(Above: a pooch pooper-scooping poo. It seems it's a Queensland thing, since it was found here at Dogmatic councillors argue over who cleans up the mess).Okay, let's get the parochial rant out of the way first.
There's the pond sitting down, innocently watching a little ambulance chasing on the news, and up pops a harmless feel good story about Bazza O'Farrell flinging a little cash at PCYCs (why there's even a new one planned for that depressed area of Dee Why, probably depressed because of its proximity to Tony Abbott's electorate).
The theory is that idle youffs, instead of punching people in the streets, go off to the gym to punch punching bags, helped along by your local friendly, cheerful fuzz.
Who knows if it will work, but where's the harm? It's better than the usual right wing sabre- rattling about locking them all up and flinging away the key.
So what does John Robertson, alleged head of opposition, and a rump once known as the NSW state Labor party do?
Why he turns up on the very same news story glowering and saying the only way to combat crime is to have more heavy-handed plods on the street, the implication being that the youffs of today just need to be locked up (and the key flung away).
Combative nattering negativity right out of the Dr. No handbook.
Combative nattering negativity right out of the Dr. No handbook.
Robertson could have sounded positive, he could have said something nimble. Like how street crime is out of control and how preventative strategies are very important and how the O'Farrell government has failed to take them seriously, unlike the rump known as the Labor party, which believes prevention is better than cure, and better than flooding the streets with fuzz and Orwellian cameras.
At least attempt to sound intelligent and responsive, instead of delivering a thirty second sound bite worthy of a Republican.
Instead Robertson preferred to sound like a head-kicking, hard-hatted union doofus boofhead. Or Tony Abbott ...
Uh huh. It's these little details that count, and by counting this detail, it seems to the pond that NSW Labor (the rump that is) is destined to spend much longer in the wilderness, no matter if the weekend by-election in a safe seat delivered a little gee-up.
Why are politicians inclined to be in the half-empty school? Eventually it catches up with them, as shown by Tony "the carbon tax will destroy the world" Abbott.
And another thing. Will federal Labor learn anything about the NT Intervention from the results in the NT election? Will they finally take seriously the complaints about the continuation of a policy initiated by that prime gruff, Mal "the rough" Brough? Or will they plough on regardless, without pause?
Naturally federal Labor will seek to distance themselves from the loss, but the reality is that federal and state policies are more closely entwined as a result of the intervention.
Instead Robertson preferred to sound like a head-kicking, hard-hatted union doofus boofhead. Or Tony Abbott ...
Uh huh. It's these little details that count, and by counting this detail, it seems to the pond that NSW Labor (the rump that is) is destined to spend much longer in the wilderness, no matter if the weekend by-election in a safe seat delivered a little gee-up.
Why are politicians inclined to be in the half-empty school? Eventually it catches up with them, as shown by Tony "the carbon tax will destroy the world" Abbott.
And another thing. Will federal Labor learn anything about the NT Intervention from the results in the NT election? Will they finally take seriously the complaints about the continuation of a policy initiated by that prime gruff, Mal "the rough" Brough? Or will they plough on regardless, without pause?
Naturally federal Labor will seek to distance themselves from the loss, but the reality is that federal and state policies are more closely entwined as a result of the intervention.
For that matter will Abbott and Brough learn anything? Will Abbott commit the cardinal sin of putting a rough Brough back in the NT box seat?
The election result has produced an uneasy alliance between the CLP and bush blacks, which will see fireworks for years to come, and the pond almost wept with delight to see CLP leader Terry Mills promise to abolish the Berrimah line.
Oh that's a grand porky to begin with ... (and read about the imaginary Berrimah line here)
And another thing.
The pond last night was sitting down to watch the SBS news - on the basis that sometimes it's interesting to see more than ambulance chasing, even if it's ambulance chasing in an international setting - when what should bob up?
That's right, an extended advertorial for the second series of Go Back To Where You Came From.
