15 pm
the troll content of todays O.F. is nearly 40%.

Does that include responses to trolls? In which case it is nearer 80%. It’s like a letterbox overflowing with junk mail today.

Tom

24 Nov 12 at 6:36 pm
I like the Weekend Oz and buy it every Saturday.

They have what I consider a loose policy toward what they consider EXCLUSIVE.

But today they excelled themselves, Every story on the front page – 5 of them – was EXCLUSIVE, including a story on some sort of sports program for remote aboriginal kids.

Dear Editor I think it’s time for an intervention.

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 6:59 pm
An article I was reading had this sentence:

However, there may be a niche for a private crewed moon venture, says Fred Bourgeois, head of Team Frednet, a competitor in the Google Lunar X Prize race to land a rover on the moon.

How the hell do you get a surname like that?

DaveF

24 Nov 12 at 7:03 pm
How the hell do you get a surname like that?

He used to be called Fred Lumpenprole but went to deedpol to change it.

Carpe Jugulum

24 Nov 12 at 7:08 pm
Bob/Max at his best.

The old right could preach about playing by the rules, but the feral right – no.

Really means.

But when the old saw was used to cut the roof of the car the kitchen sink fell out of the wardrobe and the ham went through the drier.

JC

24 Nov 12 at 7:08 pm
Winston, a good tactic is to run down the list of names and simply ignore the trolls, pets and diverse internet vermin.

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 7:08 pm
I like scrag, myself, Carpe. It’s not very moderate, but it is nicely descriptive.

Nilk – i prefer slattern (old school) or perhaps “lady of negotiable affections”
(thank you Terry Pratchett)

Of course back in the my Navy days women such as her would have been referred to as ‘gunbags’.

Carpe Jugulum

24 Nov 12 at 7:14 pm
I normally do that, Mk50, but just decided to do an analysis of it today.

Winston Smith

24 Nov 12 at 7:46 pm
Troll content 40%, responses 40%. What a surprise.

blogstrop

24 Nov 12 at 8:02 pm
Septimus – Tonite it’s Brazilian metal and baroque chamber music.

Listening to Sepultura’s ‘Arise’ and ‘Beneath the remains’. One of the lads recommended it. Not bad. Had not realised the scale of the metal scene in Brazil.

next is a CD containing many versions of one thing, Paschelbel’s Canon (one of my favourite pieces of music, especially with the gigue)

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 8:05 pm
Steve, thanks fot that blockquote which confirms that there is no evidence that slut Sandra Fluke resonated at all – except to stray dogs and the homeless in backwoods parking lots. Fluke agreed to be a poster girl for all those (non existent) women in America who can’t afford 10 bucks a week for contraceptive pills. She agreed to be Obama’s tramp and it’s very possible her father will die of shame.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 8:07 pm
Mk50

Seultura ‘Arise’ and ‘Beneath The Remains’ – Wow! I already have tinnitus

Pachelbel’s Canon (any version) is fine for me. Enjoy.

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 8:40 pm
Sepultura’s

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 8:41 pm
I have a surf green super reliced CS strat. A 57. Sounds great through my tweed deluxe.

Awesome.

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 8:53 pm
My Strat…

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 8:56 pm
I strongly recommend Jimi Hendrix Blues to fans of the great man. The CD has a great 16 page booklet inside which outlines his life history, including the fact that he paid his dues for some years travelling with working blues/r&b bands all over the country.

The songs include classics like Catfish Blues, Born Under a Bad Sign, Mannish Boy and a smokin’ version of Voodoo Chile. Hendrix was a very accomplished straight blues guitarist.

As for those who claim he was no technical hotshot – pfft – you know not of what you speak. There are a lot of crappy recordings, especially of his live work, out there – mostly released by money-grubbers after his death.

But Electric Ladyland, Band of Gypsies and Blues are proof that he could certainly play in a technical sense as well as being the greatest innovator in the history of electric guitar. Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page might have been better technically, but Hendrix redefined the instrument.

johanna

24 Nov 12 at 8:57 pm
Just relaxing tonight, so continuing on with ’100 Must Have Movie Classics’. Now playing track 72 ‘A Night on the Bare Mountain’ (from “Natural Born Killers”)

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 8:57 pm
including the fact that he paid his dues for some years travelling with working blues/r&b bands all over the country.

Yep – the guy had so much cred it wasn’t funny. He wouldn’t have been ‘innovating’ on the chitlin’ circuit – he was gaining his chops.

This guy reversed his guitars – which I’ve always thought made him inimitable.

Rabz

24 Nov 12 at 9:11 pm
Septimus:

Sepultura’s ‘Arise’ and ‘Beneath The Remains’ – Wow! I already have tinnitus

WHAT?? I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!?!

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:12 pm
Mk50

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 9:20 pm
Sigh. Long night due. Want to read Fitzpatricks ‘The British Empire in Australia‘ MUP 1941 as well as type out the notes I need from Sir george Aston’s ‘The Problem of Defence‘ and Cole’s ‘Changing Conditions of Imperial Defence‘. Annoyingly, I find (reading it) that I’ll also have to read Critchell and Raymond’s ‘A History of the Frozen Meat Trade‘. I feel like I am going backwards here…

So I added Avantasia’s ‘Angel of Babylon’ to the listening list. Scandi metal seems a bit ‘deeper’ than Brazilian.

To be frank, I am found two Sepultura albums back-to-back a little heavy. As you said, tinnitus….

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:21 pm
god this blog isa carpet jungle of deserted retards, who are allowed to converse…I think that is admirable, th problem is…th mentality internally spirals

harry ash

24 Nov 12 at 9:23 pm
OK, cop this, coffee nazis.

This morning I bought some Robert Timms coffee bags.

Well?

Huh?

Get some sophistication up ya.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 9:32 pm
Hai C.L. sama.

Kohi o nomimasho!

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 9:35 pm
What CL?
Dontcha like International Roast?
And whose this Robert Timms missus you bought a bit of?

Winston Smith

24 Nov 12 at 9:37 pm
Um. Coffee? That’s the convenient caffeine-filled powdered stuff for when one cannot make tea.

Tea now….

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:38 pm
Winston, Caterer’s Blend, please. Gotta have the good stuff.

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 9:39 pm
Don’t anyone tell Carpe . . . I found his Uncle Kenny’s ‘Montage’ CD in my collection

Septimus

24 Nov 12 at 9:45 pm
This morning I bought some Robert Timms coffee bags.

Baby steps are good but at this rate you’re never going to have real coffee. Still, you threw out those old old old sneakers of yours, so there’s that

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 10:14 pm
Still, you threw out those old old old sneakers of yours, so there’s that.

No no. They were work boots, not SNEAKERS.

And I didn’t throw them out. They are hanging on a nail.

C.L.

24 Nov 12 at 10:21 pm
And I didn’t throw them out. They are hanging on a nail.

I’m surprised you didn’t have them stuffed and mounted for display.

Gab

24 Nov 12 at 10:31 pm
WS

Interestingly enough, the troll content of todays O.F. is nearly 40%.

And giving trolls oxygen would be % 40 too.
I therefore look forward to reading only %20 of the Cat

.

As previously advised, trolls are like stray dogs – you feed them, you own them.

Another simile : trolls are like seagulls – if one is seen having a feed, soon there’s a flock of them.
_________________________________________________________

Something completely different:
Have a guess what this bloke’s profession is.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/canberra-man-faces-court-on-child-porn-charges-20121018-27sex.html

Hint – it has not been reported in any of the media.

Keith

24 Nov 12 at 10:33 pm
Hey Rabz – nice Strat. My relic looks a lot like the one in your link.

Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page might have been better technically, but Hendrix redefined the instrument.

I agreed with a lot of your post but neither of those two had JH’s technical skills. Page is a very sloppy player, which is part of the charm for some fans.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 10:54 pm
http://www.harrison.act.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/190736/Boy_and_His_Samurai_Excursion_Permission_Note.pdf

Japanese teacher at Harrison High school?

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 10:55 pm
Johanna, the guy from that era who is on par as an innovator is Jeff Beck. Check out his recent stuff live at the Crossroads festival on YouTube. Unbelievably great.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 11:02 pm
Do a search on his name and nessun dorma.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 11:04 pm
“Page is a very sloppy player, which is part of the charm for some fans.”

Them’s fightin’ words, Abu!

I daresay Pagey was sloppy playing live at times, but if you listen to the recordings, including when he plays other instruments like banjo and mandolin, he can be very sharp and precise when he wants to be.

Nothing like a good argument about guitarists, though. I haven’t had the pleasure of one for years. Used to sit around for hours debating the merits during my misspent (but very enjoyable) youth.

johanna

24 Nov 12 at 11:06 pm
Page was a session guitarist so yes he could nail and fix stuff in the studio. Great player.

Abu Chowdah

24 Nov 12 at 11:14 pm
Well done Mk50.
Funny how the media can’t inform the community of this though isn’t it. All that screening and government-approved fidelity can’t be seen for the sham that it is.
Harrison is not just a High School – it’s one of the new super schools from Primary all the way through to year 10.

Keith

24 Nov 12 at 11:17 pm
Abu, thanks for the tip. I have got a lot of time for Beck – still play his old stuff regularly. Blow by Blow is a particular fave.

johanna

24 Nov 12 at 11:21 pm
It’s the little things like this that made America great.

Headers on Drudge.

‘Gang fight’ at Black Friday sale…
Man Punched in Face Pulls Gun On Line-Cutting Shopper…
Shots fired outside WALMART…
Shoppers smash through door at URBAN OUTFITTERS…
Customers run over in parking lot…
Woman busted after throwing merchandise…
Thousands storm VICTORIA’S SECRET…
VIDEO: Insane battle over phones…
Mayhem at Nebraska mall where 9 murdered in 2007…
Shoplifter tries to mace security guards…
Men Steal Boy’s Shopping Bag Outside BED, BATH & BEYOND…
Heckler calls them zombies…

JC

24 Nov 12 at 11:26 pm
…it’s one of the new super schools from Primary all the way through to year 10.

oh, crap. Not good.

Mk50 of Brisbane

24 Nov 12 at 11:41 pm
CL I live on the Italian Espresso coffee bags. It is only a matter of time until Nannny Roxon tries to ban them. They can take my coffee bags from my twitching dead hands.

Just Another bloody Lawyer

24 Nov 12 at 11:45 pm
to have the Islamic Brotherhood supporting Israel’s position against Hamas and being the guarantor of peace

Scapula, you’re a fool

kae

24 Nov 12 at 11:51 pm
I’m unwinding from an evening out on the town with the offspring. We went to see Bjorn Again, and she danced her little socks off.

It also takes me back, because I saw them first when they were starting out at Inflation. Now I’m showing my age!

It’s not quite been Abba all day, but it’s been fun, and it’s time to unwind.

No Sepultura here, though. Just the sound of the filter in the goldfish tank.

nilk

25 Nov 12 at 12:05 am
No, Sadat supported Israel and was shot for it, Mubarak supported Israel and now Morsi supports Israel.

For a mixture of personal and state reasons, Morsi and the Egyptian state want American support and that requires compromise.

The papers are full of american and israeli praise for the role he played in the ceasefire and now he wants their support to secure power.

But you keep on talking about conveyancing and the like – the small things are suited to small minds.

Scapula

25 Nov 12 at 12:15 am
Crapulon the actual reason is that the never wanted to take the “Palestinians” which they could have done at any time particularly pre 1967 when they occupied gaza and of course the Sinai.

Just Another bloody Lawyer

25 Nov 12 at 12:22 am
IMF to bestow 14.5 billion on Morsi (for nothing?):

On Tuesday, officials from Egypt and the IMF announced a tentative agreement to issue a $4.8 billion IMF loan to the country’s strapped government. Egyptian officials agreed to enact spending and tax reforms designed to reduce the country’s deficit, attract foreign investment and restore the economic growth that vanished after Mubarak’s fall.

IMF officials said the loan was part of a huge $14.5 billion funding package planned for Egypt. They did not name the donors but they are believed to include the United States, the European Union, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Final approval of the $4.8 billion IMF agreement lies with the group’s board, due to meet on Dec. 19.

Washington, Brussels and the IMF could set benchmarks for the disbursement of the aid, pegged to democratic reform being implemented in Egypt. But fears of instability in Egypt or Gaza could prompt the international community to turn a blind eye to Mr. Morsi’s actions.

IHT

Scapula

25 Nov 12 at 12:23 am
keep talk about the association, the conveyancing, the signature, etc – its good lawyer talk for just another bloody lawyer

Scapula

25 Nov 12 at 12:25 am
The IMF loans are dependent on stringent austerity so Egypt must crack down on energy subsidies and the like. An unpopular measure that will require undoubtedly the full powers of the state.

From the WSJ:

Rationalizing Egypt’s blanket energy subsidies, which take up about a fifth of the country’s budget outlay, forms a central plank of the country’s economic reform strategy. But dismantling energy subsidies is an extremely sensitive issue throughout the region as witnessed in Amman over the weekend where thousands of protesters took to the streets to express anger at the Jordanian monarchy over rising prices.

The IMF’s deputy managing director David Lipton said in London last week that price subsidies in the Middle East and Africa cost around $210 billion in 2011, equivalent to around 7% of the region’s GDP.

“Fiscal reforms are a key pillar under the program. The authorities plan to reduce wasteful expenditures, including by reforming energy subsidies and better targeting them to vulnerable groups,” said Mr. Bauer. “At the same time, the authorities intend to raise revenues through tax reforms, including by increasing the progressivity of income taxation and by broadening the general sales tax to become a full-fledged value added tax.”

Revenues generated by these measures will be used to boost social spending and infrastructure investment, and to gradually reduce the large budget sector deficit from almost 11% of gross domestic product in the 2011/12 financial year to 8.5% in 2013/14, Mr. Bauer said.

On top of this, monetary and exchange-rate policies will be geared toward ensuring declining inflation over the medium term, enhancing Egypt’s international competitiveness to stimulate trade and attract capital inflows, and increasing international reserves to protect against external shocks, Mr. Bauer said.

.

Scapula

25 Nov 12 at 12:30 am
Woolfe
It’s called “TurnItIn” and it checks all data bases for matches.
All journals, all other assignments submitted, etc.
It gives a weighting about what’s plagiarised and it will tell you where it was taken from (that’s why it’s important to be thorough and put any quotes in quotes and write a proper bibliograph).
It’s not perfect, and students are interviewed about the integrity issue. Usually if one has copied from another they confess.

kae

25 Nov 12 at 12:36 am
I just wrote a long piece about a cheat in an exam getting done like a dinner and hit enter and it vanished.

Stuff it.

Busted with an iSomething in the exam.

Was full of notes on the course when opened by the head at the integrity interview. That student is done. Will fail the exam and probably fail the course and have a black mark against their name.

It’s happening more and more, I think becuase lecturers used to keep it to themselves. They aren’t allowed to any more and the integrity issues must be investigated and taken through a process if they are suspected. A lot are just sloppy referencing or sloppy quoting.

kae

25 Nov 12 at 12:43 am
I just wrote a long piece about a cheat in an exam getting done like a dinner and hit enter and it vanished.

Kae, if that happens again just hit the back button and it will take you back to the page with your comments still in the yellow reply/comment box. In fact try it now and see if it’s still there.

Gab

25 Nov 12 at 12:46 am
I must laugh at people who love technically correct guitar players. Their Steve Vai and Joe Satriani albums must kill at parties.

Infidel tiger

25 Nov 12 at 12:50 am
It’s compulsory for membership of that group. Like taxes.

But his membership of that group is voluntary, old boy.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 12:53 am
HI Gab
Thanks, tried and it didn’t work.
Going horizontal now, planted many plants today and I’m achy-breaky!

kae

25 Nov 12 at 12:53 am
The GOP platform wants to ban contraceptives?

That’s the impression you would have gotten during the campaign.

dd, not if you listened to the Republican campaign, but, yes, if you were listening to the Democrats lies about the Republican platform you might have, indeed, been left with that impression.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 1:20 am
Crappy’s on the slippery slide reading and quoting from the capitalist roader WSJ. Next it’ll be the zionist Australian. You know the Pali masher Murdoch stalks both premises at night barking instructions in Hebrew.

Tom

25 Nov 12 at 2:36 am
The Wallabies are an unwatchable rabble.

Infidel Tiger

25 Nov 12 at 2:53 am
I switched on to the rugby and immediately the referee called time out to lecture the front rows on scrummaging.

I switched off the tele.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 2:58 am
Rugby is now like one of those obscure sports played between villages in the UK that appears to have no rules.

I would rather watch competing villagers roll ball bearings down laneways than torment myself to this turgid game.

Whistle whistle whistle kick kick whistle whistle kick whistle.

Infidel Tiger

25 Nov 12 at 3:02 am
The pitch was unsuitable for rugby as the surface was too loose- scrums were collapsing as the packs lost their footing. However the Wallabies escaped with a bare win (3 pts) after leading 22: 3 at half time and failing to score after the break.

Cold-Hands

25 Nov 12 at 3:02 am
The ‘Pali Masher Murdoch’ has stated that its the public duty of the press to make sure they take their orders from Bibi.

And announcing that the IMF heartily approves of the Morsi’s version of the Islamic Brotherhood is consistent with that approach.

Scapula

25 Nov 12 at 3:03 am
Nurse.

Tom

25 Nov 12 at 3:25 am
But his membership of that group is voluntary, old boy.

The tithe is effectively much like an income based club membership fee. Not really a voluntary donation (especially when members believe they won’t be able to fully benefit in the afterlife if they can’t enter a temple) nor a tax. Not unusual amongst religious organisations though!

Chris

25 Nov 12 at 3:54 am
Potemkin’s Village

Never interrupt… here

Grigory Potemkin

25 Nov 12 at 4:01 am
By the Theo Theophanus standard, Gillard should have quit by now.

By the Ian Campbell standard, Gillard should have quit by now.

By the Peter Reith standard, Gillard should have repaid the stolen money and given a full explanation by now.

By the Ros Kelly standard, Gillard should have quit by now.

How far do we have to lower our standards so Gillard keeps her job?

2dogs

25 Nov 12 at 6:40 am
The tithe is effectively much like an income based club membership fee. Not really a voluntary donation

What bullshit. You’re basically saying, “the first 10% doesn’t count, because he feels a moral obligation to do it”. How does that diminish the act?

Fleeced

25 Nov 12 at 7:50 am
Since membership is voluntary each Mormon voluntarily accepts paying a tithe so it really is a voluntary donation. It really is that straightforward.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 8:19 am
Since membership is voluntary each Mormon voluntarily accepts paying a tithe so it really is a voluntary donation

Are tithes tax deductible in the US dover ?
Just askin

jumpnmcar

25 Nov 12 at 8:31 am
op, gotta go, fairways calleth…

jumpnmcar

25 Nov 12 at 8:34 am
Kae. Re the plagiarism in assignments thing. If you are busted as a law student doing such a thing your chances of being admitted at first attempt are next to zero. If you fail to disclose that you were busted then the failure to disclose becomes the issue, compounding the initial dishonesty. If you then argue that you “didn’t cheat” and you were wrongly busted then the “lack of insight” in respect of the initial dishonesty is fatal to your application for admission. Academic Misconduct is a killer and Red Roz Atkinson is a ruthless inquisitor.

Pickles

25 Nov 12 at 8:45 am
No idea. Probably so, jumpnmcar.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 8:47 am
Are they tax deductible in Oz? Plenty of religions ask for tithe.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 9:10 am
I notice that mental midget Ray Hopper has jumped ship from the LNP to the Katter Party.

I am surprised he didn’t do it straight after the election when he didn’t get a ministerial position. Another benificary (like Slipper) of the grandfathering agreement made during the formation of the LNP.

Hopper would have been constantly enjoying attempts at seduction by Katter since Newman dumped him as opposition spokesman for agriculture. With good reason as he was incapable of landing a glove on the ALP minister, Tim Mulherin, in a government that hated the bush.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 9:19 am
Newmans mob has a long tail. Won’t hurt to cull a few. A fair few in fact.

Pickles

25 Nov 12 at 9:22 am
Rugby is now like one of those obscure sports played between villages in the UK that appears to have no rules.

I would rather watch competing villagers roll ball bearings down laneways than torment myself to this turgid game.

Try this IT, I think this is more your style of football.

Tudor rugby

Splatacrobat

25 Nov 12 at 9:24 am
Crapulon’s posting cycle is funny. He appears late morning/early PM, then gambols amusingly about the site until about 0300.

Retired or on the dole?

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 9:25 am
I would also add that if he had jumped to KAP before the election he would have only had the Tara blockies not voting green voting for him and would have lost his seat.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 9:26 am
Probably too hungover most of the morning, MK.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 9:31 am
Pickles I love the state media hysteria about the few cullees at the moment. There can be little experience of government after two decades of ALP mismanagement (heh – even on the LNP side!) so of course there will be a year of problems and issues where people fail to perform or make errors.

Provided the mistakes are just that, and not ALP-style corruption/theft/p3ddoph3lia disguised as mistakes – who cares?

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 9:37 am
I don’t know if anyone reads Piers Ackermans blog regularly, but Saturdays was a cracker.
It would appear the ICAC hearing in NSW is slowly unearthing the whole Carr/Obeid mess.
Vastly entertaining in a very repugnant way.

Winston Smith

25 Nov 12 at 10:16 am
Just read the Courier Mail, Hopper reckons there are another eight MPs who will jump ship. The only real possibility would be Vaughan Johnson, who was also passed over for a Ministerial position, but that would be doubtful as he must be close to retirement, and isn’t as brainless as Hopper.

So, to recap QKAP sitting members:

Robbie Katter: a nice bloke who is there because his dad wants him to be;
Shane Knuth, personable, not the brightest spark in a brushfire, and now only the second bluntest knife in the block;
Ray Hopper: not a nice person, and makes Maltese Terriers look smart.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 10:17 am
Pickles

If you are busted as a law student doing such a thing your chances of being admitted at first attempt are next to zero. etc.

