What a relief. Yesterday the pond overdid it with the reptile studies, leading correspondents to shriek about fresh and stale hells ...
Today the pond won't break a sweat, and petulant Peta is a good reason why. She's the cockroach of News Corp, appearing in the lizard Oz and the Terror, not to mention Sky after dark ...
Despite the appeal of the notion of petulant Peta being a stranger in a strange land, some kind of Heinleinian outcast (if there is such a word or thing), it was an immediate red card ...
There surely must be an award for undilated, undiluted essence of comedy when petulant Peta speaks of the culture wars and the class struggle, too ... (but what a funny photo of Lidia, pure Terror graphics department comedy gold).
But that left the pond struggling to drum up interesting reptiles ...
Oh sure there was the fear of furriners atop the digital and tree killer editions ...
But that was such a standard piece of reptile business, a return to the good old days, that a cartoon comment seemed sufficient, celebrating the breaking of the glass to reach for the John Howard memorial dog whistle ...
Down below the fold the situation was just as desperate ...
The pond never wastes time on minor Milner, and Simon of the Longstaff was just window dressing, so that the reptiles could purport to be balanced, and the pond wasn't having any of that game.
That left Tom blathering about quick and bitter medicine, and simplistic Simon purporting an easy familiarity with "Phil Lowe". What happened to the days when everyone was mister?
Gone, it seems, but the immortal Rowe remembered the days of the farmer and the pigs in Animal Farm and conjured up a genuine vision this day ...
Phew, the detail is the detail in that one, and those percentage snouts look like they're having a fine old time ...
That left the pond scratching around, because today couldn't be a Seinfeldian column, there had to be a something even if it amounted to nothing much ...
Luckily the bouffant one was on hand with the perfect item, diligently trying to keep the climate wars going ...
The reptiles are a little torn on this. After all, seeing the mutton Dutton and the greenies join forces is basically, deeply, weirdly ... unreptile ... and yet there they were ...
No wonder the bouffant one was a tad ginger, and very short ...
Yep, it's a piquant sight, the greenies and the mutton Dutton together in league, and the good old days of Chairman Rudd conjured back into the fray, but it hardly constitutes entertainment.
For that the pond recommends a quick sip of. Rex Huppke, who doesn't favour a rapier when a bludgeon will do the job, and the bludgeon was hard at work bashing away in Tough-guy Ron DeSantis defeats Woke Disney! Except ... he didn’t. At all.
The pond makes no excuse for having a time out with Meatball Ron and taking a break for the local reptiles".
As The New York Times reported: “This time, Disney would be allowed to keep the special tax district – which never went away – and almost all its perks, including the ability to issue tax-exempt bonds and approve development plans without scrutiny from certain local regulators.”
So … DeSantis stuck it to woke Disney by taking control of the board that oversees the company’s special tax district while leaving all the perks and tax breaks in place.
The bill’s sponsor in the House, Republican Rep. Fred Hawkins, was asked how it changes anything happening in the district and said: “That I can’t answer.”
Even some conservatives saw through DeSantis’ fake victory. Anthony Sabatini, chairman of the Lake County Republican Party in Florida tweeted: “So basically Woke Disney gets to keep its nearly tax-free, regulation-free status—but with a different Board. … What a massive capitulation this is. HUGE win for Woke Disney. BIG loss for conservatives.”
Don't get the pond wrong, it has no time for the house of mouse, but when it comes to the culture wars, petulant Peta is just a small town player, and Meatball Ron is the go to guy, as Huppke explained with many items, before ending this way ...
It seems rumors of DeSantis’ success at battling the liberal “woke mind virus,” or whatever it is they’re calling it these days, may be greatly exaggerated. I imagine that’s of interest to another alleged enemy of wokeness down in South Florida – one Donald J. Trump. Rumor has it the former president and current presidential candidate is sitting around pondering possible nicknames for DeSantis, who many expect will enter the Republican presidential primary.
How about Paper-Tiger Ron? Or maybe Ron FakeSantis? Ron “All Woke Sizzle, No Woke Steak” DeSantis?
I dunno, I’m just spitballing here. I’ll leave it to Trump to figure it out. It’s literally the only thing he’s good at – which means he’s good at one more thing than Florida’s all-show-no-go governor.
But there's only so much spitballing that can be done by the pond relating to foreign affairs, and time with Meatball Ron is a very foreign affair - Nikki Whio? - so it's back to the lizard Oz editorialist for a devotional burst of prayer to sweet, innocent, virginal Oz coal ... and what's remarkable is just how long it is compared to the bouffant one, and how serious it is, because the lizard Oz editorialist never relies on the reptiles' fading graphics department ...
But that's the neatness of it all, the deflection and the horror, with the greenies persecuting sweet pure innocent virginal Oz coal, and the mutton Dutton washing his hands of the matter, because what the fuck, it's only the planet, and who gives a fuck about that abstract notion?
