The pond was heading off to check out the latest Trumpisms - yes for light relaxation, is there better entertainment and a necessary prelude to a viewing of Colbert celebrating teh Donald? - when for the first time in yonks it stopped at the local digital edition ...
That led inevitably to this ...
Which luckily led to this charming snapshot of two war criminals posing together, and a flurry of attendant abuse ...
The pond began to wonder why politicians allowed comments on twitter.
Of course it's impossible to take any of it seriously.
For all that Forster purports to care, how is it possible for anyone with a twitter banner like this able to stop laughing in an hysterical Dr. Strangelove way?
For all that Forster purports to care, how is it possible for anyone with a twitter banner like this able to stop laughing in an hysterical Dr. Strangelove way?
Dearie me, that's almost as creepy as that mugshot of the two war criminals posing together ...
Anyhoo, the next thing you know, the pond woke up to see that the reptiles of Oz had naturally decided to feature that simpering sod on the left - not with face grimaced in rictus grin as above, but with a grimaced rictus of threat and fear, as if posed for an ID photo for a career in the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation ....
Now to get to this latest revelation of the bond between brother and sister, the pond had to turn up many great opportunities of the Saturday kind ...
There were the great minds of the dog botherer and prattling Polonius doing it for the republic ...
Yes, yes, because Islamic radicalism has got everything to do with an Australian republic!
There was the bromancer, nuking the opposition ...
There was the bromancer, nuking the opposition ...
And Springfield needs a monorail. Oh dear, what happened to that one in Sydney? Did we misplace it? But opportunity still knocks ...
And then there was the barking mad Bettina, running late to the party, but on arrival, determined to nuke everything in sight ...
And then there was the barking mad Bettina, running late to the party, but on arrival, determined to nuke everything in sight ...
And people still complain about the way the world deprives them of untold riches ... as if the sight of wacky Bettina baying about a mob rule mentality in the age of Murdoch isn't an intellectual pleasure far exceeding wasted time with Wittgenstein ...
Never mind, let's cut to the chase, and get on with the speech.
Of course the pond was going to celebrate the banality of weevils ...
It was around this point that the pond began to get nervous. That's it? The goose travelled half way around the world to say this?
Was it just so he could get a snap of himself posing next to war criminal Henry?
Did he really say "The next change is working out how they can express their fidelity and permanence, if that's what they want"?
He really has no idea what's already happened in many countries in the western world? He really is that completely, totally and uselessly out of touch?
So it seems, because the rest of the summary was equally fatuous ...
The pond turned away, disappointed. Oh sure there was the pleasure of a man who would still say "As prime minister", because that's really all he's got left, the clutching at the tattered dreams and the remnants of glory ...
But the rest was just idle, contemptible blather of the evasive kind, where he couldn't actually summon up the courage to admit the truth ... I find gays threatening ...
Why does he feel threatened? Why did he defame "most people" by saying they did too? Does he think everyone shares his Daesh, Talibanish fundamentalism?
The pond has always wondered about men who like to sniff bums in scrums ... not that there's anything wrong with that ... but you know what they say about hyper-masculine, hyper-Christian types. Always ready for a good turning ...
Never mind, whether you're in or you're out, you can always live in hope, and the pond is at all times tremendously optimistic, so it was a great pleasure to see that another wayward, used up politician was planning a trip to America ...
Please, hum Simon and Garfunkel's 'looking for America' song while thinking of Bernie as you journey with Kevin across the Pacific ...
Overnight, in the usual way of the intertubes, that jumped from 'Anger' to 'Fury':
Mr Andrews, who was dumped by Mr Turnbull as defence minister in September, has lately been calling for Australia to contribute more troops to the fight against the Islamic State – contradicting the position he took when he was minister.
His speech will be titled "Australia's Global Security and Defence Challenges".
It is understood that Mr Turnbull's office is not vetting or demanding to see advance copies of speeches given by MPs, including Mr Andrews.
The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual Washington event hosted by Christian members of Congress and organised by a non-profit group called the Fellowship Foundation.
Because there's nothing like a gaggle of Christians getting together to moan about the dangers posed by Islamics to help promote the cause of world peace ...
Oh if only Richard hadn't fucked up the Crusades so badly ... but that leaves a job to be done by your modern Crusader, and is there any better qualified Crusader than Kevin?
And so, in the shocking absence of Rowe and the Pope - oh why have you forsaken us? - it's on to the meme of the day, and some meme-ster has been running a campaign against KPMG.
Well the pond is always willing to recycle anything about that mob and their coffee butlers ...
Oh and the pond is aware that another storm in an alcoholic's tea cup has even reached Melbourne, and believes Cathy Wilcox had the right answer, and more Wilcox here ...