That’s where the “young and naive” defence comes in…

kae

25 Nov 12 at 10:18 am
jumpnmcar,

op, gotta go, fairways calleth…

Enjoy. Great day to hit the fairways

Septimus

25 Nov 12 at 10:26 am
Fierravanti-Wells told the Senate: “Mr Obeid had bad luck when it came to fires. In July 1983 fire destroyed the offices of his newspaper, El Telegraph, in Garners Avenue, Marrickville. Bad luck was to follow him to his newspaper’s new premises in Marrickville Road, where, in 1992, there was another fire. Mr Obeid also had the misfortune of having two fires at his former home in Concord.”

She noted Obeid’s time as NSW Minister for Fisheries and Minister for Mineral Resources was wholly during Carr’s premiership. “Mr Carr should have remembered the old saying ‘Where there is smoke there is fire’. In Mr Obeid’s case, there was lots of smoke and many fires,” Fierravanti-Wells told the Senate.

Just as well Obeid didn’t own any pubs.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 10:27 am
Hinderaker Preshizzle(Paco™) Hussein Odumbugger the Incompetent’s Magical Middle East Mess:

I am so confused! When anti-Mubarak demonstrators gathered in Tahrir Square and were met with tear gas, they represented the Arab Spring. So what do these anti-Morsi demonstrators represent? Are they Arab Spring too? Or Arab Autumn? Or maybe the seasonal analogies are no longer operative. . . .

But never mind that–I am still really, really confused! Mubarak was our friend, but a bad guy. So he had to go, and Obama denounced him and helped force him out. Morsi is our enemy, and also is a bad guy. So Obama thinks he’s A-OK, and helped Morsi take power. That’s called “smart diplomacy.” You probably wouldn’t understand.

Other things are confusing, too. Did Obama know that Morsi was about to claim dictatorial powers when he made Morsi the “hero” of the Israel-Gaza cease fire? If so, did he mind? If Obama didn’t know–which seems more likely–does he now think that Morsi double-crossed him by capitalizing on his faux diplomatic mission to proclaim himself a dictator? Or is that one more thing that is A-OK with Obama? If Obama doesn’t like the fact that Morsi has cut “Arab Spring” democracy off at the knees, does he intend to do anything about it? Or, when bad things happen, is it “smart diplomacy” to do nothing and pretend you don’t mind?

RTWT

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 10:45 am
Having received several emails of complaint Scapula won’t be rejoining the discussion.

Sinclair Davidson

25 Nov 12 at 10:51 am
The Gillard government death toll has climbed by another 33 people.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 10:59 am
Having received several emails of complaint Scapula won’t be rejoining the discussion.

Another fine example Libertarianism in practice?

1735099

25 Nov 12 at 11:21 am
“But his membership of that group is voluntary, old boy.”

Same with your citizenship.

Jarrah

25 Nov 12 at 11:28 am
Is Meet the Press worth watching today? Anyone see it?
I need to go to the hardware/produce store and get some stuff…

kae

25 Nov 12 at 11:33 am
Kae, please check your email.

Gab

25 Nov 12 at 11:34 am
“It wasn’t baseless, it was an opinion formed from such facts as listed above.”

It was utterly baseless, it doesn’t even pass the laugh test.

Your entire claim is that certain political positions can only be held by those not thinking rationally, and that most women suffer from this defect. You of course couldn’t provide ‘facts’ to support this ludicrous argument, only circular reasoning. Women merely identifying their health as an important electoral issue was enough for you to dismiss tens of millions of them as irrational. It is apparently impossible for you to comprehend that people might just arrive at political views different to yours through logic and experience. Which is both bigoted and sad.

Jarrah

25 Nov 12 at 11:40 am
Note for Nanny Roxon – denial is not a river in Egypt.

kae

25 Nov 12 at 11:40 am
Check your email, Gab!

kae

25 Nov 12 at 11:43 am
Mr Obeid had bad luck when it came to fires.

Every good* business should have two fires and a bankruptcy.
*IYKWIMAITYD
In other news, the other week I found a copy of the book which led me to doing Middle Eastern history at university.
It’s really strange reading a forty year old examination of 1948 and seeing Muslim Brotherhood and jihad sprinkled through the text.
It’s depressing to be reminded how little Arab political rhetoric has matured since Partition.

lotocoti

25 Nov 12 at 11:43 am
Okay, Gab. That’s spooky.

kae

25 Nov 12 at 11:48 am
The day before the election:

Latest Poll Shows Women’s Vote Will Deliver Obama Victory

It’s no surprise to me that female swing voters are going to vote Obama—he made their core issues the most vocal issues of his entire campaign. Abortion was named the “single most important issue for women in this election” by female voters in 12 key swing states in an October Gallup poll and Democrats have been serving up women’s issues including abortion, access to contraception and healthcare for nearly a year, hammering home a Republican “war on women” that threatens their right to decision-making over their own bodies.

“How many women count on Planned Parenthood,” Cutter asked Matthews before repeating Mitt Romney’s debate statement on the publicly an privately funded women’s health clinic. According to Romney’s campaign website, “As president, [Romney] will end federal funding for abortion advocates like Planned Parenthood.” The Presidential candidate has gone on the record saying he would appoint court justices to repeal Roe v. Wade.

If the votes of women in swing states are the most critical votes, and if abortion rights are the most critical issues of those voters, the Obama camp has been right to speak directly to them, and, in keeping with Democratic strategic tradition, appealing to them as women. From abortion rights to access to healthcare to equal pay for equal works, Obama has all but guaranteed the women’s vote in these key states by telling female voters precisely what they want to hear.

Abortion more important than jobs. Contraception more important than the economy.

Gab

25 Nov 12 at 11:49 am
Having received several emails of complaint Scapula won’t be rejoining the discussion

Another fine example of ~~Libertarianism~~ totalitarianism on practice…..

1735099

25 Nov 12 at 11:50 am
On a lighter note, did you know that Steve Perry (Aerosmith Guitarist) is an avid shooter.

He’s been on the last few episodes of Sons of Guns, interesting guy.

Carpe Jugulum

25 Nov 12 at 11:59 am
Gab well it actually could be linked. If people are not in a job, the last thing they want is unwanted and which women amongst us dont want equal pay (which we still dont have) if both Mum and Dad have to work. Unequal pay rips the whole family off (Mum and Dad) if we look at nuclear families and what about the growing trend of singles living alone and never marrying. If I was a woman like that Id want equal pay as well – and we still dont have it decades after legislation. Im surprised the conservati

ves dont pick up on more female friendly policies. It could actually help the economy. I bet a lot of women with kids have a high average propensity to spend on their kids, if they have the money.

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 12:07 pm
sorry – should say unwanted kids above

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 12:08 pm
Putting women’s health and abortion/contraception issues above issues of job security does seem a little odd to me. Drugs/street crime seems more worrying too than one’s personal contraception rights etc.

perhaps our health system is just so much better than America, however.

candy

25 Nov 12 at 12:12 pm
I often think women are better managers of the family finances as well – they badger their kids into studying and getting good jobs, they badger their husbands into working harder and making good investments etc
Why wouldnt female friendly policies be good for the economy?? (or is this a politically incorrect comment and I open a bunfight at this point?)

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 12:14 pm
Candy – not if you read todays papers it isnt (health system)

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 12:15 pm
Ray Hopper: not a nice person, and makes Maltese Terriers look smart.

entropy,
Emma needs to see you.
Thats my girl.

Rudiau

25 Nov 12 at 12:29 pm
Just repeating that the Gillard government’s death toll is now 1033.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 12:51 pm
Same with your citizenship.

I don’t need to move to not pay a tithe. He voluntarily remains a member and voluntarily pays the tithe. To say that he unwillingly pays the tithe would be the same as arguing that vegans unwilling refrain from animal products.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 12:51 pm
On a lighter note, did you know that Steve Perry (Aerosmith Guitarist) is an avid shooter.

I thought he was an ‘axe man’

nic

25 Nov 12 at 12:53 pm
“He voluntarily remains a member and voluntarily pays the tithe.”

Same as you voluntarily remain a citizen and voluntarily pay tax.

Jarrah

25 Nov 12 at 12:53 pm
Just as well Obeid didn’t own any pubs.

Just a bit of ‘lebanese lightning’

nic

25 Nov 12 at 12:55 pm
Alice, what does equal pay mean? If a woman can do the same job and gets the same remuneration haven’t we achieved equal pay?

John Mc

25 Nov 12 at 12:55 pm
Jarah, you’re full of crap. If you don’t like your Church you leave it tomorrow. If I don’t like citizenship I start a five year program to relocate and even then the tax office pursues me for two years after I leave, and forces me to pay tax on investments I hold even if I don’t sell them.

Furthermore, by definition, the church is supposed to be a take it or leave it proposition that you join if you subscribe to their philosophy. By definition, the government is supposed to mold itself into a condition that we can all more or less agree upon, not where one group tries to force their will on the other.

John Mc

25 Nov 12 at 1:04 pm
“The terms ‘two fat fingers’ or ‘two fat ladies’, and arguably the most politically incorrect, ‘69 dinner for two’, are no longer used,” he said.

I call bullshit on this. My old Mum goes to bingo about 4 times a week and I’ve come along a couple of times and never heard anything with 69. Two fat ladies, sure, but never 69.

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 1:20 pm
“If I don’t like citizenship I start a five year program to relocate and even then the tax office pursues me for two years after I leave, and forces me to pay tax on investments I hold even if I don’t sell them.”

I never said it was easy, but practical difficulties doesn’t mean your citizenship is involuntary.

Or does it? This is an interesting question. Coercion is a difficult topic.

“By definition, the government is supposed to mold itself into a condition that we can all more or less agree upon, not where one group tries to force their will on the other.”

True. What we’ve more or less agreed upon is that taxes are necessary to some degree. Where most of the disagreement arises is the scale and targets of taxation.

Jarrah

25 Nov 12 at 1:21 pm
Just repeating that the Gillard government’s death toll is now 1033.

And the ALPBC will be shouting for this government to be sacked or held to account any second now………………………….any second.

Carpe Jugulum

25 Nov 12 at 1:22 pm
I thought he was an ‘axe man’

*groan* very punny Nic

Carpe Jugulum

25 Nov 12 at 1:24 pm
Jarrah apparently in Germany there is a Catholic tax. If you tick the box the tax man collects an extra amount, I think possibly 10%, which is then passed on to the church.

If you don’t pay you are restricted in what the Priest can do for you.

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 1:34 pm
Here we are:

Alarmed by a wave of dissenting Catholics quitting the faith, the bishops issued a decree on Thursday declaring such defection “a serious lapse” and listed a wide range of church activities from which they must be excluded.

Germans officially registered as Catholics, Protestants or Jews pay a religious tax of 8 or 9 percent of their annual tax bill. They can avoid this by declaring to their local tax office that they are leaving their faith community.

Looks like their tithe isn’t tax deductible….

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 1:46 pm
C.L.

Just repeating that the Gillard government’s death toll is now 1033.

Mass murder comes so easily to the left. Hardly worth a mention really.

Septimus

25 Nov 12 at 2:05 pm
69 dinner for two

,

‘Breakfast for two’ has always been my understanding.

Septimus

25 Nov 12 at 2:10 pm
1033 people are dead because Julia Gillard hates John Howard.

Sociopathic lack of empathy.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 2:10 pm
That’s appalling DaveF. But then the separation of church and state is a thing that seems important to the colonies, not so much everywhere else.

entropy

25 Nov 12 at 2:13 pm
You couldn’t make this up - from today’s London Sunday Times:

POLICE are investigating a think tank set up by Gordon Brown to improve the behaviour of bankers over claims that one of its managers has embezzled a large sum of cash.

The International Centre for Financial Regulation (ICFR) suspended one of its managers last week after money was found to be missing from its bank accounts.

Millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money had been pumped into the think tank, launched by Brown in 2007 to promote Britain’s expertise in financial regulation globally. Northern Rock collapsed four months later, making a mockery of Brown’s “light-touch” regime.

The former prime minister is no longer involved in it but Lord Currie of Marylebone, an adviser to the Leveson inquiry on press standards which will report on Thursday, is chairman.

The ICFR has warned it may have to close unless the cash is recovered. Its latest accounts show that it had £1.8m of cash in the bank.

Note the UK’s Finkelstein attack on press freedom is due this week. Levenson says he will make a statement but won’t take questions when he releases his report on Thursday. He will not take questions until he appears at a forum hosted by Melbourne University in Australia in December. Words fail. Piece of work.

Tom

25 Nov 12 at 2:13 pm
POLICE are investigating a think tank set up by Gordon Brown to improve the behaviour of bankers over claims that one of its managers has embezzled a large sum of cash.

LOL. Another triumph for the one-eyed Scottish idiot.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 2:20 pm
DaveF,

69 – ‘Breakfast for Two’ = P&O Cruises Bingo.

Also 68 = ‘Nearly There’

But that was 1996. Never cruised with them again, and never will cruise with them again.

Septimus

25 Nov 12 at 2:22 pm
Journalist finally tracks down Julia Gillard’s race riot organiser – deals with him harshly…

… as Bunyip reports.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 2:34 pm
CL

Gotta love this tweet from ‘the journalist’ (Samantha Maiden) in question (from Bunyip) -

Wish to report last night around midnight I urged @athodges to put parmesan rind in his minestrone soup. It worked. Just sayin.

Do your fucking job you hatchet faced bint….

Just sayin’

Podsnap

25 Nov 12 at 2:43 pm
One of the strengths of the TEA party is it is a decentralised movement with no strong national coordination. This makes it durable and resistent to demagogues as well as GOP Establishment infiltration.

However, it also means that chapters can get taken over by people holding agendas that are at odds with the original TEA Party ideals. (Hint: TEA = Taxed Enough Already. That’s it.) The TEA party people who overthrew Lugar and installed Mourdock as the GOP senate candidate for Indiana, for example, hailed from a chapter that had been taken over by social conservatives who no doubt were electrified to hear Mourdock’s opinions on abortion in the case of rape. The fact that his fringe views are completely lost on the vast majority of Americans must have caused horror to other TEA Partiers in other parts of the country who continue to adhere to the original message of fiscal responsibility that the first TEA Partiers put out there, and knew that their organisation – one which is completely different in terms of goals to the chapter which installed Mourdock – would nevertheless be lumped together in one large homogenous bloc; the socially conservative TEA Party, when its primarily concerned with fiscal conservatism. Remember, Taxed Enough Already. Unfortunately, some elements of the TEA Party have put social conservatism above fiscal conservatism, but these parts of the movement suffered the most in 2012, and are ripe for a well-deserved purging, which really can’t happen too soon.

That being said, the TEA Party didn’t come out of 2012 well – even the fiscal conservative elements of the organisation. Perhaps this is best exemplified by Allen West’s defeat, who no doubt has a bright future ahead of him; just not this cycle.

However, this is far from the end for the TEA party. If they can drive out the social conservatives – or at the very least get them (remembering that these people are often fiscal conservatives as well) to realise the TEA Party is not the vehicle for them to forward their SoCon agenda, and to shut up about it, then the TEA Party is set for a major comeback. Hopefully the task of banishing the social conservative agenda from that of the TEA Party at large will be made easier by the humbling the SoCons received in 2012.

The Federal government is about to go supernova in terms of spending, and the authentic TEA Party message of fiscal responsibility will be more relevant than ever in Obama’s second term.

Oh come on

25 Nov 12 at 2:45 pm
OK Sep, taken on board. Mum must go to staid ones.

Good prizes in this area, $50 sometimes. Usually $20 Woolies vouchers as well. She rarely uses cash at the supermarket.

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 2:47 pm
Same as you voluntarily remain a citizen and voluntarily pay tax.

Jarrah, you are being ridiculous. I cannot escape paying tax (I can pay tax in either Australia, the United States, and so on, but there is not a place I can go that I would not pay tax). I could escape from paying a tithe simply by renouncing my membership of that religious organisation. Notice the difference? It is the difference between civil association and voluntary association.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 3:33 pm
Abortion more important than jobs. Contraception more important than the economy.

You were right, Gab. Women do think with their ovaries.

LOL

nilk

25 Nov 12 at 3:40 pm
Oh come on, the amusing thing about this fallacious fiscal vs. social conservative dichotomy is that it would have meant nothing to those women, for instance, that voted Dem three weeks ago. They would have been similarly against Brown or West as against Moudock. But, yes, try winning in 2016 by throwing social conservatives under a bus. That will work a treat for the Dems.

dover_beach

25 Nov 12 at 4:05 pm
Julian “paed0s in speedos” Burnside Twitter feed is very instructive. He blames Abbott and Morrison for the deaths at sea and gillard’s ismantling of Howard’s Pacific Solution is apparently Abbott’s fault.

Gab

25 Nov 12 at 4:28 pm
Mourdock and Akin brought the issue to the forefront and added credibility to the otherwise absurd War on Women narrative. They played right into Axelrod’s hands. Two magnificent own-goals. Social conservative issues are important to many in the GOP, however it is electoral suicide for the GOP to (or allow the Dems to) position these front and centre of the campaign. Or even be prominent parts of a GOP platform. Social conservative issues need to be highlighted in the appropriate constituencies whilst being played down in the general election, where the independent vote has no truck for such concerns. This is basically what Romney did, but he was white-anted by zealots within his own party who buttressed the perfidious scare campaign the Dems had been running against Romney by getting drawn into expounding upon their fringe positions on abortion and rape. Like a moth to the flame, those buffoons.

Poor Romney. I don’t think the guy was the wrong candidate for 2012. I don’t think he ran a bad campaign. In fact, I think he ran a fine campaign and had the potential to be a great President.

Oh come on

25 Nov 12 at 4:34 pm
32 degrees here in Zombie Parrotville.

Aussies crunching the yaapies in the Cricket.

Time for a swim…

Rabz

25 Nov 12 at 4:44 pm
Without the so-called social conservatives, the Tea Party will quickly become a wacko Ron Paul rump. I really am tired of pointing out that America’s economic crisis is linked inextricably to a moral – if you like, social – crisis. Balooning welfarism driven by deadbeat parents, by an ‘entitlement’ culture promoted by Planned Parenthood, by a bankrolled official racialism, by the sidelining of the familial/the private/the individualist by the statist/the public and the Orwellian collectivist.

Whenever the Republicans do badly, the self-loathing weaklings come out of the woodwork mouthing the very same propaganda of the left. To wit, ‘if only we surrender and become a one party state, maybe our party will be given a go eventually.’

Obama’s win is close to meaningless culturally and psephologically. Presidents almost always get a second term. This one was protected by the media and attracted a disproportionate level of support from blacks and browns. Does anyone really believe the same free stuff agenda would have won it for a wannable President Joe Biden against Mitt Romney?

Mourdock and Akin

I doubt 90 percent of voters would even knew their names.

They’re great fall guys, though, for the anti ‘social policy’ zealots who got their dream candidate – who then proceeded to lose.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 4:48 pm
90% of voters may not have known their names, but many would have known them as ‘those crazy Republicans who think rape victims should go to term with their babies which they can apparently self abort’

I don’t have time to debate this now, however it is disheartening that the SoCons are learning all the wrong lessons from 2012, however. The GOP doesn’t need a new coalition. It had a fine candidate (no, he wasn’t my dream candidate but he became a very good one as the campaign progressed). Simple fact is that no Sandy, no Akin, no Mourdock and we’d be talking about President Elect Romney.

Oh come on

25 Nov 12 at 4:57 pm
Without the so-called social conservatives, the Tea Party will quickly become a wacko Ron Paul rump.

Incidentally, this is mind-bogglingly idiotic, and demonstrably wrong.

Oh come on

25 Nov 12 at 4:59 pm
Modern day parenting.
How thing change.
Probably a form of child abuse though.

jumpnmcar

25 Nov 12 at 5:18 pm
Numbers:

Another fine example of ~~Libertarianism~~ totalitarianism on practice…..

Listen you brainless idiot, and I’ll use short words so even dum-as-a-box-o-rocks you can understand.

1. This blog is the owner’s private property.

2. We are guests here.

3. The owner of this private property has a very few rules about behaviour.

4. Follow them and it’s almost impossible to get banned.

I’ll add that left wing blogs are supremely intolerant of the slightest opinion not in lockstep with their own, and ban at the first whisper of a difference of view.

So dry your eyes, princess, and act in accordance with the (very liberal) rules.

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 5:25 pm
I’ve said on a number of occasions that if the Obamas try to re-create Camelot and have another baby girl, they’d be justifiably paying humble tribute to their great benefactors by naming the girl Sandy Akin Mourdock Obama.

Got a nice ring about it, really.

Oh come on

25 Nov 12 at 5:45 pm
Mark, you just have to have sufficient faith in human nature that the kids we unwittingly and involuntarily put under his care are sitting back now and laughing: “Remember that mad old prick who used to give us his pathetic war stories about the chow line in Vietnam and preach all that communist crap about Marx and Engels? Bet he’s one of those leftwing nutjobs making an arsehole of himself on the internet. Pity the Viet Cong didn’t get him.”

Tom

25 Nov 12 at 5:45 pm
Sinc, could the text of those emails that precipitated the excommunication of Scapula be issued as a pro forma or handy template? The doomlord moves in mysterious ways, to be sure. But thanks for that. To quote from The Mikado – “I have a little list, there’ll none of them be missed”.

blogstrop

25 Nov 12 at 6:29 pm
What bullshit. You’re basically saying, “the first 10% doesn’t count, because he feels a moral obligation to do it”. How does that diminish the act?

It’s more than a moral obligation. Mormon’s actually get something in return for their tithe – the ability to enter a temple which they believe is very important to their afterlife.

