Dear diary, hitting the road tomorrow, so this will be the last post from the south.
A disappointing time, what with the weather outside the tent, and never did get to see the provinces, though did get lost in Chadstone.
Only the splendid sight of the Women's Xian Temperance Union of Victoria fountain gave the pond some hope that there might be some traces of the old Melbourne left after RMIT-inspired architects have fucked up everything else. (The pond did the Dutch tilt in honour of directors in the Michael Winner school, though why the Dutch copped the blame remains a mystery, especially when considering the genius behind Showgirls).
Memo to self: has the pond mentioned a deep loathing for RMIT and RMIT-inspired Melbourne architects, and their shameless vulgarity? Mustn't sound too Prince Chuck about it, and as for Prince Andrew ... might as well go the full Duke of Windsor and have a kind word for Adolf.
Must also remember to apologise: how silly of the pond to expect the reptiles to make note of the war between Crikey and Lachy ...
On the other hand, splendid note from the bromancer this day. Can always be relied upon to defend the indefensible and explain the inexplicable away ... there's nothing like a sense of proportion, bromancer style ...
So many ironies there that the pond found it hard to handle the irony overload.
Never mind, as a fundamentalist tyke, the bromancer is exceptionally good at apologetics, and always produces splendid apologias ...
And should the pond toss off lightly an immortal Rowe at this point?
The pond understands, agrees and accepts that it was wrong of the pond to interrupt this splendid meditation, but sadly there's just one more gobbet to go, full of wisdom and understanding ... you know, a Boris lover one day, and then a Boris betrayer the next, and that's how you do binary bipolar disorder analysis bromancer style ... oh and must remember to blame Obama.
Pity he's now so long ago or the ghost of Bill Clinton could have been invoked ...
And the reptiles will do everything they can to destabilise, undermine, mock, assault, abuse and attack the government, because a successful term might lead to another, and how then could Barners and the mutton Dutton arrive at their right and proper place in the world?
The top paddock? The pond always recommends keeping the loose 'roos and grazing SloMos in the back paddock ...
And so to the good groaning for the day, and the pond can promise a splendid outcome this day ...
A peacock’s train economic numbers are arguably among the most well-known example of mating display in the animal kingdom. These iconic economic numbers are composed of the central shaft, loose barbs on its sides, and an “eyespot” pattern at the end of the shaft. To court potential mates, a peacock needs to rattle and shiver these train economic numbers in a certain way, producing a display of flickering figures and distinctive noises. (sorry, male peacocks).
In the next gobbet, Dame Groan will explain how this sort of loose, idle talk...
... can result in furrin engineers coming to town, and ruining everything ...
News Corp Australia has launched an investigation into its own staff to find the source of the leak of sensitive personal salary and redundancy details of senior staff, according to a second embarrassing leak in as many days.
The Herald revealed on Wednesday that a staff member had, by accident, widely emailed sensitive personal details of pay and redundancy provisions of senior staff members, including the $357,000 salary of The Australian's prominent economics columnist Judith Sloan.
Shock to staff: Professor Judith Sloan, whose $357,000 salary was revealed in the leak.
News Corp blamed human error.
Staff at Rupert Murdoch's Australian operations reported shock at the size of the salary of their colleague at a time that the company is laying off staff. (here)
Splendid days, sadly long gone, though three columns a week should lift the spirit and generate a surge in the economy, helped along by the infallible Pope ...
And so to a special rational bonus ... replete with a splendid reptile illustration ...
Anyone wondering if they've seen that image before should relax ... it's a reptile favourite ...
Speaking of disenchantment, the pond was disenchanted to discover that even the Terror had used the image ...
Lazy, reach for the bottom image drawer reptiles!
And in the process, the pond has completely forgotten all the rational arguments being promoted, though the pond suspects there will be a book plugging and flogging at the end of it all ...
A goodly dose of caring both siderism, but here's the ugly reality.
This allegedly rational author is scribbling for News Corp, an American-owned company notorious for being an unindicted co-conspirator with a man who created violent conflict in order to stay in power ... and worse, inclined to bully other operations with legal threats ...
Oh the pond just wanted to slip that in somehow, some way ... there was no way it was going to be mentioned by the reptiles this day though you might find it elsewhere, as in the Graudian ...
Indeed, indeed, and so they should have apologised.
Too often these days organised crime bosses are too easily defamed, when really when you think about it, the mango Mussolini was a most disorganised crime boss, and Chairman Rupert deserves full credit for going all in to support a hopeless bunch of third rate criminals more at home in a movie of The Mouse That Roared kind ...