Memo to SBS newsroom. The fact that SBS has made a sensationalist bit of exploitative programming out of the plight of refugees, cynically throwing the likes of Angry Anderson and Peter Reith into the mix, isn't news.
The election result has produced an uneasy alliance between the CLP and bush blacks, which will see fireworks for years to come, and the pond almost wept with delight to see CLP leader Terry Mills promise to abolish the Berrimah line.
Oh that's a grand porky to begin with ... (and read about the imaginary Berrimah line here)
And another thing.
The pond last night was sitting down to watch the SBS news - on the basis that sometimes it's interesting to see more than ambulance chasing, even if it's ambulance chasing in an international setting - when what should bob up?
That's right, an extended advertorial for the second series of Go Back To Where You Came From.
Memo to SBS newsroom. The fact that SBS has made a sensationalist bit of exploitative programming out of the plight of refugees, cynically throwing the likes of Angry Anderson and Peter Reith into the mix, isn't news.
It has no place in a news service. SBS acting like a gormless commercial network, which is always incapable of distinguishing between real news and shameless self-promotion, is however news. Of the worst kind.
It's the wrong sort of blatant advertorial news. The ABC has been doing it for years, to the considerable agitation of the pond, promoting a Four Corners story here, recycling a bit of Australian Story there, but that's no reason for SBS to lower themselves to the wretched standard of the ABC. Especially as we already cop advertisements on SBS, but not enough to fund any Australian content, just recycled British quiz shows and Comrade Rex.
It's the wrong sort of blatant advertorial news. The ABC has been doing it for years, to the considerable agitation of the pond, promoting a Four Corners story here, recycling a bit of Australian Story there, but that's no reason for SBS to lower themselves to the wretched standard of the ABC. Especially as we already cop advertisements on SBS, but not enough to fund any Australian content, just recycled British quiz shows and Comrade Rex.
Consider yourselves sin-binned for the week, SBS news.
And no the pond won't be watching the show in anticipation that Reith has some sort of epiphany. He's been running his usual epistles from the far right in The Drum, long after the show was shot. There's a greater chance of Satan having an epiphany than Peter Reith ...
And no the pond won't be watching the show in anticipation that Reith has some sort of epiphany. He's been running his usual epistles from the far right in The Drum, long after the show was shot. There's a greater chance of Satan having an epiphany than Peter Reith ...
We've already read director Lincoln Howes breast-beating about how he pinned Reith to the wall, in To Kabul and back, no escape for Reith (forced video at end of link), but how can you take this as a sign that Reith was pinned?
Reith was unimpressed. He stormed past me on his way to the minibus and said: ''You set her up to do that. You manipulated it.''
I responded: ''I can assure you, Peter, I had nothing to do with it. Did you really expect to come on this program and never have to talk about 'children overboard'?''
''Well, you made sure of it. Manipulating her like that. Typical of your lot with your left-wing pinko SBS agenda.''
Actually Mr. Reith it's typical of their capitalist, advertorial, "sell their news soul for a little program promotion and ratings", red state, right wing pervert agenda ...
Yep, all the show will do is get the pond agitated, and frothing and foaming.
As SBS's news service has already managed.
Consider your entire network sinbinned SBS. And now you've lost the pond as a viewer, make sure you don't lose your other viewer, or the asterisks will swamp the ratings …
Finally, what joy it is to watch Campbell Newman in action. Single-handedly the man is restoring the fortunes of state Labor (and in a collateral way the hopes of federal Labor) in Queensland.
His latest effort has even attracted the attention of we Mexicans down south. After calling the state a Spain in bankrupt action, his latest verbal flurry has been to label public servants and their jobs a form of dog poo:
Finally, what joy it is to watch Campbell Newman in action. Single-handedly the man is restoring the fortunes of state Labor (and in a collateral way the hopes of federal Labor) in Queensland.
