The pond is still brooding about Google's "community guidelines". One of the posts slammed with a sensitive content label was an outing featuring simpleton Sharri way back in October 2017.
Odds on, the Google bot wasn't worried about Sharri being gaseous, which would offend any sensible, let alone sensitive, reader any day of the week, or it being a http link.
The chances are the bot didn't care tuppence about Sharri, the chances are it was offended by this line ...
Talk about a discount ... talk about energy made easy ... talk about the usual token Malware bulls**t ... wash the paws and put the results on a website...
Why did the pond insert that double asterix? Well the pond doesn't want to offend the bot but was startled to read David Mitchell yesterday, as bold as brass and rabbiting on about a minor matter on UK television.
He had a good line explaining why the pond's mind is now frazzled and deeply superficial ...
He had a good line explaining why the pond's mind is now frazzled and deeply superficial ...
For most of us, the dry detail and/or savage tragedy of momentous issues drive our minds towards triviality. I have never grasped what’s happening in Syria or why to be scared about China, so this week I’ve been digging into what’s going on with Holly and Phil.
But then he went on like this, and the pond was forced to bleep him:
This is what makes the story so diverting. The contrast between the evident reality and the hastily applied coat of bulls**t. They are lying to us and we can tell. That makes us feel powerful and them look foolish. And it’s a much better story than the one they’ve been feeding us for years.
How can David Mitchell get away with robust Tamworth speak in England, and yet a native Tamworthian can't? The pond suspects that the Google bot is oversensitive, possibly deeply fugged* (*licensed from Norman Mailer's estate and used whenever the pond wants to accurately describe how men speak in time of war).
Meanwhile, the sociopath minions under Vlad the Impaler have gone too far. This too turned up in yesterday's reading Head of RT Calls for Lindsey Graham’s Assassination After Edited Video (here to avoid paywall blues)
...Alleviating any doubt about the meaning of Medvedev’s comments, Simonyan went even further during her appearance on Solovyov’s Sunday show. After first acknowledging that Graham’s statements may have been portrayed in a video out of context, Simonyan said that she ordered her staff “to look into it.” She invoked the name of a Soviet Lieutenant General Pavel Sudoplatov, who was involved in several major intelligence operations, including the assassination of Leon Trotsky.
Simonyan ominously pointed out: “If Lady Graham really said that the money for the killing of Russians is the best money the US ever spent... I hope that in our country, the sons or grandchildren of Sudoplatov are alive, his pupils, or the descendants of his pupils. It’s not even hard. We have his address.”
The head of RT explained her bloodlust by the need for retribution: “I have no ill will towards anyone and our religion tells us to forgive, but no one tells us to reward these types of things. When we don’t act in response to these things, it is the same as encouraging them. It causes them to become increasingly more brazen.”
...Alleviating any doubt about the meaning of Medvedev’s comments, Simonyan went even further during her appearance on Solovyov’s Sunday show. After first acknowledging that Graham’s statements may have been portrayed in a video out of context, Simonyan said that she ordered her staff “to look into it.” She invoked the name of a Soviet Lieutenant General Pavel Sudoplatov, who was involved in several major intelligence operations, including the assassination of Leon Trotsky.
Simonyan ominously pointed out: “If Lady Graham really said that the money for the killing of Russians is the best money the US ever spent... I hope that in our country, the sons or grandchildren of Sudoplatov are alive, his pupils, or the descendants of his pupils. It’s not even hard. We have his address.”
The head of RT explained her bloodlust by the need for retribution: “I have no ill will towards anyone and our religion tells us to forgive, but no one tells us to reward these types of things. When we don’t act in response to these things, it is the same as encouraging them. It causes them to become increasingly more brazen.”
Lady Graham? They really are clueless. Everyone knows that the correct term is "Miss Lindsey", in homage to Miss Scarlett:
Mammy : Oh now, Miss Scarlett, you come on and be good and eat just a little, honey!
Scarlett : Fiddle-dee-dee!
Scarlett : Fiddle-dee-dee!
Feminists are allowed to revise history and use "Ms Lindsay", but "Lady" will not fly, with the onion muncher banned from bringing knights and ladies back here and in the USA.
As for assassinations, why not just stick to windows and discreet poisonings? Putin Poisoning? Belarus dictator Luakashenko in critical condition in Moscow hospital, says opposition figure.
Following a closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko was swiftly transported to a Moscow hospital in critical condition.
Following a closed-door meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko was swiftly transported to a Moscow hospital in critical condition.
Okay, the was just the Ukrainians making trouble, but there does seem to be a pattern, and speaking of trouble, the pond did so enjoy reading the NY Times' Missteps and Miscalculations: Inside Fox’s Legal and Business Debacle. (the link avoids the paywall).