And now to that book plug the pond promised, with another magisterial tone of both siderisms... because on the one hand, the pond is reliably informed that there is another Catholic philosopher hand ... and that hand will always be looked on favourably in the Catholic Boys Daily ...
It was uplifting to see Father Paul Kelly, editor-at-large of The Catholic Boys Daily, beating the drum for a religious freedom bill.
Never mind that already we have too much religious freedom; Father Kelly wants more.
It was one of his traditionally wordy pieces, but he still didn’t have enough words to explain just how religious freedoms would be trampled should same-sex couples be treated equally by the law, or just what freedoms were at risk.
Possibly Mark Coleridge, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Brisbane, answered the puzzle. He said same-sex couples don’t “qualify” for marriage, just as a parent and a child don’t qualify, or a brother and a sister.
Coleridge was apparently practising the religious freedom to say any idiotic and vile thing that wanders into his head.
We’re now supposed to grapple with the invisible threat to religious freedom, even though PM Bollards Trumble has reminded us that churches are and will be free to marry or not marry anyone they want and already these institutions have wide power to dismiss or not hire anyone that doesn’t accord with their feudal view of the world.
Archbishop Denis Hartless of Melbourne already has warned that employees of the church face the sack if they enter a same-sex marriage.
It makes a nice change from not sacking priests who rape children.
Now carry on in a magisterial way ...
The core challenge that confronted the pond reading this is how turning up in a News Corp publication in anyway helped freedom of speech or critical thinking ... though hopefully the book flogging might have resulted in a few sales ...
Meanwhile, Wilcox was having fun with furriners and angry Sydney Anglicans in a way that would surely gladden Monk's rationalist chairman Rupert supporting heart ... and though the pond had run the Anglican one before, it seemed apposite in a Monkish both siderist way, and as for those wretched furriners ...
She might have added, and be the subject of a good groaning, but instead tweeted this as a bonus ...
"though did get lost in Chadstone." That's what you're supposed to do so that you have to buy your way out. But at least you can 'buy now, pay later' your way out of it.
ReplyDeleteAah, Chadstone ... I can still remember when it was the site of the very last 'Downyflake Donuts' in Melbourne (though you can still get them in Nantucket, apparently).
https://www.facebook.com/TheDownyflake/posts/212685868756587
Downyflake Donuts! Now that’s a blast from the past, GB.I recall one of their outlets sitting in a corner of Hyde Park, Sydney back in the late 1960s; they were also mentioned endlessly on some kiddies TV show if the period, which the company presumably sponsored. Ah, the nostalgia of insidious capitalism…..
DeleteMy first contact was with the DF outlet on Swanston St, just a few doors down from Young and Jackson's pub, and my dad and me used to call in - me being a few years too juvenile for Y&J - after we'd been to the footy on a Saturday.
DeleteYep, capitalist nostalgia :-)
Tempted to list as 'Chadstone', but let's not get too kooky.
ReplyDeleteOur Bro - ‘Johnson used his celebrity to advance political causes he believed in, especially Brexit.’ There is ample evidence, including his own statements, that Johnson ‘believed’ in Brexit only so far as it gave him a possible lever to tip out David Cameron, but that probably seems sufficient, in the irony-free zone that is the brain of the Bro.
Dame Groan - ‘Low wage growth in the context of low unemployment is a puzzle that has baffled economists for some time.’ It may ‘baffle’ those who have not bothered to read the major contributors to economics during the 20th century, such as William Baumol.
Baumol gave us the term ‘Baumol’s cost disease’ as a convenient identifier of the basis of the problem in trying to link productivity directly to pay (although the ‘Wiki’ reminds us that, yep - Adam Smith had alluded to this two hundred years earlier - but ‘economists’ seldom read Adam Smith; we are in the age of the easily-retrievable quote). Baumol wrote extensively on the labour market within ‘western’ economies, and was one of the first to set out a comprehensive book on entrepreneurship.
As it happens, the flagship this day flies one pennant upside-down, on behalf of the CEOs of the major banks. It seems they have not been invited to the government’s jobs and skills summit. That seems about right, because the big bankers have contributed to the other part of the Dame’s ‘puzzle’ - channeling money that came at virtually no cost, into investments that contributed nothing to productivity - and in many cases put productivity into negative trend.
I doubt that that has truly ‘baffled’ those writing for mass media about the recent era of cheap money; they would have been acutely aware that their masters in the two major media groups would not want to see any adverse comment on what the ‘hero’ CEOs of banks and major corporations were doing with that cheap money. Nor could they cite the rise in inflation as evidence that those investments delivered little or no productivity.