I’ve no idea how the various taxation offices would treat it, but if you get something in return for a donation to a charity (say a charity raising dinner), the amount that would be tax deductible is generally reduced by the value of what you get in return (eg the food that you get served). I wonder what the taxation office values eternal life in heaven as

Chris

25 Nov 12 at 6:51 pm
Could have sworn I’d posted a comment on this while preparing dinner. But anyway:

Having received several emails of complaint Scapula won’t be rejoining the discussion.

Great. I am hoping for a proforma or template of those emails to be issued for future use.

blogstrop

25 Nov 12 at 7:35 pm
OK. no point.

blogstrop

25 Nov 12 at 7:36 pm
That one appeared, previous ones didn’t.

blogstrop

25 Nov 12 at 7:37 pm
John McC asks

”

Alice, what does equal pay mean? If a woman can do the same job and gets the same remuneration haven’t we achieved equal pay?

DOH NO – Women have beendoing the same job and have getting jipped on pay and are still getting jipped.

What dont you understand about that?. The stats are all there.

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 7:37 pm
Pr should I have replied to John McC – yes the sandpit is a suitable plave to stick my head into so I will just do that and pretend gender pay inequality doesnt exist.

You go first John McC. You stick your head in the sand and then come up brain damaged and annouce cheerily “all is equal in pay between males and females now oin 2012″ (sing a little song iof you like just to make it super cheery news).

Bullshit and you know it.

Alice

25 Nov 12 at 7:40 pm
Pity the Viet Cong didn’t get him.

Yes, isn’t it.

Rabz

25 Nov 12 at 7:41 pm
Against my better judgement I had a look at a couple of chunks of Ol’ Leathery’s Tony Abbott hour on the interweb. With Our Fran, La Tingle and some nobody from Teh Worst over here in WA things were not looking promising.

After Ol’ Leathery has a bit of a chuckle when Scott Morrison points out that the 30,000 unauthorised boat arrivals now outnumber the people of Alice Springs, Our Fran launches into a stream of wrong-headedness that has to be seen to be believed. She is truly hopeless.

H B Bear

25 Nov 12 at 9:30 pm
“there is not a place I can go that I would not pay tax”

That is not Australia’s fault. It’s irrelevant to the question of voluntariness.

“Notice the difference?”

When it comes to voluntariness, there is no difference. Zero. No-one is forcing you to pay Australian taxes. You can leave any time.

Jarrah

25 Nov 12 at 10:17 pm
How to defund the American left. Exactly what I’ve been saying for a long time.

http://mangans.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/defunding-left.html

JC

25 Nov 12 at 10:21 pm
Gab, kae

Check your email.

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 10:21 pm
Gab, check your email!

kae

25 Nov 12 at 10:22 pm
Moochers grassyarse, Mk50.

Do you think we’ll ever hear of Gillard referred to as disgraced former Prime Minister?

kae

25 Nov 12 at 10:26 pm
Hmm. Kae, I do prefer the term ‘debased’… or p’raps ‘debauched’.

Decisions, decisions!

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 10:38 pm
Pity the Viet Cong didn’t get him.

Charming. You really scrape the bottom of the barrel Tom.

SteveC

25 Nov 12 at 10:42 pm
Septimus.

The Piano Guys.

They are good.

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 11:03 pm
Oh, and I have listened to all of Sepultura’s albums this weekend.

I think my eardrums have melted.

Mk50 of Brisbane

25 Nov 12 at 11:04 pm
So it turns out that family of lunatic rangas who kidnapped the kids from their Italian dad were aided and abetted by the Australian Govt.

Infidel tiger

25 Nov 12 at 11:11 pm
So it turns out that family of lunatic rangas who kidnapped the kids from their Italian dad were aided and abetted by the Australian Govt.

Did you see the Mother and the kid’s great Grandma? They both deserve the guillotine.

What I think happened was that the wife continually called the embassy and bullshitted them that she and the kids were being abused violently. Consequently they acted to help her. I can see that happening. However it turns out that the story she was putting out was all crap.

JC

25 Nov 12 at 11:17 pm
…they’d be justifiably paying humble tribute to their great benefactors by naming the girl Sandy Akin Mourdock Obama.

No, they should name her Media Free Stuff because that encapsulates why he won.

C.L.

25 Nov 12 at 11:18 pm
What did Scapula do?

He usually isn’t particularly rude.

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 11:27 pm
gee thats two comments didn’t appear. Have I been blocked as well?

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 11:29 pm
Looks like not then.

DaveF

25 Nov 12 at 11:30 pm
Mk50,

These Piano Guys? Yes, very good.

Well done with Sepultura . . . oh, sorry . . . WELL DONE WITH SEPULTURA

I have been listening to KITARO – An Enchanted Evening, the only CD of his that I have.

Septimus

25 Nov 12 at 11:32 pm
What dont you understand about that?. The stats are all there.

Yeah, just yesterday I was looking at Seek and couldn’t help but note all the ads stating that females would be paid less than men.

Don’t even get me started on all the ads telling married women not to apply, loads of them!

Oh wait, no, that was 1957 and this is 2012.

twostix

25 Nov 12 at 11:49 pm
When it comes to voluntariness, there is no difference. Zero. No-one is forcing you to pay Australian taxes. You can leave any time.

Taxes are “voluntary”.

Zany shit.

twostix

25 Nov 12 at 11:59 pm
I have always suspected that Jarrah is a left wing troll and subversive but now I know for sure.

.

26 Nov 12 at 12:03 am
What I think happened was that the wife continually called the embassy and bullshitted them that she and the kids were being abused violently. Consequently they acted to help her. I can see that happening. However it turns out that the story she was putting out was all crap.

Yea I didn’t find the mother and her family at all believable. The embassy officials probably thought they were doing the right thing and had good intents. I wonder if they have formal procedures that they are meant to be following in these cases? If it was a country that was well known for corruption and a very poor record of human rights then I could understand it. But in Italy they should have been able to do a lot more confirmation themselves.

Chris

26 Nov 12 at 12:34 am
“Taxes are “voluntary”. Zany shit.”

Do you have an actual argument, twostix, or is this just more of your usual trolling and thread derailing?

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 12:38 am
“I have always suspected that Jarrah is a left wing troll and subversive but now I know for sure.”

Bullshit. You continually argue that the government should tax approximately 10% of GDP. By your logic, you’re a left-wing troll and subversive.

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 12:39 am
thread derailing?

How does one derail an open forum?

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 12:42 am
Stephen Smith to announce ADF rape inquiry.

That’s odd.

After all, these mostly protestant poobahs were all free to marry.

Good news for the abusers too – most will get a free pass courtesy of the ALP:

Mr Smith told The Australian then that the royal commission or judicial inquiry would be limited to the most serious of the more than 700 allegations in the DLA Piper report and would not cover the full 60 years of allegations because of problems in gathering evidence.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 12:50 am
“How does one derail an open forum?”

Ask the Doomlord. Apparently some people went running to him and got someone banned. You can only get banned for thread derailing. Or at least, that used to be the rule. Who knows?

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 12:53 am
“The embassy officials probably thought they were doing the right thing and had good intents. I wonder if they have formal procedures that they are meant to be following in these cases? If it was a country that was well known for corruption and a very poor record of human rights then I could understand it. But in Italy they should have been able to do a lot more confirmation themselves.”

Embassy officials cannot, and should not, get involved in making judgements on international family law matters. They are not qualified, don’t have the resources or jurisdiction, and have better things to do.

johanna

26 Nov 12 at 1:47 am
That is not Australia’s fault. It’s irrelevant to the question of voluntariness.

I’m not concerned about “Australian” taxes; I’m concerned about states and taxes. I cannot be a member of any state and not pay taxes. However, I can be a member of a church and not pay a tithe. If I am voluntarily a member of a church that includes the payment of a tithe I have volunteered to pay a tithe. Notice the difference?

States (or civil associations) are compulsory associations; voluntary associations like sporting clubs, churches, etc. are not. I cannot avoid membership of a state, but I can avoid membership of all voluntary associations. Again, notice the difference?

dover_beach

26 Nov 12 at 2:27 am
Oh come on, your analysis is tendentious. The simple fact is the women, for instance, that voted Democrat voted for Obamacare’s inclusion of abortion and birth control, among other things. Even without Akin’s and Mourdoch’s comments, which were mischaracterized by much of the media and the Dems, they would have voted Dem because fiscal conservativism, not only social conservatism, threatened the above and other benefits, etc. used by the Dems to secure their continued support.

The other and more important point being that the independents you believe you might attract by throwing social conservatives under a bus are significantly smaller than the actual rump of the party that are themselves socially conservative, so what you propose seems to be a losing strategy.

dover_beach

26 Nov 12 at 3:27 am
You can leave any time.

And pay the departure tax.

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 5:07 am
It’s a reliefe to see that banning is possible, and there may as well be more than one rule relating to it. Continuous empty brained sloganeering as practised by the llatest not-so-dear departed was cause enough. I tend to agree that hammygar is a joke, but scapula had no redeeming qualities, nor does xevram or numbers.
The Steves seem to provide some with amusement, although the briisbane one has a whiff of the hannibals about him. Jarrah lives in a little parallel universe of his own, with way too little else to do.

Blogstrop

26 Nov 12 at 6:29 am
Bullshit. You continually argue that the government should tax approximately 10% of GDP. By your logic, you’re a left-wing troll and subversive.

15%

Stop making things up.

.

26 Nov 12 at 7:26 am
You continually argue that the government should tax approximately 10% of GDP. By your logic, you’re a left-wing troll and subversive.

Maybe you can explain how that is a corollary to your absurd, subversive and extreme left wing idea that “taxes are voluntary”.

.

26 Nov 12 at 7:29 am
Brilliant – I’ve just found this quote by bruce bloody wilson about former flame, the lardarse:

“(She) knew absolutely, categorically nothing”

No changes there, brucie.

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 8:47 am
From Bolt:

Black’s tip: Kevin Rudd now has about 40 votes in Caucus, Shorten is building up his own numbers – about 12 – and the maths then becomes obvious. He says Gillard will not last to the election.

Hmmm, the last week of parliament sitting for the year.

Assassination Season, as The Mole™ calls it.

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 8:53 am
Obama’s win is close to meaningless culturally and psephologically.

LOL, you keep tell yourself that Lad.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 9:02 am
Monty is saying that Joe Biden would have beaten Romney with the same free stuff policies.

LOL.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 10:44 am
Money first…

Labor decides to cover up most instances of child sexual abuse:

The Government has decided not to set up a royal commission into wide-ranging claims of abuse within the Australian Defence Force…

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 10:46 am
“most instances” CL? Most of the cases reported by Piper DLA were of adults not children. How do you determine that most (i.e. defintely more than half) of child sexual abuse in institutions/organistions (i.e. not in the home, individuals etc) was in the ADF?

SteveC

26 Nov 12 at 10:51 am
Monty is saying that Joe Biden would have beaten Romney with the same free stuff policies.

LOL.

That wasn’t what I was saying, CL. Why do you lie so frequently? Do you even know what the truth looks like any more?

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 10:57 am
Access to children.

DLA Piper says it received hundreds of “plausible” allegations of abuse, some dating back decades.

Its report, which has been released by the Government, says many alleged victims never reported the abuse because of concerns they would not be believed, especially if the abuse was at the hands of a superior officer.

It goes on to say that it is a well-known fact that “some people, who wished to have sexual access to boys, sought out positions in orphanages, schools, churches and similar institutions where they could have power over, and access to, children”.

“There was no reason to think that such people would not have targeted relevant parts of the ADF,” the report states.

Through the 1950s and 1960s, boys as young as 13 were recruited to the Navy.

Up until the early 1980s, 15-year-old boys were recruited into all three service areas.

Labor will overlook most of these cases and has strictly capped compensation at $50,000 – even for the boy raped with a broom handle.

Sociopathic lack of empathy.

DLA Piper also concluded that the protestant-overseen abuse extended far back beyong the 1950s but there weren’t enough records to quantify the historical problem.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:13 am
Why do you lie so frequently? Do you even know what the truth looks like any more?

Monty, your nerves are frayed from your now habitual online mania.

Take a shower and have something to eat.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:16 am
protestant-overseen abuse

You are really sounding desperate and deranged in the handwaving stakes, CL.

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 11:16 am
Gillard presser at 1pm, followed by HoR question time at 2pm. Newspoll showing 51-49 to the Coalition. Big day.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 11:18 am
If he is to be believed (and he isn’t), CL thinks that anyone who tells him that it is obvious he is a desperately dishonest debater is having a nervous breakdown.

It’s his defence mechanism.

Or more likely, just part of his bullshit arsenal.

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 11:22 am
Labor censors full protestant-overseen horror:

The report, obtained by the ABC, was commissioned after the Defence Force Skype scandal unleashed a deluge of complaints dating back more than half a century.

Hundreds of stories poured into the review held by law firm DLA Piper – from acts of ritual bastardisation to horrifying tales of brutal sexual assault against children as young as 13.

When the review was released in March this year it was heavily censored, with only 10 pages of the executive summary made public, but the ABC’s 7.30 program has obtained the full executive summary.

While the edited version had a single line which noted the earliest reported abuse was in 1951 on a 13-year-old boy, the full story is much more disturbing and shows abuse of children was widespread.

“It is certain that many boys were subjected to serious sexual and physical assault and other serious abuse while they were in the ADF from the 1950s through to the 1970s – and possibly into the 1980s,” the report said.

Refusal to cooperate – Labor respects the ADF seal:

But the report’s authors have criticised the way Defence has dealt with the latest inquiry, saying obtaining information from the ADF was “particularly problematic”.

They say the review team received a vast quantity of material – “over a metre-high stack” – in the days and weeks after the internal deadline for documents.

The report says the material was too voluminous and too late for it all to be considered.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:25 am
desperate and deranged

Steve today:

CL… CL… CL… CL… CL… CL…

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:29 am
Shorter CL: pointing out my crap arguments is a sign of obsession with me. I should be allowed to make as many crap arguments as I like with no comment, other than support.

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 11:38 am
“I’m not concerned about “Australian” taxes; I’m concerned about states and taxes.”

Then we’re arguing about different things. The specific and particular tax that Romney pays to his church is identical in voluntariness to the tax you pay the Australian governments.

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 11:44 am
Does Thommo of brothelgate get a vote in Caucus for the next leadership ballot ? He’s supposedly independent now. Can someone clarify ?

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 11:49 am
Question for lefties: do you support strictly limiting compensation for any proven victims of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions?

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 12:00 pm
“Gillard presser at 1pm, followed by HoR question time at 2pm. Newspoll showing 51-49 to the Coalition. Big day.”

Monty do you think she is going to sue someone? I can’t see the need for another press conference, especially with the polls even.

what do you think? seems surprising?

candy

26 Nov 12 at 12:00 pm
candy,
Gillard might be mustering up her last shred of honour and announcing her resignation. Yes I am probably fantasizing.
More likely it will be announce another unfunded grandiose policy, to show how she is getting on with the business of governing, while that naughty Abbott keeps bothering her with questions she doesn’t want to answer.

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 12:08 pm
” Yes I am probably fantasizing.”

Probably about the ADF enquiry then. I thought she said she wouldn’t talk about the AWU scandal ever again.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 12:17 pm
No, it will just be more denials of wrongdoing and a healthy dose of AbbottAbbottAbbott. She’ll frame the whole thing as part of Abbot’s “relentless negativity” and an example of his “antagonistic misogyny”. She’s doing this before QT in an attempt to frame what will be a lively Question Time under her own terms… a compliant media will likely run with that interpretation.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 12:18 pm
Should ASIC be investigating Veuve Cliquot?

This Fairfax article outlines the brands plan to limit aggressive pricing and restrict parallel importing.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 12:21 pm
Question for lefties: do you support strictly limiting compensation for any proven victims of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions?

That is not unusual for compensation schemes where there are large numbers of victims. Victims don’t have to go through the courts and having to prove in a court events which happened a very long time ago in exchange for set compensation payments. Its been used in the past where abuse has occurred a long time ago, though I’d say the 50,000 is way too low. The abuse of children by the defence force would qualify for inquiry by the RC too.

Refusal to cooperate – Labor respects the ADF seal:

Refusal to co-operate reflects very badly on the defence force. But at least they gave too much information, rather than not enough so follow up enquiries could still use that information if it needed to. I’d much rather the Catholic church release too much information that can at least be analyzed later than refuse to release information or refused to testify.

Chris

26 Nov 12 at 12:22 pm
I take it that with daylight saving, we are only 40 minutes from the Gillard press conference.

It will be of interest…

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 12:24 pm
I’m going to have lunch instead of watch… hopefully I don’t miss anything exciting.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 12:42 pm
Is Gillard doing a presser?

This should be fun.

What time is it?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 12:44 pm
1PM daylight savings time (ie, in 13 minutes)

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 12:47 pm
It will be of interest …

… to masochists.

There is no way I’m going to subject myself that fat corrupt dragon and her hideous grating nasal monodrone.

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 12:54 pm
First question should be:
Are you using this press conference to stonewall the opposition’s questions in parliament today?

It is no longer clever when everyone knows that’s what you’re doing.

Rousie

26 Nov 12 at 12:55 pm
Thanks Fleeced.

I’ll try to track down a radio station thats running it.

I wonder if Hedley Thomas hopped on a plane to make it in time? I think he’s based in Brissy.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 12:59 pm
Education? Asian Century? NDIS?

Come on Julia!

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:10 pm
…relentless negativity…

BINGO! What do I win?

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 1:12 pm
AbbottAbbottAbbott

Rudiau

26 Nov 12 at 1:12 pm
AbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbott

H B Bear

26 Nov 12 at 1:14 pm
Blowing smoke up Howard’s butt? W…WTF?

Voice sounds very shaky now.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:14 pm
hahahaha suddenly duckbum says Howard was great!! Such relentless hypocrisy.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:14 pm
Gillard changing the game before our eyes.

Let’s see Abbott sit on his ort with Bishop doing to the dirty work, after Gillard goes hard on policy.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
More like AbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbott

Ripper

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
Ok, 10 minutes of AbbotAbbottAbbott now it begins.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
So I guess it’s All About Abbott in the presser?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
And NDIS Fleeced, and a grab bag of issues that sounded like the commencement of an election campaign. You’ll have to share the prize with others.
Loved the quavering voice, especially when referring to a “strong economy”.

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
AbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbottAbbott

Great, just as I expected…

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
She really sounds rattled. Good.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:16 pm
A little bit nic, just a little.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:16 pm
Doing a presser to avoid lying to parliament. Sneaky

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:16 pm
So you got defamed, start suing.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:17 pm
All fire in the belly, all the confidence – gone.

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 1:18 pm
She IS sounding a bit shaky talking about the Association.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:18 pm
At least gillard understands what an analogy means.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:18 pm
Playing semantics now.

Oh oh ‘I dealt with this at the previous marathon press conference..’

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:19 pm
Get on with it and answer the question.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:19 pm
Time wasting so she can avoid questions and run off to QT at 2pm.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:19 pm
“I refer you to my [previous] answers …”

LOL.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:20 pm
‘marathon press conference’ how many times? 4?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:20 pm
Didn’t answer the question

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:20 pm
Ok here comes the POA.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:21 pm
She said – “I had nothing to do with the AWU workplace “Relations” association”

…

Arnost

26 Nov 12 at 1:21 pm
Answer the POA question you disgusting tramp.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 1:21 pm
So, Blewitts a crook, big deal. Did you sign the POA or not?

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:22 pm
That was a massive excoriation of Blewitt, I enjoyed that!

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 1:22 pm
SHE NEVER ANSWERED IT!

She didn’t witness it. Case closed.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:22 pm
Julia BlewitBlewitBlewit…

I think I’d take his word over yours: You are a proven liar. “There will be no carbon tax…”

Arnost

26 Nov 12 at 1:23 pm
Like I said, it was just a pre-emptive strike to cast the upcoming QT as an example of Abbott’s “relentless negativity”

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 1:23 pm
That was a massive excoriation of Blewitt, I enjoyed that!

Yes. Spent all morning rehearsing – no doubt.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:23 pm
That was a massive excoriation of Blewitt, I enjoyed that!

Its common knowledge that unionists are scum. Why would Blewitt be any different?

20 years ago Jools was happy to take his cash.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 1:24 pm
Please someone else ask about the POA, because it wasn’t answered

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:24 pm
Hang on she said re-election was in the articles of association.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:24 pm
Please someone else ask about the POA, because it wasn’t answered

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:25 pm
“relentless negativity”

She’s forgotten about her relentless negativity and that of the opposition when Howard was in office. Oh yeah, it’s different when they do it.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:25 pm
The AoA stataed it was workplace sfety.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:26 pm
It was a slush fund for workplace safety. lol

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:27 pm
5 grand dropped into your bank account by a fraudster is a personal smear?

Technical discussions of The Australian’s reporting?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:28 pm
Sorry I just had a little vomit over the tee ATM story.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:28 pm
#

“I refer you to my [previous] answers …”

LOL.

You will get a lot of that come QT today, which is exactly the purpose of this press conference.

roger

26 Nov 12 at 1:29 pm
She can’t remember $5000 landing in the bank.

aaaaaaahahahahahahahaha – she is full of it.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:29 pm
Well I’ll grant her the money one, I believe it’s unlikely you could get records from that long ago.

First truthful answer.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:30 pm
Ahahahahaha.

Gillard stunt designed to avoid misleading Parliament.

Her voice shaky, she says she will take questions from the media on the scandal to spare Parliament from wasting time on this.

Now she’ll go into the House and say ‘I answered all of this this morning.’

Game set and match, Bishop.

Via Bolt.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:30 pm
Stuff the renovations. Back to the PoA.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:31 pm
Are there any of the main journalists covering this story there?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:31 pm
She’s going into misogynist rant mode.

H B Bear

26 Nov 12 at 1:31 pm
She either witnessed all documents or not.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:32 pm
Has she denounced the big greek bullshit artist?

