In which the pond sits at the feet of skilled debater Craven ...

With the reptiles returning to a stern paywall - how it gladdened the pond's heart, warming it to bursting point with joy and happiness - the pond had to turn to a guest reptile columnist, and right at the get go, a technical point interrupted the pond's reverie.

Was it okay in a debate to start off with Kim Jong-un? Had Godwin's Law been updated to cover this situation?

The pond discovered competing views - some thought that Kim Jong-un wasn't covered, on the basis that North Korea was even worse than the Nazis (Holocaust anyone?), while some berated Kim for getting it wrong himself:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is apparently unaware of the widely cited internet adage that the person who first brings up Nazi leader Adolf Hitler automatically loses the argument — or maybe he just doesn't care about Godwin's Law. On Tuesday, North Korea's state-controlled Korean Central News Agency argued that President Trump's America First policy "is the American version of Nazism far surpassing the fascism in the last century in its ferocious, brutal, and chauvinistic nature," and "Nazism in the 21st century," comparing Trump to Hitler.

Not to worry, the pond decided that it was poor form and deserved a contribution to the swear jar, a bit like as if, for no particular reason, the pond had decided to start off the conversation by making a joke about crazy, nuts crazy, come-quickly-nurse, and then there's the Catholic belief in transubstantiation …

That would be entirely wrong and inappropriate and the pond immediately scolded itself, but then was immediately forced to wonder if Greg Craven had caught up with the situation regarding Woody Allen? 

Probably not, you know how it goes ...

Now if anyone has begun to think this was sounding dangerously like an old man shouting at clouds, "back in my day, things were different, young 'ins", the pond resolutely refuses to use a cartoon of grandpa Simpson ... though how rugby league got into the yarn is about as weird as if the pond had kept carrying on about transubstantiation …

God only knows how that works, and She never stops by the pond to explain.

Not to worry,  the University of Sydney debating team can take care of themselves, and in the meantime, they've provided the chance for much comedy amongst the reptiles.

No doubt they will soon learn how to do ad hominem attacks and throw around references to Stalin, politburos, Orwellian and 1984 … and then they'll eventually get around to working out what it's really all about ...

There you go, University of Sydney students, that's what it's all about.

It turns out that the Craven has more chips on his shoulder than your average debater, ranging from "devout Catholic", through the ABC, to embittered vice chancellor of a suburban university who thinks an education is all about getting a job as a teacher, or better still, diligently studying to become an engineer or an accountant … because once you've got your religion, why think about the world when you just need to keep the weekly pay cheque coming ? You'll be able to debate the endless virtues of metric bolts and Imperial screws until the cows come home ...

But don't worry, ideological loonies if this seems to be a somewhat limited horizon of opportunities … soon enough you'll be able to aspire to a new career path, especially for women. 

How about becoming a cardinal? Dare to dream of becoming a pope? The pond understand the church is thinking of introducing quotas by Xmas, unlike the current system, which allows anyone to get there on their merits …

Doubtless the Craven will scribble furiously about this attempt to introduce quotas, considering he values an "all comers" policy so highly when it comes to employment.

And that's why, ideological loonies, the ACU is for you … though be warned, if you scatter around insults like "loony" the pond might be forced to check the status of its patented name ...

And so to someone who dreamed the dream and now lives the dream …