The pond didn't learn anything new, but Succession is over, leaving real life for entertainment, and what fun to see Tuckyo at the heart of the affair:
The pond didn't learn anything new, but Succession is over, leaving real life for entertainment, and what fun to see Tuckyo at the heart of the affair:
...The weekend before trial was to begin, with jury selection already underway, the board asked Fox to see the internal Fox communications that were not yet public but that could still come out in the courtroom.
That Sunday, the board learned for the first time of the Carlson text that referred to “how white men fight.” Dinh did not know about the message until that weekend, according to two people familiar with the matter. Fox’s lawyers believed it would not come out at trial, because it was not relevant to the legal arguments at hand. The board, however, was concerned that Dominion was prepared to use the message to further undermine the company with the jury.
And then at the very end came the promise of more fun to come ...
“The distraction to our company, the distraction to our growth plans — our management — would have been extraordinarily costly, which is why we decided to settle,” Lachlan Murdoch said at an investment conference this month.
But there was broad agreement among people with knowledge of the discussions that the Carlson text, and the board’s initiation of an investigation, added to the pressure to avoid trial.
The text also helped lead to the Murdochs’ decision a few days later to abruptly pull Carlson off the air. Their view had hardened that their top-rated star wasn’t worth all the downsides he brought with him.
Fox’s trouble has not ended. In the weeks since the settlement and Carlson’s ouster, prime-time ratings have dropped (although Fox remains No. 1 in cable news), and new plaintiffs sued the network, most recently a former Homeland Security official, Nina Jankowicz.
As one of Jankowicz’s lawyers said in an interview, the Dominion case “signals that there is a path.”
Still pending is the Smartmatic suit. In late April, Fox agreed to hand over additional internal documents relating to several executives, including the Murdochs and Dinh. In a statement reminiscent of Dinh’s early view of the Dominion case, the network said that the $2.7 billion in damages sought by Smartmatic — operating in only one county in 2020 — were implausible and that Fox was protected by the First Amendment.
“We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025,” the statement said.
That Sunday, the board learned for the first time of the Carlson text that referred to “how white men fight.” Dinh did not know about the message until that weekend, according to two people familiar with the matter. Fox’s lawyers believed it would not come out at trial, because it was not relevant to the legal arguments at hand. The board, however, was concerned that Dominion was prepared to use the message to further undermine the company with the jury.
And then at the very end came the promise of more fun to come ...
“The distraction to our company, the distraction to our growth plans — our management — would have been extraordinarily costly, which is why we decided to settle,” Lachlan Murdoch said at an investment conference this month.
But there was broad agreement among people with knowledge of the discussions that the Carlson text, and the board’s initiation of an investigation, added to the pressure to avoid trial.
The text also helped lead to the Murdochs’ decision a few days later to abruptly pull Carlson off the air. Their view had hardened that their top-rated star wasn’t worth all the downsides he brought with him.
Fox’s trouble has not ended. In the weeks since the settlement and Carlson’s ouster, prime-time ratings have dropped (although Fox remains No. 1 in cable news), and new plaintiffs sued the network, most recently a former Homeland Security official, Nina Jankowicz.
As one of Jankowicz’s lawyers said in an interview, the Dominion case “signals that there is a path.”
Still pending is the Smartmatic suit. In late April, Fox agreed to hand over additional internal documents relating to several executives, including the Murdochs and Dinh. In a statement reminiscent of Dinh’s early view of the Dominion case, the network said that the $2.7 billion in damages sought by Smartmatic — operating in only one county in 2020 — were implausible and that Fox was protected by the First Amendment.
“We will be ready to defend this case surrounding extremely newsworthy events when it goes to trial, likely in 2025,” the statement said.
Oh if only the pond survives until that day ...
What's that you say, an extended coverage by the pond already, and the only reptiles to make the cut thus far those at Faux Noise?
The pond is aware of its grievous error and hastens to remedy the deficiency ... but after all, it's only a groaning, and a delay to the groaning is what is needed to whet the appetite of anyone not a Groan cultist ...you must simmer the parritch for a long time if you want an excuse to indulge in brown sugar.
Why the Groaner? Well look at the alternatives ...
There's simply no contest, which says as much about the reptiles as it does about the pond's growing sense of ennui and tedium, and here Dame Groan is no help at all ...
Sheesh, only a cultist could explain why a Dame Groan tour of budgets and treasurers past is of the remotest interest ... yet here the pond is ...
The pond had wavered at the sight of jolly Joe and the terminator, still boring Europeans rigid, but enough already with snaps of ancient warriors ...
Back to the tour of budgets past ...
That'll go nowhere, so the pond cut it short, and it was nothing up against Media Watch's observation of Nine's treatment of the fundamentalist Hindu nationalist with a lot of unmentioned dirt on his hands ... but the pond expects reptile watchers have already watched Nine's Modi mania ...
And so to conclude what has possibly been the pond's dullest post to date ...