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 1:32 pm
Yes Yes Yes. She is dissembling.

Come on lady how many did you witness in Perth?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:32 pm
$5,000 ATM transfers… ! Surprise? Crap… Not and answer.

Did she go out on the Casino bender with Bruce Wilson? Did she lend him $5K to feed his habbit? Did she have a habit?

I mean – to go through the Hundreds of Thousands scammed and have nothing to show for it, is suspicious… Symptomatic of a typical gambling induced fraud.

Arnost

26 Nov 12 at 1:33 pm
It would be a fascinating tactic in QT to address all the questions to others involved and implicated…

Driftforge

26 Nov 12 at 1:33 pm
Won’t answer the POA question, not a good look.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:33 pm
Yeah, Rabz, she bagged the Greeks craftsmanship.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:33 pm
Lets be clear… the lady is a tramp.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 1:34 pm
She’s diverting now, answer the question. Who was your client.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:34 pm
Has anyone asked about the goldfields widows & orphans fund?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:35 pm
Oh no 2GB just dropped it.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:35 pm
she bagged the Greeks craftsmanship

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 1:36 pm
Desperate ABC Online tries to re-live phony misogyny speech glory days:

A fired-up Julia Gillard takes aim at the Opposition’s “sleaze and smear” as she fronts the press to answer questions about the AWU slush fund.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:36 pm
Oh no 2GB just dropped it.

Radio National has it.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:36 pm
Why is Ms Gllard making a show of herself in a press conference she didn’t have to have.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 1:37 pm
takes aim at the Opposition’s “sleaze and smear”

The opposition have asked questions. Apparently that constitutes “sleaze and smear”.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:38 pm
Why is Ms Gllard making a show of herself in a press conference she didn’t have to have.

She trying to head off any attacks in QT today.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:39 pm
NewsRadio livestream.

Ta Carpe

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:39 pm
Well, Gillard has proved herself a coward today.

A press conference stunt to avoid answering Julie Bishop’s questions in the House.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:39 pm
She is dissembling.

Doesn’t matter… MSM will say she answered everything, and they’ll whack Libs for bringing it up in QT. That was the whole point of the presser, and it will do exactly as she wanted.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 1:40 pm
Why is Ms Gllard making a show of herself in a press conference she didn’t have to have.

She’s telling those who would get the numbers against her that she’s not going anywhere. It’s merely theater and a show of force.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:40 pm
This presser is not going to stop the questions because she isn’t answering any of the questions. Why not? Why not say ‘yes, I signed the POA?’

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:40 pm
GOLD!

She praises “John Howard style Liberals” for the first time in her life and says no such nice people are in the Liberal Party today.

Ahahahahaha.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:41 pm
Stuff the renovations. Back to the PoA.

Again.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:41 pm
Thanks for the heads up!

kae

26 Nov 12 at 1:42 pm
AbbottAbbottAbbott

She’s getting a bit shakier.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:42 pm
Carpe, thanks.

kae

26 Nov 12 at 1:43 pm
‘At the exit interview I repeated said I couldn’t recall’ Sorry, WTF?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:44 pm
Form of words???? – better get onto the Mac dictionary

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:44 pm
She’s too slippery for the press or the House

Viva

26 Nov 12 at 1:44 pm
Who is this bumbling reporter? Sid the Rambling Man.

Clocks ticking guys.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:45 pm
Ordinary fund raising events? For a slush fund?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:45 pm
Each non answer is accompanied by a folksy little story. Slippery technique.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:46 pm
“She trying to head off any attacks in QT today.”

She always does that anyway, and it’s near the end of the parliamentary year and the polls are very good for them.

Why draw attention to herself with this press conference. Bizarre.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 1:46 pm
OK Sid I take it all back.

“Don’t hector me, thanks Sid.” He drew blood.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:46 pm
“Don’t hector me thanks Sid”

Bwahahaha!

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 1:46 pm
Ordinary fund raising events? For a slush fund?

They sold slushies.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:47 pm
Candy
It’s so she can, when questioned in Parliament, state that the questions have all been answered in her presser, and thus avoid lying in Parliament…

kae

26 Nov 12 at 1:47 pm
Who was the dickhead at the back who asked the question about sex abuse in the army?

Gotta be ABC

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:48 pm
candy – she has a nervous caucus behind her.

pete m

26 Nov 12 at 1:48 pm
I hope Julie Bishop is taking notes and hammers her on the PoA.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:49 pm
“Don’t hector me Sid”

WOW.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:49 pm
C’mon don’t dump on Olly….

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:50 pm
She threw down a challenge to Sid : find me the AWU rule that says you cannot re-use the name. Sid : challlenge accepted!

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:50 pm
I was hoping she would have a meltdown. Lets see what QT brings.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:50 pm
“Don’t hector me Sid”

I’ll have to correct you there, mate.

“Don’t hector me, *clenched teeth* thanks Sid”

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:51 pm
Lets see what QT brings

Kae’s right, she won’t answer any questions and just refer to this press conference and the one in August as questions answered.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 1:52 pm
The journals are really across the source material this time, not like August.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:52 pm
and thus avoid lying in Parliament…

Exactly, Kae. The consequences for lying to parliament are potentially much more serious. And if she persistently refuses to answer (lie) it’s a bad look.

Ivan Denisovich

26 Nov 12 at 1:52 pm
Don’t hector me Sid.

New thread saying.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:52 pm
She’s running down the clock. A bit like the South Africans.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:53 pm
“Thank you Andrew” suckhole.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:53 pm
That’s her strategy, sure, but this is too blatant a dodge even for the love media.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 1:53 pm
That’s Sid Maher.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 1:53 pm
Tony “I’m an independent” Windbore:

“I haven’t seen anything that remotely resembles some sort of wrongdoing,” he told ALPBC Radio.

Great, now we can all get some sleep…

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 1:54 pm
Somebody should ask if she intends to answer Hedley Thomas’ questions as published in the Australian.

And infact I’d bet there is a reporter with these questions in hand and SHE knows who – and won’t let that reporter in to ask!

Arnost

26 Nov 12 at 1:54 pm
Can someone please vary the bounce and ask about Goldfields?

tylos

26 Nov 12 at 1:54 pm
Sid Maher

Ah, the Oz.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:55 pm
Will you now release the full transcript of your exit interview?

That would be interesting.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:56 pm
Can someone please vary the bounce and ask about Goldfields?

Maybe that will get a gig in QT.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 1:57 pm
Who threw that Dorothy dixer?

They would stop getting recycled if you answered the questions properly.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:57 pm
She’s wrapping it up.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:57 pm
weird answer to the question as to whether she had a duty to advise the AWU, answer ‘No I was dealing with Union Officials”
unfortunately the questioner did not refer to unauthorised use of the name AWU

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 1:57 pm
The questions were hopeless.

Journalism really is the last refuge of the retard.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 1:59 pm
Abc 24 now telling us how wonderful that was.

Sid mahers report should be fun to read.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 1:59 pm
Hmm….no big hits but perhaps Ms Bishop can follow up on the PoA in parliament.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 1:59 pm
AND what she said today about the mortgage to Blewitt is not consistent with the answers she gave in the exit interview where there seemed to be some kind of attention being paid whether or not it was reasonable to accept Blewitt could service a mortgage

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 2:00 pm
Yes it’s curious nobody is interested in the looting of the Kalgoorlie Widows Fund.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:01 pm
and the witnessing of the POA, well that’s answered by ‘I witnessed thousands of documents and I did each of them properly’

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 2:01 pm
Gillard dominated the press gallery once again. Now for the Bishop-Gillard battle.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 2:01 pm
Davef this is a war of attrition, each trying to wear each other down.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 2:02 pm
Where have m0nty and Sfb got to?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:02 pm
Anyone want to take a bet the slapper tries another ‘misogony’ speech in QT today.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:02 pm
Where’s all the Lefty bloggers?
Suddenly gone very very quiet.

Winston SMITH

26 Nov 12 at 2:03 pm
and the witnessing of the POA, well that’s answered by ‘I witnessed thousands of documents and I did each of them properly’

But how many did she witness in Perth I wonder?

Davef this is a war of attrition

Don’t hector, thanks brc.

[just wanted to use it for practice lol]

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:05 pm
Where’s all the Lefty bloggers?

Not to worry – monty has slunk in.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:05 pm
Question: Why didn’t tell at least the AWU about the slush fund when Wilson’s reputation in Victoria was on the nose re another slush fund?

Answer: But Wilson and Blewitt were my clients re creation of the slush fund. They were office bearers of the AWU. So it knew. (This is pure sophistry. By then Wilson had already been exposed in Victoria of acting on his own, rorting funds. To think then that Wilson was a legitimate representative of the AWU regarding a slush fund is worse than naive.)

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:06 pm
No. of Days Rudd was PM: 935 (inc. morning he was dumped)
No. of days Gillard has been PM: 887 (so far, including today)

Honestly, the Gillard governments feels like it’s been there a lifetime… hard to believe she hasn’t even matched Rudd yet.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 2:06 pm
Where’s all the Lefty bloggers?

Waiting on talking points memo. 10 bucks says smearing Blewitt is the first move, coupled with gushing praise on what a fine performance that shaky-voiced blathering of non-answers was.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 2:06 pm
More Labor Whitlam mythology. “… short Ministerial career…”. Bwahahahahaaa

H B Bear

26 Nov 12 at 2:07 pm
QT is on NewRadio. She is droning on about some deceased Labor hack.

Sorry, that’s a bit harsh. She’s doing a condolence thing.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:07 pm
Waiting on talking points memo.

Jock McSporran must be typing feverishly as we speak.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:08 pm
She is droning on about some deceased Labor hack.

Sorry, that’s a bit harsh.

Harsh but fair.

Rabz

26 Nov 12 at 2:09 pm
Random pondering – assuming Bishop takes this to the point where Gillard resigns or is replaced, her political capital is going to be immense.

Could she conceivably move up to the top job?

Driftforge

26 Nov 12 at 2:09 pm
Gillard dominated the press gallery once again. Now for the Bishop-Gillard battle.

It’s easy to bully the press pack when others have lost their job from speaking out against the PM. Still, she has said she was defamed, why no suing?

brc

26 Nov 12 at 2:10 pm
Could she conceivably move up to the top job?

I like Bishop’s intellect and personality.
However, no-one who was dumb enough to support Turnbull’s leadership battle against Abbott should be ever allowed to get to the top job, IMHO.

roger

26 Nov 12 at 2:12 pm
I didn’t see all of it.

Seemed pretty good what I saw.

Now that it’s all cleared up, you can move on from this line of attack:

Catallaxy: Oh my God – Julia had a crooked boyfriend 20 years ago! And this caused some embarrassment to her law firm!

And…and …and maybe she had some secret profit from Wilson that really came from his association!

[Editor - she's been admitting the crooked boyfriend bit for 17 years; she's been denying any secret profit for the same time. What new evidence do you have to doubt her?]

But someone said Wilson gave her some money!

[Is there evidence about that? In writing? Like a bank account deposit slip or the account number? Or anything connecting the money to the fund?]

No. But but but – maybe she had some secret profit!

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:13 pm
QT – Bishop goes on the attack.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:13 pm
Hahahaha “I refer her to the transcript”.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:14 pm
Nice question Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

And no answer.

Now Bronnie is having a go. Go you good thing. She’s my MP, wears makeup to the beach you know.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:14 pm
Talking point 1 will be how she ‘won’ the debate.

Point 2 will combine the left’s two most discernible character traits – hate & hypocrisy – to smear Abbott as an economically illiterate sleaze.

And they’ll turn it all up to eleventy

Rousie

26 Nov 12 at 2:15 pm
Sid Marris, not Maher.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 2:15 pm
Nice try SfB.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:16 pm
She’s my MP

I’m in Greg Hunt’s electorate. He actually a very nice guy.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:16 pm
So what misogynist slur did the member for Banks sling out against j.Bishop?

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:16 pm
I binged Sid Maher and it came up he with the Oz.

But it does seem to be Marris.

What a coincidence.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:19 pm
Looks like it’s all about the Association and breaches of Union rules.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:21 pm
Albosleazy, always a pinhead or is this a new skill.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:24 pm
I hate to say this but I want Slippery Pete back as Speaker. This sheila is too wibbly wobbly.

Bronnie got warned. Go you good thing.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:24 pm
Why won’t Albosleazy agree to the tabling of the letter? What are they afraid of?

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:25 pm
Bishop asked a good question. The Lying Slapper waffles and bullsh*ts. Short summary:

I din do nuffins!

And I answered it awreddy!

Abbottabbottabbott misogyny Abbottabbottabbott misogyny waffle waffle waffle

An I din do nuffins!

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:25 pm
I refer her to the transcript.

LOL.

Gutless Gillie. Scared witless of the death stare.

——————————————

Wayne Swan just took credit for “21 years of growth.”

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 2:25 pm
Is it just me or does anyone else want to kick the TV when shane wand comes on?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:26 pm
God spare us from any more Labor “reforms”.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:27 pm
tabling of the letter

Gab, is there a letter?

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 2:27 pm
Wayne Swan just took credit for “21 years of growth.”

And he bragged about Australia now being the 12th biggest economy in the world, an improvement of 3 places since Howard.

Mr World’s Greatest Treasurer that may be because those 3 countries were European and their economies have imploded after following policies you are introducing here.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:28 pm
So the press conferences are to avoid lying or misleading Parliment, which means Ms Gillard has stuff to hide, otherwise there would be no need for a press conference at all and she could answer anything in Parliament with confidence.

okay, i see now.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 2:28 pm
“Huge cuts to health and eduction”, has Wayne forgotten about cancer drugs which Labor has taken off the PBS to get that imaginary budget surplus?

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:30 pm
maybe she had some secret profit!

Who cares if she made a profit – or a loss… She abused her fiduciary / ethical responsibilities to her client (AWU), she has since abused her position as Prime Minister to hide this – and worse was instrumental in having journalists investigating this to lose their jobs … for doing their job.

She is unfit for the position!

And what if somebody has the “missing files” that will incriminate her? What power over her will that give? If I was writing a thriller, I’d have the Greens getting their hands on the official files and waving them under her nose to get her to do the suicidal things she’s done since the last election!

And that’s why unless EVERYTHING is answered and cleared up – so that there is NO DOUBT that she has anyting in her background that can be used against her – she cannot be in her position.

Arnost

26 Nov 12 at 2:30 pm
Looks like the promised Bishop attack is a damp squib. Bishop is barely lifting her arms, let alone landing a punch. Gillard was grinning like a Cheshire cat just then. Can’t be long until Abbott moves to suspend standing orders yet again, so we can all get some sleep.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 2:30 pm
Val, Bishop asked for a four page letter to be tabled but I can’t accurately remember the details now.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:31 pm
Oh goody the whoremonger asks the keg on legs a question.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:31 pm
yep pretty much candy.

The brothel creeper just asked a Dorothy Dixer. I thought he was persona non grata.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:32 pm
oh yes I see, the SMH politics blog live from Canberra refers to

this letter she wrote as a partner of Slater&Gordon to Bruce Wilson in August 1991 in which she provided him with detailed advice on AWU rules on branch offices, union officials an elections.

Pity there’s no date of the letter. And what was the number of that Union Rule, does anyone know?

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 2:32 pm
The media should start to report why Gillard won’t answer questions in Parliament. The press conferences are a sideshow.

H B Bear

26 Nov 12 at 2:33 pm
Funny how Gillard “dominated the press conference” yet won’t repeat her assertions in the House.

Keith

26 Nov 12 at 2:33 pm
Looks like the promised Bishop attack is a damp squib

I love the smell of montys fear in the afternoon, it smells like………………….victory.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:33 pm
August 1991, the date of the letter has just appeared on the live blog

val majkus

26 Nov 12 at 2:34 pm
Wag the dog

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 2:34 pm
1991 sounds like around the time the Kalgoorlie Widows were fleeced, it may have been related to that.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:36 pm
Candy, that’s a very good point.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:37 pm
Arnost continues the grand conspiracy:

But what if she’s lying! And what if that means someone can blackmail her!

Talk about your “did you stop beating your wife” line of questioning.

steve from brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:37 pm
“You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:42–44).

And I don’t think the devil could ever die of shame.

Viva

26 Nov 12 at 2:37 pm
So it’s going to come down to Mr Blewitt’s word against me. Who is he? He’s a man who has publicly said he was involved in fraud. He is a man who has sought immunity from prosecution. He has fled Indonesia to avoid a police interview in relation to land fraud, although he denies wrong doing in the case. He says he owes money on another land deal. He admits to using the services of prostitutes in Asia. He has published lewd and degrading comments and accompanying photographs of young women on his Facebook page. According to people know him, he has been described as a complete imbecile, an idiot, a stooge, a sexist pig, a liar and his sister has said he’s a crook and rotten to his core. His word against mine – make your mind up.

Quite.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 2:37 pm
Yep, ties in nicely:

As part of her work at S&G, Ms Gillard travelled with Mr Wilson to Boulder in 1992 to advocate the transfer of control of the Miners’ Fatal Accident and Death fund to the union’s head office in Perth.

Maybe Our Jules is opening a new attack angle.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:38 pm
LOL and yet Wilson is also a crook and rotten to the core but apparently his word is gold.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 2:38 pm
Gotta laugh at Gillard’s continued references to having “acted as a solicitor.”

That’s the job she had before being sacked for dishonesty.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 2:39 pm
She forgot the Vietnam veteran bit.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 2:40 pm
His word against mine – make your mind up.

aaaahahahahahahaha – yep i definitely believe the droner from altona.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:41 pm
Oh m0nty we can all agree he is a pretty bad character.

he has been described as a complete imbecile, an idiot, a stooge

I wonder if that’s actionable? I suppose Truth Defence would knock it over.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 2:41 pm
Of course Gab, he’s just like all the other members of the ALP.

One of the chaps.

So when a chap, feels a need to help himself to the revenues provided by the peasants, well, that’s what chaps do.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:45 pm
A truly honest person would not need to slander that old bugger Blewitt, but let bygones by bygones.
AFter all she’s PM and doesn’t need to descend to that level of uncharitable slander. It’s just hideous.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 2:46 pm
Gillard counterattacking with evidence that Bishop misled the parliament three times.

Queen takes Bishop.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 2:48 pm
Got her on that one, the Lying Slapper has no clue re other members of the AWU reform Assoc, so she does the waffle and comes back to the WA Commissioner.

Something to hide, there, eh, Slapper?

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 2:50 pm
Gillard counterattacking with evidence that Bishop misled the parliament three times.

Monty, that would be a breach of the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987. Gillard should put up or shut up.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 2:53 pm
Dave F:

“Yes it’s curious nobody is interested in the looting of the Kalgoorlie Widows Fund.”

Hear, hear, Dave. Once upon a time, the Melbourne ‘Truth’ and the old-style Telegraph would have been all over this. Imagine the headlines – “Workers’ families left destitute while union officials buy and renovate inner-city love nests” etc.

I guess blogs are now the equivalent. BoltA, if you are reading, please pick this up.

johanna

26 Nov 12 at 2:55 pm
Monty, that would be a breach of the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987. Gillard should put up or shut up.

The evidence is out there, Bishop is repeating falsehoods printed in the papers.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 2:58 pm
Bishop is repeating falsehoods printed in the papers.

If Bishop has mislead parliament then gillard must put up or shut up, not make vague statements.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:01 pm
One thing about teh Lying Slapper.

Why does she pronounce ‘smear’ as ‘smee-yah’?

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 3:03 pm
What good are the checks against corruption supposedly provided by the Press and Opposition parties when dealing with a customer like Gillard?

Never again are we likely to see a political purveyor of lies and untruth put on such a pyrotechnic display of the deceiver’s art.

Viva

26 Nov 12 at 3:06 pm
The speaker is an absolute shocker.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:08 pm
What is this 20 seconds time limit bullshit?

Besides gushing Dorothy Dixer-s, how could one squeeze a serious question into 20 seconds?

roger

26 Nov 12 at 3:09 pm
QT – Has Macklin had ECT? She’s gesticulating like a fishwife on acid.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:10 pm
Bishop calmly puts probing questions, Lying Slapper prevaricates, dodges and evades.

Interesting look.

And where the f*** did this screech-voiced red-dressed female ALP harpoon-dodging whale come from??

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 3:13 pm
Gillard, wrapping up QT:

For the benefit of those following proceedings by radio, I can confirm that the Leader of the Opposition was present at Question Time today.

ZING!

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 3:13 pm
Thanks, Monty, for pointing out the Lying Slapper’s misandrist hate speech at the end.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 3:15 pm
Ho hum. More lies, more obfuscation. Another surprise press conference and not one of the so called journalists called her out on the cynical tactic of calling it in order to aviod providing answers in Question Time.

And, as other here have mentioned, not one reference to the theft of the Goldfield Widows Fund moneys.

Pathetic.

Septimus

26 Nov 12 at 3:16 pm
For the benefit of those following proceedings by radio, I can confirm that ~~the Leader of the Opposition was present~~ i answered no questions at Question Time today.

FTFY

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:16 pm
Seriously, who was that enormously fat screeching red-shirted ALP escapee from a flensing deck?

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 3:17 pm
red-shirted ALP escapee from a flensing deck?

Jenny Macklin – the member for flubber.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:18 pm
For the benefit of those following proceedings by radio, I can confirm that the Leader of the Opposition was present at Question Time today.

Why should he speak when the Prime Minister’s performance speaks for itself.

Viva

26 Nov 12 at 3:19 pm
The ABC continues to turn on a dime (to be more precise, around $1bn per annum) and on the one hand (occupying them for most of this afternoon) decry the pursuit of allegations “17-20 years ago”, while being quite happy to pursue similarly old or older ones about Abbott, the Defence forces, the Catholic Church, the providers of much needed fibro housing materials in the post war years, or anyone else they don’t like.

blogstrop

26 Nov 12 at 3:19 pm
Holy crap, Carpe. People elected that thing?

Maybe it was the only way she’d waddle out of the area? Or was her district eager to move her on becuase they were tired of her eating all the pizza supplies for 50 miles in all directions?

