After yesterday's exciting climate science denialism day parade through the streets of Surry Hill, it was inevitable that this day's Sunday meditation would be soporific - a somnolent, somniferous, snoozy, soothing, sedative designed to keep people abed.
Mix prattling Polonius with the ABC, and you're likely to end up in the valley of the dolls ... which might be taken to refer to ABC female journalists or to the downers routinely taken in Jacqueline Susann's long forgotten, truly terrible novel ...(she doesn't write, she types, said Gore Vidal, himself a pretty mean typist).
Well there's nothing like substance abuse, especially if the substance is the lack of substance in Polonius's perennial, deeply anal, richly Freudian fixations ...
The pond's no longer a regular ABC viewer, but there's something deeply weird and insular at the sight of prattling Polonius swallowing a Dame Slap story and regurgitating it ...
It's way too rich reflexive, or navel-gazing for the pond, and all the more so when Polonius has a stomping fit, apparently unaware that long ago the ABC announced that budget cuts would severely limit the amount of transcripts it would for for its show (and don't get the pond started on the ABC's lack of digital archiving, which means that the Wayback Machine is sometimes the only way to retrieve stuff, and only then if you have a url ...)
Anyway, in grand fit of petulance befitting an emperor without clothes, apparently the ABC is supposed to transcribe any events at which any of its journalists might speak.
You might think the onus was on the ACT Bar Association's Women Lawyers Association to pander to pedantic Polonius's whims, but not so ... it's always the ABC ... oh, and don't forget the need for a good slapping ...
How could Polonius resist prattling about his ongoing love of the Pellists, and the cruel treatment meted out by those bloody activist female journalists, which are completely unlike the deactivated News Corp journalists, who never indulge in crusades or campaigns, but only want to look like a statue in a waxworks museum?
These days the pond routinely glazes over when confronted by Polonius, all the more so because his face is beginning to look like one of those gargoyles you see on the side of Uni of Sydney buildings ...
The pond sometimes wonders if Polonius's activism, as he actively scribbles in an activist way about activist journalism, gets especially heated when he's confronted by an uppity, difficult woman who doesn't know her place, which is to prepare the lovely flower arrangements for the Pellist altar ...
Note the splendid way that Polonius rages at Milligan for overlooking certain matters, and then tosses off talk of survivors with "well most are", which is to say, they might be, but what do you expect me to do about it, or to write about it, when ranting at the ABC is my lifestyle choice ...
And so to a confession, an admission of defeat .... as the pond contemplated the triptych of reptile terrors in one of its weekend incarnations ...
"Ned" nattering about Petey boy? Sorry, for the first time, the pond had completely and abjectly failed the "Ned" Everest climb test ... there was simply no one to get to base camp, let alone attempt the climb listening to a pompous, portentous ass quoting a self-satisfied smirking ass ...
This is as close as the pond ever wants to get to Petey boy, now or in the future ...
The smirker ever had the ticker ... and that's why he's ended up chatting to "Ned" ...
So the pond failed the Everest EXCLUSIVE, and did its best to hide its shame by turning to other reptiles.
Fergo maintaining the reptile rage at comrade Dan was a temptation, but in the end the pond settled for the oscillating fan ...
The pond almost never wastes time with this particularly tedious doofus, but had a few cartoons to use up, and couldn't think of a better excuse ...
The pond loves the way that the oscillating fan can channel the Donald as if to the manor born ...
Hmm, time for a cartoon or two ...
Don't get the pond wrong, the pond hopes that the oscillating fan's analysis is right, and the Donald stays around to keep on creating GOP mayhem ...
Christian Vanderbrouk scribbled a similarly themed column for
The Bulwark,
Was It Really All Just Trump's Fault?, outlining the many times that the GOP had tried to shake their addiction to the mango Mussolini ...
He even offered a musical metaphor of hope ...
Could a rebranded MAGA movement continue by just replacing the frontman? Is it still Journey without Steve Perry, or the Grateful Dead without Jerry Garcia? In a way, yes. MAGA could Jefferson Starship itself indefinitely as long as the crowds keep vibing. But without the original magic the venues tend to shrink, the fans get old, and it all starts to seem a little pathetic.
Well it's always been more than a little pathetic, the fans were old from the beginning, the venues have been shrinking, and the vibing is particularly lame, especially when they get out those gay disco hits from the 1980s to bung on a MAGA party (not a clue about the Village People), but the pond hopes that the oscillating fan is on the money ...
And meanwhile, cartoonists can go on making an honest living ... celebrating the mango Mussolini and his followers ...
However it plays, it's going to be great entertainment, and these days the pond is only here for the entertainment ...