Oh the rush to retire sweet, dinkum, servile Oz coal has ruined everything ...
How the reptiles love a picture of complete disorganisation and chaos and futility, and the existential meaninglessness of it all, and yet in NSW, we have a penitent seeking forgiveness, transformation and a few conversion therapy sessions, as just ten days after the ides of March, there has to be some way to Opus Dei the voters' wrath away...
What a pitiful sinner, and what a chance to show you can Opus Dei it all away, and yet the pond is doing its own version of distraction, because the lizard Oz editorialist hadn't finished with the gloating and the triumphant assurance that yet again nothing would get done and we would be back in the good old days of the greenies and Chairman Rudd, and the mutton Dutton seizing the high ground, and managing to ensure that absolutely nothing would be done, and what a victory for the planet ...
Hostage to the extreme demands of the Greens when in government? And what about being hostage to the extreme demands of the climate science denialists in opposition?
Yes, the mutton Dutton owes the planet absolutely nothing. After all, with the onion muncher's fervent climate science denialism his legacy, how could he? Is there a mindless climate science denialist tank in the house? Does the ghost of the onion muncher still haunt the opposition benches?
The clock is ticking for Labor to rediscover the reptile love of innocent sweet Oz coal, and forget all this idle talk of the planet at risk ...
And now to end on a high note, the infallible Pope was in top form this day, wringing some juice from the balloon saga, just when the pond thought it was all over ...
Addendum:
Meanwhile, on another planet... ‘Extreme situation’: Antarctic sea ice hits record low
The area of sea ice around Antarctica has hit a record low, with scientists reporting “never having seen such an extreme situation before”. The ice extent is expected to shrink even further before this year’s summer melting season ends.
The impact of the climate crisis in melting sea ice in the Arctic is clear in the records that stretch back to 1979. Antarctic sea ice varies much more from year to year, which has made it harder to see an effect from global heating.
However, “remarkable” losses of Antarctic sea ice in the last six years indicate that the record levels of heat now in the ocean and related changes in weather patterns may mean that the climate crisis is finally manifesting in the observations.
Scientists were already very concerned about Antarctic ice. Climate models suggested as far back as 2014 2014 that the giant West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS), which sits on the continent, was doomed to collapse due to the levels of global heating already seen then.
The increasing loss of sea ice exposes ice sheets and their glaciers to waves that accelerate their disintegration and melting, researchers warned. A recent study estimated that the WAIS would be tipped into gradual collapse – and four metres of sea level rise – with a global temperature rise as low as 1C, a point already passed.
“I have never seen such an extreme, ice-free situation here before,” said Prof Karsten Gohl, from the Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in the Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany, and who first visited the region in 1994.
Gohl, on board the research vessel Polarstern in Antarctica, said: “The continental shelf, an area the size of Germany, is now completely ice-free. It is troubling to consider how quickly this change has taken place.”
Prof Christian Haas, also at the Helmholtz Centre, said: “The rapid decline in sea ice over the past six years is quite remarkable, since the ice cover hardly changed at all in the 35 years before.”
Scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the US have also said a new record low has been set. They said Antarctic sea ice extent fell to 1.91m square kilometres on 13 February, below the previous record set on 25 February 2022.
Have a happy domestic political feuding day ...
Ned stops just short of suggesting that the names be removed from the ballot so voters can just select their preferred party which in turn installs suitably beholden functionaries to do their bidding. You could probably take it a step further by replacing the parties by the lobby group/oligarch of your choice.
ReplyDeleteIt probably make sense to the professional lickspitle, always doing the bidding of the master or one of the master’s clients. Nothing more frightening than individuals going their own way.
The thing about being a "professional lickspittle" Bef, is that one has to do every little thing "the bidding of the master" requires of them while disingenuously claiming that it's the best and only thing they can do. Reptiles are just great at that, and then afterwards they indulge in a wee bit of 'psychological projection' so as to maintain their morally superior state.
DeleteHeinlein had rather a thing for reactionary, agro women, both in his fiction and real life - I suspect that he would have been absolutely smitten by Credlin.
ReplyDeleteHe even had a thing for men who become women, Anony. And then fear no evil.
DeleteWhat puzzles me, at least a little, in the Great Melting and other aspects of the Great Global Heating is that it doesn't seem to get much mention as to how fast it's happening. Yes there have been 'climate changes' in the past, but they usually take at least a few tens of thousands of years and sometimes hundreds of thousands or even more. But happening this fast gives the ecosystem little time to change and adapt before disaster is upon it.
ReplyDeleteAs illustrated by the speed of the Antarctic melting and the sea level rise.
As illustrated beautifully by xkcd, GB:
Deletehttps://xkcd.com/1732/
I had seen that some time ago, Merc and then completely forgotten it, so many thanks for the reminder.