With a voice like that, she’d not need a phone to order pizza from 50 miles away. It was like listening to a circular saw cutting aluminimu sheeting.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 3:24 pm
An hour of questioning by the press gallery, a further hour of the Bishop wet lettuce treatment, and Gillard comes out of it with not a single substantiated allegation against her. Yet again.

When is the point where you lot stop? Will it ever come, even when it is clear that there is nothing at all behind these allegations, no moral authority, only suppositions based on the word of self-confessed criminals?

Will you turn on Murdoch like the American right did when it becomes clear that you have been sold a pup by the Australian newspaper, like the Tea Party faithful were fooled by Fox News?

So much of this saga has been imported from America. Given the tightening in the polls, it looks on the cards that the denouement of the anti-Obama crusades could very well be repeated here with Gillard being returned and you lot experiencing further bouts of acute derangement syndrome.

I’m not as bullish as Andrew Elder on that last point, but days like today make me think he might be the one laughing in the end.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 3:26 pm
Just a question, if Blewitt was such a sexist pig, liar, scumbag etc, what was she doing messed up with him and others like him?

Nic

26 Nov 12 at 3:27 pm
even when it is clear that there is nothing at all behind these allegations

Champagne Comedy.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:31 pm
Hear, hear, Dave. Once upon a time, the Melbourne ‘Truth’ and the old-style Telegraph would have been all over this. Imagine the headlines – “Workers’ families left destitute while union officials buy and renovate inner-city love nests” etc.

joanna in the Widows case they purchased 2 holiday houses on the beach – the love nest came 3 years later.

They really were/are terrible people.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 3:32 pm
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Splatacrobat

26 Nov 12 at 3:35 pm
It was like listening to a circular saw cutting aluminimu sheeting.

I prefer , like a chainsaw going through rusty tin sheets.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:36 pm
When is the point where you lot stop

I’d think that would be when the questions are finally answered, instead of the erections of walls of obfuscations, analogies and folksy stories about running out of money at the ATM.

Did you sign the POA in the presence of the others? Yes / no.

This one point is enough to raise not only a breaking of the law, but also questions the depth of involvement.

The entire Gillards defense of not being involved in, and benefiting from, the AWU scam, is plausible deniability in the face of an awful lot of coincidences and disappeared evidence.

The whole thing has very little I pact on the polling either wAy, but it’s not intended to. I dont’t think the libs want an early election now either. But to have the pm quivering through press conferences and paying homage to john Howard shows she is dancing to their tune, not hers. She has zero political capital to spend, and spends her days alternatively fending off the press and counting numbers to keep Rudd off her back.

For the rest of us, that’s a welcome alternative to coming up with any more ‘reforms’, which is labor code for ‘destroying productivity’

brc

26 Nov 12 at 3:39 pm
I prefer , like a chainsaw going through rusty tin sheets.

Her denials flowed quicker than a fart through a colander.

Splatacrobat

26 Nov 12 at 3:40 pm
flowed quicker than a fart through a colander.

I am going to shamelessly use that line.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 3:43 pm
One fact I learnt at that press conference is that Julia Gillard is one of those people who say ‘ATM machine’.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 3:43 pm
Most interesting to me is the consistent refusal of Gillard to actually answer a thing on Hansard record.

Therefore she has no idea what might emerge from the next unionist or ALP member to spill his/her guts. And it’s all been from inside the ALP and unions. All of it.

The only reason to be so palpably afraid of that is that she knows she has done serious wrong, and does not know who can prove it. So above all else she must never answer in Parliament. She’s terrified of lying to parliament.

So there is (in her view) not one matter of worry, but an array of them.

And Bishop is slowly teasing that out and making it obvious to the media.

Nice tactics. And the Lying Slapper has no answer to them.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 4:07 pm
That’s a really good point Mk 50.

Half the Cabinet were involved in some way and there must be dozens of AWU people who have at least some details.

I only wish she had attended Blewitt’s wedding or something like that. After her strident character assassination something like that would show her up as willing to say anything to deflect attention.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 4:22 pm
And Bishop is slowly teasing that out and making it obvious to the media.

Nice tactics. And the Lying Slapper has no answer to them.

This may be true, but I see no evidence of the media either cottoning onto the strategy, or calling her on it. A simple question of ‘are you calling this press conference to avoid answering these issues in parliament?’ would have been a zinger, but they are all too worried about their jobs.

brc

26 Nov 12 at 4:22 pm
if Blewitt was such a sexist pig, liar, scumbag etc, what was she doing messed up with him and others like him?

As brc says Nic, they are all too worried about their jobs to ask about her avoidance of parliament as well as to ask her about her choice of companions. The good sense of the Australian public is the only thing standing in her way.

But can we trust the public response? What a complete farce a democracy becomes when mosst of the MSM are such partisan and gutless fools.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 4:48 pm
Bah to it all. I chaired a rattlingly good Body Corporate meeting for my investment unit today, all done in half and hour via teleconference and with my negotiating skills honed to railroad speed. Got everything through smoothly.

All good. And I’ve never slept with a married man or found an unexplained $5000 dumped into my bank account.

Lizzie for PM!!! Candy for Deputy. Gab as Treasurer. Nic for PR.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 4:57 pm
Lizzie’s List.

Pickles

26 Nov 12 at 4:59 pm
I’d think that would be when the questions are finally answered, instead of the erections of walls of obfuscations, analogies and folksy stories about running out of money at the ATM.

She has answered them brc, repeatedly and at great length. You just don’t like the answers.

Did you sign the POA in the presence of the others? Yes / no.

She answered this today, she said she has followed correct procedure on every document she has signed. Shall I draw you a Venn diagram?

The entire Gillards defense of not being involved in, and benefiting from, the AWU scam, is plausible deniability in the face of an awful lot of coincidences and disappeared evidence.

Face it, you lot don’t have a case. No wonder you’re moving on to the Kalgoorlie thing, you’re getting no joy at all out of the rest of the sorry circus.

But to have the pm quivering through press conferences and paying homage to john Howard shows she is dancing to their tune, not hers. She has zero political capital to spend, and spends her days alternatively fending off the press and counting numbers to keep Rudd off her back.

For the rest of us, that’s a welcome alternative to coming up with any more ‘reforms’, which is labor code for ‘destroying productivity’

Evidently you missed news of the new Murray-Darling Basin plan, not surprising since the media did very little to report it by comparison. Carbon price, Tasmanian forest deal, plain cigarette packaging, recognition of Aborigines in the constitution, withdrawing from Afghanistan, MDB, NBN, MRRT, and the NDIS and Gonski reforms which Gillard will no doubt get through as well… nice package of progressive reforms she is accumulating there.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 5:00 pm
Lizzie for PM!!! Candy for Deputy. Gab as Treasurer. Nic for PR.

Can I be in charge of closing down Environment department? And a few others… I might need JC’s help – he’d probably do it for free.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 5:09 pm
And Kae ? She’s in charge of the sheep dip..

Pickles

26 Nov 12 at 5:11 pm
you’re getting no joy at all out of the rest of the sorry circus.

On the contrary, I think a lot of people find it quite joyful for the lying pm to front up, knees knocking and voice shaking, and try to bluster her way through questions by telling folksy little stories about ATMs and mortgages. The schadenfreude was plenty sweet.

>nice package of progressive reforms

See – even more humor to brighten the afternoon. Every single one mentioned a job destroying botch, or an unfounded promise on the never never. So funny to see complete disasters being repackaged as triumphs by the true believers. Just like a shaky, evasive press conference being hailed as yet another turning point ™

brc

26 Nov 12 at 5:15 pm
On the contrary, I think a lot of people find it quite joyful for the lying pm to front up, knees knocking and voice shaking, and try to bluster her way through questions by telling folksy little stories about ATMs and mortgages. The schadenfreude was plenty sweet.

And while all this has been going on, a poll lead for Abbott that was at landslide proportions has backslid to practically nothing, brc. The sweetest victory of all is on election night.

m0nty

26 Nov 12 at 5:20 pm
And while all this has been going on, a poll lead for Abbott that was at landslide proportions has backslid to practically nothing, brc. The sweetest victory of all is on election night.

Tell us again where the seats in qld are going to be won? That one never fails to amuse. Tell us again how labor are going to run the trust campaign again? What, exactly are they planning to say? That they’ve done a good job? That they are trustworthy, apart from the small matter of dozens of broken promises?

Pinning your hopes of electoral victory on a platform of I’m not Tony Abbot isn’t much of a strategy. You’d think a two-term government would have an achievement to point at by now. But they don’t talk about their wins much. They just complain about the opposition and promise to give everyone, everything, sometime in the future. And now Gillards is singing the praises of John Howard. What a melange of useless trade union dreck they all are. Trying to attack a current opposition leader by saying ‘he’s not as good as his old boss and mentor’. Really winning stuff!

brc

26 Nov 12 at 6:02 pm
I must say that our leftwing trolls are a seriously embittered lot these days. It always turns out that way with them.

I think the Cat sends them a bit crazy. Actually a lot crazy.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 6:31 pm
Lizzie for PM!!! Candy for Deputy. Gab as Treasurer. Nic for PR.

Fleeced for Minister in charge of the Environment and Kae for Sheep Dip.

I’d like to be Minister in charge of Social Cohesion.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 6:32 pm
The sweetest victory of all is on election night.

m0nty – you know people are going to remember that on election night?

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 6:35 pm
“m0nty – you know people are going to remember that on election night?”

He’s cocky after being more correct about the US election than 95% of Catallaxy. It’s gone to his head.

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 6:40 pm
I’d like to be Minister in charge of Social Cohesion

I think it’s Minister for Social Inclusion

I’m not sure about that title… does that mean they can gate-crash any party? “You can’t turn me away, Department of Social Inclusion”

I see a Monty Python sketch somewhere in there.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 6:46 pm
Don’t bother with all that PM stuff – I’m the bloody King and you’ll all just do as you’re bloody well told.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 6:56 pm
Fascist. Commie.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 6:58 pm
I’m sorry Lizzie, i don’t have the skill base to be any kind of Deputy. I’m better at doing the coffee/tea and sandwiches and just generally being cheerful and useful.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 7:23 pm
Did you sign the POA in the presence of the others? Yes / no.

She answered this today, she said she has followed correct procedure on every document she has signed. Shall I draw you a Venn diagram

Monty, these are weasel words. They are very subject to interpretation. She may claim that she ‘followed correct procedure’ merely by signing it in the main place. That is, after all, correct procedure.

But it is not THE WHOLE of correct procedure, is it?

Every single one of her non-answers is in such a format – she can explain them away without a direct lie. But in Parliament, she should answer the yes/no question: was she present, or not.

Hope Bishop gets to her on this, i.e. we believe ‘correct procedure’ is to be present – PM, were you present at that time?

Hope too that Bishop has some further rabbits to come from the hat – the Mr.Rabbits come home to roost, to horribly mix a metaphor.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 7:25 pm
And was she present also in the company of the other signatories, btw.

Unless it is completely spelled out, then Gillard will dissemble forever if no-one calls her on it.

I really do think she is a bit sociopathic about this – she has convinced herself, in her words, that ‘I have done nothing wrong’. What exactly does this mean – a term she constantly uses. Who defined what is ‘wrong’ in her mind??

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 7:30 pm
Did you sign the POA in the presence of the others? Yes / no.

She answered this today, she said she has followed correct procedure on every document she has signed. Shall I draw you a Venn diagram?

She never answered it at all. She attacked Blewitt. That was her answer. monty has problems with comprehension, which he demonstrates on a daily basis.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 7:31 pm
. monty has problems with comprehension, which he demonstrates on a daily basis.

I’d say that would be the least of his problems at the current weigh in.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 7:32 pm
Peasant.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 7:34 pm
Blewitt on 7.30 report now.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 7:36 pm
Too much education makes people economically dumb:

http://www.bookwormroom.com/2012/11/17/too-much-education-makes-people-economically-dumb/

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 7:42 pm
Oh my. Leigh Sales looks as though she needs her smelling salts after that interview with Ralph Blewitt.

He was rather interesting, I thought.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 7:45 pm
Hey all, have we worked out if , in QLD, the KAP gets 5 more LNP defectors ( easily spared ) and total 8 ( one more than ALP ) then KAP is the new QLD opposition?
Could this be CanDos plan to further humiliate Bligh ?
When was the last time any state in Australia had labour as the third party?

I bin offline since forever ( sunday morning ) so the answers should be out there, but I’m slack to look.
My guess; yes, yes and ” a very long time ago “

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 7:45 pm
Bloody peasant.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 7:48 pm
Sheep dip?

kae

26 Nov 12 at 7:54 pm
Yes, Kae. You get the best job of all. Supervise the drenching and dipping of Labor MPs through disinfectant.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 7:57 pm
Winston Smith.

Bloody peasant

Who me?
Thanks.

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 7:58 pm
Jump, Winston has declared himself King. He’s calling us all peasants.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 8:00 pm
Jumpincar

I was over at an older post (on unemployment) and Jim Rose reckoned Katter would describe the higher unemployment since the 3 decades post WW2 as people lowering the tariff barriers.
He also called katter a protectionist (as if he was a fool).
Why dont I find katter a fool them?

Id like to know what you think on this Jumpncar (ie tariff barriers that have been progresively lowered since that uneducated fool Keating decided he wanted to embrace the global economy and Asia??)?

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:01 pm
Candy, your skills base is fine for the Deputy job. You are calm and good in a crisis if I go off the rails, and being helpful and cheerful is a great plus. Plus of all of us here, you have a good ear for how people are talking in the street. Invaluable. I won’t hear of you backing off this important role.

Winston, you can be King but we will trim your sails.

I am good at trimming. As I have said before, I am not called Delilah for nothing. I can get a bit Lizzie Borden with an axe too unless kings are careful. Precedents exist, for kings and lizzies.

King Winston. Sounds good. Ideal convalescent back seat. I will give you a new Waterman for the special sign-offs.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 8:04 pm
Shall I liveblog QandA? We’ve got Penny Wong, Barnaby Joyce, Janet Albrechtsen, Stella Young and Jonathon Biggins.

Should be fun.

How long before the Vietnam Vet with the gay son puts up his hand?

How long before Penny brings out pictures of her latest accessory?

Who will be the first to be skewered by Joyce?

And who is Stella Young?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 8:04 pm
Blewitt on 7.30 report now.

Have i mentioned i hate daylightfuckingsavings.
It’s only 7:05 yet ( in Normal Human Time )

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 8:05 pm
Have i mentioned i hate daylightfuckingsavings.

I hate it more than you.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 8:06 pm
Go for it, Nilk.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 8:07 pm
I Love Lizzie
”

Bah to it all. I chaired a rattlingly good Body Corporate meeting for my investment unit today, all done in half and hour via teleconference and with my negotiating skills honed to railroad speed. Got everything through smoothly.

Oh LIzzie – sacked my managing agent rep and got the owner to change the bastard who said he wanted physical meetings and snail mail instructions…
he is gone!

This osnt the way it is these days.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:10 pm
How long before the Vietnam Vet with the gay son puts up his hand?

Lol… I’ve no doubt Fatty Jones will wheel him out again.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 8:10 pm
Aren’t you concerned I might hold their heads under a little too long?

kae

26 Nov 12 at 8:10 pm
You say that like it’s a bad thing, Kae.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 8:12 pm
Alice, as Lizzie’s List is basically a female show, you really should have a role.

Counter-economics advisor might work. Whatever you say, we don’t do. How about that?

Or stake your own claim now. The field is open.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 8:20 pm
There will be no daylight savings in the kingdom I rule…

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 8:20 pm
“Have i mentioned i hate daylightfuckingsavings.”

It’s not even necessary below a certain latitude.

Jarrah

26 Nov 12 at 8:21 pm
All bow before the most honourable and most beloved King Winston.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 8:21 pm
Alice, today’s fly-by-wire meeting was in Queensland, and thus there was a monumental stuff up with the timing. All the rest of the East Coast, including me, got in too early and had to come back.

I hate daylight saving too Gab when Queenslanders won’t co-operate.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 8:25 pm
By Decree, wherever I am, that’s what the time is. That’s it, peasants, a taste of things to come.

I do hope I am not usurping you, honoured King Winston the First.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 8:28 pm
I’m guessing the steves Twin and Monster are really screwed.

BBC: Early death link to muscle power. That headline is stated badly; the death link is to lack of muscle power.

How muscular you are as a teenager may predict how long you live, at least if you are a man.

Swedish experts who tracked more than a million teenage boys for 24 years found those with low muscle strength – weaker leg and arm muscles and a limp grip – were at increased risk of early death.

The team behind the BMJ study believe muscle strength reflects general fitness, which would explain the link.

Experts stress the findings do not mean muscle building makes you live longer.

The effect of poor muscular fitness in those tracked was similar to well established risk factors for early death, such as obesity and high blood pressure.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 8:30 pm
How long before the Vietnam Vet with the gay son puts up his hand?

Lol… I’ve no doubt Fatty Jones will wheel him out again.

Is that why Numbers has stopped talking in this thread?

Brian of Moorabbin

26 Nov 12 at 8:30 pm
I’d vote for Winston as King, but only if Elizabeth (Lizzie) B can be his Chief Advisor.

Brian of Moorabbin

26 Nov 12 at 8:32 pm
We’re counting on it, Kae.*

*TINAT

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 8:33 pm
Is Stella Young the self described cripple who blogs at the Drum?

I think she might be.

Oh it’s started anyway.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 8:35 pm
Lizzie – Im seriously impressed. In our investment unit I have spent two years fighting with a managing agent because eveyone who lived in is approaching 90 and left no-one on the executive for five years and the manging agents on control (Not a good idea – read exorbitant quotes for everything).
I have only woned for two years but finally we have taken back control by a majority of letters sent to owners by me and requesting their support (only ten owners of which five are ancient and the other five either new or young and dont want to know).

We have control now because from me being the only one interested i now have a new girl owner who si smart and interested and lives there (I dont).

Back in control from years of neglect!

I like the telconferencing idea – I just forwarded to my partner on the exec so she stops listening to these agents who want to run us up the tree and back down again in formal mail meetings!!

They have to go!!

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:36 pm
Only stupid people hate daylight savings. It’s winter, I hate.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 8:36 pm
Oh oops, no it hasn’t. still an hour.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 8:36 pm
Id like to know what you think on this Jumpncar (ie tariff barriers that have been progresively lowered since that uneducated fool Keating decided he wanted to embrace the global economy and Asia??)?

Well Alice,I’m too busy building peoples homes and businesses investments or workplaces to spend alot of time studying this,but, Tariffs, import quotas and protectionist policies are used by our competitors wether they are poor (Malaysia ) or rich (USA).
And whatever China is.
All I ask is if we deal with a country, we play by the same rules as us.
If the US has import quotas on imports ( sugar ) then fuck them.
If China won’t allow Australians buying vast amounts of land over there, then fuck them.
If Australians have to comply to regulations, co2 taxes, enviro blah, blah, blah…. to be able to sell their products to Australians, but other countries arn’t being made to pay these input costs, then fuck the regulation makers.
If we sell animals to country X under restricted circumstances and conditions, but NO scrutiny is given to importers of animal products and the cruelty is ignored, then fuck the unfairness.
I love my country and the people of it.
We should be strong enough to say ” that’s not fair, fuck off )
I fear Bob Carr has put his signature ({unelected} on my behalf ) which are adverse to equality of trade.

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 8:37 pm
Hi Lizzie

You suggested you might have a role for me as counter economics advisor? Whatever I say – you wont do?

Then you are all doomed lizzie but happy to take up the role in case you change your mind later!!

Here is my first advice – Dont listen to the central bank.

I reckon even Sinc would agree with me on that one and surely you listen to him?

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:40 pm
so she stops listening to these agents who want to run us up the tree and back down again in formal mail meetings!!

That’s how you do it. Every letter has a fee attached….

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 8:41 pm
Have i mentioned i hate daylightfuckingsavings.

In earlier times, daylight savings allowed me to play 9 holes of golf after work 2 or 3 times a week.

Speaking of which, jumpnmcar, how did your golf go yesterday?

Septimus

26 Nov 12 at 8:41 pm
People who follow any form of mandated time system are totalitarians.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 8:45 pm
Jarrah

It’s not even necessary below a certain latitude.

It not necessary at all, give businesses, schools, etc the freedom to alter start and finish times without union bullshit.

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 8:46 pm
Jumpncar says below in inverted dommas (and which I totally agree with except the part where Jumpncar you blame all on Carr because in all honestly Johnny signed a bastard of a free trade agreement with the US where AS USUAL we get screwed – so its not unique to Carr – both silly lots of dickheads have sold us out…

“I love my country and the people of it.
We should be strong enough to say ” that’s not fair, fuck off )
I fear Bob Carr has put his signature ({unelected} on my behalf ) which are adverse to equality of trade.

On that I agree Jumpncar – so why the animosity towards Katter who is saying essentially the same thing and which I am glad someone is

but still some in here in your managerial party scream protectionsit whenever you mention trade barriers. Its BS. We need them sometimes otherwise we, as nation, get unfairly screwed.

If anmyone at this point tells me “there is no scuh thing as nation – there is only the global economy” they can nick off (and bring the Nats to town so they can “manage” the libs for a healthy change).

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:47 pm
People who follow any form of mandated time system are totalitarians.

Is it really “mandated” though? You’re free to follow whatever time system you want… You could observe a 6-day week of 28-hour days if it tickles your fancy.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 8:49 pm
There is no such thing as a nation, only global trading. The world is richer as a result.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 8:49 pm
Dave f – you bet. Bloody managing agents have a vested interest in duspute protraction because every letter etc kerchink kerchink.