Thank you for that perceptive commentary, Chad, but having taken it on board I do have one serious question: how, IGN, did The Groany ever graduate from secondary college, much less than from any tertiary institution. Should there be a major inquiry into how these organisations - and especially universities - decide who to award passes, let alone honours, to.
DeleteAlmost all of the reptiles claim some kind of tertiary qual, and I wouldn't have awarded anything to any of them.
Now here The Groany says: "Compared with the heady days of the 1990s, the average annual rate of labour productivity growth is just above 1 per cent per year<"/i>." Now correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the job composition swung significantly from 'making and building' to service industries. And again, if I'm wrong, but aren't the 'making and building' jobs the most 'automatable' and therefore easiest to increase the productivity of, especially from the growth of computerisation (with and without AI) in the 1990s ? And since 'The Great Offshoring to Benefit from JIT' hasn't it been the 'making and building' jobs that haven't grown substantially, (if at all) in numbers and it has been service jobs - subject per Baumol to minimal productivity increases = that have taken up the employment slack ?
DeleteBesides: "we put up our sales prices so then we had to increase wages to compensate our workers so that we then had to put up our sales prices to maintain our profits (and our CEO's remuneration) and then we had to increase wages for our employees so we then had to put up our sales prices so then we had to increase our employees wages so then ...
And this has been going on for how long now ? And how many times have prices, and wages, doubled since the 1970s ?
The narrative is matched to the worldview of the intended audience GB, not to any discernible facts. I think the problem she has is that those facts have become so bleedingly self-evident that a bit of spin or a smokescreen cannot really obscure them, although, the Master is obviously willing to pay her to shred any credibility she has left (not sure if there's anything to shred).
DeleteInteresting graph at https://www.aicd.com.au/economic-news/australian/growth/the-real-wages-vs-productivity-gap.html showing productivity increasing much faster than wages (for just the graph, see https://www.aicd.com.au/economic-news/australian/growth/the-real-wages-vs-productivity-gap/_jcr_content/root/responsivegrid/image.coreimg.jpeg/1585209478074/economist-graphic-productivity-700px.jpeg)
DeleteGB - to your first comment on this - yes, this Dame, and 'Killer' and (when we can decipher what she is actually trying to say) the other Dame - and so many others (Plimer, Riddster, etc.) - ultimately follow the Northcliffe dictum - that to be succesful, newspapers should not try to sell information, but the controversy over the information. To generate controversy, someone has to propound a contrary view. With the information available to the serious inquirer, that means determining where research is heading - and saying the opposite. If that can be said by someone who can claim tertiary qualifications - then they may be seen to have the cloak (academic gown?) of authority. Of course, they disparage thinkers on the other side who appear in any way to to speak from authority.
DeleteWhile I am here - enjoyed your later reference to IBM and Powerpoint. In my paid employment I never used either Powerpoint or Keynote; always regarded them as counter-productive.
Ah, well I was never placed managerially high enough for that, Chad: I was a 'techo' - an IBM and Fujitsu mainframe systems architect and DBA (Data Base Administrator) - for IBM's IMS (aka DB1) and later the relational DB2 and Fujitsu's AIM (a CODASYL DBMS) and the relational RDB (and you may note how Fujitsu's names for things always differed by just one letter from the IBM equivalent's name).
DeleteSo my Powerpoints were all about technical solutions to systems and database management requirements and Powerpoint was fine for that. So fine that for years before Powerpoint became all but universal I used to do my own using blank OHP slides and coloured felt-tipped pens. Powerpoint for me was a great leap forward.
Being a 'systems architect' for mainframes was quite interesting: one had to know "just enough" about the three great components: operating systems software and hardware, communications software and hardware and database management systems software. And to be able to program: Assembler, Fortran and COBOL. With my trusty manual at hand I could probably still get a job looking after lots of residual COBOL application systems (and there was still plenty thereof last time I looked).
And a small PS: the first two major systems that I became DBA for (which both existed before I came to them) were the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme IMS database on an IBM S360-65 and the Medibank IMS database on a dual CPU IBM S370. Those were the days.
DeleteHi CW,
DeleteRegarding the Northcliffe Dictum, it was generally believed on Fleet Street that there were only two newspapers people bought because they believed the information could make them richer,
One was The Financial Times which gave insights into the Stock Market and how to invest and the other was The Sporting Life which similarly offered punditry on which horse or greyhound to back.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_Times
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sporting_Life_(British_newspaper)
Nice one, thank you DW. There was also the excellent analysis by Jim Hacker (and Bernard)
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGscoaUWW2M
Things I didn't know about Dorothy Parker: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dorothy-parkers-fbi-file-available-public-first-time-decade-180969044/
ReplyDeleteThanks - kind of highlights the American surveillance state.