Could Dame Groan be any more tedious for a more extended time? It's possible, or perhaps a major meltdown in the markets would shake her out of her lethargy, but the pond felt the need to add a bonus, only to discover it was a two horse race ...
As well as hate, fear and loathing, there's always been reeling and writhing, and distraction, uglification and derision ...
The pond understands the bromancer might still be suffering from his gassing, but there seems to be way too much helium in this offering, beginning with his talk about the rigid negativity of Mr Potato as being "calm and sensible" ...
What's the point of this maudlin, mawkish celebration of Stan, accompanied by huge snap, cut down to size by the pond?
Here was his Xmas message back on 24th December 2022 ... (sorry the pond doesn't link to reptile rags) ...
There was a lot more, but it's always worth remembering that deep down and on the surface, the bromancer is a prize fundamentalist Xian loon ...
Now back to the ABC bashing ...
Some days the bromancer goes beyond the valley of caricature into the hills of self-parody, burlesque, and essence of farce, and this was one of them, with the melancholy tone of the last gobbet the essence of distilled emotion and maudlin self-pity ... you know, the "in my day, way back when", and "nigh on forty years or more" sort of carry-on ...
What can the pond do, except hit the repeat button? Distilled essence of emotion, with resentment and bile for ballast ...
On the upside, the pond managed to avoid doings in the west, and could save a mention of PwC to the immortal Rowe ...
So, another Groany day: "But by setting out average spending figures across six years the federal Treasurer was gilding the lily ..." Dunno about you, but I've never seen a lily that wasn't improved by prudent gilding. "by setting out average spending figures over six years, rather than the normal four, the federal Treasurer was gilding the lily by claiming more spending restraint than is likely to eventuate." Oh, that kind of "gilding the lily"; but then, how much "spending restraint" does Australia need. Has The Groan, and the reptiles in general, ever heard of Japan and noted its idea of "spending restraint"?
ReplyDeleteSo Groany spouts that "...it is estimated that there will be a deficit in the next four years amounting to $114bn in total, which in turn will need to be borrowed." Will it ? Ok well let's follow the example of the third largest economy in the world, namely Japan, and borrow it from our own federal 'bank'. Then we can pay it back at our leisure at an interest rate of our own determination.
Sheesh, even Holely Henry has finally admitted that "money is a social construct underpinned by a complex of social and institutional conventions."* Will the Groany ever grasp that ?
*http://loonpond.blogspot.com/2023/05/a-big-day-with-usual-rabid-reptile.html#.ZHVB1-9Bzrc
So enough of this kindergarten pocket-money understanding of money and debt, and let's just get on with living.
Speaking of Chalmers, Sloan says:
ReplyDelete“According to him, the awarding of substantial pay rises to aged-care workers was not a policy decision but rather a ruling of the Fair Work Commission. The reality is that the government had actively supported this outcome, before and after the election.”
So passively refusing to support a pay rise for aged-care workers is not a policy decision?
It appears from Sloan’s final paragraphs that where it all went wrong was with the failure of the 2014 budget. She must really feel like an outsider in Massachusetts.
Then Sheridan shows us all how to avoid emotive discussion by telling us the left of politics exist in “toxic swamplands” and beginning an assertion with the phrase: “Anyone with a speck of wisdom would recognise…” implying if one doesn’t recognise what Sheridan is claiming, then the one lacks wisdom. But when I got to Sheridan claiming that Adam Creighton was brilliant, I knew that wisdom was not on Sheridan’s side.
This day’s column by our Dame Groan does not identify her as any kind of ‘economist’, as that is generally understood. Which is wise, because her groans largely reflect the narrowest kind of small town chamber-of-commerce statements on ‘the economy’.
ReplyDeleteLong established writings by recognised economists - across a spectrum of political ideologies - do not consider national budgeting in terms like ‘tough’; the budget is about that economic fundamental - allocating limited resources to meeting the needs, and some of the wants, of the public.
Neither is ‘tough’ part of a supposedly important question ‘because the speed of achieving lower inflation is assisted by tight fiscal policy.’ This comes from someone who has regularly praised Milton Friedman’s thinking on inflation, without reminding her readers that Friedman said inflation is produced ONLY by a more rapid increase in the quantity of money than in output.’
The essential equation is -
MV = Py
M is the supply of money, V is its velocity, P the price level and - although lower case, so seemingly less important - y is the gross domestic product. The ‘output’ if you would. The thing that ‘the economy’ is supposed to be about.
One might speculate that she has something about ‘velocity’ in her mind, and translates that to a ‘speed of achieving lower inflation’, but without considering what is known to be driving price levels, and trends in gross domestic product.