They are a bloody nuiance.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:50 pm
Blewitt was surprising on 730 Report. He completely owned that useless airhead Sales: batted her all over the badminton court.

I was MOST intrigued by the mention of the files he handed to the Police.

Sales tried everything ‘on facebook, you liked Larry Pickering!! (shock! Horror!)

Answer: So what? I also link to breast cancer awareness.

Am I alone in thinking that I am smelling the rancid stench of leftards in sweaty desperation?

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 8:50 pm
There is no such thing as a nation, only global trading. The world is richer as a result.

And probably safer.

John Mc

26 Nov 12 at 8:53 pm
Septimus

Speaking of which, jumpnmcar, how did your golf go yesterday?

Driver great, irons and chips not great ( very dry up here, little grass and bare lies ), Putting like an old blind dyslexic mole with a middle ear infection.

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 8:53 pm
I missed the 7.30 Report, did he get caned? He’s a bit of a naif.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 8:54 pm
Sales tried everything ‘on facebook, you liked Larry Pickering!! (shock! Horror!)

Answer: So what? I also link to breast cancer awareness.

LOL… She actually brought up that he clicked “Like” on Larry Pickering? That’s both retarded and hilarious (retarious?)

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 8:55 pm
Dave f

No its not richer as a result. There is such a thing as a ation and bugger the global economy when all about us they are stuffing up their oiwn nations and the US is falling apart into a plutocracy

I tell you Davef – too much more globalistaion and we are going staight back o the dark ages. Its not a global economy when millions are fleeing the economies who dont have a seat at this picnic (and arriving here and who here likes that? – oh woops now that isnt a politically correct thing to say either is it? – open the debate but Im going to bed now )

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 8:55 pm
I missed the 7.30 Report, did he get caned? He’s a bit of a naif.

He appears unusually confident and seems not to give a shit if people take his word or not.

He sounds as though he has documentation and said he did.

Smug little turd is how I would describe him.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:00 pm
Hey, not to raise the dead as they’re best left to rest. But has anyone seem Bob today posting his demented graffiti on the site.

Hey Bob, if you’re around… you reckon this sounds like you?

The car walked through the door greeted by a strange looking saucepan and a white coat while the bike was perched on the toilet.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:04 pm
Smug little turd is how I would describe him.

Like I said, he and Gillard, peas in a pod

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 9:04 pm
There is no such thing as a nation, only global trading. The world is richer as a result.

And probably safer.

Can anyone tell me of any US ( the land of the free) restrictions on imports?
Would you say Australia is less or more trade friendly?
Do the USofA use trade as a weapon?
Why is the USoA regarded as the bastion of free trade?

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 9:08 pm
When merging lanes, best not o take on someone bigger than you.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 9:09 pm
The capital of Australia will be in the Walkabout Creek Pub, in Queensland, where winter is verboten.
And everyone can start and finish work whenever they feel like it.

You’re walking a bloody fine line there Lizzie. On one side a firing squad, on the other, crocodiles.
But you can be the Guardian of the Royal Chronometer. It comes with a handsome stipend and all the beer you and the HIA can drink.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 9:10 pm
Sales had the shits during the interview and at the end of the show. She read her questions out to him one by one. Unable to ask questions which might be raised in an answer. He was smug but he was facing a pissweak adversary.

I suspect that she recognised that. It hurt her.

Tiny Dancer

26 Nov 12 at 9:12 pm
OK Alice.

I think you’re wrong because look at our standard of living. Damn normal TVs are worth nothing – literally – the local Red Cross shop just chucks them out because everyone has the flat screens. DVDs cost 20 bucks at the supermarket. I remember when I was a teenager and videos cost $10 a night with crazy membership rules.

The people who don’t have a table at the picnic are doing ok as well. Somalia – yes Somalia – has virtually only mobile phones because a company came in and built towers. They’re hardly the poorer for it.

There is mobile phone transfers in Africa for unbanked people. There are affordable motorbikes for the poorer people. Tata Nano at 3 grand is a car a lot of people can afford.

Egypt buy most of their grain from overseas, they can feed themselves. North Korea basically doesn’t trade and they are starving.

And the internet. Wow, free trade at its pinnacle, a trade of ideas. In the case of the Cat who is commenting here? Australians sure. Kiwis, Americans, English probably. Indians, Fijians, PNGans why not? No trade barriers here just a free exchange. I share opinions and others share theirs. And that’s what trade is all about – I get what I want in exchange for something others want.

Sorry Alice, neighbour you may be, but I disagree with you on free trade.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:12 pm
Agreed. Blewitt had that aura of smugness a union/ALP lowlife type gets when they know the boot is just about to go in.

He’s looked out for No.1 and has certainly slung Wilson into the shark-infested sea and is chumming the water. And I suspect he thinks Gillard’s in the water with him.

Sales had that gasping, unbelieving ‘this cannot be happening’ look fabulists get just before they meet the onrushing locomotive of reality with a wet splat.

It was highly entertaining.

Mk50 of Brisbane

26 Nov 12 at 9:16 pm
jump – the US is pretty dubious on free trade.

Sugar is a favourite bugbear but there are other agricultural lobbies that have scored a s well. They beat their chest about the industries they are strong in – mostly finance, pharma, computer stuff, Hollywood and consumer retail – and demand they rest of the world go free market on them. Just not their vulnerable industries.

Not really free trade at all.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:20 pm
Dave f
TVs are off the measurement of standard of living but cars are in because now most families have mire than one relative to three decades ago plus insurance etc so cars can stay.
The biggest gobbler is the home mortgae as a percentage of annua income, as is rents.
If you want to talk items one by one, loads of things have become cheaper (yeah TVs, phones, motor bikes)
but you just cannot ignore the mortgage and rents. They are a killer (along with the fact that families are now multipled car owners and cars with assoc costs dont come cheap).

Im sticking to nation building Dave f – even though you are a neighbour. I want a damn good reason why we have to copy 5% plus plus the lies and hiddens who are unemployed now in Australia (one of the richest economies on the globe).

Not convinced Davef. Happy to agree to disagree on this one! Stll neigbours tho!

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:21 pm
Sales tried everything ‘on facebook, you liked Larry Pickering!! (shock! Horror!)

LOL On facebook I like the Greens, the ALP and Julia Gillard.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:21 pm
Shame I missed Bagman: The 7.30 Report then.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:21 pm
Bedtime – spelling has lost it.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:22 pm
Smug little turd is how I would describe him.

The ABC was clever to invite him on. The emperor had no clothes. Also he seems to be an alco and not very bright. Probably causation dynamic.

And who is the mysterious paymaster?

Unleash the investigative dogs.

catnip

26 Nov 12 at 9:22 pm
LOL On facebook I like the Greens, the ALP and Julia Gillard.

Am i the only person on the planet that doesn’t do facebook?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:28 pm
Didn’t the Government claim Tony Abbott was reckless, alarmist and mendacious in warning its new taxes would drive away investment?

THE local head of US energy giant Chevron, the biggest foreign investor in Australia, has warned $100 billion worth of projects are “hanging in the balance” due to soaring coats and declining confidence in the federal government’s policy settings…

Chevron Australia managing director Roy Kryzwosinski said resources projects in Australia were 40 per cent more expensive than in the US and its workforce was 60 per cent less productive than the US…

Mr Kryzwosinski today attacked the Gillard government’s move to introduce new transfer pricing measures on foreign investors which would be backdated to 2004…

”The recent introduction of a carbon tax has imposed another additional cost not borne by overseas competitors. These costs add to the growing list of disincentives to invest here.”

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 9:28 pm
The ABC was clever to invite him on.

Da ABC invited him and not 7.30?

The emperor had no clothes.

He seemed fully clothed to me.

Also he seems to be an alco and not very bright.

Really? You could smell his breath over the TV and could tell his IQ? Wow, how TV’s have become so high tech

Probably causation dynamic.

Can you ride a two wheeler without falling over?

And who is the mysterious paymaster?

A well known lawyer, you idiot.

Unleash the investigative dogs.

On who, Blewitt? There’s nothing new to learn, you moron. Everyone knows he’s a crook.

Hey Catnip, what sheltered workshop do you operate from?

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:30 pm
Am i the only person on the planet that doesn’t do facebook?

No, Include me in.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:31 pm
Can you ride a two wheeler without falling over?

lol. Priceless.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 9:31 pm
Am i the only person on the planet that doesn’t do facebook?

Just you and JC.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 9:31 pm
Alice:

I pointed out how poorer people benefit from free trade.

Consumer goods have never been cheaper so it leaves more money for other needs or wants.

As far as house prices go that is a function of zoning. Which is a government matter. If every block was zoned a 6 storey block of flats prices of housing would come down pretty quickly. But they aren’t. So they don’t.

It’s people who own houses that don’t want a block of flats next door that keep housing unaffordable by lobbying the Council for restrictions. And that has nothing to do with global trade. It has all to do with restricting trade of building permits.

BTW our MP was mentioned in dispatches on the Gillard grilling today. Good on Bronnie.

Fun fact: she once (at least) appeared at the opening of a new hairdressing shop in DY, a true local member.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:32 pm
DaveF
Alice and I are talking of Australians competing on the world stage.
Australians are getting fucked over by our government and our competitors governments.
What do you spend p/a on flat screen TVs?

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 9:34 pm
Carpe, stay away from teh evil facebook. It will suck up what little time you have free.

That said, it’s very handy to keep a watch on the leftards. The comments on the Greens’ and Gillard’s pages are mindboggling at times. How on earth people can breath and walk while holding some of those opinions I have no idea.

Of course, I’m banned from commenting on the ALP page, and at least one Barack Obama fanpage, but I see that as something to be smug about.

Speaking of smug, I’ve got MW on in the background, tonight’s beverage is vodka and orange and the laptop is fired up.

That moggy is still alive. Just. She’s being a pest tonight.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:35 pm
Facebook for the sister in law for the childrens photos

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:35 pm
Jumpncar

Yes I can tell you (not all)
Would you say Australia is less or more trade friendly?
Do the USofA use trade as a weapon?
Why is the USoA regarded as the bastion of free trade?

But a search of Wiki reveals thi
:”In the year following the agreement, Australian exports to the U.S. declined, while U.S. exports to Australia increased. This followed the International Monetary Fund’s prediction that the Australia-United States FTA would shrink the Australian economy marginally because of the loss of trade with other countries. The IMF estimated $US5.25 billion of extra U.S. imports entering into Australia per year under the FTA, but only $US2.97 billion of extra Australian exports to the U.S. per year.[13] However, it remains unclear whether or not Australia’s worsening trade deficit with the United States can be solely attributed to the FTA. It may have been a lagged effect of an appreciation of the Australian dollar against the US dollar between 2000 and 2003.

For the U.S., the FTA improved the overall trade deficit situation, creating a trade surplus with Australia which rose 31.7% in the first quarter of 2005, compared to the same timeframe in 2004. U.S. exports to Australia increased 11.7% in the first quarter of 2005 to nearly $3.7 billion for the quarter. Agriculture exports to Australia increased 20%.

According to Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade figures the imbalance in trade between the U.S. and Australia increased substantially during 2007. The United States became Australia’s largest import source, with goods and services imported to a value of over A$31 billion. Australia’s exports to the U.S., however, amounted to only $15.8 billion AU.[14] It remains unclear what, if any, real benefits the agreement has produced.

Id say we git screwed Jumpncar.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:35 pm
Jc has a FB account he just never accesses it

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 9:38 pm
Am i the only person on the planet that doesn’t do facebook?

Me,Carpe J and JC.
Prestigious company.

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 9:39 pm
Add me to the Facebook free people.
The Kingdom of Winston will look at using the new internet powers to regulate Facebook. Every third paragraph will consist only of “WTF?” and “OMG!”

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 9:41 pm
On flat screen TVs which are now dort cheap – bugger all. On the cars a nd rego and insuarnce a lot. On the mortgage a lot and on rents for people who a renting – a lot. On electricity and power – going up at way above inflation and we want to alk aboy cheap electronic goods being cheaper than when. Does having a flat screen TV really detemine whether people are making it or not. Does anyone still sell no flat screen TVs?

Come on Davef – dont give me examples of what ate up the household budget 30 years ago. It must be relevant to today. How about your kids now living at home or cosing you a lot for study costs (because they cant more out). Talk real and 2012 Davef. TVs are low down on households costs as a percentage of their income.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:41 pm
I’ve got MW on in the background, tonight’s beverage is vodka and orange and the laptop is fired up.

I have an Asahi in hand and 3 in the fridge.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:41 pm
Dave F

Let me do a leftie critique of your comment please. Stay with me as I’m trying to figure out generalized idiocy in the leftist community.

I pointed out how poorer people benefit from free trade.

But we don’t take into account environmental degradation, loss of habitat and poor people losing their culture.

Consumer goods have never been cheaper so it leaves more money for other needs or wants.

Some of us say they should be more expensive to reflect their true cost.. it’s not all just economics, you know.

As far as house prices go that is a function of zoning. Which is a government matter.

Yes, but think of all the Macmansions that are built. Stopping development stops more being built.

If every block was zoned a 6 storey block of flats prices of housing would come down pretty quickly. But they aren’t. So they don’t.

You’re advocating consumerism which is a scourge on the health of the planet. Think sustainable.

I

t’s people who own houses that don’t want a block of flats next door that keep housing unaffordable by lobbying the Council for restrictions.

We don’t need more housing. We need more government services for people.

To be continued.. Q&A is on. Gotta watch.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:42 pm
Q&A straight to the the slappers slushfund, Barnaby comes out guns ablazing.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:43 pm
me too Jumpncar.
I dont do facebook. Cant be bothered with all the gossip.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:43 pm
Jc has a FB account he just never accesses it

Technically true. Thanks for reminding me.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:43 pm
Barnaby – ‘thats a generic lefty line’

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:44 pm
1st question: slush funds are trivial and should Parliament be discussing them?

Joyce: I turned on the tv and heard someone calling somebody [all sorts of names] and it was our PM. He wants straight answers.

Biggins thinks that the questions are just the same old same old, like the Obama birthers.

Joyce reckons Biggins is just running the tired old lefty line lol.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:45 pm
Penny Wong, bucking Joyce for bucketing Gillard for bucketing Blewitt.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:46 pm
JC

You know all your left righty pat lines of arguments, but you really missed the whole point of the argument cause you came late (admit it) grabbed your sowrd and starting defending the realm with all the pat tired old left right arguments you could come up with.

Shame on you JC for leaping for your sword before you thought about following the argument realistically and genuinely.

Alice

26 Nov 12 at 9:47 pm
Nilk, Biggins is a sort of a twat.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:47 pm
Bucketing Joyce, sorry. PIMF.

SnowCone reckons that she’s already given 2 press conferences so why bother with answering to Parliament.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:47 pm
That said, it’s very handy to keep a watch on the leftards.

Yeah, their latest is a hate campaign to have Abbott removed as “White Ribbon Day ambassador”.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 9:48 pm
Smug little turd is how I would describe him.

Nah. More than a match for Leigh Sales is how I would describe him.

And it pleased me to see that she knew it.

Septimus

26 Nov 12 at 9:48 pm
Oh how true
PWong said ” most Australians see straight through this as a tactic”
I immediately thought re JG’s little press conference show today, but PWong is probably referring to Barnaby going hammer and tongs
Different prejudicial views !!!

hzhousewife

26 Nov 12 at 9:49 pm
Janet A – the PM makes a better politician than a lawyer – lol.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:50 pm
Janet is schooling the audience on what the fark is going on.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:51 pm
Q&A – Albrechtson is on fire.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:52 pm
Oh ok jump I see what you mean.

Not a great deal, that has to be true.

Generally cheaper goods are an advantage for the importing country.

In Australia’s case we spend the bulk of our money on services so the money we save on products we use to pay for health services or restaurants maybe more superannuation. More taxes perhaps.

Generally your standard of living is predicated on how much you can buy so cheaper goods would tend to make you richer.

As far as Australia is getting worked over I really don’t know. I think the Yanks touched us up on the IP clause but as far a ag goes I think we did ok.

Trade is a winner. We sell tons of stuff to Asia, fair dinkum most of the cheese there is ours and when I lived in Japan the AusTrade guy who I ran into in a bar told me ALL ( I think he exaggerated) the gas in Japan was from here.

TL;DR We sell to the East and import goods from the West. We are the richer for it.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:52 pm
Pat Norman Pat Norman ‏@pat_norman

Penny Wong is the epitome of reason, clarity and grace. #qanda

[but not pulchritude]

The gracious Penny believes that we should move on rather than the continued scare campaign.

Stella agrees with Wong, and it shouldn’t be discusses – more funding for education is what she wants to talk about.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:53 pm
WTF.. There’s a one eyed dwarf on the Q&A panel with dyed red hair.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 9:53 pm
#quanda -SSSSTEEEELLLLLLAAAA

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:53 pm
Da Hairy Ape and I just agreed – Janet Albrechton just done good on da ABC.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 9:54 pm
Okay, Q from the audience: in a nutshell, the gov’t is bringing in all these new programs, but they can’t fund them.

A>Let’s tax google. What does Penny think?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 9:54 pm
Albrechtson is on fire.

Then douse her with water someone. Quick.

catnip

26 Nov 12 at 9:54 pm
I declare Facebook and Twitter Free also

hzhousewife

26 Nov 12 at 9:55 pm
Q&A is on.

Fuck MUPT ” Manipulated by Union Pressure Time “.
#DON’T ADJUST THE CLOCK, SHEEP!!

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 9:56 pm
Nilk – I am waiting for a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference (yes i will probably go to hell for that)

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 9:56 pm
Good on ya Nilk taking one for the team again

Tal

26 Nov 12 at 9:56 pm
Can I respond in a bit JC?

I was caught up in another long post so I only saw it now.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 9:56 pm
No Facebook for me either. And definitely no Twitter.

Septimus

26 Nov 12 at 9:59 pm
Snow:With these massive reforms (gonski &c) we’re talking collectively $10b a year, where is it going to come from?

Penny:It’s going to require difficult decisions, and we’ll tell you about it next budget.

Sone:In advance you’ve got to have some idea where it’s coming from?

Penny:On tax, we’ve made a commitment to stay below the tax to gdp rate we had when Costello was running it. I think you should have a look at how we’ve funded some things today. (no info on how they’re doing that of course)

Joyce: It’s quite simple where it’s coming from – you’re borrowing it. How are you going to pay it back?

Stella: I’m sick of talking about where the money comes from. It’s kind of demeaning to talk about that sort of thing. We don’t think in terms of money – disabled people and our families, we think of things like how many showers we have, how to get around. We don’t think about the money.

[and there you have it, Cats. Stella doesn't care about where it comes from - just show her the money. ]

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:00 pm
This has to be the end of the line..

Jones invited a far leftwing dyed red hair, one eyed dwarf on the show who thinks it’s demeaning to ask where the money is coming from.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:00 pm
Q&A – Stella has no idea about finance, there is no fvking magic money tree grievance monger.

‘empowered disability rights movement’ does anyone know what wheelie girl is on about?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:01 pm
Stella Young is pretty strident on her ABC blog about the NDIS.

Just sayin’

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:01 pm
What’s a twitter, hzhousewife?
(We had four redwing parrots feeding at the Clinic today. Mum and three littlies. Gorgeous.)

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 10:02 pm
There are people whose lives are not sustainable without the NDIS.

So, Stella, what were they doing before then?

OMG it’s all about righting a wrong.

Excuse me? What is the wrong? You were born with more physical challenges so therefore we have to pay your way?

Talk about entitlement central.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:02 pm
According to her, it’s an injustice we haven’t funded the NDIS.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:03 pm
Barnaby has just referred to Biggins as “cyclone”.

Pickles

26 Nov 12 at 10:04 pm
The one eyed dwarf was just allowed to cut off Barnaby’s take down of Wong’s unfunded promises by saying, “I am sick of people asking where is the money coming from for the NDIS”
What fucking planet do these retards come from?
The dwarf and that Wong bloke are without doubt the 2 rudest arseholes that I have seen on this show. Why does that fat bastard Jones not pull them up for speaking over Joyce?

Huckleberry Chunkwot

26 Nov 12 at 10:04 pm
JC, has she paid extra taxes to help out?

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 10:05 pm
I have sympathy for her parents, but, but, but isn’t there a limit?

It’ll cost as much as medicare.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:05 pm
JC, has she paid extra taxes to help out?

No, she just wants more money to right a wrong.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:06 pm
Aaaghh Winston, I gotta visit you one day !
How’s the old ticker going btw? all settled down again? I just had 20 hrs in A&E a coupla weeks ago and have such admirations for all health professionals from the cleaners/porters etc up, we are so lucky in OZ ….. BUT…. it costs a lot, and I’m willing to pay.

BEST Q & A all year ( no animal libbers yet, that’s about the only topic not yet covered !)

hzhousewife

26 Nov 12 at 10:06 pm
Perhaps scrap Medicare to pay for it?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:06 pm
Q&A – On cue ‘Goggles’ the comedian thinks the banks should cough up the cash. Freaking moron.

Stella still doesn’t care where the money comes from.

Wong is still dissembling on our debt. Barnaby is right (good name for a blog) what is our debt today.

JA – The debt Barnaby won’t be with us it will be with our children and grandchildren. Zing.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:06 pm
Why are all the rightwing women in the public eye today hard faced dirty or platinum blondes that look like they need a good feed and a laugh? At least the lefty media workers and pollies have a bit of physical variety.

Just sayin’.

catnip

26 Nov 12 at 10:07 pm
Let’s not talk down our wonderful economy, according to Wong.

Janet speaking sense to panel.

Janet: sometimes doing nothing is more prudent than doing something if it means getting the economy on track.

Voters should think more about holding the gov’t to account and stop asking.