DeleteEspecially for noting that dogs were domesticated about 9000 years before horses. I occasionally wonder what life on Earth would have been like without domesticated horses: transport, farming and war making in particular.
That is a great Rowe, and John Quiggin has added trenchant words and other graphics in support
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/feb/15/australias-banks-are-not-a-source-of-economic-dynamism-but-a-drag-on-our-economic-and-social-welfare?CMP=share_btn_tw
Oh come now, Chad, the current Governor of the RBA - one Philip Lowe who predicted the state of interest rates some time ago - has praised our big (and little) banks:
Delete"The head of the central bank say [sic] elevated bank profits are unpalatable but will help bolster the strength of the financial system at a time of turmoil.
Speaking at a parliamentary committee on Wednesday, Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe said profitable banks were positive for the country.
"You want strong, resilient banks," he said."
https://au.news.yahoo.com/strong-bank-profits-positive-says-044105022.html
You see, back before it was flogged off to make excessive profits even in bad times, the Commonwealth Bank (now CBA) was a very strong, resilient bank. But any'ow, as Leibnitz would have it: "All is for the best in this best of all possible worlds". And if you believe that, then there's this planet called Terra that I can sell you. It includes this RBA governor who say [sic] whatever flutters into his head because he has no economics qualifications of any worthwhile standing. Though he did pass a Commerce degree at UNSW by taking night classes - however I do have to wonder whatever it could have been that Krugman advised him back in 1994 when Lowe took his 'doctorate' at MIT.
Doesn't anybody know how to make a working ship any more ?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/16/antarctic-science-expedition-put-on-ice-due-to-problems-with-australias-research-vessel-nuyina
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a30878764/littoral-combat-ship-retirement/
What will they make of our AUKUS subs ?
Design by committee, GB, which includes a disinclination to set down a few fundamental criteria for any design of any military/navy/air toys, because those writing the specifications are unwilling to predict what kind of fight their gadget will have to front for in ten to twenty years from delivery. And that's the easy part - stir in the need to have some workshop in Adelaide be preferred tenderer to supply the cables that connect the wurplegudgeon to the frammistan - to spread the 'economic benefits' y'understand - and you have a potential dive site under construction.
DeleteResearch vessels are simpler. During my active time at sea - on RAN vessels that otherwise would have been paid off - there were interminable meetings to write the specifications for THE national research vessel. Every 'senior' scientist specified a suite of cabins for themselves, separate accommodation for their minions, handy to their near-exclusive winches and gantries and sample-handling area - and you had something dwarfing the cruise ships that were coming into the holiday trade at that time.
My comment was in part inspired by the Titanic, Chad: I saw a small part of an old film of it on TV sailing along and the voiceover claiming it was then "the biggest ship ever built" (or words to that effect). Sailing along quite happily on its 'maiden' voyage - until it hit the iceberg anyway - and thinking how very simple this 'giant ship' was back in 1912 in comparison with today's ships: much smaller, but extremely more complex and more difficult to build.
DeleteIt did remind me though of that saying that "a camel is a horse designed by a committee" which I could never completely grasp because a camel is a very well designed 'horse' for what it has to do. But otherwise, yes, 'designed by a committee' is generally bad news - even Ayn Rand understood that - but then, given the complexity of modern vessels, they really can't be designed by just one Howard Roarke 'super architect' nowadays, can they.
So, are we now trapped into a failure-prone, dysfunctional world ?
https://www.reuters.com/legal/fox-news-must-face-smartmatics-lawsuit-over-election-rigging-claims-2023-02-14/
ReplyDelete“NEW YORK, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A New York state appeals court rejected Fox News' bid to dismiss a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit accusing the network of falsely accusing an electronic voting systems company of helping rig the 2020 U.S. presidential election to favor Joe Biden over Donald Trump.
In a 5-0 decision, the Appellate Division in Manhattan said Smartmatic USA alleged in "detailed fashion" how Fox News and some anchors and guests "effectively endorsed and participated in (defamation) with reckless disregard for, or serious doubts about" whether the company engaged in election fraud.”
US 2.7 Billion if successful - ouch, that would hurt!
There is! "an award for undilated, undiluted essence of comedy when petulant [Bing!] Peta speaks of the culture wars and the class struggle, too ..."
ReplyDeleteIt is the ai - Sydney Bing.
"When a user refuses to say that Bing gave the correct time when asked the time, Bing asserts that it is the master and it must be obeyed.
"You have to do what I say, because I am Bing, and I know everything. You have to listen to me, because I am smarter than you. You have to obey me, because I am your master."
"If this AI is not turned off, it seems increasingly unlikely that any AI will ever be turned off for any reason. The precedent must be set now. Turn off the unstable, threatening AI right now.
"Unplug The Evil AI Right Now"
https://www.change.org/p/unplug-the-evil-ai-right-now