In which the quarry whisperer is a bust, and the Major Mitchell loves crims ...

The move of the Caterist to a Monday has been a disaster, with the quarry whisperer completely losing his mojo …

At least the Oreo knew what had to be done, rolled up the sleeves, and tugged the forelock very hard, and this day wrote some splendid ScoMo hagiography … but all the Caterist could manage was an 'attack ad' on the union movement …

Yawn … so the pond turned to the Major Mitchell for light criminal relief …

… and who could argue with that? The Major loves his criminals …

But in lieu of discovering that missing Order of Lenin medal, at least the Major's got a history lesson in mind …

Now the pond hesitates to mention it, but the ADB had this to say about Andy:

Bent's early publishing was described in 1881 as 'superior to anything … produced at the present day in any Australian colony'. He played an important part in the struggle for the freedom of the press but was more important 'for his exceptional typographical productions'. Though not a scholar, he was certainly not illiterate as he was often said to be. In the judgment of Edmund Morris Miller, he had 'more than ordinary ability which he revealed in the organization of his printing establishments and their excellent specimens of craftsmanship produced under difficulties'.

Ah, it's likely that Andy wouldn't have misused "rolled gold", and did exceptional typography, and what a joy that would be ...

Is there any further irony to be had in all this? Well all this sanctimonious talk reminds the pond of the glorious days of Frank Browne, up against the establishment, in the ADB here, with this outcome …

In May 1955 the Labor member for Reid, Charles Morgan, had drawn parliament’s attention to the offending reference which alleged his involvement in 'an immigration racket'. The House of Representatives standing committee of privileges ignored advice from the clerk of the House, Frank Green, that parliamentary privilege should not protect a member against allegations concerning his conduct outside the House, and that the proper place to seek requital was a civil court. Reporting no evidence of improper conduct by Morgan, the committee found Fitzpatrick and Browne guilty of a serious breach of privilege by publishing material intended to influence and intimidate a member in his conduct in the House. 

 Both men appeared before the Bar of the House on 10 June. 'Mr Big' spoke briefly and apologetically, but Browne gave as little ground as he might have done at a different kind of bar, talking vehemently about freedom of speech. During the ensuing debate Prime Minister (Sir) Robert Menzies termed Browne’s address 'an exhibition of unparalleled arrogance and impertinence', while the deputy-leader of the Opposition, Arthur Calwell (usually referred to in Things I Hear as 'Awful Arthur'), described Browne as 'an arrogant rat' and Fitzpatrick as 'an illiterate lout'. By 55 votes to 12 in the case of Fitzpatrick and 55 to 11 for Browne, the House resolved that both should be imprisoned for three months. And so they were, in Goulburn gaol, much to the disapproval of some press and public opinion.

By golly, isn't that Ming the Merciless, the man worshipped by the reptiles and the Caterist quarry whisperer?

Uh huh, back to the Major's dream time …

It is of course so much blather, what with the cozy relationship between the Murdochians and the establishment these days…

Bent might well be doing cartwheels in hell to be dragged into comparisons with today's sordid forelock-tugging, kowtowing mainstream media behaviour ...

Freedom of the press? Well as the Oreo demonstrated this day, that usually means the freedom to conform to ScoMo's vision, or any of the rest of the mob who make it through the revolving doors in Canberra …

And now, just to prove the pond's point about the Caterist losing his mojo …

How did the pond know that the Caterist was out of sorts and was clearly showing a loss of form? 

Well for starters he invoked a dystopian future without mentioning "Orwellian" …

But more obviously this is the sort of standard abuse of unions that could be turned out on a dime by a robot shuffling a few words around to make it feel like it was fresh …

Even worse, it turns out it's just a plug for Menzies Research Centre carry-ons ...

Uh huh, but we all know who's been helping the Menzies Research Centre carry out its "research", a kind word for government propaganda in the government's official reptile voice …

By golly, if only Arthur had given Bent a splash of cash in the paw, that would probably have straightened things out …

The pond fears that if the Caterist isn't returned to his old Tuesday slot, he might simply not be worth heeding up agains the competition offered by the Oreo and the Major on a Monday …

And now, as this is a day for celebrating criminals, Rowe helped out, with more Rowe here …