Ah, the oscillating fan was only doing a Halloween party trick a few days late. Adopt a contrarian position and then have nightmares about the boogeyman and all that he might do ...
Loomis: I met him, 15 years ago; I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding in even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this... seventy six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, mango-coloured face, and... the blackest eyes - the Devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up, because I realized that what was living behind that pussy groper's eyes was purely and simply... evil.
Laurie : It was the Boogeyman.
Loomis : As a matter of fact it was.
In the meantime, as it's after Halloween, surely it's time to turn to a Christmas-themed movie and all the presents that come with that ...
And with that thought, time to turn to Dame Slap for a meditative Sunday bonus - well she was the other choice in the triptych of terror - and the reptiles thought so highly of her piece that they loaded it up with carefully neutralised click bait videos ...
This will all be familiar territory to regular readers of the reptile columns presented by the pond. It's so predictable that the pond feels able to drop in the odd cartoon, whether it had direct relevance to the Dame's rant ... or not ...
The Business People's Collective. Now there's a re-badging idea for the IPA ...
You can take Dame Slap out of the IPA (whatever happened there?), but you can't take the IPA out of Dame Slap ...
The pond supposes that at some point Polonius will get around to quoting this Dame Slap outing. The poor old jade, now a tired old roué who might have to start adding colour to his cheeks in the manner of an Aschenbach, might find it useful when searching for some Labor and union bashing material.
Add a dash of eye liner, and it might pop up sounding reasonably fresh ...
Meanwhile, the pond will keep on with the cartoons ...
Well it beats the click bait videos the reptiles have inserted as a distraction from the ranting ...
Some might think that the IPA's cash-for-policy problem doesn't end with Gina, but frankly the pond would rather be in Kansas with Baz, long an admirer of the land of Oz ...
And so there's just two gobbets of bashing to go, and the pond suggests that if you wipe away some of the frothing and foaming, the text will become clearer ... if no more coherent - hate unions, hate lawyers, hate Labor - but with less spittle ...
In all this the pond has some fair regard for the way that Dame Slap has of late studiously avoided joining the climate science denialist parade and avoided scribbling about the US elections.
Here no MAGA cap these days, no MAGA cap here ... but then ...
Now there's a novel use for a coat-hanger, and with regret, because all tedious things must end, the pond presents the last rant, and in it, the Dame turns apocalyptic prophet ...
Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and an IPA crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that unionists should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand... and lo, it was the NACC, and with a terrible snicker snack, the rider deployed the scales and carved up the Labor party, and that'll larn 'em ... because all politicians should have the right to be corrupt as they please. It's the IPA way ...
And so it came to pass, and vengeance was mine, saith the Slap, and damned if there'll be any attempt at cleaning up the joint on her watch, and with that, what better way to end than by celebrating the pending apocalypse and more mutual destruction ...
Gerrard Henderson has a real problem with his obsessive behaviour he continually writes too denigrate what the ABC produces and how it investigates activities of the church and anyone who has a connection to the Liberal party. And I believe this is related to his dismissal from the Insiders program he should get over this because life is to short to carry this butchers block on his back for the rest of life, the other matter of his comparison with the judgement of the high court with Lindy Chamberlain and the judgement of Cardinal George Pell there is no comparison in my opinion Lindy Chamberlain spent years in gaol and Pell spent twelve months and Pell did support a convicted paedophile on his appearances in court.And was the judgement of the high court decided on evidence or the religious bias of the judges is there evidence of their neutrality with the justices not having a connection to any religion or party in this acquittal because as we know most of the justices have been appointed by the Liberal party.
ReplyDeleteOh come on, Anony, if Polonius was to toss his "butcher's block" from his back he'd have nothing left to live for.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, apart from his many other faults and sins, "Cardinal" Pell initiated and operated the "Melbourne Response" which would have left Jesus horrified (if he'd ever lived that is) but there will never be any acknowledgement of that from Polonius, of course.
What a real 'same old, same old' Sunday. Polonius wih Louise Milligan and the ABC, the "Van" and his "don't write off X yet" (X = Trump this time) in the hope that one day, some day, one of his X's will resurge and he'll be able to shout "I told you so" to the world; and Slappy; Slappy: long bereft of her Monckton mewling, her MAGA TRUMPeting, and her IPA sinecure but still able to say all the old things in all the old ways.
ReplyDeleteSo, ignoring Polonius (and who wouldn't) we get Van Onselen claiming "Trump thrives on being the underdog in the eyes of established party leaders," whereas what Trump really thrives on is being the Man and the winner. And just at the moment, he's neither.