It's tough being an addict in these days of social media. Back in the day, the pond's grandfather went on his binges with only the family to hear about the pink elephant and squirming snakes sitting next to the aspidistra on the what-not ... (you think the pond is kidding? It's amazing how those alcoholic dreams conformed to convention).
Oh and as we started on a quest for Trumpisms, which strangely had originally ended for the pond with video of the FBI shooting of a barking mad right wing terrorist - why not end with a Moir, and more Moir here ...
Considering the track record of right wing Christian politicians and their marriages in the U.S, old Tones is playing with fire with his homophobic activism..... I just hope he doesn't have a "wide stance".
ReplyDelete'Its only in recent times marriage has been about romantic love'. Gawd in 'eaven this facker is weird. The 50 Liberals who voted for this guy to become opposition leader should have the good grace to be as mortified as those in the GOP who supported Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteOh I dunno, AB, Tones is basically right, you know. After all, he being a fundamentalist Xtian, for him the world didn't begin until the birth of God Part III (aka Iesus the Anointed One) to Maryam (aka Mary) a bit over 2000 years ago. But, and here's the thing AB, despite being "with" Joseph, Maryam was a virgin !
DeleteSo, no love lost there then. She was probably sold to Joseph by her father because, as you know, God approves of slavery and especially the selling of daughters. Look up Exodus 21:7 to confirm that.
Then fast forward a millennium or so to that fine Catholic Matron and wife and mother of kings, Eleanor of Aquitaine: now she is actually credited with introducing romantic love to Europe (long before it became Europe, of course), in the Court of Love at Poitiers around 1170 or so. But it wasn't for marriage, no, it was for "love affairs", and toyboys and mistresses and so forth. Love in marriage ? What a silly idea - it just gets in the way of business.
So, it wasn't really until the latter half of the 19th C during the reign of Queen Empress Viccy and the rise of a large and moderately prosperous middle class that it all happened. The middle class didn't have the wealth or property of the upper class, so theirs weren't marriages of the union of dynasties. Nor could they quite come at the favoured approach of the working class and just engage in casual, but very traditional, 'de facto' unions (which were basically all about sex, not love).
No, the middle class had no alternative but to invent, and then come to passionately believe in, noble (kinda romantic) love. And so we got to where we are today. So you see, Tones had it right - there has to be some reason he was a Rhodes Scholar after all.
Excellent potted history, GB - the only thing I would add to it: the rise and rise and rise of sexology in the 20th C, with the whole notion of not only loving but fancying the pants off one's spouse becoming a requirement of marriage. Not to mention that dreaded term 'soulmate'.....
DeleteWhy thank you kindly, Mish :-)
DeleteAnd I feel that we're not so much soulmates as cellmates ...
Professor Bleen, I am in awe of your grotesquely detailed historical affirmation of the righteousness of St Tony of the Northern Slums. I'm also sure that His Godliness is only interested in historical accuracy when he says love in marriage is a modern construct. It would be mischievous to suspect His Magnificence is using this to affirm his belief that marriage is reserved for couples who may procreate at the exclusion of all others including but not limited to; the sterile, the infertile and of course, the sinful, hideous homosexuals. Well, that's me learnt.
DeleteAh, there's nothing quite so gratifying as welcoming the prodigal AB back into the folded.
Delete"... it would be easier for Australians who feel strongly about same-sex marriage to accept a decision ... made by the whole people and not just parliament". Unless of course the "whole people" are stupid enough to approve of it, in which case we will find a way to ignore their vote and preserve the status quo.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta laugh out loud when "conservatives" procrastinate about "common Sense" and the "traditional" nuclear family.
ReplyDeletePerhaps they should read the books of Stephanie Coontz, namely: Marriage A History; American Families; and The Way We Never Were.
Meanwhile it has always been technology and economics that have determined the structure(s) of families. Both of which changed and determined the power-structures between men and women, and in society altogether.
Meanwhile Dorothy I think that you will love the image of cardinal Burke currently featured on The Bilgrimage website, and the associated comments and links, re "manfulness" and the "catholic" church.
Coontz's book is a great read and an eye-opener for anyone whose historical perspective is .... limited.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteOh we did Anon, we ever so much did. We feel compelled to provide a link so that others might love it too ...
ReplyDeletehttp://bilgrimage.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/commentary-on-cardinal-burke-and-new.html
The pond loves manly men, especially manly men not afraid of wearing a good frock ...
There should be more of it, but why do tykes look askance at TGs when we're all the same seething humanity under the frock? Oh okay, maybe not everyone's married to Christ, but what's sex with him like? Probably pretty kinky ...