DeleteI did like "she was slapped with a $5 fine for “loitering and sauntering”". Got to crack down on that sauntering!
Excellent link Joe and the pond suddenly felt in tune with the universe ...
DeleteWhen an agent asked if she had ever conspired to overthrow the government, Parker allegedly responded, “Listen, I can’t even get my dog to stay down. Do I look to you like someone who could overthrow the government?”
"has the pond mentioned a deep loathing for RMIT and RMIT-inspired Melbourne architects, and their shameless vulgarity?" Aww, c'mon DP, Melbourne is an international tourist destination but without an Eiffel Tower - which of course was considered totally vulgar in its day - or any suchlike attraction. Can't just shove Temperance Union fountains everywhere and hope for the best.
ReplyDeleteSo, on to the Bro: "if the government had been the Jerry Seinfeld show, the only character you can imagine dreaming it up is Kramer." And the only character you can imagine playing $loMo is George.
Oh but here's a good one: "Former cabinet ministers tell me it became a Powerpoint presentation bonanza." That's interesting, because apparently that's what had happened to IBM on its way down before Lou Gerstner took over as CEO in 1993 and revitalised it for a while. An IBM ex-insider revealed how at IBM HQ (Armonk, I think) that it was a continuing process of "management by Powerpoint slides". Sorry, his name is lost in the fuzzy fog of my older braincells and MickeySoft Edge won't find him for me.
But I reckon it's been that way in many places over the years: Powerpoint suits human capabilities: not much to take in per slide, and not all that very many slides. Oh for the good old days of 'IBM and the Seven Dwarfs'.
Anyway, then the Bro tells us: "Morrison was particularly allergic to robust intellectual challenge." Oh, really, Bro ? Strangely, so was the very senior IBM management at the time.
The pond was dismayed at the amount of facadism on view, GB, a truly vile concept to be seen all over the place, and by the amount of grotesque high rises trying to compete with Jimbo Packer's Sydney conceit (and doing pretty well at the game), and by sad sights, such as the decline of Victoria street in Richmond ...
DeleteJoe, the kicker is that while they amassed a massive file on DP,
ReplyDeleteHoover was the one in thrall to actual enemies of the people,
namely the Mafia.
The Bureau was forbidden by J. Edgar from investigating the mob,
allowing it to grow unchecked except by state authorities.
Hoover maintained he didn't want his agents corrupted by close contact
with them when asked about not going after the Mafia.
It's pretty much accepted that the Chicago mob had photos of Hoover
and his lover Clyde Tollson in drag at a party.
My uncle Mitch had a FBI file which he eventually got to see under the Freedom
of Information Act. In the 1960's he joined the Black Panther Party for the hell
of it and to have a good bar story, it was only $14 and you got a newsletter
and a party badge.
That was enough to get a file, his childhood pal who worked at the
Frenchtown post office told him the PO noted the return addresses
of all his mail for years, sending the info on to the FBI.
It wouldn't surprise me if our Dorothy had a FBI file, but under the
Freedom of Information Act a foreign citizen can request a copy
though there will be redactions.
"Defund the FBI" eh, JM ?
Delete:)³ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1993/02/05/New-book-pictures-J-Edgar-Hoover-as-drag-queen/7487728888400/
DeleteIf only he'd been free to enjoy being a drag queen. Not much chance of that ...
Deletehttps://www.npr.org/2022/06/16/1105544325/drag-shows-children
The LGBTQ+ community has long celebrated self-expression with drag shows featuring performers in costumes and makeup, impersonating men or women. Witness the popularity of the Emmy Award-winning RuPaul's Drag Race. But Republican legislators in Florida, Arizona, Texas and other states are trying to crack down, with proposals to ban minors from drag shows.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested he could order his state's child protective services department to investigate parents who take their children to such performances.
"We have laws against child endangerment," DeSantis said during a news conference in Fort Meyers Beach last week, after a video of children attending a drag bar in Dallas surfaced. "They were putting money in the underwear, and that is totally inappropriate," he said. "That is not something that children should be exposed to."
Florida state Rep. Anthony Sabatini takes it even farther, proposing to terminate the parental rights of adults, and make it a felony if they bring their children to watch a drag show.
Bryan Slaton, a Republican state representative in Texas, said he would also propose a bill banning drag shows where minors are present. "Perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children," he complained in a statement.
Yeah, but was he gay or just a guy who fucked men ? We've all come across the old saying: "a goat for relief, a girl for pleasure but a boy for ecstasy".
DeleteAnd there's plenty of non-LGBTQ+ people - almost exclusively males - who are obsessed with sexualising even their own young children. I wonder if/when the DeSantises and Slatons of the world will do anything about them.