His latest effort has even attracted the attention of we Mexicans down south. After calling the state a Spain in bankrupt action, his latest verbal flurry has been to label public servants and their jobs a form of dog poo:
''We get the pooper scooper out every day of the week,'' said Newman as he sought to justify the need to clean up after Labor. Newman has already sacked 4500 public servants. He is tipped to sack another 15,500 in his budget next month. (Abrasive Newman gives Labor a lift)
Human beans as dog shit.
Newman is a great indicator of the way a Tony Abbott government will likely function. Erratic, ideological, ambitious and deluded. And at last it's dawned on the federal Labor government that they could make hay while the Newman pooper-scooper goes about its business, flushing people down the toilet. (Federal Labor uses Campbell Newman's job cuts to raise fear of Tony Abbott-led government).
Human beans as dog shit.
Newman is a great indicator of the way a Tony Abbott government will likely function. Erratic, ideological, ambitious and deluded. And at last it's dawned on the federal Labor government that they could make hay while the Newman pooper-scooper goes about its business, flushing people down the toilet. (Federal Labor uses Campbell Newman's job cuts to raise fear of Tony Abbott-led government).
Yep, there's Newman and Abbott chortling as they compare pooper-scoopers:
It's made reading the Courier-Mail quite the fun and necessary thing at the pond. Here's their front page digital splash today ...
... for their latest shock horror story Galaxy Poll finds government cuts to public service taking toll on Campbell Newman's popularity.
Phew ...
What a relief there's a story about Ned Kelly's skull, a Queensland mansion and some tasty models to relieve the tortured state.
The deep north rag is abuzz with shock horror and analysis. Why there's Steven Wardill proposing that Clueless Newman should look south.
Ye ancient cats and dogs, Wardill wants Newman to be more like Jeff Kennett! Wouldn't it be simpler to suggest he model himself after a wrecking ball? Oh wait, he already has. It seems Kennett's the Queenslander model for sensible reform ...
Go Queenslanders ...
Oh they do political comedy well in Queensland. And the next round is a union advertising blitz, as outlined in Together union accuses Campbell Newman of trickery in $500,000 advertising blitz.
Newman is no doubt thinking that all the has to do is the hard yards and the slashing and the burning now, and in a year everyone will have forgotten about it. Well everyone except those who've lost their jobs. But that assumes he'll be turning the state economy around as a result of the slashing and burning.
Do people easily forget being called dog shit, which needs to be scraped off the pavement with a handy pooper-scooper? Perhaps only in Queensland, or perhaps not at all ...
Finally there's been a temptation on the part of many to note how Hurricane Isaac is definitive proof that god doesn't like the Republican party and Mitt Romney.
It's a retort to the ill-mannered ways of stupid Christians who went around alleging that events like Hurricane Katrina was god's punishment of New Orleans for having gays and the mardi gras and voodoo and really good funky blues and jazz in their midst.
And for all we know about the mind of god, it might well be true. But Isaac is another natural disaster, given top of the page treatment by sites like the Huffington Post:
There's no need to replicate the epic stupidity of fundie Christians in relation to the causes and effects of natural disasters.
Natural disasters are natural disasters, and you'd hope in time that stupid fundie Christians come to realise it, instead of idle point scoring in a way reminiscent of witch doctors playing on superstition in the darkest of ages .
So despite the enormous temptation, no cheap point scoring from the pond ...
All very well, you say, but is there any upside, a ray of light or hope in today's gaggle of messes?
Well yes, the pond scoured the opinion pages of Fairfax, and it seems Paul "Chicken Little" "the sky is falling" "General Grumpy" "Colonel Gloom" Sheehan has gone missing ...
Now that should put a spring into your step as you stride into the day ... unless of course you're in the path of a hurricane or Campbell Newman, in which case the pond wishes you good luck and the hope that the storm swerves around you and your loved ones ...
(Below: Pat Robertson makes assorted weather predictions).
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