And Slappy, once again warning Dreyfus that if he takes action to get certain doings and behavings declared bad, then the first victim of his actions will be himself. Never, ever, declare anything naughtily punishable lest you, yourself, be punished for doing it. And being clever enough never to do it to themselves is how the Lib-Nats got away with much evil for 9 years. Yep, learn your lesson, Dreyfus and copy your betters.
An enjoyable, though longish, read Chad:
ReplyDeleteConfessions of an econocrat-watcher: Ross Gittins
https://clubtroppo.com.au/2022/11/12/confessions-of-an-econocrat-watcher-ross-gittins/#more-36540
I used to read our Ross regularly, in the train on the way to work, but not so much for the last 15 or so years.
GB - thank you for that link. I have been promoting local 'cultcha', so got to contemplate the pond this evening (cue assorted frog calls!).
ReplyDeleteGood discussion, and well written, as, I think we agree, Gittins always did. I was particularly taken with his 'When it comes to regulation, the econocrat profession should be the repository of the nation’s knowledge of what works and what doesn’t, but it’s made little effort to become that.'
South Australia introduced beverage deposit legislation more than 40 years ago. Within 5 years it could be readily shown that it worked in its prime objective of reducing litter, and the secondary of promoting re-use and recycling. It had other, less-expected, benefits in income support for particular demographic groups, which were quite significant to its success Yet, for most of those intervening years, pollies in other states were somewhere between dismissive and hesitant of introducing similar management - simply because of the public campaigns by the beverage and packaging industry bodies, confidently predicting the demise of entire industries if such other government had the temerity to consider a deposit (A TAX!!!) on containers. Then, even when a suitably 'courageous' government did act - they had to make minor adjustments to the SA model - to make allowance for worthy sub-industries, y'understand, whose prospects for 'jobs'n'growth' should not be hindered by this socialistic change. So - where we live - one type of container does not attract a deposit, yet over the border - which I can see from my front window - I would receive a deposit. Shades of a fairly famous 'Seinfeld'.
On a much large scale - our entire country is quite unpersuaded by the Norwegian experience in extracting a reasonable share of the resource rent realised with natural resources, for the benefit of the citizens who (a) own the resource and (b) actually make the resource rent available through legislation offering access to entire oil, gas and other mineral fields. by over-riding traditional 'title' that gave the one with title to the surface land initial rights to the other resources beneath it.
It occurred to me that the ALP has a peculiar approach to taxes, saying that they don't believe we need(?) new taxes. It seems to me that it would be sensible to say, we will introduce new taxes if they will improve the welfare of the citizenry - cf the Reserve Bank, that acts to improve the welfare of the Commonwealth. If you adopt this approach you are framing the discussion in a much more progressive way, it is up to the opponents of the new tax to show that it will make things worse.
DeleteJoe - I find it interesting to observe the LNP administration in NSW fumbling and bumbling its way towards a land tax on houses, rather than stamp duty. One of the things few governments have learned was from the New Zealand experience with 'Rogernomics' (it has its own 'Wiki' entry) - one element of which was that when you introduce a substantial economic change, you don't wait around and let the whingers cultivate their outrage - you hit them with another change, and force them to focus on that. Never give them time to wallow in self pity.
DeleteFumbling and bumbling is a good way not to advance your case, but governments that are prepared to make substantial changes with a positive mindset are uncommon. Just ask Paul Keating.
Some of the NSW land tax proposal goes back to Henry George.
Considering container deposit schemes Victoria did have one for a while back in the 1980s which was apparently rescinded in 1989. I hardly ever bought beverages in glass bottles back then (cans more often and they weren't included, I think), so I can't say I remember it. I do have faint, confused memories of collecting 'bottle deposits' back before I became a teenager but there doesn't seem to be any recollection of that in Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_deposit_legislation_in_Australia#Victoria)
DeleteOne thing I do remember, though, was the days of the 'bottlos' who collected used beer bottles and basically sold them back to the breweries. The cubs and scouts used to do annual 'bottle collections' back then to raise funds - I even took part in one.
But with the almost universal advent of the plastic bottle (and cans), that all just faded away.
As to 'forever' land tax versus stamp duty, I'd be in favour of that provided it doesn't apply to old pensioners such as me. Interesting point being that a 'land tax' is basically a forever tax - permanent money raiser for government versus a 'once off' stamp duty. But how would a 'land tax' be assessed: would it be set at a ratio of the land value and thus continue to rise as land values rise as in recent times ?
But "econocrat profession should be the repository of the nation’s knowledge of what works and what doesn’t" ? Well first they'd have to actually discover and know what works and what doesn't and they've been quite remarkably bad at that, continuing with the same old failed ideology year after year.