[AOFM Aust Off of Financial Mgt - Barnaby recommends we go there and check out the debt for ourselves.]

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:08 pm
1981?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:08 pm
WTF is that smartarse “goggles the comedian” on about? Did he hit the crackpipe in the green room/

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:09 pm
Autistic children now.

Yes, nobody knows….It’s in parliament this week.

Lazy eye doesn’t like definitions about disability.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:10 pm
Barnaby banging on about $252billion in debt, nobody wants to talk about it.

Here we go, vid q from a fellow with an autistic son. He thinks the gov’t isn’t aware that there seem to be more and more autistic children, and what will they do to help.

Snow asks Stella are autistic people included in the NDIS.

Stella doesn’t know, but we need it.

Tonight’s Pelosi Moment brought to you by ABCQandA.

We have to pass it so we will learn what’s in it.

Stella wants free wheelchairs. She had to pay for hers, and that’s wrong.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:11 pm
OK Stella we get it, you’re a disability advocate here’s mu fvking chequebook go crazy(er)

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:11 pm
DaveF
Our farmers are more environmentally conscious, higher taxed, incredibly innovative , pay high wages, expensive water/electricity and elevated land prices due to foreign investors that DON’T face the same barriers in their own countries.
Fair or not?

jumpnmcar

26 Nov 12 at 10:11 pm
At least the lefty media workers and pollies have a bit of physical variety.

Lefty women all look like they came out of a plain paper packaging factory.

Infidel Tiger

26 Nov 12 at 10:11 pm
At least the lefty media workers and pollies have a bit of physical variety.

Just sayin’.

You mean like this?

or this thing?

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:12 pm
SnowCone handballs to Wong, who says, tghat’s for the school funding to worry about. ie – handball to (later) Ron.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:12 pm
What about a referendum on NDIS to see if people are happy to pay directly for the NDIS through a levy or taxation/Medicare.
That would sort it.

candy

26 Nov 12 at 10:12 pm
Tonight’s Pelosi Moment brought to you by ABCQandA.

aaaaahahahahahahaha

Did you know it stings when you shoot beer out of your nose.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:12 pm
How should we pay for the NDIS Catnip? Any thoughts?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:12 pm
My eyesight’s not what it once was. Where’s my effin wheelchair???

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:13 pm
Barnaby points out that the gov’t needs to show they’ve got the resources.

Shorter Stella: who cares about the money? Show Me The WHEELCHAIR!!

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:14 pm
I would FAR RATHER pay for disability and carers than for brand new healthy babies of sentient adults so they can buy huge designer baby carriages.
I can see a zillion jobs for females between 10 am and 2pm all over my neighbourhood looking after both older and younger members of the community, BUT, the basic wage plus the OH&S and the cost of “Training” eg common sense via TAFE courses EG the shop I work for just got whole page of detailed instruction about how to use a ladder.

Carpe, you inspired me to have a second glass of wine tonight, big smile and I won’t be able to sleep now, but WOT FUN !!

hzhousewife

26 Nov 12 at 10:14 pm
Comedian suggests tax is too low.

A Comedian.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:14 pm
Biggins thinks that we’re spending less tax, so we should be taxed more.

Joyce asks for a show of hands, who wants to pay more tax? Some idiots put their hands up.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:15 pm
Q:I think the original q was about tax avoidance by large corp’ns. Wong said difficult decisions have to be made. IS her gov’t kprepared to make them?

Wong: Yes.

Stella: Show me the money.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:15 pm
“We’re past the money”
What planet do these people come from?

Lloyd

26 Nov 12 at 10:15 pm
We’ve moved beyond the money now Barnaby – Jesus wept.

Yay, Goggles the clown wants us to be taxed more. Audience agreed.

Ding Ding Ding – we have the gay marriage question from a ‘fillum maker’

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:15 pm
Ha ha ha. Barnaby just asked the audience to put their hands up if they wanted to pay more tax.

Almost no-one did.

Gold!

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 10:16 pm
bingo

It took a while, but we finally got there.

Gay marriage, folks. The question was just asked.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:16 pm
And here’s the gayby activist now: have any of you ever thought of kids in same sex families, and the change to the marriage act??

Janet: I’ve got teenaged daughters. On gay marriage the kids all agree. I think it’s going to happen, and I’m coming around to it so I think it’s a good thing. Not because of the hectoring, but we need to keep it rational.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:16 pm
err thank you for sharing hzhousewife.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:17 pm
Even Obama wants to increase tax on the wealthy.

Guess that’s why he got another go.

catnip

26 Nov 12 at 10:17 pm
Good thanks hzhousewife. Feel better than I have for four years.
You’re right, it does cost a lot – my stay for fifteen days cost $110k, but that includes the implantable defibrillator/pacemaker. $56k.
The entire crew at Townsville Mater were fabulous. From the cleaners (and didn’t we have a few words about credit cards and brothels!) to the cardiac specialists.
I left ‘em with about eight kilos of chockies.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 10:18 pm
the shop I work for just got whole page of detailed instruction about how to use a ladder.

Hzhousewife – try the building industry, ladder use is a 4 page work method statement.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:18 pm
I canna take anymore Cap’n. I managed to last until the obligatory gay marriage statement/question. That’s me done for the night.

Huckleberry Chunkwot

26 Nov 12 at 10:18 pm
Some idiots put their hands up.

They don’t pay tax.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:18 pm
Don’t hector me, thanks Janet

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:19 pm
I support gay marriage as long as both chicks are hot.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:19 pm
“I think that politicians use the excuse that it’s about the children, but nobody’s asking the children of gay parents?”

Really? And what about your father? Oh, sorry, your sperm donor. Let’s see what happens when you have children of your own, and they want to know about that part of your family tree that was chopped off before you were born.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:20 pm
This is not good. So many Cat folks risking life and limb to watch (shudder) Q&A. There could be a mass outbreak of PTSD tonight.

Septimus

26 Nov 12 at 10:20 pm
Did you see the expression of the (unknown to me) comedian when Joyce said “how do we pay for it”

BTW the passing of a law isn’t societal acceptance.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:21 pm
Wong: thank you for having the courage to come here and ask this question.

Shorter nilk: sod off.

Wong: the worst issue about this is people who want to make it all about children – I don’t want your family or my family to be denigrated in this debate.

shorter nilk: what about those who disagree with your views?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:22 pm
Children of gay marriage feeling discriminated against because her ‘two mums’ aren’t able to marry? Barnaby presents the traditional view, Albrechtson says she is ‘changing’ on this.

I am not changing. I think these children have been short-changed. They will have to learn to live with it. Just as people learn to live with many other things in their lives.

Penny Wong says the issue is not one about parenting.
I disagree.

Marriage ‘equality’ is not equality for children who have both a mother and a father – somewhere.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 10:22 pm
So many Cat folks risking life and limb to watch (shudder) Q&A.

Yes but we are drinking while we do it. So it’s safe.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:22 pm
Wine here carpe jugulum

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:23 pm
Lol. Biggles just let slip the questions that were going to be asked are shown before the program

Ripper

26 Nov 12 at 10:24 pm
Wine here carpe jugulum

I do hope it is a good red.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:25 pm
Lizzie, I’m becoming a rabid pro-lifer in my old age, which means I’m coming down against ivf and surrogacy.

How many embryos were created and destroyed in the process of Wong getting the child that she and her partner wanted? What happens when the child grows up and wants to know about daddy? Or will she grow up knowing that that is a question that is not to be asked?

Donated Generation is a very interesting blog dealing with questions of donor conception from an adult’s point of view.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:26 pm
Irish coffees here – but not watching Q@A.

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 10:27 pm
Okay, Wong explaining why ‘asylum seekers’ aren’t allowed to work. You have to remove the incentives for them coming hiere.

Wow, how’s that for rocket science?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:27 pm
How about TPVs and incarceration?

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:28 pm
Total Commonwealth Government Securities
on Issue – $252,986m consisting of:
Treasury Bonds – $219,348m
Treasury Indexed Bonds – $17,119m
Treasury Notes – $16,500m
Other Securities – $19m
As at 23 November 2012.
Updated weekly.
Face value amounts rounded to the nearest million.

And to pay the National Credit Card off, the interest bill is about $110 Billion! (Can’t remember where I got the information from.)

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 10:28 pm
And to pay the National Credit Card off, the interest bill is about $110 Billion!

That doesn’t sound right.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 10:29 pm
Q&A and so we move onto the boaties problem. How come no one has mentioned the alp has over a 1000 deaths on their hands.

Wong is spluttering crap about the Hpouston Panel.

Question from an unlawful non-citizen. How the fvk does a boatie on Nauru get to post a question on the fvking TV?

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:29 pm
Q&A makes me want to break things.
Mind you, Albrechtson’s hypothetical about being Jones’ girlfriend made me want to barf.

Lloyd

26 Nov 12 at 10:30 pm
You’re walking a bloody fine line there Lizzie. On one side a firing squad, on the other, crocodiles.

Hey King Winston, or rather, your glorious majesty, fine lines are my forte. Tightrope walking, one of my hidden talents.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 10:30 pm
Chateau Carboard white I’m afraid. Last glass now 2 decent glasses of red.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:30 pm
the interest bill is about $110 Billion!

Dear God my unborn Great Grandkids will never pay that off.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:31 pm
And a facebook question from an afghani who is currently in Nauru.

So he’s in the terrible, deprived Nauru, and has facebook access.

Reminds me of a mate who was stuck in Maribyrnong detention. The place was 100% halal, gym, tv, games room, if you did things like play nice you got to earn points for things like cancer sticks, and the condom dispensers in the toilets were always stocked.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:31 pm
Recorded on a phone at the O2 yesterday:

Rolling Stones live:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5E6mwcoefE

Still the GRRBITW.

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 10:32 pm
I ask again is this guy a comedian in any way?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:32 pm
People drowning at see is a convenient smokescreen. Goggles the clown either just jumped the shark or he is a drooling cretin.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:32 pm
Biggins: the deaths at sea are a bit of a smokescreen.

It’s our apathy towards people who are now numbers, not faces.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:32 pm
I’ll do your answers in a minute JC, I haven’t forgotten.

And you as well jump.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:34 pm
Janet great on Q&A tonight on AWU.

And now being wonderful on immigration.

Janet for PM!

Lazlo

26 Nov 12 at 10:34 pm
JA – she is a class act, don’t always agree with her but she is very forthright.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:35 pm
Have fashionable glasses become big again?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:35 pm
Woo Hoo – Stella pulls the racist card, well done tiny white girl.

Stella, the choclate factory rang, you are late for your shift.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:36 pm
If the objective is to stop the people getting on the boats, what policies would be most likely to stop them?

Janet: message is not clear from the government, so the people smugglers will keep pushing the envelope.

If we outsource the decision to people smugglers, people will turn against increasing the humanitarian intake (which I agree with).

[okay, Janet, you’re turning left. }

Stella agrees with Biggins about the hysteria about boat people and refugees, and it means we’re talking about taxes, and that’s wrong. We have signed all these Conventions where we should treat refugees with respect and we’re not holding up our side of the bargain.

(of course, what do THEY have to do??)

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:36 pm
Stella’s eye is captivating. I lose everything she says and just concentrate on the eye bopping around.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:36 pm
Joyce: the resigned tone of a Lib at the end of Q&A.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 10:37 pm
$110 billion is too big – maybe $10B?

Sinclair Davidson

26 Nov 12 at 10:37 pm
Janet seems frightened of being booed.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:37 pm
Aaargh. Don’t mention numbers, or he’ll be along before we know it.

Final Q and A was two bottles worth (nearly) for us.

Feeling no pain, as even Red Tony had to knock back some seriously dopey questions from the audience.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 10:38 pm
My score for Q&A

Barnaby 7
JA 7
Wong 6
Stella 2
Goggles the Clown – 1

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:38 pm
I had one glass, but it’s such a trainwreck. I should have had 3.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 10:40 pm
Goggles the Clown – 1

Was he supposed to be funny? He’s a total jerkoff.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 10:40 pm
LOL.

Mick Jagger not really worried by furore:

Jagger made a cheeky reference to the furore over ticket prices for the show, with the cheapest seats selling at £95 and many fans paying much more. ‘Is everyone all right in the cheap seats?’ he asked as he gestured to the upper tier. ‘They’re not really cheap, are they?’

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 10:41 pm
Was he supposed to be funny?

Only in his own mind.

Carpe Jugulum

26 Nov 12 at 10:43 pm
10% additional levy on all income and we’ll have the debt paid off in three. 5% and we can do it in two terms.

Call it the ‘Wayne’s World Levy’.

Driftforge

26 Nov 12 at 10:46 pm
Three years @ 10%. Two terms of government @ 5%.

Driftforge

26 Nov 12 at 10:47 pm
Occasionally HIA, the educated sophisticate and intellectual, accuses me of ‘going back to the mat’, i.e. going native to some of my Housing Commission and runaway origins and Maori affinal rellies of my sister.

I think that Janet A. (whom he admires greatly, he is partial to clear-thinking blondes) is going native for this audience.

HIA defending her against my attack. So – he really does like her. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Have another vat of wine dear, he says with unusual charm.

Alice – once you have control of a defunct and useless Body Corporate, never let it go. Great things can then be done. Sage if somewhat sloshed advice.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 10:48 pm
With a clear line item stating: contribution for Rudd/Gillard government profligate spending.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 10:49 pm
And thanks to all those drunkblogging Q&A. You watch so I don’t have to.

Gab

26 Nov 12 at 10:55 pm
You’re welcome, Gab. It’s the only way I can stomach the show, and I get to share the pain.

Time for me to hit the hay. I’ve got to be up at 6.

nilk

26 Nov 12 at 11:00 pm
JC, da Hairy Ape says you’ve put out at least five Tribunals’ worth tonight, but thank you so much. We were both very amused. Each one deserved another glass.

I read out your comments to him, but I was cracking up too much to get them out in one breath.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 11:08 pm
Dave F

Let me do a leftie critique of your comment please. Stay with me as I’m trying to figure out generalized idiocy in the leftist community.

Legitimate questions.

But we don’t take into account environmental degradation, loss of habitat and poor people losing their culture.

The environment is a luxury good for mankind. Sydney Harbour was a sewer, Singapore was a toxic swamp for far too long but now both are fishing grounds. As people get richer they value the environment and their health better. So once people become richer they lobby for intangibles.

And maybe pristine environment is running out? There is none. Mankind has set foot on every inch of land on this planet. Nothing is pristine.

Consumer goods have never been cheaper so it leaves more money for other needs or wants.

Some of us say they should be more expensive to reflect their true cost.. it’s not all just economics, you know.

Yes, fair comment, if goods cost more they would be purchased less, simple economics. And whether the full economic cost of the externalities is included in the cost is important. However it wasn’t generally used during the Wests industrialisation as the external costs were were deeded to further generations that had been nurtured by the wealth of their polluting parents.

Perhaps the poorer people have made the same decision.

As far as house prices go that is a function of zoning. Which is a government matter.

Yes, but think of all the Macmansions that are built. Stopping development stops more being built.

McMansions are a rational choice for land zoning. A hugely expensive block of land needs a hugely expensive house. How many Sydney Eastern Suburb waterfront blocks boast a shack?

If every block was zoned a 6 storey block of flats prices of housing would come down pretty quickly. But they aren’t. So they don’t.

You’re advocating consumerism which is a scourge on the health of the planet. Think sustainable.

Off a tangent there, mate lol.

Hmm, tough one. Consumerism is generally considered to be advertising created. Perhaps you imply that having more dwellings leads to more purchases for furnishings etc I suppose that would be true, nothing like a wedding gift list to see base consumerist desires. Riddle me this: do you if you own a personal lawnmower for your house, surely it’s more efficient to have one for the whole street. You could all take turns.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:12 pm
Former St John of God brother Bernard Kevin McGrath, who recently served two years in a New Zealand prison for sexually abusing boys there, had 252 abuse charges laid against him in a Newcastle court on June 27.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/tardy-extradition-bid-allows-abusing-catholic-brother-to-flee-to-sri-lanka-20121125-2a1n7.html#ixzz2DKXBrsUJ

One Catholic brother, 252 charges.

SteveC

26 Nov 12 at 11:15 pm
One Catholic brother, 252 charges.

Indefenceable. Your point?

Lazlo

26 Nov 12 at 11:19 pm
You seem to get really excited with this stuff, SteveC. Almost a little too excited for anyone’s comfort.

JC

26 Nov 12 at 11:20 pm
DaveF
Our farmers are more environmentally conscious, higher taxed, incredibly innovative , pay high wages, expensive water/electricity and elevated land prices due to foreign investors that DON’T face the same barriers in their own countries.
Fair or not?

Yep. Fair.

They suffer from their own foolish government policies as well as our do.

I can’t enumerate them but they are legion for all countries. Why isn’t Africa a breadbowl but Australia and Canada are? Conversly why does Sth Korea export tech when it is very much a rice producer?

The investors are fleeing their own countries to invest in our agriculture. Freedom quote?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:23 pm
One Catholic brother, 252 charges.

When does he get a safe Labor seat?

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:27 pm
DRUDGE headlines on Obama’s America:

LAND OF THE FREE:
Woman detained for riding manatee…
Man Jailed Four Days for Recording Cops…
Company fires 150 employees for not getting flu shots…
School District Requiring Students To Wear Microchips To Track Every Move…
Palm scanners in schools, hospitals…

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:29 pm
He’s in Sri Lanka SteveC.

The story is he fled the authorities.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:30 pm
No f’king way. When was it illegal to ride a manatee?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:31 pm
Why are all the rightwing women in the public eye today hard faced dirty or platinum blondes that look like they need a good feed and a laugh?

Yers, Catnip. I am thinking around that right now. She does need a good feed and a laugh by the looks of things. Da Hairy Ape may take some convincing re this, so pleased is he with her tonight.

I though am sleekly toned and well-fed as well as gently pliably blonde, but not in the media. And I am here, Irishman, smiling cow-eyed blandishments at you.

Yay! Never fails!

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

26 Nov 12 at 11:32 pm
Does anyone know the economist who wrote the externalities law. I wanted to use it earlier but it escapes me.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:40 pm
The very sexiest of Australia’s left-wing women:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VJVw32EkIM

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:40 pm
Lazlo “Indefenceable. Your point?”
CL tried to argue earlier that “most instances of child sexual abuse” occurred in the ADF. which is patently absurd. Hence my illustration.

SteveC

26 Nov 12 at 11:41 pm
Oh. Dear. Jesus.

Please.

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:41 pm
jagger taunts the “cheap seats” -

“they really weren’t cheap, were they?”

love that man !!!

hzhousewife

26 Nov 12 at 11:45 pm
95 pounds is not cheap

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:48 pm
Rotten thing to do, posting that You Tube of ALP boilers prancing about like demented baboons, CL.

That’s about 30 seconds of my life I will never get back.

What has been seen can never be unseen.

Pedro the Ignorant

26 Nov 12 at 11:48 pm
Pedro: you lasted 30 seconds?

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:50 pm
CL rickrolled us with that vid

DaveF

26 Nov 12 at 11:52 pm
My picks for the Q&A line up for the first show in the new year:

Robert McClelland, newly appointed Attorney General in the Rudd Government
Christopher Pyne
Andrew Bolt
Simon Sheikh Greens Senate candidate for the election called in March 2013
Token leftie with a disability/is gay/worships Gaia/public servant/wants free stuff

Splatacrobat

26 Nov 12 at 11:53 pm
Yes, Labor will overlook most of the sexual abuse cases at the protestant-run ADF and has strictly capped compensation at $50,000 – even for the boy raped with a broom handle.

Sociopathic lack of empathy.

DLA Piper also concluded that the protestant-overseen abuse extended far back beyond the 1950s but there weren’t enough records to quantify the historical problem.

There is no doubt that the military rapes and other sexual assaults in state-run institutions and in state-run Aboriginal settlements constitute the worst and most numerous of child sexual assaults in Australian history.

My earlier question:

Question for lefties: do you support strictly limiting compensation for any proven victims of sexual abuse in Catholic institutions?

C.L.

26 Nov 12 at 11:54 pm
No f’king way. When was it illegal to ride a manatee?

Just as well it’s not illegal here or Tim could be in big trouble.

Splatacrobat

26 Nov 12 at 11:56 pm
That’s about 30 seconds of my life I will never get back.

You think you only need 30 seconds back? My friend, the PTSD lasts a lifetime.

Fleeced

26 Nov 12 at 11:57 pm
No f’king way. When was it illegal to ride a manatee?

Just as well it’s not illegal here or Tim could be in big trouble.

Splat:

I coughed up wine on that one.

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 12:00 am
Rotten thing to do, posting that You Tube of ALP boilers prancing about like demented baboons, CL.

Even Elaine from Seinfeld dances better than that

Splatacrobat

27 Nov 12 at 12:03 am
SteveC are you drive by commenter?

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 12:12 am
OK question answered.

I wanted to ask what he thought of my free trade views.

Not a biggie.

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 12:22 am
How the Implementation of Obamacare Will Make the GOP a Majority Party

Alex Pundit

27 Nov 12 at 12:44 am
Not that I have anything against Taylor Swift, but is there anything lamer than the annual ‘import some young American starlet’ to give out gongs at the ARIA awards?

I mean, besides actually watching it. Or attending for that matter.

entropy

27 Nov 12 at 12:56 am
One catholic brother, 252 charges.

He’s one man. Does that mean all catholic brothers have the same evil proclivities? Or only catholic brothers?

How about perhaps he had those habits before he went into the Church? Would it be more acceptable if he hadn’t joined the Church?

I know, he should have become a teacher. After all, more teachers apparently offend than do priests.

Then I read the article, and lo! it turns out that this offender is also a teacher.

