Day 18, and the pond embraces credible change, a natural evolution from continuity with change, so that ultimately we might have credible continuity with credible change...

(Above: a papal game to play and more Popery here).

Before the pond gets on to the issue of the day - the deplorable conservative nature of conservative Australians, when what's required is a seething, dangerous hotbed of outrageous radicalism - it's mandatory to do a survey of the mood of the reptiles.

Do the chameleons have a healthy dark hue, or are they showing aggressive bright colours?

Some are flashing signs of alarm ...

But happily the Oz editorialist is glowing with nattering negativity ...

Meanwhile, over in Bolter land, the sheer agony of the tragedy was still continuing to impale the Bolter on a thorn, as his heart bled in a way designed to restore colour to the wan Abbott rose ...

Oh cruel, heartless, infamous mockers. 

But how thoughtful and kind of little Timmeh to prepare a cookie cutter so that the Bolter might cut his cookie ...

As for the pond, it hasn't the vaguest idea why a man who thought knighting Phil the Greek was a good idea should be viewed as comedy material ... and on these very pages we have had people stoutly defend the right of the wall puncher to punch walls, wear budgie smugglers, cycle across the land in lycra - oh you can never have enough MAMIL sightings with book in hand - and munch on as many onions as he likes ...

Indeed, the Bolter was on something of a roll, savaging the Savva for her impertinence...

Indeed, indeed. And who saved Jensen the first time he lost pre-selection? John Howard! And who made Tony Abbott a minister? John Howard! And who swallowed Dennis Jensen's coca cola on climate science? Tony Abbott!

Waiter, we're running out of toes for the pleasure of shooting. 

Can we get in a special order of toes for the Bolter so that the hungry for power games can continue?

Speaking of jolly Coke Jensen ...

Oh dear, even the pond can't go there ...

Back to the Bolter and his candle for the wall puncher never wanes but waxes and glows with a bright ferocity ...

Yes, the NBN is all their work ...

Shockingly, however, little attention was paid to the leader of the opposition. 

The reptiles shunned the story, and Fairfax could manage only the humblest of splashes ...

Mother of mercy, could this be the end of the attention seeking? The pond has always recommended with troublesome twos that they be locked in a room with a fierce dragon, and sending off the wall puncher to moan and bitch and whine and kvetch with the Bolter might just do the trick.

And so to the substance of the day, because as a deeply conservative person, the pond believes in substance, and what better substance could there be than the return of the Melleuish to the lizard Oz?

Gad sir, or madam, it does the pond's heart mighty good ... and it sounds like a compelling read. 

Credible change!

Why that's as important as continuity with change?

And soon enough we'll have creditable change (you can put it on your card and the pond will take the credit).

This is the sort of stuff a deeply conservative population needs to understand. Change, but with credibility!

After all, who could complain about a deeply conservative population?

Who would think there was something wrong with being conservative? Who would willingly campaign for wild and dangerously radical solutions?

Oh wait, gad sir or madam the pond gets it. 

Complacent conservatives are ruining the country ...

Gad sir or madam, what we need is a New Zealand cartoonist recalling the glory days of Low ...

Gad sir or madam, that's more the spirit. 

And now on with the rest of the mellifluous rambling ...

Gad sir, that's good. Why the country is in an even worse condition than Syria, and that's a fact.

But never mind the rorting revealed in Panama, what about the behaviour of the banks in the domestic market?

You know ...

(But should the pig have been gesturing hypnotically, as if trying out for a whiz bang new Channel 9 show, and never mind the share price? More piggies in the Rowe bank here).

Might we apply the same dangerously radical Melleuish ideas to the rorting banks and the Panamanian looters?

Steady that doesn't sound like credible change. That sounds like wild-eyed bolshie pinko pervert socialism.

Gad sir or madam, there's only some crises that demand credible change and are worth paying attention to ...

Gad sir or madam, the pond has a solution for everything ...

Gad sir or madam, we must be deeply conservative and exercise restraint so that we can be deeply conservative and wildly embrace dangerously radical ideas ... calling for restraint or at least credible change ...

And don't forget liberty!

Gad sir or madam, we must exercise restraint!

Well the mellifluous Melleuish makes a crust as a history prof so perhaps his students can serve him up some Low and score a pass. Remember, restraint is absolutely necessary ... but when it comes to credible change, let no one imperil your super!