It is simply an indulgence to write a column as the Dame has here, but claim it is relevant to national economic management. Its only relevance is to the ideology that the Dame has arrived at - perhaps not personally, but because it is aligned with the Maurice Newmans and others of the small band of directors of corporations whose narrow thinking contributes too many of our national problems. Rather than direct limited resources to improving the reach and productivity of their businesses - they would claim the national interest is served if more of those resources are converted into dollars in their personal bank accounts - usually in a banking/taxation system outside Australia.
The general lack of care in her writing is shown by the meaningless misquote about ‘gilding the lily’ Not to seem too much like a Holey person, but it IS from Shakespeare. Looking again at Salisbury’s speech, our Dame might have used his ‘wasteful and ridiculous excess’, rather than ‘to paint the lily’.
So: MV=Py - there's a whole "complex of social and institutional conventions" behind that simple equation, isn't there, as I'm sure our very own 'gilded lily', Dame Groan, would as usual fail to understand.
DeleteGiven that so much of what she writes these days is a distillation of mutterings around the clubby, ever 'collegiate', small cohort of directors of our major public and private corporations, it would be charitable to suggest that, deep down, she understands any of it, GB.
DeleteI think she was prone to citing Milton Friedman as a carry-over from the time of Reagan and the Thatcher, when writers for certain mass media liked to pretend that those two were influenced by Milton. 'Citing', of course, does not mean that she actually had to read any of Friedman's works.
In retrospect, we have been told that Reagan probably was more influenced by astrology.
That's a lovely 'economic trinity' isn't it: Friedman, Reagan and Thatcher. Our own little 'Trinity'- Hawke, Keating and Walsh - just aren't a match.
DeleteCertainly Nancy Reagan was very much in thrall to astrology, so Ronnie went enthusiastically along. What a wonderful time that was.
Tim Dunlop at https://tdunlop.substack.com/p/what-comes-after-social-media?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email writes "News Corp, on the other hand, has built hard paywalls around its newspaper content, choosing to let scarcity add value and encourage those who can to subscribe." ... "Though, it is worth noting that, in Australia at least, this hard-paywall strategy only works because the ABC gives News Corp free use of the ABC to promote their content and journalists. The ABC, in effect, is operating as an open platform giving News Corp a reach it wouldn’t otherwise have. News not only doesn’t—and would never—return the favour, it spends an inordinate amount time attacking the ABC and its journalists."
ReplyDeleteI thought the Bromancer was on some sort of fact*-finding expedition in Europe? If so, nice that he’s continuing a running commentary of developments back home - even if his commentary bears no resemblance to reality. Spud Dutton’s blatant race-baiting (you could hardly label it “dog-whistling”) was the finest speech of his career? Well, perhaps if your standard of speechifying has as its benchmark Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” oration…. I suppose the Bro’s next priority will be a chummy interview with that Victorian State Liberal MP who has declared that Aboriginal folk should begrateful for the benefits of colonialism. In face, I’m surprised she hasn’t already been awarded a regular column in the Lizard Oz or the Hun.
ReplyDelete(* Note - actual facts not necessarily included)
Bromancer: "Rather, they [leftie-progressive-wokie people, aka 'the scum of the Earth'] live and breathe in the toxic swamplands of identity politics, centred on gender, sexuality and a critical race theory view of race." Yep, that's substituting emotion for reason and my, aren't the reptiles just so very good at that attribution then psychological projection thing. And isn't the Bro just a consummate artist of it.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's it, isn't it: with Tuckyo down the Murdochian gurgler, everybody else has to really step up their emotive intensity or be prepared to join him. And so the Bro does, and it's all downhill from here.
For instance: "I like and admire Grant, and I've always admired his work. Further, he's patently a good person." Right, so having staked their claim on Hawke&Keating for being reptiles at heart, now they're moving on to add Stan Grant to the menagerie. Will there be anybody much remaining that they haven't claimed as 'reely, trooly' one of them ?
But hey, how about "the great religious and cultural thinker, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks" who would have us contemplate that religion - all of them, and there are and have been very many each with their very own gods - cannot answer those basic life-questions: "who am I, why am I here, how then shall I live" and that is precisely why we have "science, technology, the market and the state" because Rabbi Sacks' and the Bromancer's religions (and they are not one and the same) have not been able to even begin to answer those questions.
Mainly because, as is bleedin' bloody obvious, those questions have no general answers; only the personal and individual answers that we each finally come to. So none of us are fooled by that nonsense from Fisher: "Those who do believe and count religion as important in their lives are now just over half of Americans etc ..." No actually, over half of Americans are just those that put down the name of a religious 'faith' (and as we know, 'faith' is all emotion and no reason or logic) on a census form. Trust a bunch of 'faith' nutters to think that means all those people are 'religious'.
The Bro of course sees no problem with those who live and breathe in the toxic swamplands of religious politics, centred on gender, sexuality and a theory of race based upon dubious collections of arcane scribblings. Although I don’t think he’d express it in quite those terms.
ReplyDelete