Why is that point not relevant? He sought employment in an environment that afforded him plenty of opportunity. Male only religious orders that are not run as stringently as they used to be, teaching at boys’ schools – particularly for boys who could be considered ‘troubled’ is a recipe for success for someone like that.

nilk

27 Nov 12 at 6:38 am
Good morning brave Catallaxians. That was sterling duty by quite a few last night to provide live reports from the front line at Q&A. Some brief examples of the horrors endured were shown on ABC24 this morning. Clearly, there was dire need to fortify yourselves against the sensory onslaught with strong pain-killers such as vodka & orange, Asahi, red wine, and even in one instance, cardboard carton white. Had I not run out of Jack Sparrow’s favourite medication I might have summoned the courage to join you, but alas it was not to be. So, well done to you all and I hope you have all recovered well from the ordeal.

Cheers.

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 8:09 am
That was sterling duty by quite a few last night to provide live reports from the front line at Q&A.

I don’t know how they do it – leavened with significant consumption of alcoholic beverages, presumably…

Rabz

27 Nov 12 at 8:29 am
As Septimus goes on to point out…

Rabz

27 Nov 12 at 8:30 am
SteveC are you drive by commenter?

No, he’s just an inveterate imbecile.

Rabz

27 Nov 12 at 8:32 am
Taylor Swift seems a nicer sort than what they usually bring out though…

Fleeced

27 Nov 12 at 8:40 am
Hello Septimus and all. After last nite’s Q & A on the Cat da Hairy Ape and I are now taking the Panadol and setting out to face the day. He to work, and me to my dance class. Lips, we determine to each other, that touch alcohol shall never now touch ours. Not until at least a nite or two without, anyway. In the cold light of day, and without the green monster of my jealousy hovering, Ms. Albrechtsen I must say is a very good-looking lady, as well as a very smart one.

Some nites here on the Cat are like that, they rock.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

27 Nov 12 at 8:52 am
The specific and particular tax that Romney pays to his church is identical in voluntariness to the tax you pay the Australian governments.

No it isn’t, Jarrah. The “particular tax that Romney pays to his church is identical in voluntariness” to the subscription fee one pays as a subscriber to the New Yorker, or as a member of a gym, sporting club, etc. Romney can voluntarily avoid paying his tithe, he cannot voluntarily avoid paying tax. You are labouring under the illusion that because he can avoid paying tax in the United States by ceasing to be a United States citizen that he voluntarily pays taxes by remaining one. But since he cannot escape paying taxes somewhere the voluntariness you propose is illusory since I can cease being a subscriber to the New Yorker, gym, or sporting club, anywhere. However, this discussion began because you wanted to argue that the 10 out of 13.5% Romney provided to charity through a tithe didn’t count as a voluntary contribution because it was like a tax now makes even less sense then it originally did given the direction of your argument since.

dover_beach

27 Nov 12 at 9:27 am
Lizzie, I’m becoming a rabid pro-lifer in my old age, which means I’m coming down against ivf and surrogacy.

Same here, nilk.

The very sexiest of Australia’s left-wing women:

You really are terrible, Muriel.

dover_beach

27 Nov 12 at 9:52 am
Great comment from leftish Kym at Tim Blair’s place.

The Arab nations – collectively the true seat of civilisation – have been colinized and screwed over for nearly 200 years …

Poor Old Rafe

27 Nov 12 at 11:10 am
hahaha

‘colinized’? As in Colin Mohammed, or Colin Mahmoud or even Colin Arafat?

Gab

27 Nov 12 at 11:17 am
3 children removed from UK foster parents because of their political beliefs

State-sanctioned child abuse.

Keith

27 Nov 12 at 11:49 am
“Romney can voluntarily avoid paying his tithe, he cannot voluntarily avoid paying tax.”

That’s utterly ridiculous. He can avoid paying US taxes by leaving the US, just as he can avoid Mormon taxes by leaving the Mormon church.

Membership of each association is theoretically voluntary, but membership comes with conditions.

“But since he cannot escape paying taxes somewhere the voluntariness you propose is illusory”

This is a valid argument, and points to the lack of a binary state for voluntariness. Let’s see if you’re still keen on it when rephrased:

I cannot escape paying for bluray players no matter where I go. Therefore, when I go into JB HiFi, my choice in going there is no choice at all, I am involuntarily paying because even if I go to Dick Smith, I still have to pay.

This is a leftist argument. Still comfortable using it?

The obvious response is that nothing is free, everything takes resources, so even building a bluray player myself would cost me resources. Luckily, specialisation and economies of scale mean that bluray players are made much more cheaply than I could ever do on my own, so being ‘forced’ to buy from JB HiFi is a better situation for me than being free to make my own. In addition, shops compete with each other, offering different prices and models, so although I’m ‘forced’ to pay, I can choose where I shop.

Unfortunately for you, the same response applies to states and taxation. So you’re back at square one.

Also, I’m surprised you are suggesting that someone can just leave their religion without a care. Supposedly this religion is the One True Path for Romney, his only chance at salvation and life everlasting. If he isn’t a member, he believes he will go to Hell (or something – whatever it is, it’s a punishment of epic proportions for a believer). So his choice is pay up or go to hell. Still sound voluntary to you?

Jarrah

27 Nov 12 at 11:59 am
OK, found the link, such as it is. I originally took it from the Cat several months ago. Unfortunately I can’t find it.

Winston Smith

27 Nov 12 at 12:00 pm
AAAAAHHH!!!

Q&A repeat just came on ABC24 and I saw the first question from the woman with the funny shaped forehead in the audience. Amost regurgitated my lunch.

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 12:38 pm
Just got this email:

We are sorry to announce that due to legal and regulatory pressures, Intrade can no longer allow US residents to participate in our real-money prediction markets.

What a bunch of fun-sheriffs the US has become.

Fleeced

27 Nov 12 at 12:39 pm
the woman with the funny shaped forehead

Needless to say, the TV was immediately turned off! Some music will now be needed to sooth jangled nerves and get through the rest of the lunch break. Perhaps Sepultura …

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 12:47 pm
My niece is a new driver, and I thought a hands-free FM kit for her iphone would be a good Christmas present – mostly so she could play her itunes through the car stereo, but also because it’s now law in NSW (since Nov 1) that a driver can’t use a mobile unless the mobile phone is secured in a fixed mounting.

You’re basically not even allowed to touch your phone without a mount – a bit excessive, IMO. Anyway, after comparing online for the best models, I thought I better double-check the legal requirements, when I found this:

Learner and P1 drivers and riders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving or riding

Oh well, that’s that then… maybe next year, niece.

Fleeced

27 Nov 12 at 12:49 pm
Learner and P1 drivers and riders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving or riding

Most cars have a bluetooth connection set up.

I blame that gibbering law and order idiot, Ray Hadlee. He is becoming like nanny roxon. He ought to get counselling if that car crash which a kid who knew his daughter is affecting his judgment so much.

.

27 Nov 12 at 12:51 pm
that would be ‘soothe’ with an ‘e’

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 1:15 pm
Decided upon James Horner’s excellent soundtrack for ‘House of Sand and Fog’ (Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley). Very different from Horner’s other works.

Looking forward to today’s Question Time.

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 1:28 pm
Bunyip reports on teh AFR:

A comedian tells some sexist and unsound jokes at a gathering of the Australian Hotels Association and that is reported, which is fair enough.

So what illustration does some unsupervised leftoid mole in the AFR’s pictures department choose to illustrate the story? An old picture of Tony Abbott, who did not attend the event, wasn’t there, didn’t laugh at the gags and knew nothing about it. The picture and caption are below.

http://bunyipitude.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/the-australian-financial-rot.html

Gab

27 Nov 12 at 1:31 pm
So what illustration does some unsupervised leftoid mole in the AFR’s pictures department choose to illustrate the story?

Unsupervised? Too kind, Bunyip. More like a disgraceful lack of journalistic standards.

Septimus

27 Nov 12 at 1:49 pm
QT today, the speaker is an idiot.

Slapper questions the company JB keeps.

Bishop fires back with the $17K to town mode.
Town Mode owned by Q Renovators P/L.

Albosleazy continues to be a tosser.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:12 pm
Gillard sounds like she is about to start screeching like a fishwife in question time.

I take it back – she is screeching like a fishwife.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:21 pm
You can’t make this stuff up.

The irrelevant TIME magazine has Sandra Fluke as a possible person of the year.

They have gone beyond shark jumping here.

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 2:26 pm
Seems to be more Dorothy Dixers than usual in QT.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:29 pm
Which is worse? Q&A or Q&T? Thank you for the selfless generosity in enduring something that the rest of us are unable to tolerate for health reasons, Jugs.

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 2:30 pm
I almost forgot: My best to Lady Jugs.

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 2:33 pm
That’s utterly ridiculous. He can avoid paying US taxes by leaving the US, just as he can avoid Mormon taxes by leaving the Mormon church.

No, it isn’t. He cannot avoid paying taxes (as I’ve said before, if he ceases to pay taxes in the US, he will pay taxes elsewhere, he cannot escape them); he can avoid paying tithes, not only by becoming a member of another religious organisation like the RCC, but also by ceasing to be a member of any at all.

I cannot escape paying for bluray players no matter where I go. Therefore, when I go into JB HiFi, my choice in going there is no choice at all, I am involuntarily paying because even if I go to Dick Smith, I still have to pay.

This is on its face a stupid argument and not the one I raised. You can choose not to purchase and own a blu-ray player; you cannot choose to pay no taxes.

Also, I’m surprised you are suggesting that someone can just leave their religion without a care.

I never said he can leave “without a care”; I said the choice to remain a member is and always remains voluntary and this is true of this class of organisation, namely, voluntary organisation. The same is characteristically not the case of the class of organisation called states; here membership is and always has been compulsory. In other words, although membership of this or that state is voluntary, membership of a state is not. The same is not the case, as I stated before, of religious organisations, women’s gyms, sporting clubs, knitting bees, and so on. Not only is the choice of this or that organisation voluntary, but so too is being a member of any of these organisations at all. The clearest test of this is that every person on the Cat pays taxes but there will be quite a number who are not members of religious organisations and even a smaller number paying tithes.

dover_beach

27 Nov 12 at 2:34 pm
I know a few shooters comment here so I’ll throw this out there.

Paul Ryan went deer hunting with his daughter.

But Ryan, a dedicated bowhunter, earlier said that his daughter had been hunting with him before but this was the first year she could legally hunt alone from her own stand.

She’s 10. That strikes me as a bit young to be shooting unsupervised from her own hide. Maybe 15 would be more realistic.

Any thoughts?

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 2:36 pm
My best to Lady Jugs.

Thanks i’ll pass that on when i get home.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:39 pm
The irrelevant TIME magazine has Sandra Fluke as a possible person of the year.

A few years ago they had the guy who has come close to a vaccine/cure for AIDS.

.

27 Nov 12 at 2:39 pm
Speaking of the Bunyip, what happened to his breathless announcement on Sunday night of “rumours that a move against Gillard is afoot”? He should stick to his billabong.

m0nty

27 Nov 12 at 2:40 pm
Julie Bishop tries to present a question with an affidavit from Cambridge – gets ruled out of order.

The speaker is an ass.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:40 pm
French bloke writes an article in French which has been translated at the Guardian.

I think the headline was mistranslated:

Why I want to open a gay-friendly mosque in Paris

I’m certain the correct translation should be:

Suicide is too much trouble, I’d like someone else to kill me.

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 2:47 pm
The speaker is an ass

The Speaker is a Emily’s List/Union apparatchik. The leopard doesn’t change its spots. Expecting her to be impartial is like expecting this PM to be honest…

Cold-Hands

27 Nov 12 at 2:47 pm
Looks like the speaker is shutting down any questioning of the slapper.

On cue Albosleazy acts like a toad.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:48 pm
The Speaker has banned further questions of Gillard on what she knew and when because she has ‘answered’ them outside of the House.

C.L.

27 Nov 12 at 2:49 pm
Thats enough QT for me, off to a site meeting.

Carpe Jugulum

27 Nov 12 at 2:49 pm
Speaking of the Bunyip, what happened to his breathless announcement on Sunday night of “rumours that a move against Gillard is afoot”? He should stick to his billabong.

Monty predicted the return of Peter Slipper to the Speaker’s chair.

C.L.

27 Nov 12 at 2:51 pm
She’s 10. That strikes me as a bit young to be shooting unsupervised from her own hide. Maybe 15 would be more realistic.

from DaveF.

Without checking the precise wording of the relevant State law, allowing a 10 year old unsupervised access to any firearm strikes me as totally irresponsible. Even 15 y.o.s should be accompanied by a suitably experience shooter.

A good rule of thumb is that when the law allows a person to legally own a firearm, they can then use it without supervision.

Pedro the Ignorant

27 Nov 12 at 2:53 pm
Brian Leveson is expected to do a Ray Finkelstein on News Limited UK on Thursday and Times editor James Harding has a word with David Cameron about his options:

…let me offer you an unfashionable set of views. The BBC is excellent, the best in the world at what it does. Rupert Murdoch has been and remains a valiant proprietor of The Times: he saved it from closure; expanded the newsroom and network of foreign correspondents; was the first to commit newspapers to revolutionary new technologies; and has respected the editorial independence of the paper. And Fleet Street is one of the best things about Britain.

An unbiddable press acts as a check on the powerful and a challenge to our own prejudices. I’d rather have a troublesome, mischievous and, yes, sometimes disgraceful press, than a self-censoring and spotless one. In a free society, newspapers, providing that their facts are accurate, should be able to give a verbal kicking.

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 3:00 pm
There are different rules applying between what a politician says inside and outside the house. Gillard is now saying that she doesn’t have to answer questions asked by the peoples representatives.
To repeat a line I used several years ago, it’s amazing how this mob have tied up all the avenues for removal – Slipper in thrall to Gillard, the new speaker an Emily’s Lister, and the GG the same.
Be concerned – very concerned.

Winston Smith

27 Nov 12 at 3:01 pm
He should stick to his billabong.

I think the problem is he sticks to his bong a little too much.

SteveC

27 Nov 12 at 3:05 pm
I think the problem is he sticks to his bong a little too much.

really? You know this how?

Gab

27 Nov 12 at 3:09 pm
Terrible front page story for Gillard in the Daily Telegraph.

Julian O'Dea

27 Nov 12 at 3:16 pm
Dogshit’s Best Friend, you don’t like Bunyip and don’t read his blog. You don’t like the Cat. You’re here as Dogshit’s tag-team troll. For your self-respect, you should fuck off. Of course, you won’t because you’re determined that, as a government sycophant, you will ram your Green gibberish down our throats whether we like it or not. You’re worse than the 17th century Christians reciting their epistles to the Indians in South America.

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 3:23 pm
The Speaker has banned further questions of Gillard on what she knew and when because she has ‘answered’ them outside of the House.

Can the Speaker make such a judgement about a political issue? For how long? What recourse might the Opposition have to this embargo??

Gillard must answer yes/no questions in the House. Her failure to do so is an admission of guilt.

If she lies to the House and is found out, she is gone. She knows that.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

27 Nov 12 at 3:31 pm
Tom:

You’re worse than the 17th century Christians reciting their epistles to the Indians in South America.

Gee that came out of nowhere lol

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 3:33 pm
Julian, it’s balanced by the Babe Mathematician who has discovered the formula for the perfect hemline.
Winston – the firstest with the mostest.

Winston Smith

27 Nov 12 at 3:37 pm
Winston in your search for the perfect skirt length for yourself you missed this breaking news:

Agriculture minister Ilse Aigner has agreed to change the law to make it illegal for people to “use (animals) for their own sexual activities or sexual acts of third parties” – which also bans the ‘pimping’ of animals to others.

However the move has aroused the ire of zoophile group ZETA.

Lobbyist Michael Kiok, who lives with his dog Cassie, told the newspaper there were more than 100,000 zoophiles in Germany.

Is that the unlikliest name for a zoophile (who knew there was such a word?) spokesman?

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 3:46 pm
The Speaker didn’t ban questions, she ruled two questions and most of another out of order. Once Bishop realigned her questions to be relevant, they continued.

m0nty

27 Nov 12 at 3:58 pm
DaveF, I, too, went to the Daily Tele website for the Gillard story … but finished up here.

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 4:02 pm
The Speaker has banned further questions of Gillard on what she knew and when because she has ‘answered’ them outside of the House.

I don’t understand.

What bearing does Gillard have speaking to a couple of reporters have on the parliament asking her questions?

twostix

27 Nov 12 at 4:04 pm
The BBC is excellent, the best in the world at what it does

Rabz

27 Nov 12 at 4:12 pm
Tom:

Gee she’s a bit of a socialite, isn’t she.

DaveF

27 Nov 12 at 4:19 pm
I don’t understand.

What bearing does Gillard have speaking to a couple of reporters have on the parliament asking her questions?

Did the Speaker ban questioning Gillard because she already answered the questions in a press conference?
If so, I got an idea: If the Police ever show up in my house, trying to interview me for a crime I committed, I will just instruct them to leave – and explain that I already had a chat about this issue with a couple of my mates.

roger

27 Nov 12 at 4:34 pm
Once Bishop realigned her questions to be relevant

In other words, not the questions Bishop really wanted answered?? Can the Speaker dictate content like this? What Gillard has said to her stenographers is not relevant to Parliament, surely?

————-

King Winston – I must say you have done well in your kingly duties for the members of Lizzie’s List. That skirt length and waist height formula you linked to, which utilises the good old ‘golden mean’ (of which Mother Nature too is so fond) really is the story of the day. I’ve done mine, and it is a beautiful set of numbers.

See what happens when females really take to maths? We get some particularly useful results. Better than boring old bridges and aerodynamicy things and such, wouldn’tcha say?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

27 Nov 12 at 4:45 pm
since when did Winston become King?

candy

27 Nov 12 at 4:51 pm
“He cannot avoid paying taxes”

Stop mixing the specific with the general.

“This is on its face a stupid argument”

Hey, if you’re changing your mind about the kind of argument you’re using, that’s fine. Means I’ve convinced you it was a bad argument.

“you cannot choose to pay no taxes.”

Of course you can. It has consequences, but the choice is open to you.

Jarrah

27 Nov 12 at 4:57 pm
Don’t bother with all that PM stuff – I’m the bloody King and you’ll all just do as you’re bloody well told.

Winston Smith

26 Nov 12 at 6:56 pm

This is King Winston’s Unilateral Declaration of Kingship.

I am currently walking a thin line between a firing squad and hungry crocs for being uppity towards him.

Candy, you have been warned. If I fall in the line of duty and due to unwarranted political hubris (mea culpa Kingy) then the baton is passed to you.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

27 Nov 12 at 5:03 pm
“You can choose not to purchase and own a blu-ray player”

If this is really what is bothering you about the example, when the form of the argument is what matters, then simply change it to food or water or anything you can’t go without and still exist.

Jarrah

27 Nov 12 at 5:10 pm
The Speaker should be up before the privileges committee for going way beyond the jurisdiction of the Speaker. The Speaker can only rule on matters and events that occur WITHIN the House. The Speaker can rightly rule on points of order where an incomplete or irrelevant answer has been provided. They cannot rule on answers given to questions outside the House. That is just ridiculous.

Keith

27 Nov 12 at 5:13 pm
Not merely ridiculous, it is corrupt, Keith.

Gab

27 Nov 12 at 5:15 pm
Rabz,
from the professor.

UPDATE: Actually, someone is buying Faifax. FXJ is up to 46 cents and the volume, just 90 minutes into trading, is huge.

Rudiau

27 Nov 12 at 5:42 pm
Fairfax

Current
Ask 46.5
Bid 47
Volume 65.8 Million

Rudiau

27 Nov 12 at 5:49 pm
Fairfax (won’t let me link)

Current
Ask 46.5
Bid 47
Volume 65.8 Million

Rudiau

27 Nov 12 at 5:51 pm
Gutless Gillard – humiliated by her own cabinet:

Backbench revolt overturns PM on UN Palestine vote.

JULIA Gillard’s personal decision to have Australia vote against a United Nations motion to give Palestine observer status has been overturned by a backbench revolt.

On Monday night the Prime Minister told her Cabinet colleagues she had made the decision that Australia would vote against the motion and expected Cabinet support…

In the end the Prime Minister imposed her authority as leader and said she expected support. Senator Conroy and Workplace Relations Minister, Bill Shorten, backed her decision.

But after Cabinet and before this morning’s ALP Caucus meeting of all ministers and backbenchers the Prime Minister succumbed to pressure, dropped her insistence on a vote against Palestine and agreed to Australia abstaining from the vote.

Many MPs, expecting Ms Gillard to maintain her staunch support for Israel and back a vote against the motion, were taken by surprise by the backflip.

C.L.

27 Nov 12 at 5:51 pm
Lizzie’s List

I want to read more about this, Elizabeth. Sinc, is there room for a post about the alternative to Emily’s List?

Tom

27 Nov 12 at 6:10 pm
Sinc, is there room for a post about the alternative to Emily’s List?

What’s that?

Sinclair Davidson

27 Nov 12 at 6:13 pm
New open forum opened up.

Sinclair Davidson

27 Nov 12 at 6:13 pm
JULIA Gillard’s personal decision to have Australia vote against a United Nations motion to give Palestine observer status has been overturned by a backbench revolt.

Honestly, of all the issues for the backbench to revolt over, this is it? The whole ALP is rotten to the core.

Fleeced

27 Nov 12 at 6:16 pm
Here’s some shit to chew on.

Which stock market is up 25% this year?

Yep you guessed right. Greece.

Which market is down 10% this year.

Yep. China.

So how fucked up is that. The nation owing all the money is up 25 and the nation owning the mullah is down 10.

Lesson.

People over discount gloom. Panic is a far more dangerous emotion.

JC

29 Nov 12 at 12:01 am
oops.. emotion

JC

29 Nov 12 at 12:02 am

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Catallaxy Files

Open Forum: November 24,2012

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